The Half-Life games are iconic alien invasion first-person shooters responsible for some of the most memorable (and meme-worthy) moments in gaming. The engine created by Valve for Half-Life went on to become a major part of game development history. Valve invited developers to tinker with their engine when they released Half-Life, which would evolve into Half-Life 2 to become the Source Engine. Champutee made a fantastic brief history of the Source engine that is worth watching.
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The Source engine was the foundation for some of Valve's amazing games, including Portal, Team Fortress 2, and Left 4 Dead. But aside from those games which were “officially” developed by Valve, the Source engine had a thriving modding community. Some of the most popular mods have evolved into games in their own right. Some were acquired, or the developers were hired by Valve in order to turn their mods into stand-alone games. Some continued to be developed by indie studios and would go on to be successful independent releases.
No More Room in Hell
George Romero-Inspired Zombie Onslaught
- Mod of Half-Life 2
- Mod released in 2011
- Zombie Survival Shooter
One thing that is very apparent when looking at Source engine shooters is that there are communities that adore these mods and players who have a deep nostalgia for this hive of creativity. No More Room in Hell is a game that sparks this nostalgia for many. Like other mods of the Half-Life games, it stripped back the HUD and opted for a more direct and realistic first-person perspective. Adding to the brutal realism was the scarcity of resources and the complete absence of safe spaces to shelter and regroup.
No More Room in Hell forces players to have a heightened awareness of their surroundings and manage manual reloads, etc. The zombie swarms are much easier as part of a multiplayer team rather than solo. Unless one of your party gets bitten. When infected, players can either sacrifice themselves for the good of the team or suddenly transform into a mindless zombie, turning on their teammates.
Insurgency: Modern Infantry Combat
Brutal And Beloved
- Mod of Half-Life
- Mod Released in 2007
- Tactical Team Shooter
Insurgency is a realistic mod that is looked at nostalgically by many in the team shooter community. It spawned sequels, but a version that is pretty similar to the original mod is still available for free. The game is championed by its fans for its outsider status as a game developed by a formally enlisted soldier who did not see combat, but this inspired his dedication to realism, which informed his game design.
It features frantic and frenetic gameplay in which each shot matters. A single well-placed headshot can take out a player, and the game does not hold your hand. Teamwork is essential in order to survive. If you can't rely on your teammates, then you are in big trouble.
Dear Esther
Explore An Abandoned Island
- Mod of Half-Life 2
- Mod released in 2008
- Walking Simulator
Dear Esther is one of the most narratively creative uses of the Source engine, which is typically characterized by clever physics and facial animations. In contrast, Dear Esther offers neither physics-based gameplay nor people—unless you count the faceless ghosts on the clifftops. Instead, its artstyle creates a sweeping Hebridean island with a painterly, impressionist quality that deepens its moody storytelling.
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As a walking simulator, the main mode of interaction is simply exploration to trigger voice lines of poetic prose that follow the player around the island. This certainly ruffled feathers within certain sectors of conservative and normative gaming discourse. But despite this controversy, the game has endured and was released in a 2017 Landmark edition.
Chivalry: Medieval Warfare
Slapstick Sieges
- Developer(s)
- Torn Banner Studios
- Publisher(s)
- Torn Banner Studios
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Windows, Linux, macOS
- Genre(s)
- Action, Indie
- Mod of Half-Life 2
- Mod released as Age of Chivalry in 2012
- Multiplayer Hack and Slash
Chivalry: Medieval Warfare was originally released as a mod called Age of Chivalry. It filled a gap in the hack-and-slash video game landscape as it used the physics capabilities of the Source engine to create directional melee combat. This directional sword fighting encouraged a more skilled and strategic approach.
Who’s That Character?
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
While it looks like a gritty, serious, historical first-person fighter, the physics engine adds the potential for physical comedy to any encounter. As with No More Room in Hell and Insurgency, this game spawned a sequel which was less well-received than its charming, rough-around-the-edges original.
Counter-Strike
Where It All Began
- Developer(s)
- Valve
- Publisher(s)
- Sierra Studios, Microsoft Game Studios
- Platform(s)
- PC, Xbox (Original)
- Genre(s)
- First-Person Shooter, Tactical
- Mod of Half-Life
- Released in 2000 as Counter-Strike
- Multiplayer Team Shooter
Counter-Strike is one of the most popular team shooter franchises ever and certainly the most successful on this list. It spawned a whole series and has inspired many games since, which have iterated on its five-by-five bomb planting and diffusion formula. It has become a staple on the esports scene and is associated with a million-dollar cosmetic skin industry.
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It used the ragdoll physics and destructible environments facilitated by the Half-Life Engine to create immersive environments and assets that reacted in a relatively realistic way to player engagement. The developers were quickly employed by Valve to develop the game as a standalone title. And the rest is history.
Garry's Mod
We Give You The Tools
- Mod of Half-Life 2
- Mod released in 2004
- Physics Sandbox
Realistically, Garry's Mod could fit anywhere in this list because it is what you make it. Using the Steam workshop, players can integrate assets that others have created in addition to those provided by the sandbox itself. For many pre-Roblox players, Garry’s Mod was their first outing into video game design, resulting in some cursed abominations and innovative designs. Got the overwhelming desire to make a confusing cross between an obstacle course, looter shooter, and a Rube Goldberg machine? You can do that! Ever wanted to make G-Man marry the Tank from Team Fortress 2? Well, you can do that too.
It has built-in game modes that can be played as is, but the true joy of Garry's Mod is taking the tools provided to make something truly ridiculous. If you’ve ever played a version of Prop Hunt in Fortnite or Windtrace in Genshin Impact, you’ll see the inspiration that Garry’s Mod had on popular game design. Rife with user-created IP infringement and meme assets, Garry’s Mod manages to stay up to date through its passionate user base and creator communities.
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