Last weekend I posted Joutomaa Redux, which featured a custom G-Man voice and today I beta tested a great new mod, that features a custom Barney voice.

Both mods got me thinking whether it was acceptable for mod makers to change the voice of established characters.

“The renegade Gordon Freeman is back, and as usual, being hunted by the merciless Combine within the ruins of City17. In this scenario, the Combine have almost perfected a field teleportation device, and mounted it to a modified Combine Scanner. Once the Scanner verifies the location of Gordon within City17, it teleports in a MetroCop to deal with the situation. This fast-paced action-oriented level focused on a new dynamic-flank combat setup to keep the player on the edge of their seat as Gordon tries to escape through the sewer system of City17.”

Author’s Description: Orientation revolves around creating a new gameplay concept, walking on the ceiling, and creating a series of puzzles scattered across a maze that spans two planes. Using special platforms, Gordon Freeman traverses between the floor and the ceiling while fending manhacks that chase him between both. All the while, a mysterious employee of the G-Man named Sally monitors his progress, providing hints to Freeman and updates on his status.

Well, around this time last year I wrote two articles entitled Things I would like to see in mods in 2010

You find yourself stuck down a mine shaft. Alyx looks on and offers you hope. Take the gravity gun and use the traps the miners left to kill anything that stands in your way.

Enter the mind of Filip Valkas, who lost his parents in the Seven Hour War, and take your revenge on your Combine captors in a new story centred on the Half-Life Universe. Pick up your own crowbar and force your way out of Citizen Containment Zone 19, and lead in the uprising against the alien aggressors.

Later this weekend, I’ll be posting a pretty cool First Seen on PP mod, which features an intro sequence, that “got me in the mod”.

The technical term for this is Speed Running and some people take it to extreme, like this Portal Done Pro. Less than 9 minutes 30 seconds for the WHOLE Portal game!!!

Now, as I say that’s an extreme and it uses exploits and holes in the map, but the concept is still the same as mere mortals like you and me, when we try and get through a map as quickly as possible.

This map was originally released on FPSB as Hamlet. After playing it and realizing it didn’t have any combat but was so well made that it deserved to be seen and played by you guys, I contacted the author and requested he add some combat.

He kindly agreed and eventually got the new file to me, which I present here. It starts with an exploring style and finishes with a clear objective. I recommend you play on Medium or Hard.