HL: Blue Shift is now available via Steam

[A-Team]

Half-Life: Blue Shift is now available for all Half-Life, Half-Life 2 Silver, and Half-Life 2 Gold owners. If you haven't rebooted your Steam client as of 5:40 PM EDT, then you'll need to do so now if you wish to download the game (260MB disk space required).

The load times are significantly better than they were in the original game, but I'm disappointed to see that Valve didn't include the HDR package. If you're not willing to play the game without the HD content, then be sure to check out this post (http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=327735) on the Valve boards for links to user-hosted HD models, skins, and sounds.

[thecrazyd]

Maybe I'll beat it this time.

[feeble]

Wooo.

strange i was just thinking a couple of days ago that i would love to play this game again. now i get it for free.

thx valve

[Nameback]

W00t! I have a question for anyone who has actually bought Blue Shift, does it come with some form of CD Key? One that say, might be able to be entered into steam? Because from my understanding a CD key from ANY form of HL1 package will unclock all HL1 based products :).

[Tricky Thumb]

I continue to wait for DoD: S ... but cool.

[H.Bogard]

Someone please let me know if this is worth a download...

[A-Team]

Someone please let me know if this is worth a download...
It only takes 252MB of space and about 10 seconds to download, so if you don't mind not having the multiplayer options or HDR package... then go for it.

[EvilBob46]

Someone please let me know if this is worth a download...

I think so. Although the lack of HD models is a bummer.

[H.Bogard]

O_O
I wanted to know if the SINGLE PLAYER EXPERIENCE was any good? Ive never seen this game but I already know theres no multiplayer and i dont care about high resolution character models (Never did since hl : source)
Just wanna know about the campaign, is it any good? if so....whats special about it? etc...I really never give a shit about reviews as long as there are games like Brothers in arms and Mafia getting good scores out there.

[FunkyPoopMonkey]

The question is, will Blue Shift have the soundtrack? Because HL1 and Oposing Force do not have their soundtracks during gameplay if you use steam to play them. The music simply isnt included with the download. Theres only a couple low bitrate mp3s that play randomly throughout the adventures. And I gatta say, these games are boring without the music.

[A-Team]

O_O
I wanted to know if the SINGLE PLAYER EXPERIENCE was any good? Ive never seen this game but I already know theres no multiplayer and i dont care about high resolution character models (Never did since hl : source)
Just wanna know about the campaign, is it any good? if so....whats special about it? etc...I really never give a shit about reviews as long as there are games like Brothers in arms and Mafia getting good scores out there.
This (http://www.avault.com/reviews/review_temp.asp?game=blueshift) is (http://www.gamespot.com/pc/action/halflifeblueshift/review.html) why (http://pc.ign.com/articles/166/166257p1.html) you (http://www.firingsquad.com/games/blueshift/) should (http://www.neoseeker.com/Articles/Games/Reviews/halflifeblueshift/) search (http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages3/475304.asp) on (http://www.guru3d.com/gamereviews/blue-shift/) Google (http://reviews.cnet.com/Half_Life_Blue_Shift/4505-9696_7-7588757-2.html?tag=tab). (http://pc.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r17161.htm)

[StoneGut]

Yay Valve!
Keep it commin'

[KarmaGhost]

So no dice for retail owners, then?

[A-Team]

So no dice for retail owners, then?
I said it was for HL, HL2 Silver, and HL2 Gold owners. :)

[Banacek]

Is the HD patch worth it?

[CrashT]

Nameback: Yes it does, and yes it does ;)

FunkyPoopMonkey: Eh? The original Half Life and Opposing Force came with CD Music Tracks, which only started to play at specific points which is what the MP3 tracks do in the Steam version. There was never any consistent music tracks, and with anything above Version 1.0.1.6 (Or there abouts) you didn't need the CD anyway and so wouldn't have heard the music anyway. I remember leaving a music CD in while I went to play Opposing Force and it started up just as I jumped through a pipe, confusing I'll tell yah.

Blue Shift was short but there were some half way decent sections to it, and since it's not like it'll take very long to d'load (Provided you aren't on Dial-up) it's worth a look. High Def pack was nice but the weapon models weren't really designed for high resolutions (They were designed for the DreamCast version after all) and there were some nasty holes where they didn't extent far enough back into the screen, the worst for this was the remodeled Assault Rifle.

[FunkyPoopMonkey]

FunkyPoopMonkey: Eh? The original Half Life and Opposing Force came with CD Music Tracks, which only started to play at specific points which is what the MP3 tracks do in the Steam version. There was never any consistent music tracks, and with anything above Version 1.0.1.6 (Or there abouts) you didn't need the CD anyway and so wouldn't have heard the music anyway. I remember leaving a music CD in while I went to play Opposing Force and it started up just as I jumped through a pipe, confusing I'll tell yah.
Wrong. Downloading HL1 and Oposing Force through steam did NOT include the games' music. It only included a couple low bitrate MP3s and that was it. And even those tracks were shortened. Who cares if a particular update removed the CD check for the original games, pre-steam versions? You think that's reason enough to pretend that godly music was NOT composed for all 3 games, and it should NOT be experienced by anyone?

Listen. Install the old WON version of HL1. Then install the Steam version of HL1 in a different place. Play through both of them. You will see exactly what I mean. The steam version is flat out boring because almost none of the music plays. That kills the entire experience. Don't you ever wonder why so few HL owners even beat the single player? 75% of the players online have never done it.

And for the record, the Steam version of Oposing Force remains broken and unplayable to this day, thanks to a severe AI bug. None of the enemies will move. They're all statues.

[CrashT]

To be fair I never really noticed the music since I never got around to finishing any of the Half Life titles until after CD check was removed and so I never played them with the CD in. The reason I waited was because every time I played it would cause BSOD when it tried to play the music off the CD (Pre-CD Check). I'm not "pretending" anything, you're making it sound like there was a consistent music track which there wasn't, there were selected CD tracks that were played at specific times, a lot of the time there was no music at all. I won't accept that the reason so many people never finished Half Life Single-Player is because of the lack of music.



And for the record, the Steam version of Oposing Force remains broken and unplayable to this day, thanks to a severe AI bug. None of the enemies will move. They're all statues.

I've played Opposing Force through Steam and never had that problem, is it meant to be throughout the game or just in one particular area?

[FunkyPoopMonkey]

I've played Opposing Force through Steam and never had that problem, is it meant to be throughout the game or just in one particular area?

Go to "C:\Program Files\Valve\Steam\SteamApps\username\half-life\valve\media"

There's your soundtrack. Heh.

Anyways, I played opposing force on steam on my old computer, and all the enemy NPC's were frozen solid and would not do anything. They werent even moving as if they were breathing. They were just statues.

Then a year later I installed opposing force on steam again on my NEW computer, and the problem remained.

[CrashT]

Go to "C:\Program Files\Valve\Steam\SteamApps\username\half-life\valve\media"

There's your soundtrack. Heh.


Grab GCFScape (http://www.hl2world.com/wiki/index.php/GCFScape), open up "C:\Program Files\Valve\Steam\SteamApps\half-life.gcf" and goto "..\valve\media\" and see all 27 tracks that were on the CD.

As for the Opposing Force problem, I have to say I've never experienced it.

[Liquidize105]

No HD? What's the point? No thanks :(

[Nameback]

Well according to This Post (http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=3330259#post3330259) the HD pack should be released in a few weeks for HL1, OpFor and BS.

[Evil Avatar]

According to the Steam forums, this doesn't have the blue Blue Shift HUD. That is about the lamest thing I've ever heard.

Also, does anyone know the command line option to force the refresh rate?

[Evil Avatar]

No HD? What's the point? No thanks :(

I don't know. There is a certain charm to the low polygon models that the game shipped with that you don't get from the HD pack. I actually Prefer Half-Life 1 without it.

[H.Bogard]

This is why you should search on Google.

Where exactly was I unclear when I said I didnt trust reviewers..?

[Darkmatter]

I always hoped that they would re-release HL1 and the other add on games with redone HL2 graphics in the HL2 graphics engine. HL was an amazing game, and it would look amazing with todays graphics.

[amusedtoe]

I continue to wait for DoD: S ... but cool.

Well I'm still waiting for TF2. :p That thing's become such a joke, they need to just come out and publically kill it before that becomes as much their legacy as HL. I feel more confident in DNF at this point.

This is great though since I never picked up the expansions. I'm still hopping for OpFor since that one was supposed to be outstanding and the "stand-alone" CTF Valve released for it was great.

[Pluvious]

I bought this game in retail and now I'm pissed that I can't get this free Blue Shift now. That's bullshit. Why on earth can't I have this as well?.. Or at least an offer for $5 or something for my version.

DAMN IM PISSED!

[Nameback]

I bought this game in retail and now I'm pissed that I can't get this free Blue Shift now. That's bullshit. Why on earth can't I have this as well?.. Or at least an offer for $5 or something for my version.

DAMN IM PISSED!

Have you tried going into steam and entering the CD and seeing what happens?

[Pluvious]

You had my hopes up for second.. but doing that didn't seem to help. Blue Shift is NOT on my upcoming list or games at all. :((

[Nameback]

Well have you restarted steam?

[MasterKwan]

I'm wondering the same thing. I'm Gold and I don't see it listed. Restarted Steam a couple times too.

[Orphiuchus]

I just beat it, nothing all that special really. Nowhere close to opposing force.

[feeble]

Finished, love the ending.