3rdalarm's Full Review: Half-Life: Blue Shift (Add on)
Well, no, maybe not bacon, but perhaps something fishy. I knew something was wrong only a few minutes after installing Half Life: Blue Shift.
Following a similar trend that Red Storm tried with Rainbow Six: Covert Ops…offering a sub-standard add-on pack with a full game engine and making it little more than a teaser of the real thing, welcome to Half Life: Blue Shift. This game does not require the original Half-Life. Blue Shift does include the Opposing Force add-on, the latest version of Team Fortress Classic, and an advanced graphics package for Half-Life for owners of high-end systems with advanced graphics cards.
There is extremely little to recommend about Blue Shift, considering its $30.00 price tag. The campaign is both short and easy. I completed it in about 6 hours spread out over 3 days. The level design was nicely detailed, but layouts were too straightforward and puzzles were obvious. What was most appalling was the lack of even a single new alien or new weapon. Heck, not even a full range of weapons from with the original Half Life or Opposing Force were present. There are no boss monsters. The most convoluted puzzle was…urgh…a jumping puzzle. There were few scenes to connect the story with Gordon Freeman’s adventure and little to advance the storyline of Black Mesa. The ending was lackluster, abrupt, and disappointing and unremarkable.
Another frustrating feature of the campaign was that on more than one occasion, a required scripted event did not occur the first time I played. I found myself in a railyard with no where to go. The exit was obvious – a large door with a turret stationed strategically in front of it. I blasted at the door for minutes with turret fire and explosives. I backtracked. I searched the ground for vents. I was completely frustrated. Then, I reloaded, and this time, when I approached the door, it opened and soldiers issued forth.
Worst of all, the authors went out of their way to make you feel like a peon. Security guards at Black Mesa get no respect, not from each other, and not from anyone else. Your armor vests and helmet must be found as pieces and cannot be “charged” like HEV suits and combat vests. As a security guard, you have no special clearance to open doors, and you have little sense of protocol, duty, or job description.
If you missed out on the outstanding Opposing Force, this might be worth a look. Rest assured, Black Mesa’s finest will soon be resting comfortable in the bargain bins of retailers everywhere, but until then, this cop is underworked and overpaid.
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