Black Mesa: Source, the long-in-development mod/remake of the original Half-Life, is now available to play. For free.
I'm really liking it. Much more than I was expecting to, in fact. It plays like a loving, alt-universe version of Half-Life, which is the best possible approach they could've taken. Rather than attempting to pull off a note-for-note remake, Carlos Montero and his crew of volunteers have made something that works much better: A true tribute, crafted with love.
The opening tram-ride is good stuff, but it's what came immediately after it that clued me in to what Black Mesa was all about. Some cheeky banter (I particularly liked the second security guard's dig at Gordon's hair) immediately demonstrates that this isn't your father's (or well, older brother's) Black Mesa.
The conversation above, overheard between three Black Mesa scientists (including a woman!) sealed it for me. It is, of course, a meta-conversation about Black Mesa: Source itself. Lovely.
If you want to watch the whole opening sequence, I recorded myself walking through for the first time:
What are you waiting for? Go download it!