Black Mesa

Black Mesa (formerly Black Mesa: Source) is a fan project developed by Crowbar Collective and aiming to produce an enhanced version of classic FPS Half-Life in the latest version of the Source engine originally created by Valve for Half-Life 2. It began in 2004 when it became clear Valve's own game Half-Life: Source would be a port of the original rather than a full remake as some had speculated, and after many delays and some legal issues, Black Mesa was released on September 14, 2012.
An enhanced version by the same name, using the 2013 version of Source as opposed to the original 2007 version, and including a Deathmatch mode which the original release omitted, was released on Steam Greenlight on May 5th 2015. Alongside other additions, this version had the chapter "Surface Tension" expanded in 2016, featuring some maps that were omitted from the original release. The older version ends immediately prior to the "Xen" segment; the developers have stated the 2012 version will never have this content released (though another fan group made an unofficial mod for the mod to add it). The newer version initially lacked that part as well, but the developers released in-progress map shots of Xen in 2017, with a tentative release date of summer 2017; this was then delayed to December 2017, then again to an undisclosed date in 2018 with the December update instead adding new lighting effects, then again to Q2 2019. Eventually, the Xen portion was gradually released as part of four beta updates between late June and early December 2019, with outstanding improvements in comparison to its much-derided counterpart from the original Half-Life. The full 1.0 release of the game went live on March 6, 2020.
A remake of Half-Life’s expansions Opposing Force and Blue Shift, developed by a different team, is scheduled for release under the name Operation: Black Mesa.
Alongside firearms, the game features fictional "experimental" weapons which won't be included in this page as they have no real-life counterparts.
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=Handguns=
==Glock 17==
The standard pistol returns from Half-Life, now a 3rd Generation model. The texture on the slide identifies it as a Glock 19, even though the pistol is modeled after the full-size Glock 17. It has two modes: primary fire is semi-auto and firecapped at a fairly slow rate with very high accuracy, while secondary fire is fully-automatic. In this mode, the gun fires at a fixed rate and becomes incredibly inaccurate. There is no fire selector on the model to explain precisely how it can do this: converted auto Glock 17s can only fire in automatic mode. Converted Glock 17s and the Glock 18 are also notorious for appallingly fast fire rates of up to 1,200 RPM, far greater than the in-game gun. It would require a redesign of the gun's slide and internals to get such a low rate of fire. It may be entirely possible that the secondary fire was semi-auto, but with rapid shots instead.
===Old version===
In the older mod version from 2012, the pistol has tritium illuminated sights and is modelled after a 2nd Generation version. Holding down the firing button involves Gordon shooting at a moderate fire rate, while tapping the button allows the weapon to be fired incredibly fast, yet with still good accuracy.
==Colt Anaconda==
The Colt Anaconda replaces the Python from the original game. Its model is a retextured version of the one from Half-Life 2, and like that game, it is misidentified as a Python, with its markings reading ".357 PYTHON" and its ammo boxes being labeled as .357 Magnum. The secondary fire key toggles the iron sights with increased zoom.
===Old version===
When aiming down the sights in the older release, the firing mode seems to change from double-action to single-action (though the fire rate remains the same), as Freeman can be heard manually cocking the hammer back after each shot while the cylinder rotates to the next chamber, although the hammer always remains in uncocked position.
=Primary Weapons=
==Heckler & Koch MP5A3 with M203PI grenade launcher==
The MP5/M203 combo returns from Half-Life, and now both the first-person and third-person models are consistent, depicting an MP5A3. It has a railed handguard, and the M203PI grenade launcher is shortened. The weapon is found in the hands of the HECU marines in Chapter 5 and onward. It has two reloading animations, one mid-magazine where the magazines are simply swapped (which can be difficult to do on an MP5 with a full magazine and the bolt closed, hence the usual HK slap), while the empty reload shows Gordon use his hand to lock the charging handle back before removing the magazine; he is shown riding it forward with his thumb rather than slapping it. 
The MP5 holds 30 rounds in singleplayer, and 45 rounds in multiplayer. Like in the original Half-Life, the M203 is never seen being reloaded (although the animation visibly depicts the player character pulling the grenade launcher trigger); this time, it comes with only three grenades instead of ten (like the MP7's grenade launcher in Half-Life 2).
===Old version===
The older version is modeled after the weapon seen in End of Days, including the barrel shroud and M203PI grenade launcher. While it is automatic, clicking the mouse once will fire a 3-round burst. It should be noted that the front sight of the weapon lacks the sight post, and the reload animation is incorrect, as it shows the cocking handle locking back automatically and coming forward by itself after the magazine is changed.
==Franchi SPAS-12==
The SPAS-12 makes its return in Black Mesa. The one in the retail release actually looks less like an authentic SPAS-12, but more towards the original SPAS shotgun from the 1998 Half-Life. Like that game and Half-Life 2, the weapon has the unrealistic ability to fire two shells at the same time when the secondary fire button is used. 
===Old version===
The old model of the SPAS-12 lacks rails and has a heat shield that matches a real SPAS. The one in Gordon's hands has no stock, but the world model of the shotgun has a stock in folded position (granted, given how the weapon is never far enough from the screen to see so much as the pistol grip, one could argue that Gordon is simply the only person in the entire game smart enough to unfold the stock; still though, the HUD icon lacks the stock).
thumb|none|450px|Franchi SPAS-12 - 12 gauge
==Repeating Crossbow==
An unknown or composite magazine-fed crossbow appears in Black Mesa. Arguably one of the best weapons in the game due to its one-hit-kill capability on almost anything, it has a magazine capacity of 5 bolts and comes equipped with a scope. The model in the retail release is based on the original crossbow from Half-Life.
In singleplayer, the fire rate is quite low, due to the time Freeman takes to pull the string. In multiplayer however, the string resets itself on its own, effectively giving the crossbow a higher rate of fire (as fast as the original Half-Life). The latter also behaves like the multiplayer version of Half-Life in that it fires explosive bolts when unscoped, and hitscan (but non-explosive) bolts when scoped.
===Old version===
The older 2012 version of the crossbow is modeled differently, and can be fired faster. It has an odd quirk: while the string normally has to be pulled after each shot, the weapon can be fired in a semi-automatic fashion while aiming down the scope (again, as fast as in Half-Life), as long as the player doesn't interrupt the firing process.
=Explosives=
==Futuristic Armbrust==
The futuristic Armbrust rocket launcher seen in Half-Life returns in Black Mesa with similar functions. The alternate fire button switches between laser-guided mode and "blind-fire" mode. While it is fitted with what appears to be a telescopic rifle scope, this cannot be used.
===Old version===
==Mk 2 Hand Grenade==
The Mk 2 hand grenade can be found in abundance throughout the game as early as Chapter 3. HECU marines occasionally will use these to flush the player out of their hiding spot. The weapon is thrown overarm with the primary fire button and underarm with the alt-fire, and can be held to "cook" it. Precisely how it explodes is a little questionable, since the thrown model is the same as the pick-up one and so still has the pin and safety lever.
thumb|none|200px|Mk 2 hand grenade
===Old version===
==Satchel Charge==
A backpack presumably filled with some type of demolition charges and rigged to a remote detonator is available.
===Old version===
=="Laser Tripmine"==
Black Mesa features a high-res depiction of the fictional laser tripmine from Half-Life. The original mine appears to be based on the "laser tripbomb" from Duke Nukem 3D, which appears to have in turn been based on some kind of door keypad with a retinal scanner.
While laser-activated mines do exist (mostly not for military purposes as they would be easily located with IR sensors, explode when it rained, etc.), they typically require the placement of either a laser emitter which is separate from the mine, or a mirror to reflect the laser back into the device's detector. By itself, there would be no way for the mine to "know" the beam of light had been cut without either using a pulsed rangefinding laser instead of a continuous beam, or a fairly sophisticated imaging system linked to a camera monitoring the laser, and the imaging system of the latter could simply be used as a detonator itself. Laser traps also typically do not use visible-wavelength lasers, as fairness is not a major factor in their design.
===Old version===
=Mounted Weapons=
==BGM-71 TOW==
The strange cannons found in the original Half-Life are replaced with tripod-mounted BGM-71 TOW launchers. Their depiction is very unrealistic: they lack a trigger assembly, lack the 1.5 second firing delay, and the spent tube simply vanishes when the missile is fired. There is an unusual bit of realism in that the player then has to locate a new missile tube and place it in the launcher manually. Unusable TOW launchers are also seen mounted on Humvees.
===Old version===
==Browning M2HB==
The Browning M2HB appears as a usable emplaced weapon in the game. It is mostly seen in small fortified bunkers mounted on tripods. All the M2s have unlimited ammunition and can completely dismember aliens and humans with one shot. HECU marines may use the weapon against the player if it isn't already occupied. It is also mounted on the commander's hatch of Abrams tanks.
thumb|none|450px|Browning M2HB on M3 tripod - .50 BMG
==M230 Chain Gun==
The M230 Chain Gun can be seen mounted on Apache helicopters.
==M240C==
LAV-25s and M1 Abrams main battle tanks mount a coaxial M240C machine gun.
==M240D==
An M240D machine gun is mounted alongside the M2HB on Abrams tanks.
==M242 Bushmaster Chaingun==
The M242 Bushmaster chaingun is mounted on LAV-25s, which replace the M2 Bradley IFVs from the original game as the United States Marine Corps utilizes the LAV; the Bradley is used by the US Army.
=Cut Weapons=
==Heckler & Koch MP5A5 with GP-30 grenade launcher==
The Heckler & Koch MP5A5 with a Russian GP-30 grenade launcher (without its pistol grip), RIS handguard, EOTech holographic sight and MP5K-PDW style side-folding stock was cut from the final version of the mod, with the MP5 included being a recreation of the one from End of Days. Note that the GP-30 cannot be mounted on an unmodified MP5 variant in real life.
==M4A1 with M203 Grenade Launcher==
The M4A1 (substituting the Model 727 seen as the HD and PS2 replacement of the MP5 in the original game) was cut from the mod during development.
Category:Video Game
Category:First-Person Shooter
Category:Science-Fiction