| INFO | |
|---|---|
| Base game | Half-Life |
| Developer(s) | Steven "EraSerX" Delrue |
| Release date | 2001-10-20 |
There are two types of Half-Life mods: those taking place in the same Black Mesa timeline as in the original game, and those that don't. The former are usually characterized by heavily reusing the vanilla assets over and over again, taking place in the same environments (old-dirty laboratories, gray-industrial maintenance areas, modern-clean laboratories, the barren outside and Xen) and showing their own take of the resonance cascade.
Case Closed belongs to the first type. The only unusual premise is that your character is now Bob Dewey, a 37-year old janitor. He's not a security guard or a soldier, but this makes no difference at all; he will be wasting lots of lifeforms very soon. If you liked the first levels of HL, this is another serving of the same dish, perhaps with a slightly worse taste.
I can't really find much to criticize here, but there's not a lot to praise either. The word that best describes this mod is bland. You get a feeling of déjà vu while running down the familiar corridors once again, shooting aliens and marines. The map design won't offend your eyes but it's nothing to write home about. It's a short mod (you can finish it in little over an hour without any rush), and when you are taken back to the main menu, your feeling will probably be "it's just okay". You'll move on and forget about it soon.
On a second thought, there are two things that could make you recall this mod once or twice. The first is a positive one: a few nice set pieces, such as a map where everything has turned upside down so you'll be walking on the ceiling, or an original looking Xen area.
The second is unfortunately negative: the ending. It's abrupt, unexpected, and feels unfair. Not what you expected to see after investing time and effort.
So, is it worth it? Well, I can say it's mildly entertaining, plus brief. It doesn't drag on and on like some other mods. And as a mapping aficionado I can see that its author spent many hours laying out the environments, a merit we shouldn't deny. Certainly give it a try if you're curious.
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