Precinct 17

for Half-Life 2: Episode Two

23rd October 2016

Jump to read the 42 comments   /   Leave a comment or review   /   Follow the comments RSS feed

“Barney has been abducted from a rebel surveillance post overlooking the infamous Precinct 17, a former police station repurposed by the Combine.

It’s up to Gordon Freeman to find out what happened to his friend.”

Basic Details
  • Title: Precinct 17
  • Filename: hl2-ep2-sp-precinct.7z
  • Size : 42.9MB
  • Author: Jason Gimba AKA MAki
  • Date Released: 23 October 2016
Gauge Users

Download directly into Gauge [42.9MB]

You MUST have Gauge installed before using this link.

Download Options

Download to your HDD [42.9MB]
You can still use it with Gauge once you have downloaded it.

Manual Installation Instructions

If you require more help, please visit the Technical Help page.

  • Uncompress the 7zip file and copy the precinct17…\Steam\SteamApps\SourceMods\ folder.
  • Start or restart Steam.
  • Precinct 17 should now be listed in your Library.

Videos

Panoramic Images

WARNING: This panoramic images contain spoilers.

Screenshots

WARNING: The screenshots contain spoilers.

org x 576

Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3
Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3
Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3
Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3
Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3
Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3

1366 x 768

Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3
Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3
Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3
Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3
Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3
Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3

1600 x 900

Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3
Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3
Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3
Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3
Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3
Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3
Reader Recommendations
Avoid It!
Think Twice
Maybe
Play It Later
Play It Now!
33 recommendations, average score: 4.88 (out of 5), standard deviation: 0.11 (what's that?)
Total Downloads
  • 6,289
    Overall
  • 1
    Today
  • 5
    Last 7 days
  • 13
    Last 30 days
  • 238
    365 days
Meta Review Data
Statistics based on 34 comment(s) with meta review data.

Installed:
Using Gauge: Users
Manually: 29 Users
Time Taken:
Average: 0 Hours, 23 Mins
Shortest: 0 Hours, 15 Mins by Unq
Longest: 1 Hours by Avantgarde95
Total Time Played: 12 Hours, 59 Mins
Categories (?)
Half-Life 2: Ep2 HL2-EP2 Mods Play
Tags (?)
Collections (?)
Wibble has Played III
If you believe this release is missing important tags, please suggest them in a comment?
Jump to a review
Personal FavouritePhillip says Play It!Play It Now!Personal FavouritePlay It Now!Play It Now!Play It Now!Play It Now!Play It Now!Play It Now!Personal FavouritePersonal FavouritePlay It Now!Play It Now!Personal FavouritePlay It Now!Play It Now!Play It LaterPersonal FavouritePersonal FavouritePlay It LaterPlay It LaterPlay It Now!Play It Now!Personal FavouritePlay It Now!Play It Now!Play It Now!Play It LaterPlay It Now!Play It Now!Play It Now!Play It Now!

42 Comments

  1. crowbar
    Personal Favourite

    Replayed it and watched Phillip’s stream and realized how much attention to detail there is that I missed and some very clever things which improve the gameplay which the player won’t notice. Really really good!

    Overall a very high quality map as usual from Maki. There was just a lack of unique/special moments which would elevate this to a personal favorite. Also two sections were at the border of being unfair and can easily become frustrating, if you play on hard difficulty.
    The map offers standard Half-Life 2 gameplay with a few twists and turns. My favorite aspect about the map was its pacing. It is very compact, not too long, not too short, has ups and downs in tension and action. Visually it was also very appealing. One of the main areas was a bit dull though, due to a lack of color.

    The mod is definitely worth playing and you’ll enjoy it, but it doesn’t have anything very memorable for me. The author played it a bit safe, although it’s nice to see that he let go of his usual formula 🙂 and that we see a new map from him at all 😉

    Installed:
    Manually
    Difficulty Played At:
    Hard
    Playtime:
    20 Minutes
    Reply
  2. PlanetPhillip
    Phillip says Play It!

    This review is based on my initial blind playthrough, which can be seen in the video in the main post.

    My initial reaction is that this is a very competent release, that does everything well: design, setting, lighting, gameplay etc.

    From a developer’s point of view there might be some great touches, like how barney is held and released, the energy sniper weapons and maybe some other things that just players might not appreciate as much.

    The end result is one that almost left me feeling as though I had missed something. It’s to do with expectation. Once you have played Jason work, you begin to expect amazing release every single time and in general he delivers and this is no exception, but because he puts so much detail into each one they are generally quite short.

    That always leaves me feeling as though they are actually too short. Certainly, it’s important to leave the player with wanting more but in this particular case I feel I’ve played a very short chapter in a much longer game.

    Anyway, enough complaining.

    It’s superb and you should definitely play it and probably replay it.

    Installed:
    Manually
    Difficulty Played At:
    Easy
    Playtime:
    29 Minutes
    Reply
  3. Darth_Sylph

    when i extracted the file, every single one of the audio files from “precinct17/sound/vo” was corrupted, The Unarchiver (the program i use to extract files) was unable to extract them, you might wanna look into that, i’ll post a full review after i’ve actually played it though

    Reply
    1. PlanetPhillip

      I have just downloaded and extracted the file with no issues.

      Reply
      1. Steve

        Same here, says it’s corrupt :/

        Reply
  4. Unq
    Play It Now!

    This release is right up my alley: short and sweet. I don’t have tons of time to play huge mod releases – especially of questionable quality – so small polished map packs like this are exactly what I hope for when seeing new releases.

    I really like the use of space in this map. As you make your way through, everything is nicely connected and the whole building inside and out feels like it could be a real place. Jason is a genius at letting players preview upcoming areas before you can actually get to them. This map is a perfect example – the precinct building itself has a straightforward layout, but your eventual path through the building and back out is a bit more complex. It’s this great use of the map’s space that I liked so much. As usual, the map itself is attractive and polished.

    I have 2 criticisms of Precinct 17. First, I think it’s too easy. If you do any kind of exploring you’ll find a lot of goodies to boost health and HEV. Perhaps I should be ramping up my typical difficulty to Hard, because on Medium this felt like a complete breeze and I wished there were more of a challenge. Second, I wish Jason went off the beaten path a little more. There are some new ideas here (I liked how the mounted gun fired and its look, and especially the surprise APC) – but there are also some aspects that are a little “by the book” that I wish were changed up. I’m talking about the old find-the-valve-wheel puzzle and the toss-a-grenade puzzle to finish off the mounted gun. I think even variations of these, or similar puzzles with some kind of twist, can go a long way toward feeling ‘fresh’ for jaded veteran HL2 players.

    Overall, a real gem here. Short and sweet and just fun to play.

    Installed:
    Manually
    Difficulty Played At:
    Medium
    Playtime:
    15 Minutes
    Reply
  5. Niker107
    Personal Favourite
    Summary

    Precinct 17 is definitely a personal favourite for me. I expected something short and fantastic, and this map delivered. Maki is always able to combine good level design and good visual design to create amazing experiences.

    WARNING: Spoilers Below.

    Demo Files:
    Precinct 17

    Visual Prettiness

    The areas before the precinct are just as beautiful as the main location of the map. The player is only inside the apartments for a brief moment, but the corridors and stairwell still have very good lighting and detailing. Like, seriously, I need to take Maki’s maps as reference more than I need Valve. I’d describe it as taking the HL2’s apartments, widening them out a bit and giving them the prettiness of HL2:EP2, somehow.
    The sewers are just as fantastic. Honestly, I could sit in this area and relax for hours. It feels like its own little world, with contrasting blue, yellow and red lights, with the reflections in the water, the fact that it flows, the soft foggy effect at the bottom of the ‘river’, these all add to this location. HDR, bloom and cubemaps do their job very well.

    The courtyard and the precinct itself are both just as appealing. You distinctly see how the Combine have modified this place for their purposes, but at the same time, you can clearly imagine how it used to look, and how it could well be a real life location. Again, the lighting is great and the volumetric fog from the windows adds to the cinematic look. These two are both marvelous pieces of architectural design, and I’m very surprised how no references were used in the creation of the map.

    Gameplay Stuff

    The apartments and sewers serve as introduction areas, so there’s not much I can say about them, other than; they do what they must without mistakes. Easy enemies, gradual weapon pickups, and traversing into the main area of the map.

    Gameplay in the courtyard and precinct is very fun. The player always has cover (perhaps, with the exceptions being the first few moments when you enter the building), and the difficulty of the enemies is also increased gradually. Despite the level’s similarity with the Nexus from HL2, it still feels different. I don’t know why, but I never really liked the Nexus. Perhaps I found it too convoluted, but this isn’t an issue in Precinct 17, as I could easily navigate the map without feeling lost. The APC literally driving into the building was a very fun part of the map, and it’s a superb way of spicing up gameplay.

    The strider/hunter battle at the end is also well-balanced, in my opinion. I struggled a fair bit since I played on Hard, and I didn’t include some of the demo files that only lasted a few seconds before my death. However, I was able to complete it without switching difficulties, and I didn’t find it too annoying. Perhaps adding just one crate somewhere in the corner of the courtyard would benefit players like myself.

    The system by which the 3 stores work had already been figured out by me after I got the first store blown up, and it’s probably a lot more exciting for me as a level designer than it is for regular players. I really, really like how it’s done! This is a perfect example of how dynamic gameplay should be made, and one thing I didn’t even notice on my first playthrough is how there are power boxes at each of the stores, and only the powerbox above the rocket crate sparks when it’s destroyed. This is just another way of making sure the player notices that location.

    To finish off, I’d also like to add that I really appreciate Maki’s small easter eggs and deviations from linear gameplay that he puts into his maps. Examples of these are:
    – The gnome that you can bring to the end of the map
    – The beer that you can bring to the end of the map (I haven’t seen this, but I presume it’s also present based on the voice lines I found in the sound folder)
    – And the revolver you can find if you go in a different direction than you usually would. This is a very good addition because of this: if the player goes there and finds nothing, they might get confused. If they see the revolver, however, they’ll assume that spot to simply be an ‘item spot’ and move on, without feeling like there’s something they’re missing.

    Overall, a superb mod to be displayed on RunThinkShootLive! Many thanks to Jason Gimba AKA Maki for his continued contributions to the HL2 mapping community.

    Installed:
    Manually
    Difficulty Played At:
    Hard
    Playtime:
    25 Minutes
    Reply
  6. Strontvlieg
    Play It Now!

    Professional looking mod with supurb visuals and nice gameplay. The level of detail is astounding; I stood still on several occasions to take a look at the environment. Even corridors looked very ‘organic’ with well-placed props and clever brushwork. I have to admit maps like these form sources of inspirations for my own fabrications.

    Gameplay is also good; we’ve got a broad range of enemies with even the feared automatic cannon from HL2 EP2 … ! Enemy activity increases gradually as the map progresses but it never gets frustrating, at least in my opinion. I even found it a bit easy, but I played on medium so this is really a non-issue.

    The map is compact but still managed to squeeze out around 20 minutes of playtimes in my case. I’d say: Play It Now … !

    Installed:
    Manually
    Difficulty Played At:
    Medium
    Playtime:
    20 Minutes
    Reply
  7. K12T6
    Play It Now!

    I always look forward to playing another map by Jason Gimba. Enjoyed the gameplay, especially the strider battle, and the visuals were spot on as well. I say play it now!

    Installed:
    Manually
    Difficulty Played At:
    Medium
    Playtime:
    20 Minutes
    Reply
  8. vancanucksfan
    Play It Now!

    A really well done little mod/map. The combat was interesting and having a new voice for Barney made for a nice touch. It was pretty short though; I was hoping for more play time.

    Installed:
    Manually
    Difficulty Played At:
    Easy
    Playtime:
    20 Minutes
    Reply
  9. Quarter-Life
    Play It Now!

    This is a great mod! As everyone else has been saying, the amount of detail put into this map is how mods ought to be done. Valve quality design, in my opinion. The gameplay was also very enjoyable, and not too cliche. The only thing I have to complain about is just how short the whole thing was.

    Installed:
    Using Gauge
    Difficulty Played At:
    Medium
    Playtime:
    20 Minutes
    Reply
  10. asterixer

    Runs under Linux without any problems

    Reply
  11. Reaven
    Play It Now!

    Precicnt 17 is everything you can expect from a mod.Perfect level design, Fun gameplay, I couldnt find a bad part :D.I really enjoyed palying it.Lets hope future mods be like this

    Installed:
    Manually
    Difficulty Played At:
    Medium
    Playtime:
    25 Minutes
    Reply
  12. DarkShift
    Play It Now!

    Short “vanilla” HL2 mod with a nice crescendo on everything you can fight (you start with Metrocops, then Overwatch forces, then APC, then Strider!!!), nice buddy to fight on your side, it is very intense… I’m not surprised, it’s Jason Gimba after all ^^

    Installed:
    Manually
    Difficulty Played At:
    Medium
    Playtime:
    35 Minutes
    Reply
  13. RobosergTV
    Personal Favourite

    Another must play mod from Jason. If it only were 5-10 minutes longer, like 20-25 minutes. Other than that – great quality mod, as always from Jason.

    Installed:
    Using Gauge
    Difficulty Played At:
    Medium
    Playtime:
    15 Minutes
    Reply
    1. Maki

      Thanks for the video too! Glad you enjoyed it.

      Reply
  14. MattieMonster1Offical
    Personal Favourite

    Great mod!

    I’m not going to go into the actual content of the mod since there would be spoilers.

    However, I will say that this mod is amazing. It’s graphics are pretty good for the source engine, amazingly detailed and fun, time burning gameplay. This mod is not a waste of time! I highly recommend you play this.

    Honestly, I’d call this Valve quality.

    Verdict: DOWNLOAD NOW
    Monster score (Making this up on the spot): 9.5/10!

    Installed:
    Manually
    Difficulty Played At:
    Medium
    Playtime:
    30 Minutes
    Reply
  15. Executed
    Play It Now!

    Great map! Lighting, details everything is great!
    Main gripe with the gameplay was that the cover-to-cover section with the apc felt off.
    Barney ran before you did and the combine didn’t even flinch a muscle towards him. I thought you had to protect him, but he just runs straight through without any problems.

    Also I wish the map would’ve ended like this instead:
    Barney needs to make it back to the apartment and talk with the rebels. You both get to the check-in. Barney presses the elevator button and calmly waits.

    Barney – “Wait…”

    Barney starts spamming the button.

    – “Why… Why isn’t it working?!”

    And then it fades to black while Barney goes into a hellish rage.

    Just some comedy to add some character.

    Installed:
    Using Gauge
    Difficulty Played At:
    Hard
    Playtime:
    20 Minutes
    Reply
  16. Rob Martens
    Play It Now!

    After a year of neglect, not playing much of anything in the way of games, I’ve finally gotten back in the saddle, so to speak, and the Half-Life 2 release I chose to get up and running again was Precinct 17. Can’t go wrong with a Maki mod, I always say.

    There are so many things I love about this, from the choice of opening music in concert with the layout and furnishings of the apartment (I still think “Crow’s Nest” would have been a good code name for that place, so help me), to the lived-in feel of the lone mattress and lamp in the sewer, and the warmest, coziest little cactus alcove I’ve ever seen.

    Then there’s the pleasant combat, with Hunters that don’t drive me out of my mind in frustration, the cute story beat of seeing Barney in his “golly, would you look at all the channels they have on this TV?” thousand-yard stare, and of course the map’s overall polish, with overlays and props as far as the eye can see, not a one out of place. If there’s one thing I envy Maki for the most (but trust me, there’s more), it’s his decal work. I never manage to make the time for it, and dread the process of trying to find enough interesting ones that won’t make a space feel cluttered, or the patterns repetitive, but no such issues here. The hallway leaving the apartment is one of the most beautiful I’ve seen in any Half-Life maps, Valve’s included.

    If I had any criticisms of Precinct 17, they’d be my Radio Guy’s volume level being a bit low and the somewhat plain geometry of the titular precinct’s upper floor windows. Maybe sink them into the wall a bit further, pull out a sill beneath all of them, something like that? I’m reaching for some kind of useful feedback here, I’m hard pressed to say anything bad about this map. Although I noted with some dismay that you didn’t offer a reward for having babysit the cactus all through the level. Slacking off on the job, eh Gimba? In your future work I expect a full coverage of such possibilities, featuring custom endings with unique and raucously funny dialog recorded for each physics prop in the map.

    All in all this is another map/mod I’m proud to have taken part in. Fantastic across the board (I’ve recently discovered “fantastic” is apparently my favorite word), a tight, polished little production. Well done, Jason, and I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to get to!

    Installed:
    Manually
    Difficulty Played At:
    Medium
    Playtime:
    23 Minutes
    Reply
    1. Maki

      Well, in my defense, I don’t think I’ve seen anyone take me up on the Barney Beer Challenge yet, although Niker alluded to it. You gotta bring the Beer bottle (the one with “Beer” on the label) from the apartment to the end. And it has 1 HP so… have fun with that. 🙂

      Reply
  17. TolisXTRM
    Personal Favourite

    WOW. This has to be one of the best Ep2 mods out there. I honestly have nothing negative to say about this mod. The mapping is excellent and the attention to detail is sometimes Valve-like. The gameplay and the combat is great and varied and it never makes you feel bored or unsatisfied. The final fight with the Strider at the end was excellent too.

    Overall, any HL fan should play this mod. It’s honestly one of the best out there and I personally believe that this is HOF material.

    Reply
  18. Gnome
    Play It Now!

    WARNING: SPOILERS

    Overall, another well-rounded release by Jason Gimba, but not one of my favorites from his library of work.

    The best way to describe this map is it being short but sweet. The opening is presented well, and clues you in to what’s going on; hinting that you have to save Barney. The first encounter with the zombies in the sewer is standard but fun, followed by avoiding the cannon in the courtyard. The battle with the metro-cops followed by you disabling the cannon was fun, and was a nice change of pace from the first part of the level.

    Once you free Barney, you have to fight combine soldiers and an APC. The fight felt brutal, and I died a couple of times from being overwhelmed. Once I got the rocket launcher, I couldn’t get out of the armory, because the door kept getting bombarded with grenades followed by a shotgun soldier. Despite it feeling slightly like a spike in difficulty, the fight ending with you destroying the APC felt satisfying. However, the victory is short lived when you encounter the strider and the hunters.

    The encounter with the strider was by far my favorite part of the mod, and I enjoyed feeling as if I was ‘outsmarting’ the strider by having him reveal rocket caches. I would recommend the mod to anyone who wants an engaging but short experience.

    Installed:
    Manually
    Difficulty Played At:
    Medium
    Playtime:
    30 Minutes
    Reply
  19. Hec
    Play It Now!

    Wow, this little mod was really well done! It was a nice little piece of combat joy. I loved the whole context of a realistic mission in HL2 universe. So it was great to free Barney from the hateful CMB hands.

    The whole map layout was clever and challenging, but at the same time it was fun to play and the combat was just perfectly balanced.

    The last section is a delightful part where the CMB send you the best of their mechanized hybrids to stop you. I was very impressed by the perfect pace of the Strider and how you have to kill it if you think strategically.

    All in all, it was a great piece of work! Maybe if it’d be a little longer 2-3 more cool maps and would have been a PF for me, but for now is just a worthy and well deserved PN.

    Installed:
    Using Gauge
    Difficulty Played At:
    Medium
    Playtime:
    20 Minutes
    Reply
  20. Steve
    Play It Later

    I cannot believe the press this has got here. I almost feel like I’ve missed something and went back to play it again. It’s short, it’s good but I certainly didn’t feel anything close to making it a PF… There are some nice touches and I did like many parts of this map. But I did come away a little meh also. Perhaps there’s more to come? But.. yeah.. it’s worth playing. I did enjoy this in the end.

    Installed:
    Manually
    Difficulty Played At:
    Medium
    Playtime:
    30 Minutes
    Reply
  21. KostyanWest

    Nice mod-map.

    Installed:
    Manually
    Difficulty Played At:
    Hard
    Playtime:
    21 Minutes
    Reply
  22. gfreeman

    A short very run experience. Check it out!

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

      Your recommendation image has been removed because the text review was too short and generic. Please email me: [email protected] if you have any questions.

      Reply
  23. gfreeman
    Personal Favourite

    Precent 17 to me has an aura about that feels like something would put in a future half-life game. This is one of the many mods that are actually aided by its short length. There’s so much detail and fun gameplay packed into this short 20min experience.

    Installed:
    Manually
    Difficulty Played At:
    Medium
    Playtime:
    20 Minutes
    Reply
  24. Ttiki
    Personal Favourite

    Story:
    Simply, go save Barney.

    Level Design:
    The level design is absolutely incredible! In a small map like this, the LOD (Level of detail) is incredible! The nav mesh is really well made, the number of enemies is good, the lighting is good…
    I really liked the end, with this sort of cinematic credits, that give a look at all the map.

    Voice acting:
    The voice acting is good, and there are custom choreographed scene! And they are really well made!

    The use of Barney:
    After you save Barney, he will help you killing the enemies! He will follow you, and when he blocks you, simply push him, like this he will step back!
    And the way he talks to you, with the choreographed scene and the player targeting when he talks, it gives something really cool!

    Conclusion:
    Yeah, the “mod” is more like a map, and 20 minutes, is really short, but, give it a try, you will not be disappointed!

    Installed:
    Manually
    Difficulty Played At:
    Easy
    Playtime:
    20 Minutes
    Reply
  25. GokuBlack
    Play It Later

    This mod is about you saving Barney, that is all. I would personally make it a Map rather than a mod , as it’s really short, and at Hard difficulty I could beat it in less than 20 minutes.

    The Level Design: It is pretty simplistic, almost Half Life 2 style that will not make you disappointed. I would suggest playing this mod to waste some time, as it doesn’t offer any proper story, it’s just saving Barney.

    The Voice Acting is not bad, pretty believable.

    The difficulty is a bit strange, sometimes it’s very easy, and the next second you are fighting 2 hunters and a strider.

    As for Barney.. after you saved him from the machine, he helps you around and all, nothing too special. Once he nearly killed me by standing on the same spot and then moving when I lost around 80% of my health.

    I will say that this mod is just nice and nothing complicated, I enjoyed playing it and so I suggest you to do the same.

    Installed:
    Manually
    Difficulty Played At:
    Hard
    Playtime:
    18 Minutes
    Reply
  26. HashtagMC
    Play It Later

    A neat little map. No puzzles, lots of combat.

    The best thing about this is undoubtedly the Barney voice actor. The guy nails it, spot on (and so does the guy who speaks the rebel radio). Does a great deal for the atmosphere and mood.

    The combat isn’t too challenging, for once Medium difficulty felt like easy. Props for the neat way the ammo was supplied near the end. The layout is done pretty neat, too.

    Way too short, sadly, but rather nice. Some of this felt rather rushed, though, that’s why it’s only 4 out of 5.

    Installed:
    Manually
    Difficulty Played At:
    Medium
    Playtime:
    20 Minutes
    Reply
  27. D-Floyd
    Play It Now!

    A short, but excellent trip through a combine police station. The mod feels like it would be right at home during Anticitizen One or Episode 1, and while the map is small, there’s tons of great visual detail and lots of interesting encounters. There’s a recurring theme through the map of avoiding certain obstacles, and it’s interesting how you have to use the environment to for cover to escape instead of immediately trying to fight whatever you’re up against. There’s one segment where I felt the timing for this was just a hair too thin and left you in the open just a little too much, but it wasn’t too much of a problem. I really like how the layout of the building loops and you encounter a certain area twice, but enter from different angles and have markedly different combat experiences. The final encounter was also very tense and well done, and there was even good voice acting thrown in to boot. Definitely give this map a play if you love City 17.

    Installed:
    Manually
    Difficulty Played At:
    Hard
    Playtime:
    25 Minutes
    Reply
  28. Cloudbucket
    Play It Now!

    I enjoyed the atmosphere and gameplay here. I love the work put into detail of the area as well as the sequences and would of course love to see more. For being so short it is certainly a treat.

    Installed:
    Manually
    Difficulty Played At:
    Medium
    Playtime:
    15 Minutes
    Reply
  29. DeanAmythe
    Personal Favourite

    This map ticks all the boxes. Great visual work, level design and combat.
    The voice acting was good as well, the guy who voiced Barney nailed it!
    With a little adjustments here and there this could’ve been placed into HL2 flawlessly, and that is one of the biggest compliments a map can get from me.
    Overall, PLAY IT. YES.

    Installed:
    Manually
    Difficulty Played At:
    Medium
    Playtime:
    15 Minutes
    Reply
  30. Aachen
    Play It Now!

    Short, yet surprising sweet with at touch of basil. Beautiful map, with careful attention to detail. Barney’s voice actor is sound, good shooting action. Twists and surprises here and there. Nice that it uses the rocket launcher a ton! (Something which everyone loves). Also, having the strider destroy doors is really interesting once it accidentally happened to me.

    Installed:
    Manually
    Difficulty Played At:
    Hard
    Playtime:
    30 Minutes
    Reply
  31. Avantgarde95
    Play It Now!

    Short and fun!

    Installed:
    Manually
    Difficulty Played At:
    Hard
    Playtime:
    1 Hour
    Reply
  32. Yakov Marker
    Play It Now!

    This is a good little map with enough polish and some interesting ideas.
    I liked it, and will surely replay some more.

    The things that I didn’t like though:

    Creator used Combine’s camera-turret, which was cut from the original Half-Life 2 and practically wasn’t use in the vanilla game and episodes. Here it’s used, and it shoots you. Problem is — it looks similar to CCTV cameras, that don’t attack you. And the mapmaker even used them both on the same map, which just threw me off immediately. And the turret-camera also didn’t have muzzle flashes.

    Second: the final arena is a bit cluttered with trees and lamp posts. This just worsened the [boss] fight for me.

    Installed:
    Manually
    Difficulty Played At:
    Medium
    Playtime:
    30 Minutes
    Reply
  33. Daken50
    Play It Later

    Looks good. Play is ok. Worth a play through.

    Installed:
    Manually
    Difficulty Played At:
    Easy
    Playtime:
    15 Minutes
    Reply
  34. Captain Crap
    Play It Now!

    Amazing short mod here. Sure it is only one map but it is worth a play for me. The level design looks very detailed, taking most of the place in one building and outside of it. Combat is fairly challenging but it’s nothing unique, just gunning down combines and a strider boss at the end. Story is simple but not very appealing to me, just save Barney and leave the city with him. Overall, I simply love this short mod

    Reply
  35. agreenman
    Play It Now!

    Quickie that’s a lot of fun! Varied environments that felt fleshed out and atmospheric.

    Great use of blues and greys among warm colors to build beautiful contrast between sections.

    Spent much of the game at low health so I’d say this map was a touch on the difficult side.

    Thrilling final battle. I’ve never seen fast Striders!

    Reply
  36. Wibble
    Play It Now!

    Short but very high quality map that sticks to what Half-Life 2 does best. I really wish this was longer because its great.

    Installed:
    Manually
    Difficulty Played At:
    Medium
    Playtime:
    15 Minutes
    Reply
  37. Stef
    Play It Now!

    except the fact that it a too short everything is greatly manage in this map: great design, intense gaming, a must play for sure 🙂

    Installed:
    Using Gauge
    Difficulty Played At:
    Medium
    Playtime:
    17 Minutes
    Reply

Reply without including a Recommendation and MetaReview Data

Recommendation System

You must be registered and logged in to use the Recommendation System.
Why not register now? It's free and easy. If you are already registered then please login.

Comment Formatting Guide

Well formatted comments are much easier to read. Please copy and paste the HTML Tags to use in your comment

  • HEADER: <div class="fix"></div><div class="sbe3">TEXT HERE</div>
  • BOLD: <strong>TEXT HERE</strong>
  • ITALIC: <em>TEXT HERE</em>
  • SPOILER: <span class="spoiler">TEXT HERE</span>