Are you one of the few who didn’t play the original Half-Life way back in 1998 (that’s 10 freakin’ years ago!)? Well I am. That’s right, I said it. I’ve never played through Half-Life — fully at least. Unfortunately, my meek computer at the time (a 486 trying its very best) was barely capable of handling Commander Keen and Chip’s Challenge, let alone Half-Life. By the time the computer in my household had improved, so had first-person shooters. Will anyone argue that Tribes wasn’t the best multiplayer game ever made? I didn’t think so.

That being said, I’m in the precarious position of once again wanting for a capable PC to run Half-Life and unable to achieve that lofty goal. The video above should give you some indication of where my sudden inspiration may have come from: Black Mesa (once titled Black Mesa Source but renamed in compliance with a request from Valve) is a fan-made mod using the Source Engine to recreate the events of the original Half-Life. Graphics are improved considerably given the new engine and, if the trailer’s any indication, the game looks infinitely more cinematic and believable in its new skin. According to Joystiq’s Andrew Yoon, Black Mesa will also come with co-operative play and other multiplayer modes. Yes, we’re pretty freakin’ excited too. So who wants to get me a PC?

(Via Black Mesa Source/Joystiq)