Journal #7610

The first time I saw a soldier. This scientist was all like 'Rescued AT LAST THANK GOD you're here!" and that soldier emptied a round into him. Poor guy. Then came the dawning realization - these Guys Want Me Dead!

Explosion of extreme quality scientific equipment, long big concrete tunnels/bunkers, inner tram system, EVERYTHING about Black Messa!

A huge scientific lab made to run various experiments, radiation, computers, machinery, hazmat suits, HEV 5, guns.

I mean really, it is still my most favorite game ever made. I simply love that kind of stuff.

Blast Pit stuck with me the most. Hearing the tentacle hits on the metal plates.. scared the shit out of me the first time I played it.

I liked how alive it was. It was so imperfect, complex, messy, colorful and full of bugs, it had no style and that's exactly what made it so alive. It had everything - action, thinking, horror, humor, you name it. I loved how immersive it was, thanks to no cutscenes and Gordon being totally frozen without your command. The game design was great. All the sounds, especially music, were incredibly atmospheric (thanks to Kelly Bailey, which sadly left Valve). Lots of things. And the mix of these was what made it. Thanks to great people at VALVe!

P.S. For your interest, every single pixel and sound wave you experienced in HL1 were made by people who left Valve by now.

@Bruce Gabe. That is all.

The tram ride. I had honestly never experienced anything near the scale of the Black Mesa Research Facility. It blew my fucking mind.

Also, Blue Shift and Opposing forces really add to the story.
I find it so damn awesome how G-man [censured] Black Mesa!

HL1 story was so amazing, still is.

@Bruce - Didn't know that, too bad.

The bit at the start where you go back through the starting labs and everything is destroyed. And when you go past those offices and theres a headcrab zombie having a fit on the chair infront of its computer, that was freakin scarey the first time i saw it.

also the bit where barney was like "get top side, troops are comming to save us!" and i was like "about time they did!"

At the time, I liked how seamless the level changes felt and how the game felt so non-stop. Also, the part in the beginning when you get zapped by the beam in the test chamber and it sends you on a crazy sporadic skipping between the worlds. The part when you just show up in front of four Vorts in the dark always freaked me out. It was so nightmarish.