Well… this mod is dead.

I was planning on writing this review sometime in October, 2020, so that way I would be able to play the whole mod as it was. But that released date would be the month that this mod would die. I guess I should have seen that one coming, but even the devs knew long before I did. So, I guess I have to write a review before the game is taken off the Steam store page. And yeah… there are more important things to be worried about in my life, for example: LIKE MY ESSAY DUE IN FOUR DAYS FROM NOW!!!! But this is more important to me (no jokes here, I’m dead serious).

So, what do I think about Half-life: Absolute Zero? Well I want to get the elephant out of the room: the development history. Dude, I’m gonna be real with you on this, Half-life: Absolute Zero is like the Franklin Pierce or Jimmy Carter of Half-life mods. It seemed like nothing went right for these guys: the mod’s been in development for ten years, an indie game studio tried suing this team because the indie studio trademarked “Absolute Zero” (one of the dumbest cases by the way), one of their level designers just straight up left with no words or anything and is still gone to this day, they tried getting another level designer but I don’t think anybody even joined, and now they cancelled the mod. It’s so sad to look at, I just hope they find better luck than with this mod. Okay, the drama is out of the way. NOW, how is the mod itself? Well, I went on a trip and stayed at my grandparent’s farm and then I played through all of what the mod had to offer. My thoughts: it was hands down, one of the GREATEST Half-life Beta recreation mods I’ve ever played.

Pros:
- It’s Half-life 1, but OH so different. Obviously, this mod is about the Alpha Build and cut content of Half-life 1. If you’ve read my Half-life: Restored Mod Review, then you would know that I think Half-life 1 is a perfect game that needs no changes. The Half-life 1 Beta is something that I am so glad never happened. More in that review, getting off track. It felt like I was rediscovering the Black Mesa Research Facility and everything felt like an alternate universe. I felt like I was playing a game that was lost in time, a game nobody played that was released in 1997. I sometimes wish I never knew what Half-life was, just so I could play it for the first time and get my first reactions; this mod is the closest thing I have to that. It made me feel like a kid again with curiosity about Black Mesa; it’s why I put up with the bugs and glitches with the mod, I was dedicated to seeing EVERYTHING.
- The gameplay is really different: for example, the HECU marines run and shoot?!! I had so much fun with it because of how different it felt compared to the retail version of Half-life. It threw me off guard and I always love that in mods, when they do it.
- This mod made me like the Half-life 1 beta a little bit more. I still REALLY prefer retail over the Beta, but it did make me think and wonder about a weird Half-life that never came to be. It’s interesting stuff even if I think some of it is dumb.

Cons:
- The mod is dead… :( That just sucks, but I can’t blame them.
- A lot of Valve’s original ideas for Half-life sucked: climbing ladders was nauseating and slow, antidotes were confusing, key cards were annoying and they sucked in Doom etc.
- Weapon animations were pretty bad, just looking at the mp5 reload animation is clear enough. But that’s probably done on purpose.

I probably have more reasons, but I don’t remember what I hated and liked about this mod. I just remember, and still do, that I LOVED it. There are only two beta mods out there that I actually like: Absolute Zero and Dark Interval (which is still kicking strong). This mod is a damn tragedy: it’s not because it was bad, unplayable, enjoyable, or even not fun. It’s because of the development hell these guys went through. I can’t believe this mod has been worked on for ten years straight and they went through all of the things I mentioned. It’s just depressing to look at and I wish no one has to go through something like this. But that can be game development for you in a nutshell... :(

I made this review on Half-life Restored. Which is a f*cking vrigin compared to the Chad Half-life: Absolute Zero: https://steamhost.cn/steamcommunity_com/id/Arpip/recommended/1283930/

I also have a YouTube Channel, if you're interested go here:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGEwsB7LK8_duOhvpJW7_jw?view_as=subscriber

You can also write a comment if you want


Cobalt-57, I won’t forget who you guys were and we all hope for the best in you. For now, just rest and know that it’s over.

Well… this mod is dead. I was planning on writing this review sometime in October, 2020, so that way I would be able to play the whole mod as it was. But that released date would be the month that this mod would die. I guess I should have seen that one coming, but even the devs knew long before I did. So, I guess I have to write a review before the game is taken off the Steam store page. And yeah… there are more important things to be worried about in my life, for example: LIKE MY ESSAY DUE IN FOUR DAYS FROM NOW!!!! But this is more important to me (no jokes here, I’m dead serious). So, what do I think about Half-life: Absolute Zero? Well I want to get the elephant out of the room: the development history. Dude, I’m gonna be real with you on this, Half-life: Absolute Zero is like the Franklin Pierce or Jimmy Carter of Half-life mods. It seemed like nothing went right for these guys: the mod’s been in development for ten years, an indie game studio tried suing this team because the indie studio trademarked “Absolute Zero” (one of the dumbest cases by the way), one of their level designers just straight up left with no words or anything and is still gone to this day, they tried getting another level designer but I don’t think anybody even joined, and now they cancelled the mod. It’s so sad to look at, I just hope they find better luck than with this mod. Okay, the drama is out of the way. NOW, how is the mod itself? Well, I went on a trip and stayed at my grandparent’s farm and then I played through all of what the mod had to offer. My thoughts: it was hands down, one of the GREATEST Half-life Beta recreation mods I’ve ever played. Pros: - It’s Half-life 1, but OH so different. Obviously, this mod is about the Alpha Build and cut content of Half-life 1. If you’ve read my Half-life: Restored Mod Review, then you would know that I think Half-life 1 is a perfect game that needs no changes. The Half-life 1 Beta is something that I am so glad never happened. More in that review, getting off track. It felt like I was rediscovering the Black Mesa Research Facility and everything felt like an alternate universe. I felt like I was playing a game that was lost in time, a game nobody played that was released in 1997. I sometimes wish I never knew what Half-life was, just so I could play it for the first time and get my first reactions; this mod is the closest thing I have to that. It made me feel like a kid again with curiosity about Black Mesa; it’s why I put up with the bugs and glitches with the mod, I was dedicated to seeing EVERYTHING. - The gameplay is really different: for example, the HECU marines run and shoot?!! I had so much fun with it because of how different it felt compared to the retail version of Half-life. It threw me off guard and I always love that in mods, when they do it. - This mod made me like the Half-life 1 beta a little bit more. I still REALLY prefer retail over the Beta, but it did make me think and wonder about a weird Half-life that never came to be. It’s interesting stuff even if I think some of it is dumb. Cons: - The mod is dead… :( That just sucks, but I can’t blame them. - A lot of Valve’s original ideas for Half-life sucked: climbing ladders was nauseating and slow, antidotes were confusing, key cards were annoying and they sucked in Doom etc. - Weapon animations were pretty bad, just looking at the mp5 reload animation is clear enough. But that’s probably done on purpose. I probably have more reasons, but I don’t remember what I hated and liked about this mod. I just remember, and still do, that I LOVED it. There are only two beta mods out there that I actually like: Absolute Zero and Dark Interval (which is still kicking strong). This mod is a damn tragedy: it’s not because it was bad, unplayable, enjoyable, or even not fun. It’s because of the development hell these guys went through. I can’t believe this mod has been worked on for ten years straight and they went through all of the things I mentioned. It’s just depressing to look at and I wish no one has to go through something like this. But that can be game development for you in a nutshell... :( I made this review on Half-life Restored. Which is a f*cking vrigin compared to the Chad Half-life: Absolute Zero: https://steamhost.cn/steamcommunity_com/id/Arpip/recommended/1283930/ I also have a YouTube Channel, if you're interested go here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGEwsB7LK8_duOhvpJW7_jw?view_as=subscriber You can also write a comment if you want Cobalt-57, I won’t forget who you guys were and we all hope for the best in you. For now, just rest and know that it’s over.