<s>
Black	B-Application
Mesa	I-Application
is	O
a	O
2020	O
first-person	O
shooter	O
game	O
developed	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Crowbar	B-Application
Collective	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
a	O
third-party	O
remake	O
of	O
Half-Life	B-Application
(	O
1998	O
)	O
made	O
in	O
the	O
Source	B-Application
game	I-Application
engine	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Originally	O
published	O
as	O
a	O
free	O
mod	O
in	O
September	O
2012	O
,	O
Black	B-Application
Mesa	I-Application
was	O
approved	O
for	O
commercial	O
release	O
by	O
Valve	O
,	O
the	O
developers	O
of	O
Half-Life	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
first	O
commercial	O
version	O
was	O
published	O
as	O
an	O
early-access	O
release	O
in	O
May	O
2015	O
,	O
followed	O
by	O
a	O
full	O
release	O
in	O
March	O
2020	O
for	O
Linux	B-Application
and	O
Windows	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Black	B-Application
Mesa	I-Application
was	O
developed	O
in	O
response	O
to	O
Half-Life	B-Application
:	O
Source	B-Application
(	O
2004	O
)	O
,	O
Valve	O
's	O
port	O
of	O
Half-Life	B-Application
to	O
the	O
Source	B-Application
engine	I-Application
,	O
which	O
lacked	O
new	O
features	O
or	O
improvements	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Two	O
teams	O
wanted	O
to	O
improve	O
on	O
the	O
Source	B-Application
remake	O
and	O
eventually	O
merged	O
to	O
become	O
Crowbar	B-Application
Collective	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Since	O
then	O
,	O
attention	O
to	O
details	O
,	O
adapting	O
the	O
game	O
to	O
an	O
improved	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
Source	B-Application
engine	I-Application
,	O
and	O
completely	O
reworking	O
the	O
oft-derided	O
final	O
chapters	O
of	O
Half-Life	B-Application
(	O
known	O
as	O
Xen	O
)	O
had	O
lengthened	O
the	O
development	O
efforts	O
of	O
the	O
remake	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Major	O
changes	O
include	O
reskinned	O
collection	O
of	O
textures	O
,	O
models	O
and	O
NPCs	O
,	O
a	O
longer	O
runtime	O
,	O
improved	O
level	O
and	O
puzzle	O
design	O
along	O
with	O
different	O
enemy	O
artificial	B-Application
intelligence	I-Application
,	O
and	O
additional	O
dialogue	O
and	O
story	O
elements	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
early-access	O
version	O
of	O
Black	B-Application
Mesa	I-Application
received	O
positive	O
reviews	O
and	O
gained	O
more	O
positive	O
reviews	O
as	O
it	O
was	O
updated	O
and	O
improved	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Black	B-Application
Mesa	I-Application
is	O
a	O
first-person	O
shooter	O
that	O
requires	O
the	O
player	O
to	O
perform	O
combat	O
tasks	O
and	O
solve	O
various	O
puzzles	O
to	O
advance	O
through	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
From	O
a	O
design	O
standpoint	O
,	O
the	O
core	O
gameplay	O
remains	O
largely	O
unchanged	O
from	O
the	O
original	O
base	O
Half-Life	B-Application
game	O
;	O
the	O
player	O
can	O
carry	O
a	O
number	O
of	O
weapons	O
that	O
they	O
find	O
through	O
the	O
course	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
though	O
they	O
must	O
also	O
locate	O
and	O
monitor	O
ammunition	O
for	O
most	O
weapons	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
unlike	O
Half-Life	B-Application
:	O
Source	B-Application
,	O
which	O
merely	O
featured	O
the	O
original	O
game	O
's	O
assets	O
and	O
geometry	O
ported	O
to	O
the	O
Source	B-Application
engine	I-Application
,	O
Black	B-Application
Mesa	I-Application
has	O
been	O
purpose-built	O
from	O
the	O
ground	O
up	O
to	O
take	O
full	O
advantage	O
of	O
the	O
newest	O
versions	O
of	O
Source	B-Application
,	O
not	O
just	O
for	O
its	O
graphical	O
capabilities	O
,	O
but	O
for	O
its	O
myriad	O
updates	O
to	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
physics	O
engine	O
,	O
puzzle	O
complexity	O
,	O
and	O
platforming	O
capability	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
artificial	B-Application
intelligence	I-Application
of	O
the	O
enemy	O
characters	O
has	O
also	O
been	O
improved	O
over	O
Half-Life	B-Application
to	O
provide	O
more	O
of	O
a	O
challenge	O
,	O
with	O
some	O
of	O
the	O
combat	O
spaces	O
redefined	O
to	O
provide	O
more	O
options	O
to	O
the	O
player	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
addition	O
,	O
several	O
narrative	O
and	O
design	O
changes	O
have	O
been	O
made	O
to	O
account	O
for	O
the	O
numerous	O
story	O
threads	O
presented	O
via	O
retcon	O
in	O
Half-Life	B-Application
2	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
most	O
of	O
the	O
general	O
design	O
and	O
progress	O
through	O
the	O
game	O
levels	O
remains	O
the	O
same	O
as	O
Half-Life	B-Application
,	O
the	O
largest	O
change	O
in	O
Black	B-Application
Mesa	I-Application
is	O
the	O
reworking	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
final	O
chapter	O
,	O
Xen	O
,	O
which	O
was	O
generally	O
considered	O
the	O
weakest	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
original	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Black	B-Application
Mesa	I-Application
also	O
includes	O
support	O
for	O
the	O
individual	O
and	O
Team	O
Deathmatch	O
multiplayer	O
modes	O
from	O
Half-Life	B-Application
on	O
similarly-updated	O
maps	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
plot	O
of	O
Black	B-Application
Mesa	I-Application
is	O
almost	O
identical	O
to	O
Half-Lifes	O
storyline	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Like	O
in	O
the	O
original	O
game	O
,	O
the	O
player	O
controls	O
Gordon	O
Freeman	O
,	O
a	O
theoretical	O
physicist	O
working	O
at	O
the	O
Black	B-Application
Mesa	I-Application
Research	O
Facility	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
With	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
Half-Life	B-Application
2	I-Application
in	O
2004	O
,	O
Valve	O
re-released	O
several	O
of	O
its	O
previous	O
titles	O
,	O
ported	O
to	O
their	O
new	O
Source	B-Application
game	I-Application
engine	I-Application
,	O
including	O
the	O
critically	O
acclaimed	O
1998	O
game	O
Half-Life	B-Application
as	O
Half-Life	B-Application
:	O
Source	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Source	B-Application
engine	I-Application
is	O
graphically	O
more	O
advanced	O
than	O
the	O
GoldSrc	B-Application
engine	I-Application
used	O
for	O
the	O
original	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Half-Life	B-Application
:	O
Source	B-Application
features	O
the	O
Havok	B-General_Concept
physics	I-General_Concept
engine	I-General_Concept
and	O
improved	O
effects	O
for	O
water	O
and	O
lighting	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Half-Life	B-Application
:	O
Source	B-Application
was	O
met	O
with	O
mixed	O
reviews	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
IGN	O
liked	O
the	O
new	O
user	B-Application
interface	I-Application
and	O
other	O
technical	O
features	O
,	O
but	O
noted	O
that	O
it	O
did	O
not	O
receive	O
as	O
many	O
improvements	O
as	O
Valve	O
's	O
other	O
Source	B-Application
engine	I-Application
ports	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Valve	O
's	O
managing	O
director	O
Gabe	O
Newell	O
is	O
quoted	O
as	O
saying	O
that	O
a	O
complete	O
Source	B-Application
remake	O
of	O
Half-Life	B-Application
by	O
its	O
fans	O
was	O
"	O
not	O
only	O
possible	O
…	O
but	O
inevitable	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Black	B-Application
Mesa	I-Application
began	O
as	O
the	O
combination	O
of	O
two	O
independent	O
volunteer	O
projects	O
,	O
each	O
aiming	O
to	O
completely	O
recreate	O
Half-Life	B-Application
using	O
Source	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Half-Life	B-Application
:	O
Source	B-Application
Overhaul	O
Project	O
was	O
announced	O
one	O
month	O
later	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
realizing	O
their	O
similar	O
goals	O
,	O
project	O
leaders	O
for	O
both	O
teams	O
decided	O
to	O
combine	O
their	O
efforts	O
;	O
they	O
formed	O
a	O
new	O
13-person	O
team	O
under	O
the	O
name	O
Black	B-Application
Mesa	I-Application
:	I-Application
Source	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
"	O
Source	B-Application
"	O
in	O
the	O
project	O
's	O
title	O
was	O
later	O
dropped	O
when	O
Valve	O
asked	O
the	O
team	O
to	O
remove	O
it	O
in	O
order	O
to	O
"	O
stem	O
confusion	O
over	O
whether	O
or	O
not	O
[	O
it	O
was ]	O
an	O
endorsed	O
or	O
official	O
product	O
"	O
,	O
which	O
at	O
the	O
time	O
it	O
was	O
not	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Eventually	O
,	O
the	O
team	O
rebranded	O
itself	O
as	O
the	O
Crowbar	B-Application
Collective	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Originally	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
version	O
of	O
Source	B-Application
released	O
with	O
Counter-Strike	B-Application
:	I-Application
Source	I-Application
in	O
2004	O
,	O
the	O
project	O
switched	O
to	O
a	O
more	O
recent	O
version	O
released	O
with	O
Valve	O
's	O
The	B-Application
Orange	I-Application
Box	I-Application
in	O
2007	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
new	O
version	O
included	O
more	O
advanced	O
particle	O
effects	O
,	O
hardware-accelerated	B-General_Concept
facial	O
animation	O
,	O
and	O
support	O
for	O
multi-core	B-Architecture
processor	I-Architecture
rendering	O
,	O
amongst	O
other	O
improvements	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Wired	O
included	O
the	O
game	O
on	O
their	O
"	O
Vaporware	B-Application
of	O
the	O
Year	O
"	O
lists	O
in	O
2009	O
and	O
2010	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
first	O
standalone	O
version	O
of	O
Black	B-Application
Mesa	I-Application
was	O
released	O
as	O
a	O
free	O
download	O
on	O
September	O
14	O
,	O
2012	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
contained	O
remakes	O
of	O
all	O
Half-Life	B-Application
chapters	O
except	O
the	O
final	O
chapter	O
set	O
on	O
the	O
alien	O
world	O
Xen	O
,	O
which	O
the	O
team	O
intended	O
to	O
rework	O
for	O
inclusion	O
in	O
a	O
future	O
release	O
,	O
as	O
Xen	O
in	O
the	O
original	O
Half-Life	B-Application
was	O
often	O
considered	O
its	O
weakest	O
part	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
development	O
team	O
estimated	O
that	O
the	O
initial	O
release	O
of	O
Black	B-Application
Mesa	I-Application
gave	O
players	O
eight	O
to	O
ten	O
hours	O
of	O
content	O
to	O
complete	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Black	B-Application
Mesa	I-Application
initial	O
release	O
coincided	O
with	O
the	O
launch	O
of	O
Valve	O
's	O
Steam	B-Application
Greenlight	O
program	O
which	O
allowed	O
users	O
to	O
vote	O
for	O
games	O
to	O
be	O
put	O
onto	O
the	O
Steam	B-Application
storefront	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Black	B-Application
Mesa	I-Application
became	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
first	O
ten	O
titles	O
to	O
be	O
voted	O
on	O
by	O
fans	O
and	O
approved	O
by	O
Valve	O
to	O
be	O
included	O
on	O
Steam	B-Application
through	O
Greenlight	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
new	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
Source	B-Application
engine	I-Application
had	O
been	O
introduced	O
by	O
2013	O
that	O
,	O
in	O
addition	O
to	O
new	O
engine	O
features	O
,	O
included	O
support	O
for	O
OS	B-Operating_System
X	I-Operating_System
and	O
Linux	B-Application
platforms	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
Adam	O
Engels	O
,	O
the	O
project	O
lead	O
at	O
the	O
completion	O
of	O
Black	B-Application
Mesa	I-Application
,	O
Valve	O
approached	O
their	O
team	O
around	O
this	O
time	O
and	O
suggested	O
making	O
Black	B-Application
Mesa	I-Application
a	O
commercial	O
release	O
and	O
,	O
thus	O
,	O
getting	O
a	O
license	O
to	O
the	O
Source	B-Application
engine	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
team	O
considered	O
this	O
option	O
,	O
and	O
,	O
since	O
access	O
to	O
the	O
full	O
Source	B-Application
engine	I-Application
would	O
help	O
make	O
Black	B-Application
Mesa	I-Application
the	O
best	O
game	O
they	O
could	O
,	O
opted	O
to	O
go	O
the	O
commercial	O
route	O
to	O
be	O
able	O
to	O
pay	O
for	O
that	O
license	O
,	O
not	O
having	O
originally	O
intended	O
to	O
profit	O
from	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
this	O
point	O
in	O
2013	O
,	O
the	O
team	O
cautioned	O
that	O
a	O
final	O
version	O
was	O
still	O
some	O
distance	O
away	O
,	O
as	O
they	O
were	O
still	O
dealing	O
with	O
the	O
updated	O
Source	B-Application
engine	I-Application
,	O
and	O
they	O
had	O
not	O
yet	O
done	O
much	O
with	O
Xen	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Crowbar	B-Application
Collective	I-Application
continued	O
to	O
offer	O
the	O
free	O
version	O
of	O
Black	B-Application
Mesa	I-Application
,	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
earlier	O
Source	B-Application
engine	I-Application
,	O
on	O
their	O
website	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
With	O
the	O
new	O
Source	B-Application
engine	I-Application
,	O
the	O
team	O
started	O
to	O
look	O
more	O
closely	O
at	O
how	O
Valve	O
had	O
used	O
Source	B-Application
in	O
Half-Life	B-Application
2	I-Application
,	O
compared	O
to	O
what	O
they	O
had	O
done	O
in	O
the	O
original	O
Half-Life	B-Application
,	O
and	O
developed	O
changes	O
for	O
Black	B-Application
Mesa	I-Application
that	O
reflected	O
what	O
they	O
believed	O
were	O
Valve	O
's	O
design	O
principles	O
in	O
Half-Life	B-Application
2	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
team	O
also	O
included	O
a	O
brief	O
mention	O
to	O
the	O
long-fall	O
boots	O
from	O
Aperture	O
Science	O
from	O
the	O
Portal	B-Application
series	O
;	O
Portal	B-Application
had	O
come	O
out	O
after	O
Half-Life	B-Application
2	I-Application
but	O
loosely	O
tied	O
narratively	O
to	O
the	O
Half-Life	B-Application
universe	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
team	O
felt	O
it	O
appropriate	O
to	O
show	O
the	O
competing	O
lab	O
's	O
technology	O
within	O
the	O
Black	B-Application
Mesa	I-Application
facility	O
from	O
this	O
connection	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Once	O
the	O
team	O
had	O
gotten	O
all	O
but	O
the	O
Xen	O
levels	O
completed	O
in	O
the	O
new	O
Source	B-Application
engine	I-Application
they	O
were	O
content	O
with	O
,	O
they	O
released	O
these	O
on	O
Steam	B-Application
's	O
early	O
access	O
on	O
May	O
5	O
,	O
2015	O
,	O
to	O
get	O
feedback	O
and	O
bug	O
testing	O
,	O
stating	O
that	O
the	O
Xen	O
sections	O
were	O
still	O
a	O
work	O
in	O
progress	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
version	O
also	O
included	O
the	O
deathmatch	O
multiplayer	O
modes	O
with	O
some	O
of	O
Half-Life	B-Application
remade	O
maps	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Early	O
access	O
also	O
brought	O
Crowbar	B-Application
Collective	I-Application
additional	O
support	O
from	O
developers	O
and	O
artists	O
to	O
help	O
with	O
finalizing	O
the	O
project	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
team	O
said	O
,	O
"	O
We	O
want	O
our	O
version	O
of	O
Xen	O
to	O
feel	O
like	O
it	O
really	O
belongs	O
with	O
the	O
rest	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
in	O
terms	O
of	O
mechanics	O
,	O
cohesion	O
and	O
progression	O
,	O
"	O
while	O
at	O
the	O
same	O
time	O
,	O
they	O
wanted	O
"	O
to	O
push	O
the	O
boundaries	O
and	O
explore	O
this	O
unique	O
and	O
varied	O
setting	O
;	O
to	O
build	O
an	O
experience	O
that	O
feels	O
both	O
fresh	O
and	O
familiar	O
to	O
players	O
from	O
all	O
walks	O
of	O
Half-Life	B-Application
veterancy.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
also	O
wanted	O
to	O
give	O
more	O
story	O
elements	O
there	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
why	O
human	O
scientists	O
were	O
studying	O
the	O
world	O
of	O
Xen	O
in	O
the	O
first	O
place	O
,	O
trying	O
to	O
capture	O
the	O
same	O
type	O
of	O
world-building	O
by	O
level	O
design	O
that	O
Valve	O
had	O
been	O
able	O
to	O
with	O
the	O
first	O
parts	O
of	O
Half-Life	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ultimately	O
,	O
the	O
team	O
expanded	O
out	O
Xen	O
from	O
about	O
a	O
one-hour	O
experience	O
in	O
the	O
original	O
Half-Life	B-Application
to	O
four	O
hours	O
in	O
Black	B-Application
Mesa	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
addition	O
to	O
reworking	O
Xen	O
from	O
scratch	O
,	O
as	O
the	O
team	O
members	O
got	O
closer	O
to	O
release	O
,	O
they	O
recognized	O
they	O
saw	O
the	O
game	O
more	O
as	O
an	O
entry	O
for	O
new	O
players	O
into	O
the	O
Half-Life	B-Application
series	O
,	O
and	O
worked	O
to	O
introduce	O
designs	O
and	O
features	O
that	O
would	O
be	O
more	O
appropriate	O
a	O
decade	O
since	O
Half-Lifes	O
release	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
made	O
combat	O
more	O
interesting	O
by	O
improving	O
the	O
enemy	O
's	O
artificial	B-Application
intelligence	I-Application
while	O
creating	O
combat	O
areas	O
with	O
more	O
cover	O
and	O
options	O
for	O
the	O
player	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
release	O
of	O
Xen	O
in	O
the	O
early	O
access	O
version	O
of	O
Black	B-Application
Mesa	I-Application
had	O
been	O
pushed	O
off	O
a	O
few	O
times	O
;	O
initially	O
planned	O
for	O
a	O
December	O
2017	O
release	O
,	O
a	O
beta	O
version	O
of	O
a	O
segment	O
of	O
the	O
remade	O
Xen	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
June	O
2019	O
for	O
stress-testing	O
by	O
players	O
The	O
full	O
beta	O
was	O
released	O
on	O
December	O
6	O
,	O
2019	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
finished	O
Black	B-Application
Mesa	I-Application
was	O
released	O
for	O
Windows	O
on	O
March	O
6	O
,	O
2020	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
chance	O
,	O
this	O
release	O
was	O
about	O
two	O
weeks	O
before	O
Valve	O
's	O
official	O
return	O
to	O
the	O
Half-Life	B-Application
universe	O
after	O
13	O
years	O
with	O
the	O
virtual	B-Application
reality	I-Application
game	O
Half-Life	B-Application
:	I-Application
Alyx	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Black	B-Application
Mesa	I-Application
project	O
lead	O
Adam	O
Engels	O
said	O
this	O
was	O
not	O
intentional	O
as	O
they	O
had	O
planned	O
to	O
have	O
Black	B-Application
Mesa	I-Application
out	O
earlier	O
,	O
but	O
the	O
attention	O
to	O
Alyx	O
had	O
helped	O
to	O
boost	O
interest	O
in	O
Black	B-Application
Mesa	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
addition	O
to	O
ongoing	O
support	O
for	O
the	O
game	O
before	O
moving	O
onto	O
other	O
projects	O
,	O
the	O
Crowbar	B-Application
Collective	I-Application
has	O
stated	O
they	O
have	O
been	O
contacted	O
by	O
other	O
teams	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
the	O
Sven	B-Application
Co-op	I-Application
team	O
,	O
to	O
help	O
integrate	O
their	O
work	O
into	O
the	O
final	O
Black	B-Application
Mesa	I-Application
product	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
team	O
also	O
wants	O
to	O
incorporate	O
support	O
for	O
the	O
Steam	B-Application
Workshop	O
so	O
that	O
other	O
players	O
can	O
add	O
their	O
own	O
mods	O
to	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Following	O
the	O
first	O
release	O
of	O
Black	B-Application
Mesa	I-Application
,	O
the	O
team	O
announced	O
work	O
on	O
a	O
Definitive	O
Edition	O
,	O
or	O
Black	B-Application
Mesa	I-Application
1.5	O
,	O
revamping	O
non-Xen	O
levels	O
from	O
the	O
original	O
Valve	O
design	O
to	O
make	O
them	O
more	O
challenging	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
to	O
take	O
advantage	O
of	O
new	O
lighting	O
features	O
available	O
in	O
the	O
custom	O
Source	B-Application
engine	I-Application
branch	O
the	O
game	O
uses	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
Black	B-Application
Mesa	I-Application
is	O
built	O
on	O
the	O
Source	B-Application
engine	I-Application
,	O
it	O
itself	O
is	O
also	O
moddable	O
with	O
support	O
for	O
the	O
Steam	B-Application
Workshop	O
,	O
and	O
several	O
projects	O
have	O
been	O
started	O
to	O
create	O
versions	O
of	O
Half-Life	B-Application
mods	O
and	O
expansions	O
within	O
Black	B-Application
Mesa	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Crowbar	B-Application
Collective	I-Application
released	O
an	O
expansion	O
in	O
April	O
2021	O
called	O
Xen	O
Museum	O
that	O
presents	O
a	O
virtual	O
museum	O
that	O
documents	O
the	O
team	O
's	O
past	O
five	O
years	O
of	O
effort	O
in	O
creating	O
Black	B-Application
Mesa	I-Application
and	O
mostly	O
their	O
work	O
in	O
recreating	O
Xen	O
from	O
the	O
original	O
Half-Life	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2012	O
,	O
mapper	O
Michael	O
"	O
Hezus	O
"	O
Jansen	O
created	O
the	O
mod	O
Black	B-Application
Mesa	I-Application
:	O
Uplink	O
,	O
a	O
remake	O
of	O
Half-Life	B-Application
'''	O
s	O
demo	O
level	O
,	O
Uplink	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
With	O
the	O
transition	O
from	O
mod	O
to	O
game	O
in	O
2015	O
,	O
Jansen	O
returned	O
to	O
the	O
idea	O
and	O
started	O
work	O
on	O
recreating	O
it	O
for	O
the	O
Steam	B-Application
version	O
that	O
featured	O
new	O
content	O
and	O
updated	O
graphics	O
called	O
Black	B-Application
Mesa	I-Application
:	O
Uplink	O
Redux	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
developer	O
,	O
Chon	O
Kemp	O
,	O
known	O
on	O
the	O
Black	B-Application
Mesa	I-Application
:	O
Community	O
Forums	O
by	O
the	O
pseudonym	O
TextFAMGUY1	O
,	O
also	O
modified	O
the	O
"	O
On	O
a	O
Rail	O
"	O
chapter	O
to	O
include	O
the	O
areas	O
cut	O
from	O
Black	B-Application
Mesa	I-Application
to	O
make	O
gameplay	O
less	O
tedious	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Kemp	O
was	O
later	O
hired	O
by	O
Crowbar	B-Application
Collective	I-Application
to	O
remake	O
Surface	O
Tension	O
Uncut	O
for	O
the	O
Steam	B-Application
release	O
,	O
while	O
the	O
uncut	O
version	O
of	O
"	O
On	O
a	O
Rail	O
"	O
was	O
published	O
on	O
the	O
Steam	B-Application
Workshop	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
December	O
29	O
,	O
2015	O
,	O
PSR	O
Digital	O
released	O
Black	B-Application
Mesa	I-Application
:	O
Hazard	O
Course	O
,	O
a	O
remake	O
of	O
Half-Lifes	O
tutorial	O
level	O
of	O
the	O
same	O
name	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
mod	O
had	O
been	O
in	O
development	O
from	O
2012	O
to	O
2015	O
for	O
the	O
original	O
mod	O
version	O
of	O
Black	B-Application
Mesa	I-Application
as	O
Crowbar	B-Application
Collective	I-Application
had	O
not	O
implemented	O
a	O
training	O
level	O
in	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
citing	O
its	O
obsolete	O
use	O
due	O
to	O
Black	B-Application
Mesas	I-Application
use	O
of	O
tutorial	O
HUD	O
hints	O
throughout	O
the	O
single-player	O
campaign	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2016	O
,	O
PSR	O
Digital	O
released	O
an	O
announcement	O
that	O
the	O
mod	O
had	O
become	O
broken	O
due	O
to	O
differences	O
between	O
the	O
mod	O
version	O
and	O
the	O
Steam	B-Application
version	O
of	O
Black	B-Application
Mesa	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
With	O
fixes	O
through	O
the	O
next	O
years	O
,	O
the	O
team	O
re-released	O
the	O
mod	O
for	O
the	O
Steam	B-Application
version	O
of	O
Black	B-Application
Mesa	I-Application
on	O
December	O
29	O
,	O
2020	O
,	O
the	O
5th	O
anniversary	O
of	O
the	O
mod	O
's	O
release	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2018	O
,	O
the	O
HECU	O
Collective	O
announced	O
that	O
they	O
would	O
be	O
remaking	O
the	O
Half-Life	B-Application
1	I-Application
mod	O
Azure	O
Sheep	O
,	O
originally	O
released	O
in	O
2001	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2021	O
,	O
the	O
mod	O
's	O
next	O
parts	O
were	O
postponed	O
as	O
the	O
HECU	O
Collective	O
focused	O
to	O
work	O
on	O
Black	B-Application
Mesa	I-Application
:	O
Blue	O
Shift	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
February	O
16	O
,	O
2021	O
,	O
the	O
HECU	O
Collective	O
announced	O
that	O
they	O
would	O
be	O
taking	O
a	O
break	O
from	O
their	O
mod	O
Black	B-Application
Mesa	I-Application
:	O
Azure	O
Sheep	O
and	O
were	O
now	O
focusing	O
on	O
a	O
remake	O
of	O
Half-Life	B-Application
:	I-Application
Blue	I-Application
Shift	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Unlike	O
another	O
remake	O
in	O
progress	O
,	O
Guard	O
Duty	O
by	O
Tripmine	O
Studios	O
,	O
the	O
mod	O
utilizes	O
assets	O
from	O
Black	B-Application
Mesa	I-Application
instead	O
of	O
creating	O
it	O
from	O
scratch	O
and	O
is	O
released	O
in	O
chapters	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
During	O
its	O
development	O
,	O
Black	B-Application
Mesa	I-Application
has	O
received	O
attention	O
from	O
several	O
video	O
game	O
publications	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Valve	O
published	O
a	O
news	O
update	O
about	O
the	O
modification	O
on	O
their	O
Steam	B-Application
digital	O
distribution	O
platform	O
in	O
2007	O
saying	O
that	O
"	O
We	O
're	O
as	O
eager	O
to	O
play	O
[	O
Black	O
Mesa ]	O
here	O
as	O
everyone	O
else.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
receiving	O
a	O
development	O
version	O
of	O
Black	B-Application
Mesa	I-Application
in	O
December	O
2009	O
,	O
PC	O
PowerPlay	O
magazine	O
said	O
that	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
setting	O
"	O
looks	O
,	O
sounds	O
,	O
 [ and ] 	O
plays	O
better	O
than	O
ever	O
before	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
"	O
subtle	O
"	O
changes	O
from	O
the	O
original	O
Half-Life	B-Application
were	O
said	O
to	O
have	O
a	O
"	O
substantial	O
"	O
overall	O
impact	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Destructoid	O
praised	O
the	O
game	O
for	O
the	O
improvements	O
it	O
made	O
over	O
the	O
original	O
Half-Life	B-Application
,	O
saying	O
it	O
was	O
"	O
something	O
that	O
felt	O
very	O
familiar	O
,	O
[	O
but	O
also ]	O
very	O
fresh	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
"	O
Black	B-Application
Mesa	I-Application
won	O
ModDB	O
's	O
Mod	O
of	O
the	O
Year	O
Award	O
for	O
2012	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2014	O
,	O
Black	B-Application
Mesa	I-Application
was	O
named	O
by	O
PC	O
Gamer	O
among	O
the	O
"	O
Ten	O
top	O
fan	O
remade	O
classics	O
you	O
can	O
play	O
for	O
free	O
right	O
now	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
review	O
aggregate	O
OpenCritic	O
,	O
Black	B-Application
Mesa	I-Application
had	O
an	O
average	O
86/100	O
review	O
score	O
with	O
100%	O
approval	O
rating	O
based	O
on	O
14	O
reviews	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
found	O
that	O
while	O
the	O
original	O
Half-Life	B-Application
structure	O
hampered	O
some	O
of	O
Black	B-Application
Mesa	I-Application
,	O
the	O
redesigns	O
worked	O
well	O
,	O
particularly	O
the	O
new	O
Xen	O
sections	O
,	O
which	O
he	O
felt	O
provided	O
more	O
closure	O
than	O
the	O
original	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Eurogamer	O
said	O
that	O
Black	B-Application
Mesa	I-Application
felt	O
more	O
like	O
an	O
evolution	O
than	O
a	O
remake	O
of	O
Half-Life	B-Application
,	O
with	O
the	O
designs	O
of	O
the	O
Crowbar	B-Application
Collective	I-Application
to	O
trim	O
down	O
certain	O
levels	O
while	O
adding	O
other	O
features	O
helped	O
to	O
enhance	O
the	O
overall	O
product	O
,	O
making	O
the	O
overall	O
title	O
more	O
of	O
a	O
survival	O
horror	O
than	O
a	O
first-person	O
shooter	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Dario	O
Casali	O
,	O
a	O
designer	O
at	O
Valve	O
who	O
has	O
worked	O
on	O
all	O
Half-Life	B-Application
games	O
,	O
remarked	O
in	O
an	O
interview	O
that	O
during	O
development	O
on	O
Half-Life	B-Application
:	I-Application
Alyx	I-Application
he	O
attempted	O
to	O
play	O
the	O
entirety	O
of	O
the	O
original	O
Half-Life	B-Application
again	O
for	O
research	O
,	O
but	O
after	O
five	O
hours	O
decided	O
to	O
play	O
Black	O
Mesa''	O
instead	O
,	O
reasoning	O
it	O
was	O
a	O
much	O
more	O
enjoyable	O
product	O
.	O
</s>
