Half-Life, the game that started it all for Valve, has just turned 25 years old! To celebrate this momentous occasion, Valve has released a free 25th Anniversary Update for the game. This update includes a lot of new content and features, as well as some bug fixes.
Make sure to grab it on Steam, but if you’re interested there’s a documentary Valve released about making this new update. The new content includes:
- Seven new Deathmatch maps
- Half-Life Deathmatch now features Ivan the Space Biker, Prototype Barney, Skeleton, and Too Much Coffee Man as player models.
- There are dozens of new sprays that were previously only available on the “Half-Life: Further Data” CD.
- Steam Networking is now supported, so joining games and inviting friends is easy.
- Your friends can now follow your journey through Black Mesa with Steam Friends Rich Presence.
- The original Valve Intro video has been brought back.
- You can skip it by using the “-novid” launch command.
- A new main menu design is inspired by the game’s original main menu from 1998.
- The default models have been changed to the original (non-HD) models.
The update also includes a number of nostalgia-inspired features, such as the original Valve Intro video and the original main menu. In addition to the new content, the update also includes a number of bug fixes.
The Half-Life 25th Anniversary Update includes a variety of improvements and fixes. For instance, the physics for throwing grenades has been improved, and the randomness for initial spawn points in multiplayer has been enhanced. Additionally, satchel charge controls have been refined to provide a more seamless experience.
To address specific issues, the update has resolved instances where players with high framerates would freeze in place upon death in multiplayer. Similarly, it has eliminated cases where players could become stuck during level transitions. Furthermore, the update has prevented characters from interrupting important dialogue with their generic “greetings” lines.
In terms of visual enhancements, weapon view-bob angles have been corrected to ensure a more stable perspective. Additionally, the update has rectified issues with red barrels at the start of Surface Tension not launching as intended.
The full list of changes is available from the announcement. The Half-Life 25th Anniversary Update is free for a few days only.
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