Obscure and Unusual Areas in Half-Life

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  • เผยแพร่เมื่อ 18 เม.ย. 2023
  • Half-Life 1 is a game from a different era. But in a lot of ways, it feels pretty modern. Join me as we look at odd locations in this beautiful early-3d game.
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    www.pretzel.cc/patreon
    www.pretzel.cc/twitter
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    www.pretzel.cc/
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    Links/References:
    lambdageneration.tumblr.com/p...
    ___________________________________________________________________
    Music Used:
    Intro - Sirens in the Distance | Half-Life
    00:33 - Vague Voices | Half-Life
    09:56 - Space Ocean | Half-Life
    13:00 - Nepal Monastery | Half-Life
    16:04 - Cavern Ambiance | Half-Life
    18:28 - Valve Theme | Half-Life
    19:21 - Electric Guitar Ambience | Half-Life
    21:03 - Dimensionless Deepness | Half-Life
    23:18 - Travelling Through Limbo | Half-Life
    24:31 - Vague Voices | Half-Life
    ___________________________________________________________________
  • เกม

ความคิดเห็น • 920

  • @Renousim
    @Renousim ปีที่แล้ว +872

    11:04 the water level is based on the pipes you fall into. you turn the lever to raise it to get out.

    • @PretzelYT
      @PretzelYT  ปีที่แล้ว +231

      YOU CRACKED THE CODE!!! I just launched into the game, tried that, and you're right! The water level rises and reaches up to his shins. Can't believe I didn't think of that.
      Thank you so much.

    • @WiggglezMr
      @WiggglezMr ปีที่แล้ว +8

      @@PretzelYT One of many great ones.

    • @FR4M3Sharma
      @FR4M3Sharma ปีที่แล้ว +8

      @@PretzelYT Damn, I wonder how you completed the game without doing that. Ecckkss Deeee

    • @DrCranberry
      @DrCranberry ปีที่แล้ว +23

      @@PretzelYT I think it's more cool that the "Head poking" isn't even a unique animation! It's a friggen elevator that goes down when certain things trigger!
      That's really cool and I love the genius of doing that for more immersion.

    • @DJL3G3ND
      @DJL3G3ND ปีที่แล้ว +5

      @@FR4M3Sharma well generally you see him before going into the tunnel

  • @RMJ1984
    @RMJ1984 ปีที่แล้ว +1226

    It's hard to explain how genius the train ride of Half-Life is. Not only it is a visual feast and makes you curious. But it gives you a sense of scale, how big this facility is. Something Half-Life, well Valve games has already been good at, is making areas seem way bigger than they are. This might sound odd, but when i play a Valve game, i feel like i'm in that world and that world is bigger than any openworld game i've ever played. Valve is just so good at selling the illusion.

    • @PretzelYT
      @PretzelYT  ปีที่แล้ว +108

      I talked about this in my patreon video where I went over my thoughts on the game, but I really like the MOMENTUM the game has when you're fighting your way towards the surface after the resonance cascade. And I think the tram ride helps that, because during that ride, you pass SO much and feel like you're so far away from the surface. So I know what you mean.

    • @pyropulseIXXI
      @pyropulseIXXI ปีที่แล้ว +45

      @@PretzelYT I used to play this game in 6th grade and the sense of scale actually blew me away back then. And it took me so long to beat the game, it was like some massive accomplishment
      Maybe it was because I was a kid then, but games hardly make me feel like that anymore

    • @RootVegetabIe
      @RootVegetabIe ปีที่แล้ว +9

      ​@@pyropulseIXXI A somewhat recent game that gave me a childlike sense of wonder is Rain World. Highly reccomend. That and the Souls series.

    • @nick33ee
      @nick33ee ปีที่แล้ว +4

      @@RootVegetabIe i mean... the souls series has their own "open world" way.
      except elden ring and sekiro. those are open world.

    • @YourOwnDa
      @YourOwnDa ปีที่แล้ว +9

      And we get to see Gus the forklift driver

  • @masterofbloopers
    @masterofbloopers ปีที่แล้ว +56

    6:35 Imagine you're on the toilet taking a shit, when suddenly Gordon Freeman's face clips through the stall door and stares right at you.

    • @ninjaguyYT
      @ninjaguyYT หลายเดือนก่อน

      I can only get so moist.

    • @KEROSENE_08
      @KEROSENE_08 หลายเดือนก่อน

      "There are fates worse than death"

  • @winterflan
    @winterflan ปีที่แล้ว +476

    I love the old, brutal designs of half-life. It's something you really don't see these days - long, concrete corridors, spaces that are caught between serving a gameplay purpose and being 'realistic,' showing growing pains of past titles and premonitions of things to come. It's so unique and beautiful in a way that's ever so slightly uncanny, but feels like home. I also love your appreciation of Xen. It's widely hated, but I think the surreal, alien nature of the space is actually a fitting cap to the game. It's quite short, so I don't think it overstays its welcome.

    • @hazzmati
      @hazzmati ปีที่แล้ว +19

      Unlike BM’s Xen which is way too long for its own good. Actually disliked it more than Halflife’s Xen

    • @mattmedrala1947
      @mattmedrala1947 ปีที่แล้ว +23

      Yeah, I actually really like how creepy the original Xen is. It's a desolate alien world that feels far more hostile and unwelcoming than Earth.

    • @dkskcjfjswwwwwws413
      @dkskcjfjswwwwwws413 ปีที่แล้ว +11

      noone ever said xen didnt look good, it just plays like trash

    • @dkskcjfjswwwwwws413
      @dkskcjfjswwwwwws413 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      noone ever said xen didnt look good, it just plays like trash

    • @winterflan
      @winterflan ปีที่แล้ว +27

      @@dkskcjfjswwwwwws413 personally I think Xen plays fine. It's a major shift in gameplay, but I think the strange shift mutually reinforces the strange aesthetic shift. It's all over in about 20 minutes, if that, so I think it's better than people give it credit for

  • @aruan7sp
    @aruan7sp ปีที่แล้ว +664

    Reminds me of a comment that I completely agreed with: the true main character of Half-Life 1 isn't Gordon Freeman, it's Black Mesa. Very fascinating place to explore and wonder what's behind those unaccessible areas and excellent piece of environmental storytelling.

    • @Chuked
      @Chuked ปีที่แล้ว +22

      Except thats not possible, Black Mesa is a backdrop and a setting, not a character.. its an environment and a world that the player explores and fights their way through.. the real main character is what PLAYERS make of Freeman, thats why people love his character… similar to tons of non speaking characters … its a canvas for the player to make

    • @efuctz
      @efuctz ปีที่แล้ว +113

      @@Chuked “erm achtually Black Mesa can’t be the main character” 🤓☝️

    • @neevko267
      @neevko267 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@Chuked what zero pussy does to a mf

    • @iikeli727
      @iikeli727 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      Bravo Gabe

    • @L1quidGold
      @L1quidGold ปีที่แล้ว

      @@efuctz how would you describe what your lips taste like I’m violently resisting the urge to kiss you

  • @HealedCoyote997
    @HealedCoyote997 ปีที่แล้ว +267

    The furniture in office complex always gives me nostalgia for it's 90s vibe.
    Company got those couches for cheap since no one bought them, the cushions get sprayed down by janitors every other month, and they have this kinda gritty wool texture that seems like it would be less comfy than it really is.

    • @TLAHmuzak
      @TLAHmuzak ปีที่แล้ว +26

      Fun fact, the textures used in office complex use the word FIFTIES as their title.

    • @E55666
      @E55666 ปีที่แล้ว

      Its*

    • @pyropulseIXXI
      @pyropulseIXXI ปีที่แล้ว +13

      Old couches are always super comfortable, idk wtf you are talking about. And that furniture is not from the 90s, lol. It honestly looks like 70s furniture but is labeled as FIFTIES

    • @HealedCoyote997
      @HealedCoyote997 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      @pyropulse I wasn't alive to see them in the 70s :^)

    • @Suiseisexy
      @Suiseisexy ปีที่แล้ว +15

      This entire comment chain kind of gets what's going on with the design aesthetic of Black Mesa: It's a government facility, it was built with waves of funding arriving with each new major conflict, with the original stuff being from WW2, then the Cold War, then it starts getting into "modern 90's" (it still was) stuff. Lots of real military places are like this lol. Has that "places civilians never see" vibe, which to explain is exactly the same as the cheap school vibe: "How long has this temporary portable classroom thingy been here?" "Since 1993".

  • @MarphitimusBlackimus
    @MarphitimusBlackimus ปีที่แล้ว +597

    The machinery shown at 8:48 is one of the ionization chambers, as identified by the color-coded navigation stripes on the walls that you follow all along your way to the test lab. These colored stripes also identify the machinery at 9:25 as being plasma cells.

    • @goofy--cracker-sucker
      @goofy--cracker-sucker ปีที่แล้ว +6

      Ok

    • @zebitus5731
      @zebitus5731 ปีที่แล้ว +60

      its him

    • @lambdadoomer8932
      @lambdadoomer8932 ปีที่แล้ว +47

      the legend himself appeared

    • @Benjamin8993agape
      @Benjamin8993agape ปีที่แล้ว +28

      I like how its 2023 and there are still videos being made by a guy giving you a tour (and in an excited voice to boot) of a fictional world from a 1998 videogame most people were playing on Windows 95 at the time... an OS that was basically just a GUI and some libraries ontop of MS-DOS

    • @TopSecretName
      @TopSecretName 11 หลายเดือนก่อน +4

      The man, the myth, the legend; Marphy Black.

  • @Dipsxi
    @Dipsxi ปีที่แล้ว +186

    5:07 Actually at ILM (Industrial Light and Magic) the model makers were taught to never greeble/kitbash without purpose. And that every addition to the model must be made consciously even if the knowledge of each addition, and its purpose, is only ever known the model maker. They did this to avoid creating just visual noise, hopefully leading the subconscious to more likely believe the details to be more than noise.
    Also the reason why its called kit-bashing is that artists would take parts from different models kits (tanks, trains, planes, etc) and bash them together to make spaceships and other vessels.

  • @lazermaniac
    @lazermaniac ปีที่แล้ว +118

    About the NPC mouth thing - the Half-Life model animation system allows for sounds to be cued by specific animation frames. Someone decided it was easier to add the sound cue to the animation rather than synching up an in-level timing script to it. This then interacts with the mouth animation system, which is done dynamically based on the amplitude of sound that the entity representing the NPC produces - and that seems to be any sound, including the animation-cued knocks, not just voicework. That's also used in some multiplayer GoldSource games to animate player model mouths based on player voice comms.

    • @heehaw1
      @heehaw1 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

      I was about to comment something similar, but i saw this. I dont know wether to be grateful that i didnt have to type something out or sad that I wasnt the one to explain. :D

  • @thefunkyrolo
    @thefunkyrolo ปีที่แล้ว +101

    It's funny as someone who's replayed this countless times I feel almost like an employee with how used to the bizarre architecture I am

    • @Grocel512
      @Grocel512 11 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

      Employee at Black Mesa 😂

  • @Hanksabutt
    @Hanksabutt ปีที่แล้ว +59

    One of my favorite details about the lambda complex is how new it is compared to the rest of the facility. The whole climb out of the the facility you're seeing all these run down areas but as soon as you reach the lambda complex, you can tell it's newer and well kept by how the textures and machinery look.

    • @Benjamin8993agape
      @Benjamin8993agape ปีที่แล้ว +13

      Unreal (also 1998) does this as well to show the social progression from paganism to monotheism-- the old and worn out pagan water goddess temple early on in the game vs the newer church-like areas later on in the game

  • @Da_man-lb7wn
    @Da_man-lb7wn 11 หลายเดือนก่อน +67

    1:25 fun fact: the security guard pounding in the door is actually Calhoun, who eventually stars in his own spinoff and becomes a major character in HL2.

    • @spartanwar1185
      @spartanwar1185 5 หลายเดือนก่อน +23

      Barney Calhoun, same guy you see in the metrocop disguise in half-life 2, for anyone who wasn't aware of course
      And also the protagonist of half-life: blue shift, infact iirc that's exactly where his story starts, and you can spot gordon's tram pass you by

    • @WackoMcGoose
      @WackoMcGoose หลายเดือนก่อน

      "Ah, I'm not the only one who's late! SUCKERRRR!"

  • @DaRealBruner
    @DaRealBruner ปีที่แล้ว +145

    You should definitely do this with more Half-Life games, especially Half-Life 2. People don't tend to realize just how idiotic and nonsensical the building architecture and planning can be in Half-Life 2, especially during the uprising chapters where they just kind of combined old beta test maps together because they were running out of time, like how there's a gigantic underground warehouse smack dab in the middle (and for some reason connected) to an apartment block.
    Also some houses along Highway 17 that are literally just one gigantic room with no walls and individual rooms.

    • @Benjamin8993agape
      @Benjamin8993agape ปีที่แล้ว +28

      My first playthrough of HL2 back in 2004 I never realized there was an ammo crate with infinity submachinegun ammo on the back of the dune buggy... really made the section a lot more challenging LOL

    • @hernanreipp3321
      @hernanreipp3321 ปีที่แล้ว +10

      @@Benjamin8993agape That nearly happen to me. When the NPC said ammo on the trunk (in spanish is Maletero)I believe in the begining that your weapons will have fully ammo again when you ENTER the car. I finally understand how worked when I put the car IN THE GARAGE ON THE LIGHTHOUSE.

    • @hernanreipp3321
      @hernanreipp3321 ปีที่แล้ว +14

      Well about that design of City17 is because Valve's team wanted to mix old architecture (mostly pre-'90) with futuristic one. And for a friend that born in the soviet republic of Checoslovaquia (now Czech and SlovaquiaRepublic) he tell me how weird some buildings in real life were made and for what reason.
      You mentioned the warehouse connected to an apartmen block, well that was mostly to be prepared to a Nuclear War or Full Invasion from an enemy nation and have ready supplies and personal ready to defend and survive.
      I laugh when he said the supplies, be weapons or any other equipment, have to be lifted either by a chopper or crane from the top of the warehouse surrounded by the apartments because the corridor where very narrow and they never get any chance of get close becuase was all the time locked by the authorities. So was the point to put all that there if they couldn't even see it? XD

    • @cybercheese3
      @cybercheese3 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +4

      ​@@Benjamin8993agapethere's a what?! 😂 Fml

    • @oliverhenry4676
      @oliverhenry4676 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      Ok but that underground warehouse is so cool

  • @toxic_shr00m
    @toxic_shr00m ปีที่แล้ว +86

    13:40
    The textures themselves are actually what decides what sound is played. What's more likely going on here is there's a tiny bit of an invisible brush meant to make walking across the pipe easier not being placed across the entire thing, making that spot where the sound suddenly shifts. I imagine the VALVe employee that was working on this realized the sound didn't line up and deleted most of the brush but forgot one.

    • @toxic_shr00m
      @toxic_shr00m ปีที่แล้ว +7

      Or maybe that pipe was originally intended to move in a way that warranted making it be two objects, the visual pipe with no collision and the invisible collision, but eventually got scrapped in favor of having a ladder to the next section. Just a couple theories since without the raw level data I have no actual idea what the reasoning is.

    • @Yashirmare
      @Yashirmare 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      @@toxic_shr00m My guess is it was there to prevent the player slipping slightly down the side and being stuck surfing against the wall.

    • @toxic_shr00m
      @toxic_shr00m 10 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@Yashirmare Yeah, I mentioned that in my original comment.

    • @Yashirmare
      @Yashirmare 10 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@toxic_shr00m I know, just meant that it was likely kept there intentionally and not leftover. Could even be something that was added later because of that issue and the sound difference didn't get noticed that way.

    • @dontspikemydrink9382
      @dontspikemydrink9382 9 หลายเดือนก่อน

      do you have a source

  • @DVincentW
    @DVincentW 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +11

    4:46 the creators of the sets for Alien (1979), called it "Clagging". The sets for the Nostromo were a bunch of aircraft, submarine, ocean- going vessel parts.

  • @scorpionevo880
    @scorpionevo880 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +13

    5:30 fun fact about those random wall textures, and it’s actually something I learned from one of MarphyBlack’s videos, but there’s actually an automatic subroutine that runs to scramble to wall textures randomly to sell the appearance better. If I recall correctly and update broke it so sometimes it doesn’t scramble the wall textures but it just shows the level of insane detail Valve put into the game

  • @robeeer2
    @robeeer2 ปีที่แล้ว +15

    1:26 this "security guard" is Barney Calhoun from Half Life 2, you play as him in Half Life: Blue Shift, where you can see Gordon Freeman in the train while you are trying to open this door.

  • @gordonneverdies
    @gordonneverdies ปีที่แล้ว +51

    I still remember playing this for the first time as a kid. Every second of the tram ride was so impressive and exciting.

    • @Benjamin8993agape
      @Benjamin8993agape ปีที่แล้ว +2

      AFAIK it was pretty nouveau for its time-- a first person shooter where there's absolutely no shooting, or even access to *any* weapons at all, for like... the first 1/2hr or so of the game

  • @arabidllama
    @arabidllama ปีที่แล้ว +117

    It's fascinating to see how they pulled off the outdoors feeling, while also working in the limitation that no area could ever be all that big.
    In particular, you could only ever have a certain amount of level detail in any given area before needing to put in a hard, vision-blocking wall of some sort to split it up into different vis chunks. The engine supports fairly big maps, but HL shipped with *software* graphics support. You didn't even need a graphics card to play it, so on-screen triangle counts were a big concern.

    • @Ribulose15diphosphat
      @Ribulose15diphosphat ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Well the Graphics card is the Thing you connect the screen to, you didn't need a 3D-Accelerator.
      Also, triangle count is actually *not* the problem with software rendering, it is the pixel count that matters. A software renderer can perfectly handly a high poly count (like a smooth human model), what really kills the performance is the overdraw, that cannot be prevented well by BSP. Meanwhile Portal-Rendering (Descent, Duke 3D) does zero overdraw, but cannot display outdoor areas well (Descent uses actually a completely seperate engine for rendering outdoor areas.).

    • @staryoshi06
      @staryoshi06 11 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      @@Ribulose15diphosphat Half Life used portals as well, that's what they were referring to by "vis chunks".

  • @ikeshrafter
    @ikeshrafter ปีที่แล้ว +15

    Half Life 1 has amazing art direction. I spent so many hours as a kid just hanging out in these little areas. They're so ambient and calm. Especially following an intense combat encounter

    • @Benjamin8993agape
      @Benjamin8993agape ปีที่แล้ว +8

      I think more people played like that, slow and methodical, back in the day, prior to speedrunning and over-abundance of games (h/t Steam market) making you want to race through a game ASAP to get to the next one. Buying games in a brick-and-mortar store was a totally different than than digital downloads

    • @OneFreeMan17
      @OneFreeMan17 9 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@Benjamin8993agapeSame, that’s how I play all kinds of games, from Half-Life to Left 4 Dead 2, WoW, Skyrim, etc.
      I like to take my time and ‘explore everything’
      Blockbuster was also amazing back in the day, I would spend an hour everyone I went there in order to look through all the rental games they had 😁

    • @ruzgar1372
      @ruzgar1372 3 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@Benjamin8993agape I remember spending a good amount of time in that part in Surface Tension where you're going through a destroyed building with all types of metal pipes exposed.

  • @mako_panda_
    @mako_panda_ ปีที่แล้ว +71

    ((Where is everybody? I’m spooked!!))
    Source games always have the most interesting details or oddly ominous rooms; the way that environmental noises come from the NPC’s mouth has always been super funny to me though, hehe.
    Nice video as always!! You sharing sources for music and any references you use is always so helpful - I love this series so much! ^~^

    • @PretzelYT
      @PretzelYT  ปีที่แล้ว +8

      Sneaky sneaky, I put it in my playlists but forgot to set it as private. 😭 I'll probably set it as public later today or tomorrow.
      Glad you enjoyed it 🙌

    • @sexyfrog_swag
      @sexyfrog_swag ปีที่แล้ว +13

      hey dude, I just wanna tell you, this isn't a Source game, it's a GoldSrc game.

    • @mako_panda_
      @mako_panda_ ปีที่แล้ว +3

      @@sexyfrog_swag Ah, you’re right! My bad hehe; I forget that there is a difference sometimes.

    • @perplexedmoth
      @perplexedmoth ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Not to be pedantic, but the difference is GoldSrc is basically modified Quake 1 engine licensed from ID, and Source is a complete re-write.

  • @cheesoburgor2350
    @cheesoburgor2350 ปีที่แล้ว +17

    23:40 Actually the "birds" are not untextured but rather the room they are in is completely unlit (apart from the few floating islands) causing them to appear completely dark. You can see their textures for a tiny bit if you look at the arch to the left at around 24:06.

  • @k.w.6626
    @k.w.6626 ปีที่แล้ว +23

    I love doing this same thing, just exploring environments and slowing down appreciating the atmosphere, especially in normally fast paced or anxiety inducing games.

  • @Zejgar
    @Zejgar ปีที่แล้ว +11

    3:22 this entire outdoors area was repurposed as a multiplayer map, and I loved climbing this exact cliff in that as well!

  • @DanielSantosAnalysis
    @DanielSantosAnalysis ปีที่แล้ว +12

    I think one of the best things about Half-Life, is how it manages to engage the player by grounding them into the world. All the little details you point out in the video contribute to that and is a big part of what makes the game feel so immersive.

    • @PretzelYT
      @PretzelYT  ปีที่แล้ว +5

      My only experience to shooters from this era is stuff like Doom and Quake, so I was genuinely surprised at the amount of detail that went into the environments in this game. Though I guess Half-Life kind of ushered in the new era of FPSs that actually care about that stuff.

    • @DanielSantosAnalysis
      @DanielSantosAnalysis ปีที่แล้ว +4

      @@PretzelYT Yup, when you look at most FPS prior to Half-Life, most played like Quake and Doom, levels are largely disconnected from each other and act as these very gamey sandboxes, not that that was a bad thing, but it was certainly the norm. While I wouldn't say Half-Life was necessarily the first, it was definitely the game that made the biggest impression to the industry in regards to changing that mindset in regards to level design.

  • @x8c8r
    @x8c8r ปีที่แล้ว +32

    This video made me realise how many liminal spaces original Half-Life truly had. A lot of hallways are empty because of the apocalypse, some places you would expect to have at least some people in them are completely empty. All these large, yet completely lifeless rooms give out a certain vibe. HL1 used to be the favourite one of the series for me, but now I can understand why. There are so many little details that make the world feel alive, and it's extremely impressive for it's time. Also, I just love goldsrc, it's a really quirky engine.

    • @spartanwar1185
      @spartanwar1185 5 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      And the requirement for loading screen sections very easily offer themselves up to being the transitional areas that make a liminal space what it is
      I really like how naturally some very obviously "only here because we need to give you a quiet loading area" rooms happen to fit perfectly as just an organic transitional space that some facility architects used to connect one room to another

    • @x8c8r
      @x8c8r 5 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      ​@@spartanwar1185yes, true, most of the loads have to occur over corners. And since maps had to be relatively small, there were a lot of those.

  • @masteriosis9430
    @masteriosis9430 ปีที่แล้ว +16

    One of my favourite series to relax to on youtube right now it’s great I found you early so I can join you on your journey

  • @jorlok_zander
    @jorlok_zander 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    15:40 that's crickets. Whatever species of them live in New Mexico. Birds don't make this kind of non-stop sound, they can repeat themselves for a while, but they always make a noticeable stop between every other sound.

  • @arabidllama
    @arabidllama ปีที่แล้ว +122

    I adore this game and engine, so I'll have thoughts! The intro is a great candidate for this series, on purpose.
    That very first area ("is this a hallway?") looks to be a viewing platform/concourse for a tram station, to me! The soda machines are even on the loading platform, like you might expect from a train station.
    I hadn't thought about Gus in a long time. Hi Gus!
    NPCs speaking sound effects happens whenever audio has to be synched with the character animation - banging on a door, punching buttons, etc. The engine doesn't really let the animation system "talk to" the environmental system, so hacks are required.
    The rapid, haphazard changes between theme fits Black Mesa perfectly. Even in canon, it's possible that these different zones of the facility snake out to connect with the tram system, since they'd all need a way in.
    Half-Life was one of the earliest games to have skeleton-based animation, so the gratuitous Four-Legged Walker Robot action shot is them flexing on that.
    I love the random technology doodads on the walls. Not only do the devs not know what the buttons are for, neither does Gordon, and neither does anybody in that hallway.
    Transdimensionalborderworld Rights
    10:25 Tweaker zombie is another feature flex - semi-dynamic scene lighting by swapping between pre-baked lightmaps. That's why you can walk right in next to him and mess around, I bet.
    The water in the dumpster is probably from the sewer pipe puzzle near there, I imagine you noclipped straight to the dumpster when getting footage rather than doing the puzzle.
    The huge vista reveal at 18:55 works better at 640x480 (though it's still obvious how it was done).
    23:42 - those birds are actually "Boids", and are yet another feature flex for some reason? They actually have flocking AI. Just programmers being programmers.

    • @Atomlxe
      @Atomlxe ปีที่แล้ว +5

      the boids also had textures in the alpha, not sure if the textures made it into the final game or not

    • @FlyboyHelosim
      @FlyboyHelosim ปีที่แล้ว +15

      @@Atomlxe They are textured, as can be seen if you load their models in a HL model viewer program. The area they're in in-game is simply unlit, so their textures can't be seen.

    • @Swifty487
      @Swifty487 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      @@FlyboyHelosim In this video you can very briefly see the textures on some for a few frames @ 24:05-24:08

  • @alexh7253
    @alexh7253 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    14:20 ah the best ladder, snake eater

  • @stormhought
    @stormhought ปีที่แล้ว +8

    You can completely explore that area at 9:50 to you hearts content in Opposing Force, sometime after you get the displacement cannon thing. different maps have their own corresponding xen areas, and this is one of them.

  • @tommysalami420
    @tommysalami420 ปีที่แล้ว +11

    18:30 one amazing detail you might have missed in this scene, Is those mountains in the background. The moment you leave the pipe the mountains look just like the shape of Black Mesa's trademark logo. Its really amazing seeing that the inspiration for their logo is derived from a landscape the player actually sees with their own eyes. Thats just such a beautiful detail of worldbuilding that not a lot of games do. A perfect example of show don't tell :D
    Its the mountain thats the most in focus thats mimicking the logo and in game if you position yourself in the pipe just right you can perfectly recreate it yourself.

    • @PretzelYT
      @PretzelYT  ปีที่แล้ว +4

      It's funny you bring that up, I vaguely remember hearing about that at some point in the past and actually considering mentioning it in the script. But when I actually looked at the mesa from the pipe compared to the logo, it looked too tall to mimic the logo. The mesa in the logo reaches up to half of the circle, while the mesa from the pipe reaches almost to the top. So I'm not entirely sure if it's an intentional easter egg or not.

    • @tommysalami420
      @tommysalami420 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@PretzelYT So I booted up my old game saves and put two images up in my community polls on my channel. I do see what you are saying its much more interpretable. If you want to check it out I overlayed the images of the logo directly on top of the game so its easy to compare.
      I will disagree with the height being the issue as it matches perfectly now the mountain is a bit to the left and it needs its adjacent mountain as well to be long enough. But overall its a crazy close fit.
      And with noclip you can make the shapes perfectly overlap. I really think it might still be true. just cause I got it to line up super well wish I could just post the image in these comments or a link to it but youtube would hide this comment then :P

    • @geqoph
      @geqoph 5 หลายเดือนก่อน

      I think you might have confused it with the same moment is the black mesa remake, where it was an intentional easter egg

    • @tommysalami420
      @tommysalami420 5 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@geqoph I only played the original game to that section. They have a music note play and everything so it felt intentional even in the OG

    • @geqoph
      @geqoph 5 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@tommysalami420 you must've seen this easter egg somewhere on the internet, because it's ain's the Black Mesa logo in half life

  • @scp_1012
    @scp_1012 ปีที่แล้ว +24

    One thing that I will NEVER get bored of is half life videos. Great work on the video !

    • @Benjamin8993agape
      @Benjamin8993agape ปีที่แล้ว +2

      You know, I bet TH-cam is able to guess your age demographic, even if none or false info is provided on your Google account, just based on what kinds of videos you view and like. Pretty sure no one in GenZ or Gen Alpha is watching a lot of HL1 videos

    • @OneFreeMan17
      @OneFreeMan17 11 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@Benjamin8993agape o.O

    • @axkvs
      @axkvs 11 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      @@Benjamin8993agape dawg I'm 15

    • @demon-goat
      @demon-goat 10 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@Benjamin8993agape gen z here (23 years old), i get almost nothing but half-life videos lol

    • @daveywaveypavey
      @daveywaveypavey 10 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@Benjamin8993agapeYou’d be surprised.

  • @UnrelatedAntonym
    @UnrelatedAntonym ปีที่แล้ว +4

    6:55 I think that is a blue plastic sheet over some clothes. Like another lab coat suit like the rest of the doctors have. The plastic would be put on after it is done going through a dry cleaner.

  • @olzhas1one755
    @olzhas1one755 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    7:03 You know, I just realized that almost absolutely no one ever remembers this. Not the characters in game, not the developers, and interestingly enough not even the fans. Nobody knows or cares what happened to Gordon's child.

  • @nicetry9800
    @nicetry9800 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    this is an incredible video, made me think about all the tiny details in games which i havent cared to notice until now. great work!

  • @feldgray
    @feldgray ปีที่แล้ว +6

    What you described as 'kitbshing' is in fact called 'Greebling'! Kitbashing is the act of using various model kits and bashing them together to make something new, but the textures that get created from this process are called greebles. You are completely right about it being done to add visual interest and noise to an item. Great video!

    • @siyacer
      @siyacer 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      none of those words are in the Bible

  • @flordelizhawk358
    @flordelizhawk358 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    Actually canonically that baby picture would be of his niece or nephew, as said by one of the devs. It wasn't given much thought since it was just a little easter egg of one of the dev's baby picture.

  • @Jack3G
    @Jack3G ปีที่แล้ว +9

    This is one of my favorite videos in a while. It's not crazy high quality or anything, it's just nice. Examining interesting textures and props. Just taking a moment to stop and explore the world of the game, thinking about what life might have been like at Black Mesa.

    • @Benjamin8993agape
      @Benjamin8993agape ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Its the tone and cadence of his voice that makes this video

  • @8xPulp
    @8xPulp ปีที่แล้ว +2

    This is genuinely one of my favorite series of videos on TH-cam! Keep up the great work! It's so cool watching your channel grow! ❤

  • @inconspicuousiceberg9363
    @inconspicuousiceberg9363 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    @2:20 both the scientists sitting down in each "jail cell" are looking at a their very own non-existent monitor and typing on a non-existent keyboard. This gives some serious vibes of "Oh Crap! Gotta look busy 'cause the boss just arrived" and failing to do it convincingly.

  • @fuel8555
    @fuel8555 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    8:57 it's literally liminal space as it's used for a transition between two levels .
    9:55 Sure I would, in xen borderworld, you have these special pools of water which not only heal you, but also emit a comfy sound.

    • @PretzelYT
      @PretzelYT  ปีที่แล้ว +3

      but what about the spooky evil aliens

  • @Kildigs
    @Kildigs 11 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    First video of yours i've seen. Very fresh perspective on a game i thought i'd seen it all in. I liked how you focused on things easily overlooked or taken for granted, rather than the stereotypical "secrets" or something. Definitely subbed! At 15:43 those sound like frogs/toads i used to hear at night down by the creek.

  • @indiedub11
    @indiedub11 ปีที่แล้ว

    I've been looking for content just like this for years. This is so perfect. Please keep doing it. It's so enjoyable to watch you go through the corners of classic games and provide calming commentary.

  • @saviourscout6183
    @saviourscout6183 ปีที่แล้ว +25

    Another great video! I love Half Life but never really took the time to explore it, so this tour was rather fun for me. Definitely rooting for a follow up for Half Life 2, that game has many a cool and interesting spots across it's world. I especially like it out in the wastes, stopping by the random homes you come across is a good time. Please keep up the good work!
    P.S. I think a world that's ripe for a tour is Zelda Wind Waker.

    • @PretzelYT
      @PretzelYT  ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Wind Waker is definitely on my list of things to cover sometime. There's SO much to explore in that game, I wouldn't even know where to start though.

  • @simonm.ojensen9843
    @simonm.ojensen9843 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    Awesome. Just got this recomended. Keep going strong. Great quality video :)

  • @whyyoumadlol4797
    @whyyoumadlol4797 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Excellent video. You had me hooked through the entire video, even though I've played this game more times than I can count.

  • @ndhart3213
    @ndhart3213 11 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    The guard at 1:40 is implied to be Barney according to the gearbox expansion known as blue shift

  • @CYON4D
    @CYON4D 11 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

    Good to see that there are other people who pay attention to the mood and feeling of places in video games.
    I really like some of the places you mentioned through out the video. Especially the moody offices with the banker lamps.
    I also remember seeing it in the Half-Life gameplay trailer before the game was launched.

  • @nmspy
    @nmspy ปีที่แล้ว +7

    Phenomenal production quality!

  • @DetectiveJones
    @DetectiveJones ปีที่แล้ว

    I love these! Finding those odd spots in games, full of mystery or just a complete vibe change from the rest of the game with something as simple as a room that you pass and arent meant to go in but can.

  • @TwistedVertex
    @TwistedVertex ปีที่แล้ว

    Great video man, really enjoyed your perspective

  • @TheEngieTF2
    @TheEngieTF2 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    Fun fact: While porting Half-Life to the Dreamcast and PS2, Gearbox decided to make some modifications for most of the maps in the game. Their first attempt was Dreamcast port, as their most notable map modification was the first Office Complex map. On their second attempt with the PS2 port, they noticed how unusual the office rooms looked in the beginning of the game, as seen in 1:57. So they decided to give them proper windows and doors so that it doesn't look like an isolation room, not only that but they also added laptops and computers for the scientist at the tables, as you can see on the video the table scientists are typing on nothing at all, it's as if they're schizophrenic. It's pretty amazing that Gearbox would take the time to give more life into the background sceneries of the maps

    • @Benjamin8993agape
      @Benjamin8993agape ปีที่แล้ว +2

      You know, I've always been a huge HL fan, and have played it on PC, OSX, PS2, and Dreamcast... but I never noticed the changes made... or maybe I did notice but don't remember them O_O

  • @jorande1e
    @jorande1e ปีที่แล้ว +5

    10:53 the water is there so that there is a splash sound effect when he moves up and down

  • @carlosfranklinsouthsidemurder
    @carlosfranklinsouthsidemurder ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I also love just going through obscure and random areas in games and just observing them for every little detail I can get. So I very much enjoyed the video.

  • @northshore2826
    @northshore2826 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Love this series keep it up mate.

  • @jplichta
    @jplichta ปีที่แล้ว +3

    You should try gunman chronicles if you like strange and somehow comfy goldsrc environments, game is a gold mine

  • @qwfp
    @qwfp ปีที่แล้ว +10

    Justice for alien birds! Some developer did not spend countless hours programming boids, making sure that the alien birds fly in nice formations, only for *some guy with a youtube channel*, 25 years later, give them one star...
    Anyways, cool video as always. Is Portal next?

    • @denifnaf5874
      @denifnaf5874 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      They are supposed to have a texture with 8 eyes
      Mirrorred texture 4 eyes ontop 4 eyes onbottom

  • @dmnkdlls
    @dmnkdlls 4 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    Such a Great Format. Would love to See more of it!

  • @bennie1079
    @bennie1079 9 หลายเดือนก่อน

    I really enjoy your calm showcasing.
    It’s a huge departure from the normal yt formula, but it works amazingly well.
    Also, the few mistakes/unprepared occourances, like the water only showing up while you were playin the game, they made the video feel very down to earth. It makes me remember how human it is to make mistakes, or just how important it is for unexpected things to happen!

  • @kaitek666
    @kaitek666 ปีที่แล้ว +11

    I found you the other day, subscribed and was convinced you're a big known channel. Today half way through the video I realized you're very under-subbed.
    Great quality video. Calming and nostalgic. I like how you value the viewer's time, yet still find spots of silence for reflection. Just like the game, this video is art. Keep it up

  • @VerbDoesStuff
    @VerbDoesStuff ปีที่แล้ว +4

    In the final boss, threes a living scientist in one of the rooms he teleports you to. And in the final biomechanical area, there are vents that take you to a room off to the side with lots of, well, screams of the damned in the background. Surprised you didn’t cover that
    Great video though! I enjoyed it. You earned a sub

  • @worldscoolestperson7672
    @worldscoolestperson7672 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Man your videos always have such good vibes.

  • @the-letter_s
    @the-letter_s 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    15:49 it's fascinating to think that the species of animal that was making that noise was most likely extinct by the events of Half-Life 2.

  • @derosiflo6524
    @derosiflo6524 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    Props for pronouncing Giger correctly! Love such little things ❤

  • @Techhunter_Talon
    @Techhunter_Talon ปีที่แล้ว +14

    9:56 Maybe the remake's version. The people behind making that game's maps did a great job of making Xen into an entirely alien ecosystem. Seriously felt like I was jumping and fighting through a location ripped straight from Metroid Prime.

    • @dymaxion3988
      @dymaxion3988 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Black Mesa Xen is easily my favourite environment in all of gaming. It’s remarkably alien, but certain parts are just so relaxing. Like, building a spa was my first thought when I saw the healing pools for the first time. If the dangerous wildlife were kept under control, I’d gladly take an interdimensional vacation.

  • @Quick-Silver206
    @Quick-Silver206 5 หลายเดือนก่อน

    I enjoy your chill and friendly energy. You got yourself a new subscriber :)

  • @MasterSheep2011
    @MasterSheep2011 4 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Im really glad i found ur channel! I really like ur style of narrating. Very cozy!

  • @butnoobie8772
    @butnoobie8772 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    I recommend reviewing the black mesa now.
    For more lore in the half life series..
    And more rooms also.

  • @DevinJuularValentine
    @DevinJuularValentine ปีที่แล้ว +3

    To be fair, I know at least with prop and set makers, they / we(?) Do have stories behind a lot of details in world building and I'm sure it's the same with video game textures and stuff. If you don't have a story you're trying to tell then the object won't look... Believable. It doesn't have to be a foolproof story, and you're the only one who might ever know about it, but that's definitely a core element of creating in-world objects.
    I had to weather a plinth, and I added clumps of moss - but I thought where is the plinth facing, one side gets more sun, and then where the moss is more water will pool and gather, etc etc... Hope that makes sense. Details are added with some purpose or should be.

    • @PretzelYT
      @PretzelYT  ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Good point, maybe I'm not giving the artists enough credit. Thank you for your perspective. I see what you mean.

  • @scarletcrusader5431
    @scarletcrusader5431 ปีที่แล้ว

    Loved this, keep it up your content is great!

  • @tempestfrost
    @tempestfrost 11 หลายเดือนก่อน

    This was wonderfully done. I think you've found your format. Can't wait to see what comes next. Liked. Subscribed.

  • @sameoldtunes7110
    @sameoldtunes7110 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    its very relaxing just watching exploration.

  • @squirrele.1266
    @squirrele.1266 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    I feel like Sector D, specifically the Administrative offices are really cool. Can you take a look at some of the Decay maps?

    • @Benjamin8993agape
      @Benjamin8993agape ปีที่แล้ว +1

      I never got to play the Decay co-op because literally none of my friends were any good at FPS games on console, so the entire thing was either me telling them every move to make, or holding my tongue when they did stupid things :(

    • @SpinoRexy733
      @SpinoRexy733 11 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@Benjamin8993agape I've never got to play Decay either, but because well lack of friends, with opposable thumbs.

  • @Sheo2049
    @Sheo2049 ปีที่แล้ว

    Love the vibe of this video, keep it up

  • @PlayerPaul
    @PlayerPaul 11 หลายเดือนก่อน

    13:47 Oh that's interesting. That actually I didn't notice. Hard to learn something new about a game you've played so much, but something new still slips here and there in such videos. Thanks for that)

  • @entager
    @entager ปีที่แล้ว +4

    What an incredible video. At first i thought i was watching some youtuber with few hundred or million subs. Keep up the good work :)

  • @hookatt
    @hookatt ปีที่แล้ว +4

    i love your videos so much thank you for being

  • @aijc
    @aijc ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Amazing video! Would love to see you do this on other retro games such as Quake before you jump to hl2. I've always been interested in these little bits and pieces but never had the chance to really appreciate them.

  • @BPKPhoenix
    @BPKPhoenix 11 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    10:14 very subtle Duke Nukem line if I ever heard one, I just subconsciously accepted it before a few seconds later felt a lightbulb over my head.

  • @vampledample
    @vampledample ปีที่แล้ว +7

    8:56 that is the most literal form of a liminal space in gaming
    you're not meant to linger, its a space between A and B plus its a loading zone between levels so the backrooms vibes are spot on

  • @DanielMartinez81
    @DanielMartinez81 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Half Life game is amazing and in my opinoin is very long so you could be hours just analyzing each detail by doing a "noclip" walkthrough :D
    1:45 just as a curiosity, that security guard who is knoking the door is Barney Calhoun and you will see the exact same scene during "Half Life: Blue shift" expansion game, but you will live it from the point of view of Barney. Also during Half life there are other moments that will connect with the other expansion games.
    It would be nice to see a similar video from HL2!

  • @Cheese_Lord
    @Cheese_Lord ปีที่แล้ว

    Absolutely fantastic video, you keep it funny and interesting. Ive always loved exploring around in half-life 1. The atmosphere is so special

  • @VidyaMusicVids90
    @VidyaMusicVids90 4 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    As a 33 year old H.L was one of my first actual favorite games and yes looking back it had a very odd feel, it may just be nostalgia and age. Yet there is and was something about this game. The empty M.P maps, Training room and Demo are almost more weird. Also the ambience and music add to it.

  • @Big98Bob
    @Big98Bob ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Great video! I never played Half Life but was still very much interested by what the map had to offer. Ever played Call of Duty Zombies? There are some interesting maps in there too, might be worth checking out.

    • @PretzelYT
      @PretzelYT  ปีที่แล้ว +2

      I have played my fair share of zombies back in the day. I'd love to cover the Call of Duty games at some point, zombie and multiplayer maps and all. Modern Warfare 2 and Black Ops were pretty much ALL I played on the 360 back in the day.

  • @Jarf
    @Jarf ปีที่แล้ว +3

    I love your videos ☺

  • @TheFrosty246
    @TheFrosty246 ปีที่แล้ว

    yoooo i've been looking for a series like this. saved to watch later and gonna binge this tonight

  • @LunarBulletDev
    @LunarBulletDev ปีที่แล้ว

    god i loved this video, very good commentary too, subbed and gonna binge watch if ur vids have a similar format

  • @catevan.the-
    @catevan.the- ปีที่แล้ว +4

    gorbon fremaman

  • @CrazyKosai
    @CrazyKosai ปีที่แล้ว +2

    15:28 yes! I always liked this little area, its seems so peaceful. I would love to sit there and just soak up the ambience.

  • @TheMAZZTer
    @TheMAZZTer 11 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    When I think of "favorite Half-Life areas" the Uplink demo comes to mind, with the unique vending machine secret and the gargantua cutscene. Plus it's a demo that doesn't even have a sequence form the full game... it's cut content.

  • @TyphusAndronicus
    @TyphusAndronicus 4 หลายเดือนก่อน

    This is the first video I've seen from this channel, and I have to say it's some of the best gaming content I've seen for a long while! The relaxed, conversational presentation is wonderful; it feels like I'm playing Half-Life with Mr Rogers

  • @LOKIFY
    @LOKIFY ปีที่แล้ว

    Great video!
    I really appreciate the fact that you speculate in that really creative way. Like what these machines in the opening scene with the lobby are supposed to do or for what purpose they are placed here? Or the little offices that are illuminated by a subtle desk lamp. I also do that when playing trough Half-Life! :) Nice to see someone thinking the same way as I do when playing a game.
    Black Mesa just fascinates me. I occassionally question myself what it would be like to work in this huge facilty as a security officer slandering through the big and sometimes empty hallways, as a scientist working on a new experiment after succesfully reporting the results from the last experiment to the administrator., heck even as the forklift driver Gus!
    One thing I ask myself every time I play the game is how THAT specific room was supposed to function in the facilty as a work place before the Resonance Cascade.
    Like that big silo with the green and radioactive goo, or the rooms that were occupied by the military forces.
    Ah, what a great game!

  • @danielleighton4161
    @danielleighton4161 8 หลายเดือนก่อน

    The detail of barney making the door sound with his mouth reminds me of morrowind. There are some instances in the game where they have a character talk, but they need you to hear them like when the wizard falls from the sky screaming or when the final boss talks to you on your way to him. They do this by having your character say the lines out loud, so if you look at your characters face when it happens, their mouth will move.

  • @navnotav
    @navnotav ปีที่แล้ว

    This video is so chilling to watch I was about to fall asleep while watching. Thanks for the video!

  • @adam-xm4ps
    @adam-xm4ps ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I'm always glad to see your videos getting so many views. You deserve it, you make great content :).

  • @Caseys808
    @Caseys808 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Bro has more imagination than everyone in Missouri combined. It is so nice to see a deep dive into every little detail in this game, you make me feel bad for not noticing any of this in my playthrough

  • @toxic_shr00m
    @toxic_shr00m ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Being someone that combed through the entire game several times over this video doesn't really do anything for me but I'm glad someone decided to point out all the weird/cool stuff in Half-Life.

  • @Stefan-yk7wl
    @Stefan-yk7wl ปีที่แล้ว +2

    6:13 the locker says ''coomer'' lol

  • @anonecki
    @anonecki 11 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    One of my earliest gaming memories was watching my older sister play Half-Life, and the part with the twitching headcrab zombie in front of the flashing laptop screen really stuck with me. I must've been 3 or 4 years old when that happened.