Mission Improbable

for Half-Life 2: Episode Two

29th July 2012

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A Resistance listening post suddenly goes off-air and you are sent in to find out what happened to the original support crew and get the station back online. Your journey begins as a rowing boat coasts towards the landing point.

Who knows what you will encounter, both on the way up to the tower and on your way down?

After that who knows where you will end up, or what you will have to do?

This was November 2017’s Classic of the Month mod.

Basic Details
  • Title: Mission Improbable
  • File Name: hl2-ep2-sp-mission-improbable-sdk-base-2013-sp.7z
  • Size : 263MB
  • Author: Magnar Jenssen
  • Date Released: 29 July 2012
Notes

This version contains the first two parts, both of which have received a significant graphical update.

This posts supersedes all the others, please write your review and add you recommendation image to this one.

Even if you have played the first two parts, it is highly recommended you play from the beginning.

Download Options

Download to your HDD [263MB]

The download is also available from the homepage.

Installation Instructions

There are detailed installation instructions in the README_fix.txt file, which is in the missionimprobable folder.

Playthrough Videos

The playthrough below is part of the Classic of the Month Event, run by Don AKA Unq.

The playthrough below is provided by Podcast 17 Let’s Play.
See more of the playthroughs on this site: VP: Podcast 17

The playthrough below is provided by Custom Gamer.
See more of his playthroughs on this site: VP: Custom Gamer

Screenshots

Click on the thumbnails below to open a 1024 pixel wide image.
WARNING: The screenshots contain spoilers.

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Reader Recommendations
Avoid It!
Think Twice
Maybe
Play It Later
Play It Now!
39 recommendations, average score: 4.97 (out of 5), standard deviation: 0.02 (what's that?)
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Meta Review Data
Statistics based on 27 comment(s) with meta review data.

Installed:
Using Gauge: Users
Manually: 26 Users
Time Taken:
Average: 1 Hours, 57 Mins
Shortest: 1 Hours by zonbie
Longest: 4 Hours by Winterman
Total Time Played: 52 Hours, 35 Mins
Categories (?)
Half-Life 2: Ep2 HL2-EP2 Mods Play
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88 Comments

  1. MisterAddy

    Hooray! Could you also add to the main description that this is the complete remastered mod, because from first glance it looked like a repost of the original. Downloading now!

    Reply
    1. PlanetPhillip

      I have mentioned that main section.

      All I copied is the starting premise, which I’ll update once I post screenshots, panoramics etc.

      The file is currently uploading and is 271Mb

      Reply
  2. PlanetPhillip

    My file is now available.

    There will also be an audio interview with Magnar next weekend.

    Reply
    1. Ade

      Ask him why he didn’t use us for testing 😀

      Reply
  3. Blue Lightning
    Maybe? - revised

    I know that my score will be unpopular, but I must call them as I see them. BTW if you played the first MI, you must start from the beggining on this MI, because much has changed, not just in graphics either.

    Being a huge fan of the original MI (I gave it a PIN or a PF), I was eagar to get my hands on this mod. However, I was immediatly dissapointed by the color arrangment. I have seen this before: the lack of vibrant colors similar to something you might see in STALKER or one of the more recent RPG’s (cant remember the name of it now, the one where your in the desert and a robot friend is following you around). It might be that the maker thought this gives it a realistic look, but to me the lack of color gives it a cartoonish look. It is a big drawback that I just couldnt get around. It was very depressing. I felt like taking a Xanax.

    However, there is plenty of worthy upgrades to the game. Graphically, it is very nice. Weeds growing through the broken road makes sense. Realistic vines on walls and the like, give it a real feel. All the extra shrubbery makes it feel larger somehow, like there is more to explore. Parts of walls that before were crisp, are now broken with missing stones which is a nice touch.

    But then there is the color thing again. It is something that is present throughout, so there isnt any escape.

    The addition of the wheelchair genius gave it some more life. That was a very interesting creation by Insta. but then there was another problem that arose. Without giving away too much, there is an area that might remind one of the last two chapters of Minerva…an underground Combine fortress. And that is fine except…progression was slowed to a crawl as I encountered one puzzle/obstical after another. And that wasnt winning it any points with me.

    Bottom line, play it. But if your like me and cannot stand a lack of color pigmentation, then only mabye.

    (Mabye Insta will add some color code and fix this thing!)

    Reply
    1. rikersbeard

      I have to agree with “Blue Lightning”, having just stopped playing this on the cable car ride from the lighthouse due to disinterest!
      I loved the original mod, both parts, but this one seemed off from the starting screen, just darkness and the new title “SSION IMPROBABLE”. I know 4:3 monitor, I read the “readme”. But the boat ride was too fast, was he in a race? I thought I was going to crash into the dock! And then there was the colouring, like going from oils (version 1) to watercolour, washed out and the horizons looked very flat and fake. As ” Blue Lightning” said, cartoonish!
      I also noticed a lack of cross hair and a subtle stutter and the extra foliage seemed too pixelated, maybe just my system as its not the latest generation.
      I will try again later if there is a fix for the cross hair and colour.

      Reply
      1. PlanetPhillip

        For the colour, try typing “mat_colorcorrection” in the console.

        Not sure about the crosshairs, as I had mine from the beginning.

        Reply
        1. rikersbeard

          Well I tried again and I can now echo the “wow” others have said!
          “mat_colorcorrection 0“, some extra antialiasing and “crosshair 1” fixed my troubles and now it looks and plays great. And, no stutter! Might have been a ” Mcafee” updating thing anyway!
          Is there a selection of cross hairs I can choose from the consol, or maybe a way of toning the default one down a bit?

          Reply
          1. PlanetPhillip

            No choice of crosshairs as standard but you *may* be able to get some online. I think you can for Half-Life. I’ll check, but you should look too in case I take a while.

            Okay, here’s what I have found: BullsEyeCroshairs.Com. Let me know how you get on. I may add it to theResources and Curiosities page.

            Reply
            1. Blue Lightning

              Phillip (someone else has asked this too), is there any way to set it to launch without the color correction? That would fix it, and I would up my score to at least PIN with the caviot that the color is fixed from launch to get that score.

              Reply
              1. PlanetPhillip

                If you right click on the mod in the main list of games and select “properties”. Then in the “Launch Options” add “+mat_colorcorrection 0”, without the quotes, when you start it, it won’t have the colour correction.

                But I don’t know whether it keeps it from saved games. You may have to use it in the console the first time you play a saved game.

                For more console and launch parameters see my How to.. page.

                Reply
    2. Sparks

      Yes, agreed – it is a shame. New content doesn’t make up for breaking what was already very good, and there is much of that which has happened here. Oh well, we still have the original as a stand-alone.

      Reply
  4. Dalannar
    Play It Now!

    The first thing the popped up in my mind while playing this was “OMG this is gorgeus”. I didn’t play the original mission improbable but seeing some of the screenshots from the first made me realize how much the graphic quality changed to this one.

    I don’t agree with the lack of color being a bad thing, personaly I find it much more appealing and a much more realistic look, but I think it comes down to personal preference.

    There are however some things I didn’t like. The combat felt very uninspired and very generic. Most of it were combine streaming in at you from one place which didn’t help with the dificulty due to the lack of cover. Even worse was the beggining of the chopper battle at the end of the mod. I had 19 health when it started due fighting that took place before hand and with no cover to protect me from the chopper I struggled alot to get past it, even while playing on easy.

    The other thing I didn’t really enjoy was the constant back-tracking. It felt like I was always ending up in areas I had been to before. I can understand after climbing the lighthouse but there was a lot of back-tracking from the mod that could have been easily avoided.

    All in all, the only reason I don’t give it a PF is because of the combat, everything else is top-notch.

    Reply
  5. Blue Lightning

    Yeah it is a personal prefrence your right. I am egar to see how many agree with my sentiments that the color pigmentation is a net negative, or how many agree with you that it is a net positive.

    Reply
  6. Joepan

    From mimp at 43MB to mimp at 338MB. I’m very curious to see why!

    Reply
  7. Miigga1
    Personal Favourite

    The last part to my favourite HL2:ep2 mod, finally out.

    I have one major complaint and also a small one. The major complaint is, of course, the colour correction. Everything is really brown and colourless. This looked so ridiculous to me that I found it almost unplayable until I turned off colour correction by typing “mat_colorcorrection 0” in the console. The problem was more or less fixed after that.

    The puzzle where you have to use the headcrab canisters to create a hole in a combine force field was a bit weird, in my opinion. Nothing in the Half-Life 2 games indicates that such a thing would be possible to do, so it took me really long to get what I was supposed to do here. I am honestly not sure how one would go about making this puzzle more intuitive, however.

    Besides those things, this mod is fantastic and everyone should play it. I especially enjoyed the part where the headcrab canisters launched prematurely, creating chaos.

    However, I would recommend you turn off colour correction before you play this.

    Reply
    1. brianthesnail

      thanks miigga for that console command …. however does this have any affect on frame rates and any lag in the game…. and can you apply this command as a “launch option” in the mod properties ….. ?

      Reply
    2. Blue Lightning

      Thanks Miigga for the console code to correct the color, it helps. It’s still too brown and drab (I guess the author picked a bunch of drably colored models), but it’s better than it was.

      creating a mod is all about being creative, and I think the author is nothing else if not that. Some of the mapping is fantastic here. But there are basic functions that (IMO) you dont get creative with…and one of those things is messing around with color. It’s like giving a “55 Chevy a neon orange paint job…the paint job might of cost 10 grand, but nobody will buy the car. They want it original red and white!

      Just to add a few things: the first chapter doesnt seem as challenging as it was before…but the extra drive time is appreciated! Very nice addition to the first chapter (and second) by Insta.

      Reply
    3. PlanetPhillip

      I agree about the colour correction. I have decided to finish it with the colour correction on, but only because of the screenshots. I may make a few comparisons screenshots though.

      Reply
    4. Sparks

      Ah, is that what happened? I couldn’t read the white-on-white text (brilliant idea) – it said something about premature emission – I just assumed it was another weak pun; there’s plenty of weak humour precedent. So that is meant to explain the sudden hordes of zombine? Hmm, zombining seems to be instantaneous then. hmmm..

      Reply
  8. brianthesnail
    Personal Favourite

    amazing peice of work ….but whats with the colour…. what impressed me with the first release was the hd range and visuals especially during the intro clip … and then theres the lighting… it may be me since I use 2 x HD5750,s in crossfire but anything far away cant be seen…. especially if your looking directly into the sun !
    also even with a half decent graphics set up the game lagged in many places which it didnt in the previous release.. or even the first release… is this due to the mods visual improvements…… or maybe optimisation ?
    the actual mod ( minus the graphics and lighting ) is much better with some set peices either removed or improved….( eg … the rocket launcher at the top of the lighthouse… that said the drops ships would go away after a few minutes to drop the combine at the other side of the bridge )
    another significant change was the second house,more specificly the cellar… and also the garage were the buggy is parked… however I was impressed to see a small addition to the mod midway through the tunnel..
    one of the best things I have ever seen in any hl2 mod is the steven hawkins type charachter … this replaces the citizen in the beta version of the mod and I laughed my head off when he said “try and keep up ” … pure class and extremely funny
    the final part in the “citadel” type area was actually pretty good and tough in parts …. and since this area is underground the lighting issues were not as prevelant here….
    allthough I mentioned a few issues I have still given the mod a “personal favourite” since its improvements far outweigh its “few little criticisms”,and as mapping goes this is about as good as it gets….
    im not sure when I played the first release but im allmost sure its well over 3 years in the making ….. and magnar should be proud of himself for some of the best work ever done on the hammer editor ….. so well done mate
    just remember there are several graphic options to tweak with ….( eg bloom,hdr ) and you may be able to find a more appealing setting for your pc …. but hey… just download it ….

    Reply
  9. Blueberry_pie

    I agree with Miigga on the force field puzzle. It stumped me for a while too. I think the solution would’ve been more intuitive if there was a set of horizontal lasers instead of the force field.

    I quite enjoyed the mod, although I feel that the level design for some of the firefights wasn’t very interesting (layout-wise) and didn’t allow for much freedom of movement. Excellent visuals, of course. The colour correction was a bit intense at times, but I liked it overall.

    Also loved the occasional bits of humour, like what happens when you walk through the combine train tunnel for a while instead of crossing over to the other side. Or the last area, where you’re preparing for a big fight only to find out that the RPG ammo crate is filled with trash.

    Reply
    1. Sparks

      The clue is right there – this is the only instance the force field had a blue, fizzly outline around the containers as they passed through; everywhere else they pass without incident. Clearly shows that the containers are interrupting the field, and the fact that there are two switches means you clearly have to stop both lines. Initially I thought you might have to position them to form a staircase for climbing or jumping, but then the fizzly field interference gave it away.

      Reply
      1. Ade

        ditto

        Reply
  10. zonbie
    Play It Now!

    This is an excellent mod. Lots of custom content, lots of vistas, lots of interactivity with the environment, lots of storytelling that is driven by the world itself and not solely by instructions or monologues.

    I disliked the change in the light_environment because the old version had such rich daytime colors. I also think the bloom was excessive. Other than that, all of the visuals were incredible. The third chapter is my favorite by far due to its intricacies, its surprising locales and revelations, and its ending. I am very satisfied by the whole mod.

    I hope Mr Jenssen goes far in life.

    Reply
  11. Arma

    Wrote a pictorial review over here. (Spoilers)
    http://www.interlopers.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=482583#p482582

    Reply
  12. Pedro_The_Swift
    Play It Now!

    The last map is worth the price of admission just by itself,,
    The first map looks like the original left out in the weather for twenty years,, excellent!
    Botany anyone? 😉

    Reply
  13. PlanetPhillip
    Phillip's Favourite

    WOW, just WOW.

    I have to admit to being a little torn between preferring the original visual style and understanding why Magnar updated it.

    A couple of times my laptop struggle with the view but nothing to make it hard to play.

    If you haven’t played the first two releases then this is moot, but for those of us who have, some may not like it. Although I wouldn’t make the mod down too much for it.

    There haven’t just been graphical changes and without playing the original two parts I would find it hard to list them. There’s a new map between map 1 and the original 2, which fits the setting perfectly.

    The great thing about this mod is that it tells a story. Sure, it’s not a detailed story, but enough to make my action valuable.

    That’s all a mod needs in my opinion. A reason for me to be there and perhaps explain some of the changes around me.

    Modders could learn a lot from this approach.

    The three maps definitely feel separate but obviously linked. Each one has a clear objective and play and look stunning.

    There are some environmental puzzles that might not even seem like puzzles because they integrate so well with the setting. For example, in the third map, you need to get to the roof. Well, instead of adding a ladder or a button, Magnar decided to destroy the outer courtyard. It’s still a puzzle but feels so right.

    The jump across the canyon is nothing short of amazing. Cleverly done and fun to be part of.

    The last map shows what an incredibly creative person Magnar is. Inside the Combine stronghold is a delight to behold and a masterclass for designers.

    Who can be laugh at the Rebel commander, with his dry humour and style?

    Miigga mentioned that he felt it the cannisters breaking the forcefield was unprecedented and I’m sure he is right, but the buttons were positioned perfectly to see the effect.

    I suppose that’s the downside of introducing new mechanics, some might find them not so obvious. Aazell’s jumping through the window in Daylight springs to mind – but I didn’t have a problem with it at all.

    In fact, I think it’s important for modders to try and do these sorts of things.

    The final scene is so….well, I won’t spoil it for you.

    The is one for the best single player mods ever released for the Source engine and I have no hesitation in recommending you play it. Take your time and make sure you smell the flowers!

    Reply
    1. Pedro_The_Swift

      Great tag line Phillip 🙂

      Reply
      1. PlanetPhillip

        I wanted to give people a little help

        Reply
  14. Zooloo
    Personal Favourite

    I loved it all throughout it’s development! Part 1 was amazing, part 2 super, and part 3 is stellar (although I prefer Pts 1 & 2 more). The new look is fine, but not as good as Pt 1 and 2’s looks. All in all, this is in my top ten all time HL2 SP mods. Play it, keep it on your HD, wait a few, and then play it again!

    Reply
  15. CoRuJa
    Play It Later

    This is a master piece of mapping in Source Engine, a vast improvement compared from the previous released version a few years ago, there are many differences in this complete trilogy in terms of gameplay and especially in mapping, but i’ll restrain myself from mention them, otherwise, my post would be too big.

    Mapping is the primary strong point of this mod, this is great if you just want to appreciatte it’s pretty landscape and take some nice screenshots of it, if you don’t want to bother fighting the enemy along your path and use them as a part of the landscape, just turn cheats on and them activate god & notarget modes. Noclip is also suggested for taking screenshots on spots out of the player’s reach.

    Mission Improbable’s beatiful landscape has a consequence, however: the extended loading times between level transitions, this can be even more frustrating for low-end machine users.

    Unfortunately, there’s one thing that plagues MIMP (as well many other mods) which prevented me from rating “Play It Now”: The dumbed-down vanilla HL2 gameplay that I hate so much.

    I don’t want to be unfair with you, Magnar, you (along with Rick) did one hell of a mapping that makes me wish I could learn to map in Hammer, if I wasn’t lazy to do and due to it’s learning curve & bugness.

    The dumbed-down Combine NPCs is mostly Valve’s fault, not yours, I see you have tried to make this mod at least challenging as we progress through your trilogy, but the experience is spoiled by the dumbness of the Combine Soldiers that people who easily aknowledge AI behavior (like me) will explicity note it and wish we were still fighting HECU Marines instead.

    Another weak point of MIMP is the simple, but generic narrative, no problem playing as the popular Dr. Gordon Freeman himself, but fighting alongside the Resistance is pretty much overdone and a clich IMHO. However, I don’t think it would fit well playing as Combine Soldier/Metrocop in this mod for some obvious reasons.

    Play It Later

    Reply
  16. AI
    Personal Favourite

    Very nice mod indeed! Played very well on my new rig! I had NO FR drop or any other problems. The only down thing was the color, kinda flat and washed out, as mentioned above! Tried the console command mentioned above and also disabled the color correction in the setup, no difference! lowered the brightness abit that helped somewhat. Other than that I liked the ending! Maybe Magnar and FakeFactory could get together??

    Reply
    1. rikersbeard

      “Maybe Magnar and FakeFactory could get together??”

      Now that would be amazing!!

      Reply
  17. vancanucksfan
    Personal Favourite

    I played the first part of this mod before, but I am really impressed with how it has been extended. Definitely going in my “great mods” folder. The colour was a bit off but the humorous parts of the mod and the terrific scenes more than made up for it. Well done!

    Reply
  18. s.anchev
    Personal Favourite

    Finally the final part of Mimp with the first two parts “redux” version!!

    I already gave a PF for Ep1 and Ep2 before, and this is better than ever, the new graphics are just amazing and put the Source Engine to the limits (I experimented little lags sometimes), I liked the new map between Mimp1 and Reverse Advance, and the final map, the Combine stronghold, was just wonderful.

    This is just a masterpiece of mapping, and it has also a well-adjusted difficulty, I took so much pleasure into it, this is on the top 10 of HL2 mods, this was already, but this is now in it even more.

    Reply
  19. Ade
    Play It Now!

    Huh well the ending kind of crashed my game, even if it did go back to main menu and a pitch black background.. and also crashed my steam and I technically lost all the screenshots I took, but found them in my userdata so uploaded to imgur.. soz.

    The name of the final chapter made me laugh, it’s like they ran out of ideas of what to name it but wanted to assure the player that he/she will have a blast. Now the foggy atmosphere that everyone complains about made me feel I had to dust my freakin” monitor, it’s so annoying and wouldn’t go away with color correction off.. And the horror of really low fps followed me in the first 2 chapters. And oops, I can see through the map here, I guess I’ll be nit picking cus The BetaTestersCollective haven’t been used for this 🙁 Here’s something else I would’ve spotted right in the beginning: img.. And invisible walls in the tower and invisible force pushing player out of the elevator and some other elevator material inconsistencies that Arma mentioned on interlopers.
    Next complaint, bad autosave(s), 2 of them after the gunship attack, when I needed one right before it since I fell from too high and was left with low hp. Had to start aaall over.
    14 fps at the end of the first map! But damn I love that concrete road 🙂 Spent aka wasted a few minutes trying to find a place for the valve that popped, was I the only one doing that?
    Chapter 2 starts with low fps again, but man what a cool double rainbow 🙂 with some glitches if I look at it from the roof: Image.
    “Never ever pull this lever”, that’s your 5 words or less review right there!
    Surprised that the tea party was no longer an EasterEgg and the rebel outpost, though now even more detailed, is full of invisible walls that stop me from joining the rebels on top.
    Dr Magnus + THE PLAN = LOL (too bad books fall through him..), some funny lines here: “Stop being such a negative Nancy”, or “That ladder won’t climb itself!”
    Again with the foggy vision which magically disappears when I’m outside. Looking back, I notice a lighting bug in the tunnel.
    Chapter 3 smacks me with incredible futuristic use of combine design: Img and has a somewhat weird flora at first sight: Img and 2nd sight unravles a hom! (hope you’re seeing this, Magnar), [spoiler]a pretty flower (wtf? apparently found only 1 of 3 :|)[/spoiler] and again simple yet amazing architecture: img.
    The portal style glass is of course buggy to work with, seen it in other maps, as well. Before launching the artilery I just had to screenshot this intricate path layout which screamed battle front. I see the binoculars which were originally used in the first release, first map, with a cool dated model; now it’s placed with a funny touch, being blocked by a pidgeon, after which it can no longer be used 🙁
    Going outside to realise it’s now nighttime is something I always hope to find in mods, ie. changing times, atmosphere and weather, for a realism touch and to give the illusion that the mod is longer than it actually is. What a tease to find the rpg ammo replaced with mugs and such! But wait, we get a big help from the crip.. ahem! disabled guy in shooting down the chopper; ignore the crowbar in the screenie, was really going for my rpg.. really!
    Nice outro with credits, somewhat unique, tho I find it bit inspired by R&D? And the credits get repeated for those that pay attention to the rebels instead of the road signs huh.

    I hate to say it, but I enjoyed the first 2 parts more in the previous release, of course the added map in between them is a nice bonus, but that fog, gah! Keeps me from giving it a PF. Now this 3rd chapter, although it feels torn from the rest, it’s one of my, if not THE, favorite combine environment in a mod/game. It can be compared to, like others dared already, the game itself and to Minerva and it sure holds its own. Being a fan of combine textures, in Minerva I had an overdose and thought I could never enjoy those again, but thank God I was wrong cus in here it’s just.. lovely 🙂 So go Play It Now!

    Reply
  20. Hec
    Personal Favourite

    Well this remember me a phrase that states: honor to whom honor is due, and I mean Mangar just build a classic with the fantastic Mision Improbable completed.

    Is a clasic for many reasons, but I think because offer us many WOW !!momments and is definitely great creating atmospheres and environmental scenarios that really make the mod-gaming experience just memorable and worthy. Here in the environment, also we can count a fantastic simple but great story, and i’ve allways say that simple arguments but creative ways to tell A STORY, produce great mods when those elements are put well together and here that’s also the case, the wheel chair resistance leader was just a great idea, and just fits perfectly, I mean, that guy has acid but kind of funny sense of humor, and is just a great glimpse of cleverness and creativity, we only see in very few mods.

    The graphic re-enhacement was just perfect, tough it was kind of darky and grainy, but I state and deffend the point that it was a necessary improvement, becuase that leaded the mod to be closer to a cinematic experience, rather than just a pure SOURCE mod experience, and I will not lie in here wheen I say, the first two parts where the open areas are at hand, and we spend our travel towards the combine stronghold, are just freakin great, the flora details and landscape shows are just beautiful, more than beautiful, in some parts I confuse the graphs with kind of art-pictures, and that’s a great achivement and I apprecieate it being a picky mod gamer who loves to play in realistic scenarios.

    The combats were just great, and I mean here we have clasic combats, like that sniper challenging part where u have to take cove in those thcks, thats just one of the great combats in HL2 mods ever, I mean, there I felt like gordon really was in a guerrilla kind mission, with beliveable danger and risks, then the scene closes perfectly when you get to the elevator, and press the button and when the thing get’s down BUMM!!, two mighty Hunters surprises you from the shore hill at the back and you have torun and combat against them for you life, just TERRIFIC.

    And at last the so eagerly waited LAST part we’ve been expecting for many months….., well what can I NOT tell you about this one???, is also amazing!!

    This sure was inspired by the old “depot” structure in HL2 beta: http://half-life.wikia.com/wiki/Depot, well but I really don’t know if that’s the inspiration source, maybe Mangar could answer that question??, anyway, there, that structure closes the mod, and again totally domain the landscape in the shore we are fighting, like at the begining the lighthouse totally domains the goal to get there and re-connect the power signal lost.

    Then once You are in, you go deeper into that structure, to do a little sabotage work, and finally escape, like only old Gordon knows…, well that’s really well done in this mod, graphically the CMB architecture is stunning, huge sapaces, built into the guts of the earth, with amazing iron pilars, then anoother 1 million points detail, underground vegetation!!! ye, another clever realistic detail, there’s vegetation because actually u are in a cave complex, I felt that part closer to the portal 2 underground complex and that’s a cool reference.

    Overall a great way to complete this mod, and making it a classic instat MUST PLAY, in the HL2 universe, I send my grettings to the aythor and I hope he could surprise us with another great mod again if he feel like.

    Reply
  21. Reuben
    Play It Now!

    A very nice and well-polished HL2 mod. My only criticism really would be that there was not enough ammo for the more powerful weapons, near the end of the game, and I was forced to use the weaker weapons against powerful enemies. Also, as some people have pointed out, one or two of the puzzles were a bit unclear.

    Reply
    1. Reuben

      I wish I could edit; I keep forgetting things to mention!

      I really liked the scripted sequences in this mod, like the bridge collapsing, and the petrol station exploding. The fighting environments and creative scenes were cool too. Where else can you shoot yourself through a rocket! Looks real nice too.

      Reply
      1. PlanetPhillip

        You can, but only for 15 minutes after your initial comment.

        Reply
  22. Frederick

    Unplayable for me. The frame rate is so bad I feel like 50% of the motion is missing. Didn’t have this problem with the earlier version of the mod. It’s a shame.

    Reply
    1. Anon_475275

      It’s because your computer is just good enough to run HL2. This needs a little more oomph.

      Reply
      1. Frederick

        I have not had this problem with any other mod. I tried lowering the video settings down but once I get to the helicopter attack I’m still stuttering too much to survive.

        Reply
        1. Blue Lightning

          It’s true, this mod is not well optimized. I have a new kick ass system, and in some outdoor sections my computer is getting it’s framerate ass handed to it. I should of mentioned that in the review.

          Reply
  23. the Verchant of Menace

    did anyone find the “pretty flower” easter egg thingy?

    it’s in the grassy area to the right of the shed where you first get into the car.

    it’s nothing “major”, but it was cool!:)

    Reply
    1. vancanucksfan

      I found another one. It’s [spoiler]in the citadel-like structure where you you are on a path and about to start climbing upwards. Below you is a large section of plant life. Jump down and you will find another flower [/spoiler]

      Reply
      1. Anon_475460

        ok, for anybody who wants to know, the other flower (2nd of 3 actually) is [spoiler]near the gas station that you blow up. Go down and explore the area along the wall on the other side of the road. At the end of a long path you will see a shed; the flower is on the left side outside of it [/spoiler]

        Reply
  24. PlanetPhillip

    I have just added my Meta Review Data

    Installed:
    Manually
    Difficulty Played At:
    Easy
    Playtime:
    1 Hour, 45 Minutes
    Reply
  25. Dalannar

    Testing the Meta Review Data.

    Installed:
    Manually
    Difficulty Played At:
    Easy
    Playtime:
    1 Hour, 30 Minutes
    Reply
  26. The Judge
    Personal Favourite

    I actually registered with Planet Phillip to rate this mod.
    I first played Mission Impropable about a year ago and waitet eagerly for the last chapter. And I wasn’t disapointed.

    The new last chapter is even better than anticipated. A good story and overwhelming good graphics. The “go in, do some sabotage, go out again” reminds me of my personal favourite, Minerva: Metastasis. The whole Combine architecture is very well done and the difficulty is appropriate. The riddle with the forcefield is a good idea. But I like the small bits of weird humor. In one place, you have to cross some kind of railway. Try walking into the tunnel instead. LOL.

    But most impressing are the improvements done to the “old” chapters. The textures are really good and everywere I found small changes to the old version. This made the replay really interesting, I was always looking for something that had changed. And I didn’t mind the light issue. The colours are paler, but this adds a feeling of decay to the whole scenery, wich is in my oppinion very appropriate.
    The small intermission in the tunnel is a good idea. And yes, like Ade I spent several minutes trying to fit the handweel somewere.

    Did anyone find all three of the white, beautiful flowers? I found two:
    [spoiler]One near the large bridge, on the small path below the edge. The other in some kind of garden in the combine structure. According to the Verchant of Menace, the first one is near the shack with the car.[/spoiler] What happens when all three are found?

    Overall this was a very good mod. One of the best. So if this isn’t a Personal Favorite, than what is?

    Please excuse my bad english, I’m from Germany. But I like this website very much and downloaded a bunch of mods from PF. So I thought, this is a good opportunity to give something back.
    Thank you, Phillip. For the website, the mod-hosting and all your effort.
    Keep it up! 🙂

    The Judge

    Installed:
    Manually
    Difficulty Played At:
    Easy
    Playtime:
    2 Hours, 30 Minutes
    Reply
  27. dougjp
    Personal Favourite

    This is an incredible piece of work, its as simple as that! I have to give it a PF, as I did with the original version.

    The coloring didn’t put me off as it did for others, however given a choice I prefer the first version. I thought the battles in the redo of the original maps had been toned down, or is it just changed and perhaps I have some distant memory of how to do them which made it easier?

    I sure hope we don’t have to wait 3 years to play another sample of this brilliant designer’s work!

    Installed:
    Manually
    Difficulty Played At:
    Medium
    Playtime:
    2 Hours, 30 Minutes
    Reply
  28. zonbie

    Here is my MRD.

    Installed:
    Manually
    Difficulty Played At:
    Hard
    Playtime:
    1 Hour
    Reply
  29. the Verchant of Menace
    Personal Favourite

    a great revision of an already great mod!

    there were two sections on part three that troubled me.
    i could do them, but the first was when you were in a room where the combine would come in from two doorways, as well as man-hacks.
    i like to scout out a room to see what viable points of cover I might have if I get attacked/ambushed.
    while dealing with the first doorway, I realized that the other doorway had let out another 4-5 combine, as well as man-hacks.
    switching from the shotgun to the pulse rifle quickly wasn’t enough.
    there just didn’t seem to be enough time to deal with both 4-5 combine soldiers plus 2-3 man-hacks as well.
    i realize that playing on medium might have been one reason why I was running out of ammo trying to bring them down.
    later on, I thought that maybe I should have been using the gravity gun as back up to the pulse rifle, so I could grab/throw man-hacks against the door/walls or the soldiers to even the odds.

    in the end, I decided that it was too much, so I decided to run up the platform to the far doorway where the second wave was triggered from, my aim being to just simply run past them as they came through the door…

    …and it worked!!

    i think it tripped up the ai though, as when I ran past them, they stood around looking “confused’, which made me think that wasn’t the conventional way of doing things!:)

    the second tough room was soon after that.
    it was at the point where you drop down into a room from the stalker coffin transport tunnel.
    two doorways open up with two waves of combine soldiers pouring in. again, there were no points where I could take proper cover to funnel them towards me.

    in the end, I just had to run towards the far door where they came in, shoot the ones coming through that door, hit the red button to make the force field on the door go down, and simply run through it…pretty tough all in all..

    those, for me anyway, were the toughest sections:)

    Installed:
    Manually
    Difficulty Played At:
    Medium
    Playtime:
    3 Hours
    Reply
    1. Ade

      Would you have preferred if all enemies came from one direction and you could hide behind a wall and pick them off one by one as they went by you? Most players hate that, you know 😀

      Reply
  30. the Verchant of Menace

    nan nah!!

    i just found it quite hard to find adequate cover to deal with all of them.

    no, I don’t really like a big line of blokes tooled up with guns running in a straight line towards you, endowed with all the ai of a dead mollusc!!

    i just found those two sections I was talking about a bit..sort of like “standing in the middle of a room getting smashed to pieces, no decent cover, but I can limp through it”.

    i mean sure, you can afford to get a bit trashed up and limp through the majority of areas in hl2 titles, but I like to be able “protect” myself a bit more with the surroundings, know what I mean? 🙂

    Reply
  31. Senator33

    Brilliant….nuff said!

    Reply
  32. Blue Lightning
    Personal Favourite

    After playing it a second time, I feel my first score of “mabye” was a too harsh. And I’ll tell you why. After thinking it over I think my scoring sysem (at least on this one) was wrong, and I’ll ask if you think my new process of scoring is a better way…

    I detracted from the score because of two reasons…a hatred of the color (espicially chapter 2) being fooled with…and poor optimization on the outdoor sections. Even my new computer with fairly powerful hardware, was at times reduced to tears when in the outdoor parts. However I liked everything else about MI. Mapping was great, a few secrets, at least one egg…the battles were even fun for me. Amazing visuals, and a decent story (although I dont care much about story)..A longer driving section than before. The details like the mattress landing pad was a nice touch, or some of the things the wheelchair genius said got me laughing (Don’t be a negative Nancy!)

    I allowed two big mechanical problems (color and optimization) detract from the score, despite the overall fun factor being high and the mod being worthy to keep on my hardrive.

    When Dark Messiah was getting low scores it was because of bugs. When I first played it I overlooked the bugs, and scored it on mapping, routing, battles, visuals, audio’s, gameplay mechanics…you know, overall fun factor. I feel that was the correct way to score a game I really loved. So why should it be any different with Mission Improbable?

    I ask myself: is this a game I will keep and replay many times? If the answer is yes, then I should of gave it a PIN or even a PF, despite the mechanical problems. From now on when I score a mod, I’ll mention bugs or problems with optimizing, but if the creation is good and fun factor high, and the maps are designed well, the mod will get a high score. I think that is the way it should be.

    Therefore I will change my score (if I am allowed) to a PF because it is a personal favorite. Just change the mat color correction if you dont like the drab colors, because in chapter 2 they get very drab. And rush through the parts outside where frames drop! But get ready for a very fun ride that can be replayed again and again.

    Final: PF

    Installed:
    Manually
    Difficulty Played At:
    Medium
    Playtime:
    2 Hours, 45 Minutes
    Reply
    1. rick

      i like you :3

      Reply

  33. Pingback: Garść informacji…

  34. DaZ
    Personal Favourite

    Absolute classic for the Half-Life series. Top class visuals and gameplay to match, I enjoyed every minute of it.

    Installed:
    Manually
    Difficulty Played At:
    Medium
    Playtime:
    1 Hour, 20 Minutes
    Reply
  35. Kero

    Think I found another Easter Egg. Can’t figure out what it is though!

    After the part after you take out the security camera in the combine base, where there’s a long tunnel with a train that passes you, if you follow the tunnel all the way to the end of the direction the train came from, you’ll be presented with this map: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=100556010

    It traces out that path and then the screen fades out, back on the tracks.

    Any ideas what this means?

    Anyway, fantastic mod! I really enjoyed this one. Just the right amount of difficulty and beautiful scenery. 🙂

    Reply
  36. geekofalltrades
    Play It Now!

    A very, very impressive piece of work. The new art assets really set it apart from other HL2 mods. The new NPC character was a hoot, as well.[spoiler]That’s a very clever way to avoid having to find a voice actor.[/spoiler]

    Installed:
    Manually
    Difficulty Played At:
    Medium
    Playtime:
    1 Hour, 15 Minutes
    Reply
  37. rikersbeard
    Personal Favourite

    Have I finally finished playing this mod? I feel like I have been playing this for years!
    Anyway back to the review. Your arrival at the cave with no bats in is now a little misty and the scenery is very pretty, dynamic clouds being a very nice touch. Still not keen on the boat, I preferred the rowboat as the sound and motion just, well, sounds nicer! Lighting effects are very nice and the ride up to the roof was quite picturesque.
    Cliff top scenery was breathtaking, just looking around at so many new graphical quirks, extra detailed foliage and sea foam down on the shore. Surprisingly my old Cretaceous era PC had no issues at 1280×1024 resolution with 4x antialaising, on my Jurassic 4:3 monitor!
    The new bridge to the lighthouse is a terrible example of the woodworkers craft, no wonder it feel down! I felt like I should have been given a camera not a gun for all the pretty holiday snaps I was taking!
    The misty outlook from the lighthouse did make it feel very coastal and more real than my first visit, so long ago now.
    The area where the jalopy is housed is so detailed now I was hoping to find some combine and scared there might be a hunter or two. I hammered through the tunnel and came up against a new barrier! A nicely detailed little set piece with a simple puzzle and some quick action just for fun, and to unblock that blue hued tunnel.
    Driving out into a beautiful peaceful evening sky along a wooded coast road, with a nice rainbow, was a real treat for the senses. Those pesky combine rudely interrupted my reverie and it was time for action. Here, was a minor disappointment as the bridge was now firmly off limits! Damn, I enjoyed that last time.
    That maniacal ride seemed a bit smoother this time and I could enjoy the scenery as I headed for that advertising board. Funny!
    The utility passage to the tunnel seemed a lot darker and richer this time, but I was glad to see my favourite gag was still there. The first time I met this it scared the pants off me! The tunnels new murkiness was a nice touch and it seemed very eerie.
    The rebels were the same crazy bunch but their leader was a great new character that sounded a lot like Stephen Hawking! It made me laugh to think he is now a Half Life character! I did worry for the mission when I saw the plan on the board! I had to face Dr Magnus’s old enemy, stairs and head down into the lower tunnels.
    Here graphical improvements had plants growing down from the roof holes and vents and leaves falling gently downwards. Here was another change, which was nice but I still preferred the originals handle search. Lighting was really good here and the room with the box climb was a work of art!
    Because the previous areas were so improved I was quite disappointed with the outdoor section leading to the lift. It looked so much better but felt too much the same, as I fell victim to that sniper too many times, again! Me and snipers! Not helped, I might add by my keyboards sticking curser keys!
    To my shame I had to god mode it to get to the beach, but from there it was a piece of cake, although the hunters seemed a little rougher than I remembered!
    I was bored with this mod as I rode the cage lift as I had expected something new. Then there was a door and then another and, oh boy, there was a whole lot more!
    A huge combine facility, one of the best crafted I have ever played, opened up before me. And then a combine chorus line stomped in guns blazing and to my utter amazement, did not kill me! Quite the reverse!
    The force field puzzle was ruined for me as I had read about it on this site, so I found it easy, but to be frank, it does seem logical.
    So many vistas to marvel at and a really good shootout followed by the longest ladder climb I’ve seen so far!
    The ending had me in a real panic as I was near blind and in the water being shot at from a chopper, but I finally got my bearing and ammo and hit that chopper twice. Luckily I found the rocket ammo container as that chopper was burning ready to drop, but, oh, ha, ha!
    I loved the ending to this amazing mod, but now I understand there are some flowers to collect, so I’ll just have to replay, again!

    PS. Timing is a rough estimate as Christmas is a busy time, what with all that tramping around digital shops!

    Installed:
    Manually
    Difficulty Played At:
    Easy
    Playtime:
    2 Hours, 5 Minutes
    Reply
  38. Barad0x
    Personal Favourite

    Just finished this Fantastic modification. This mod is certainly going to my TOP 10 Best mod’s. 🙂

    Installed:
    Manually
    Difficulty Played At:
    Medium
    Playtime:
    3 Hours, 30 Minutes
    Reply
  39. noogie
    Play It Now!

    I never played the original, so can’t compare with that.
    The first part is graphically luscious, and the gameplay is pretty good [spoiler]that lighthouse descent is quite tense[/spoiler].
    Middle part is a bit forgettable, but final section is lovely. Gameplay pretty hectic at times… [spoiler]especially when the hunters appear, you try and run and just meet a bunch of combine, and you have no ammo!… Quite frustrating till you realize you can run away up the lift.[/spoiler]. The ending has a nice few touches: [spoiler] the underwater escape – I felt like James Bond! , and the fake ammo chest [/spoiler]

    Installed:
    Manually
    Difficulty Played At:
    Medium
    Playtime:
    2 Hours, 40 Minutes
    Reply
  40. slurm23
    Personal Favourite

    Mission Improbable is IMHO one of the best, if not THE best mods for HL2 EP2. The surroundings are just beautiful, the gameplay is extremely exiting, and the whole experience is as immersive as the original EP2.

    This is quite close to the perfect mod – don’t miss out on it!

    Installed:
    Manually
    Difficulty Played At:
    Medium
    Playtime:
    2 Hours
    Reply
  41. Unknown

    This was not the longest Half-Life 2 modification I have played, but perhaps one of the more dynamic mods I have played through.

    There wasn’t a lot of random enemies that one may see in a lot of other Half-Life 2 modifications. Most N.P.C.’s would spawn based on events within the modification itself giving the appeal that this modification was definitely planned, and not lazily strung together.

    The mod more focused on scenery, and atmosphere rather than a great deal of combat which gave this modification a very good “Visual Appeal.” Also due to the modification not being incredibly long or difficult, but having very good visuals I think this is perhaps one of the “best mods” in the sense if one wants to start to get into playing Half-Life 2 modifications.

    This would definitely be a good recommendation to a friend who wants to start playing modifications, and wants to have a modification leave “A Good First Impression”! It’s not too long, and not too short, and has enough unique content to give off a very good balance.

    Reply
  42. codes4food
    Personal Favourite

    This mod is gorgeous. The combat was not too hard. Even the hunter sections (I am not very good at dealing with hunters) were enjoyable. The puzzles were tricky, but I didn’t have to find a play through video to get through them like I have had to with other mods.

    The only issue I had with this mod is the both the crossbow and the missles were displayed as a big red flashing “ERROR”. Which I didn’t mind too much because it was kind of funny watching “ERROR” smash into the gunship.

    Installed:
    Using Gauge
    Difficulty Played At:
    Medium
    Playtime:
    2 Hours
    Reply
    1. Zekiran

      i have been having that EXACT error in mods, I haven’t gone back to see whether it’s happening in my vanilla HL2 install though. I have to wonder if it’s because we’re mixing engine versions or… something. I don’t even know any more, but I do know I have died while laughing at missiles coming out of my flashing red launcher and ERRORing themselves across the map…

      Reply
  43. Executed

    This mod has great visuals, level design and story!
    I recommend you play it NOW!

    Reply
  44. Bastardo Tupperware

    One of my all-time favorite Half-Life 2 maps. I played it slowly (sensing the amount of work, care and detail the author put into this map) and enjoyed the h~ll out of it. You won’t be sorry you gave it a try. The 2nd screenshot from the preview images on this page was my wallpaper for a long time, very iconic, sort of reminds me of the old days of Myst.

    Installed:
    Manually
    Difficulty Played At:
    Medium
    Playtime:
    1 Hour
    Reply
    1. PlanetPhillip

      Hi, I have changed your Playtime to 1 hour as 10 hours seemed excessive. Let me know if you want me to change it to something else.

      Reply
  45. resigned_43

    This campaign has great variety in its locations and manages to pull off each one. Each map is very dynamic in how they function and are all very good looking. I played this on hard, which gave me a great challenge without being too frustrating. Well done!

    Installed:
    Manually
    Difficulty Played At:
    Hard
    Playtime:
    1 Hour
    Reply
  46. gfreeman
    Personal Favourite

    From the off this mod bombards you with breathtaking set piece after breathtaking set piece. This is the Source engine being stretched to its most realist and beautiful limits. It includes some amazingly innovative puzzles and makes great use of vehicles to break up the game-play. It makes brilliant use of the Half-life 2 trilogy soundtrack. This was my first mod and one that i’m very likely to revisit.

    Installed:
    Manually
    Difficulty Played At:
    Medium
    Playtime:
    1 Hour, 30 Minutes
    Reply
  47. Steve
    Personal Favourite

    This is pure class and with some neat ideas thrown in. I loved the visual styles and so many times I was saying “wow” to myself, especially the first 2/3’s of the mod. The weakest parts where the last for me. Don’t get me wrong, they were amazing and great fun, but still the weakest. I guess that just shows how superlative the earlier parts are lol

    I absolutely loved playing this mod but I was shocked to see each part over and done with so quickly. They are that good, I just wanted each part to carry on a lot longer… a testament to how great they are!

    Plays superb and looks stunning. Unlike others, I liked the visual colours lol. Overall, a cracker and one you should play. I’m keeping this installed and need to play again on hard. Awesome mod.

    Reply
  48. MinorLimes021
    Personal Favourite

    Probably one of my favorite HL2 mods I’ve played so far! The graphics are beautiful, immense, and detailed. Some of the animations that occurred throughout the gameplay was also pretty cool. Combat was also balanced as well, though I died a few times around the base of the lighthouse while fighting the Combine soldiers.
    I also loved the humor used in it, especially the text-to-speech voice acting chosen for, what is it, Badass-Morgan-Stephen-Hawking-Freeman?

    Again, this is currently my top favorite mod of Half-Life 2. And I love it!

    Installed:
    Manually
    Difficulty Played At:
    Medium
    Playtime:
    1 Hour, 30 Minutes
    Reply
  49. DeanAmythe
    Personal Favourite

    From all the reviews I read about this mod I went in with high expectations. Apparently those weren’t high enough, because I was still blown away by the amazing level design and combat.
    As for the graphics are concerned, they look really good. The mod uses some good colors to set its atmosphere.
    This is an outstanding mod, certainly one of the best mods out there.

    Installed:
    Manually
    Difficulty Played At:
    Medium
    Playtime:
    1 Hour, 30 Minutes
    Reply
  50. silver8
    Personal Favourite

    The best level design I’ve ever seen. I also liked the gameplay, the atmosphere is great and reminds me of the second episode. Scriptable destructible looks good. I definitely recommend to play this mod.

    Installed:
    Manually
    Difficulty Played At:
    Medium
    Playtime:
    1 Hour, 30 Minutes
    Reply
  51. geezer1857
    Personal Favourite

    Played it all the way through for the first time and ended up being one of my favorites because of its action, story line, and graphics. I would recommend that you should play right away without waiting another minute.

    Installed:
    Manually
    Difficulty Played At:
    Easy
    Playtime:
    2 Hours
    Reply
  52. Winterman
    Play It Now!

    Outstanding piece of work! I enjoyed every minute of it!

    My favorite parts are when you fire a headcrab canister loaded with YOURSELF and when you meet a rebel scientist who weirdly looks like an expy of Stephen Hawking. (RIP)

    Installed:
    Manually
    Difficulty Played At:
    Medium
    Playtime:
    4 Hours
    Reply
  53. DefectiveTurret
    Personal Favourite

    I created an account just to review this masterpiece of a mod.

    With incredible graphics, amazing level design and good storytelling Mission Improbable ends top 1 of my favorite Half-Life 2 mods of all time. I came in thinking it was going to be a short mod, i was wrong. I wont say any spoilers, but i cannot convince you enough to play this. This could even be Half-life 2: Episode 3 and i wouldnt complain, its really that good.

    Installed:
    Manually
    Difficulty Played At:
    Medium
    Playtime:
    1 Hour, 30 Minutes
    Reply
  54. Avantgarde95
    Personal Favourite

    One of the best HL2 mods. Beautiful visual, small puzzles, tight and fun combats, fun ending

    Installed:
    Manually
    Difficulty Played At:
    Medium
    Playtime:
    2 Hours
    Reply
  55. Yakov Marker
    Personal Favourite

    This is an example of a really good mod.

    First of all visuals: great environment design. This is one of the best-looking mods out there.
    The scenery also changes often so you won’t get bored: rocky shore and lighthouse, car tunnel, underground Combine facility, etc. There’s a day-night cycle too!
    Some people didn’t like color correction, but I think it makes «Mission Improbable» look more distinct from other mods.

    The mod has a good pace to it, and also cool setpieces and encounters.

    I was a bit disappointed in puzzles though: most of the time they are simple and pretty straightforward: «go there and interact with that». But they still keep you entertained between action pieces, so that’s okay.

    Overall this is a really well-done mod, and you should definitely play it.

    Installed:
    Manually
    Difficulty Played At:
    Medium
    Playtime:
    1 Hour, 30 Minutes
    Reply
  56. Daken50
    Play It Now!

    When you get through the first area you figure “nice little map”. Nope, that was just the appetizer. It’s a collection of carefully connected areas with a well crafted ending. Nope, no spoilers from me.

    Reply
  57. hyponerdic
    Play It Now!

    This mod was VERY close to a Personal Favorite. I’m somewhat viewing the rating system as if it were mostly a Tier system with Avoid It = F-Tier, Maybe = C-Tier, and PIN = A-Tier. Personal Favorite is equivalent to S-Tier… but obviously it’s not 1:1 because a personal favorite may not necessarily be the BEST mod ever, just one you adore for whatever reason. So just keep in mind it mostly straddles the line between PIN and PF. If mods like Year Long Alarm, Downfall, Transmissions: Element 120, and of course MINERVA are S-Tier “Personal Favorites,” then Mission Improbable falls short in a couple of areas.

    First off, as others noted: “mat_colorcorrection 0” is absolutely the way to play it. There might be a few moments where it looks cool, but it ultimately harms the mod more than it helps. The other S-Tier, PF mods I’ve played haven’t needed to rely on any color correction to look impressive or, if they do, they have had a less intrusive version of it. In terms of detail, there are a few instances where things like rocks might be jutting off in mid-air from the top of stairs in a way I didn’t notice in those other mods. Then there are some “lulzy” posters in, say, the gas station that look like they were made in MS Paint and seem a bit at odds with the HL2 vibe. In fact, the entire mod has a few instances of “lulzy” elements including the very ending. It’s not really a meme mod or anything as that would be apparent right away, but it was a bit distracting. In general, the other mods just seem to be a tighter and more cohesive vision.

    That said, many of those other mods *including* MINERVA, mostly take various pieces of “standard” HL2, Ep 1, or Ep 2 gameplay and create their own tight and perfectly executed vertical slice of those concepts. Mission Improbable not only executes fun and engaging encounters, it also excels in really awesome set pieces. Transmissions of course has a bunch of awesome new ideas like shadow-blind zombies, glow in the dark writing, QR code scanning, and the unique version of the Gravity Gun… but there’s no real WOW set pieces because you’re mostly just in sewers, dilapidated buildings, and end in some streets to fight Striders. You’re in similarly explored areas, doing similar things, in both Downfall and YLA as well.

    While Mission Improbable isn’t quite as polished as those other mods and still visits lots of similar settings as HL2… it absolutely EXCELS in crafting unique set pieces. Right off the bat, you have the cool boat ride opening into the stalactite-filled grotto as the lighthouse looms overhead. The gas station was a simple but neat little setting as well but the way in which you leave — by literally LAUNCHING YOURSELF VIA HEADCRAB SHELL LAUNCHER — was totally unexpected and super unique. Attacking the Combine depot later on may not seem wholly unique given the Citadel or even Nova Prospekt, but even if the setting isn’t, what you do inside to take it down, IS pretty unique and a fun “screw you, Combine!” type of moment. And then the finale was exhilarating and again, features something I wasn’t really expecting in a neat slight-subversion of a trope you see in so many HL2 mod endings.

    Oh, I also liked the inclusion of the wheelchair bound, Stephen Hawking-esque scientist. I’m kind of pretending it’s Dr. Keller from Decay following that expansion’s story — perhaps his disease has now taken away his speech or some unseen event during or after the BM Incident is responsible. Either way, that idea grows even more likely considering the upcoming “Through the City” mod is bringing back Shephard, Green, and possibly also Rosenberg?

    My only other criticism is one noted by others here: the weird force field “puzzle” in the depot which doesn’t really have any clue toward what to do. Nothing in base HL2 or its Episodes , nor even this mod indicates that stopping those things together will create the hole in the energy wall because /individually/ they don’t create a hole. They just phase through. Maybe if this mod showed them creating a visible small hole around each pod as they passed through, it would have worked better. And/or a red flashing light+alarm that triggers on whichever side when you stop a pod half-way through so that way you’re even more likely to go “hm what if I stopped both?” Or… just SOMEthing that gives us a bit more feedback because stopping it really just seems like a random thing you can do.

    While it may seem like I have a lot of criticisms with it, please remember this was straddling the line between PIN and Personal Fave. All the comparisons with other mods was to illustrate both its weaknesses and strengths because it genuinely does and accomplishes different things. The mod is still of top notch quality and is absolutely going into my headcanonical HL2 timeline — I’m tentatively thinking that it takes place sometime during the coastal chapters. Something like:

    * LOST COAST: Gordon stops the shelling bombardment of St. Olga by taking out the Combine launcher in the old church.
    * Unseen, the Fisherman from Lost Coast gives Gordon a small boat and tells him of the rebel listening post in a nearby lighthouse that recently went down as a result of the shelling.
    * MISSION IMPROBABLE: Arriving by boat, Gordon reactivates resistance comms, meets with “Dr. Keller” and the rebels of St. Olga who have taken refuge in the tunnels to evade the shelling. They send Gordon to a nearby Combine depot supplying the area (and the Lost Coast church) with its headcrab shells and Gordon takes it down.
    * After that and again unseen, Dr. Keller tells Gordon that with comms reestablished, the shelling stopped, and the depot down, they have a chance to move in on a Combine weapons factory in St. Olga (one you can see across the bay from the church) and so he sends Gordon, Sgt. White, and a group of rebels to a staging area just outside the factory perimeter.
    * **LOST INDUSTRY 2**: Infiltrating the weapons factory, Gordon proceeds to move through it and take security down so that the rebel forces can move in, seize control, and set up a much needed supply line that will smuggle weapons into City 17 for the fast approaching uprising.
    * After that, Gordon continues on toward Nova Prospekt…

    There you have it — definitive proof that I gave this mod a WEIRD amount of through as to where to place it lol. It’s going into a hypothetical “Half-Life 2: Extended Cut” because I am absolutely going to replay this mod next HL2 playthrough! Now to find where the best place to squeeze Lost Coast itself into Highway 17/Sandtraps… hm….

    Installed:
    Manually
    Difficulty Played At:
    Medium
    Playtime:
    2 Hours
    Reply
  58. Amigus
    Personal Favourite

    Definitely, the best mod i’ve played!

    From awesome puzzles to cool combat with good old combine units,you get that nice ‘That is awesome,i want more’ effect when playing first map and you indeed get it! Map Design is just… it is beautiful,even more than beautiful.

    I really recommend to complete it,and if you want to get into HL2 Mods,this is the best mod to start with!

    Installed:
    Manually
    Difficulty Played At:
    Medium
    Playtime:
    1 Hour, 45 Minutes
    Reply
  59. Captain Crap
    Play It Now!

    This one is pretty good! At first I thought the main objective is the listening post but after that, there’s more to offer which is the best part. The combat is very balanced, some level designs are confusing but still easy to figure out where to go.

    Reply

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