Half-LifeandHaloare two of the biggest names in the FPS genre, both having revolutionized the market on release. After all,Half-Lifemodders are directly responsible for major spinoff titles likeCounter-StrikeandTeam Fortress 2, andHalo is, well, Halo. Now the two have come together in an unexpected way viaHalo: Goldsource, a complete rebuild of the original Halo multiplayer insideHalf-Life’sGoldsrc engine.
The result is a game that looks like the originalHaloyou know and love, but with the movement and gameplay ofHalf-Life. It’s an odd combination, and you don’t even need to play it to understand the changes. The trailer does a good job of showing the mod in action, especially if you’re familiar with both games.
To be clear, this mod is now officially leaving beta. It’s been around for a while now, with the last release landing in September 2024. The difference is that this most recent release is a lot more polished, with major improvements to audio quality, resolution, and gameplay. The team at Phoenix Project Software has even added theHaloshield recharge mechanic, versus the slowly-regenerating health bar ofHalf-Life.
In the first public article from the team,they write, “Our aim is to keep working on this on the side, and although there will be blocks of time where we will take a break from HaloGS, ultimately, it will keep going for as long as possible. We have, internally, huge plans for this project beyond maps and weapons, and, while I can’t tell you what they are right now, I am more than excited to execute these plans with the team.”
If you’re interested in trying it out for yourself, you can downloadHalo: Goldsourcefrom ModDB now. While it’s out of beta, the mod isn’t complete. The team is still focused on adding in more weapons and maps, but there’s already a lot of content to keep you entertained and give you a somewhat confusing dose of nostalgia.
