New Half-Life mod rebuilds Halo multiplayer inside Valve's original engine

The first Half-Life was a nexus point for what we consider the modern FPS. Valve's shooter presented a fully realized world, and a compelling narrative to go with it. Gordon Freeman's tram ride to Black Mesa sets the tone, while the walls of the secretive research facility tell their own stories. Then Halo comes along, which ups the ante with gigantic sandbox levels and an entire universe to decipher. We wouldn't have the shooters we do today without Half-Life and Halo. But what would happen if we smashed both games together? Now you can find out.

Developed by Phoenix Project Software, Halo: Goldsource rebuilds the original Halo multiplayer inside the first Half-Life's Goldsrc engine, forging a bizarre chimera that looks like one shooter but plays like another. You're in Blood Gulch, clutching an MA5 Assault Rifle, but the movement and mechanics feel right out of Valve's '90s classic. Two of the best FPS games of all time have become one, and I can't stop looking at what's left.

The focus of Halo: Goldsource, at least for right now, is on recreating the multiplayer experience. That means remade maps from the Halo series, and iconic weapons like the M90 Shotgun and C.E. Magnum. You can also play game modes like Slayer and Firefight, but they'll all have a distinctly different feel than what you're used to.

Now that Halo: Goldsource 1.0 is here, Phoenix Project Software has made a slate of improvements to the mod. You've now got both Linux and controller support, for starters. The shield regeneration mechanic from Halo has also been properly implemented, which should make it feel more like Bungie's shooter than ever. There's also HD sound design and modern viewbobbing, both of which should further enhance the overall experience.

As for the future of Halo: Goldsource, there's still more to come. "The goal is to release, whether big or small, a new major update for HaloGS every three to four months," Phoenix Project Software writes. "This schedule may not be perfectly kept, but it is the best plan to keep this title moving forward.

"Hence, we are calling version 1.0 the summer 2025 release, which will be our method of naming the updates to this title. In a few months, we hope to launch version 1.1, the winter 2025 update, and so forth."

The Phoenix Project Software team has now released Halo: Goldsource 1.0, which you can download here.

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