It’s a little hard to believe that Half-Life 2 came out in 2004. The game has aged pretty well, but a devoted member of the Half-Life fan community, Filip Victor, wanted to bring HL2‘s graphics quality closer to modern standards. Victor’s first stab at that goal came out in 2009, as the Half-Life 2: Update mod, and he’s continued his work since. The latest version hits Steam today. It maintains the distinctive look and feel of the original game while improving the lighting and environmental effects. Have a look:
As a die-hard Half-Life fan, I’m impressed with the subtle, tasteful improvements that Victor has made. I’ll definitely be playing through the game again to see all of the nips and tucks. Those who want to revisit City 17 can download the mod for free, with one caveat: you’ll need to own a copy of Half-Life 2.