This is going to be one of those ''love it and hate it'' kind of reviews for me. I'm a big fan of the GoldSrc engine and its style, and there's actually not that many (that I know of) L4D2 maps that feature the classic graphics and texture from yore, so, when I looked up Black Mesa: Fallouts, I was quite excited. Two things happened: I smiled greatly and I also screamed.

The maps look quite great, all things considered. The GoldSrc aesthetic is used greatly and with a nice sense of style and consistency. All the maps have the perfect HL vibe to it, and it works wonderfully, especially for those that enjoy this kind of look. The geometry, the little details, the scripted events, etc. All in all, the visuals of this campaign are great.

On the other hand, the gameplay was quite the kick in the balls. These maps are hard, even more so when playing alone with bots. Pretty much all the maps have some sort of special event that require coordination and teamwork. The first map alone has a massive fall where you have to be careful to avoid death, but the bots aren't aware of it at all and will fall constantly to their demise. The second map is the typical gas-can scavenge where you need to fuel a tank to progress. This kind of event is pretty damn annoying when playing with bots, so you better have some patience if you plan to play alone.

I'm pretty sure the 80% of my deaths were caused by the level design alone, and I died a lot. There's tons of little traps and devices that will kill you. Mines, especially, deal a ton of damage and can delete you rapidly. There's also some weird antigravity platform that, I honestly don't know what it's for, and it'll also kill you if you don't land correctly. The geometry of the level, while true to the old-school standards, is also a tad too rustic, and getting stuck is a common problem.

That's probably my biggest gripe. The map wasn't designed to work well when playing solo, at all. It can break and it can become a sore pain in the ass. The great scope of the levels and variety of events is pretty perfect for MP matches, but otherwise, prepare to sacrifice some extra minutes to survive.

As a standout, I thought the finale was pretty damn intense and fun. The music feels quite nostalgic, but honestly, just turn it off and put something of your liking: fast and intense, and it goes super well with the frenzy of the finale map. Pretty good.

Overall, it's a fun set of new maps and they feel GoldSrc to the bone. A pity that there's quite a lot of issues regarding the balance and design of the levels for solo play, but other than that, I recommend it. Give it a try, it is quite unique!

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