Black Mesa: Definitive Edition - 11 - Questionable Ethics [Hard]

[@Sexy_Nutella]

While the entire game is amazing, in my view the entire section of the story from Questionable Ethics all the way to to the end of Forget about Freeman is where Black Mesa completely blows HL1 out of the water (well, before going to Xen anyway). Just look at this chapter in particular - where there were once stale, drab corridors, there are now completely realized work spaces, offices, lounges, locker rooms, and a cafeteria. Where the laboratories were once just rooms with Xen creatures inside, they are now fully decorated with intricate pieces of equipment and whiteboards with a wealth of information. Where the front lobby was just an open space with a reception area in the middle, it now looks much more busy, with some great lighting and use of props to fill in the spaces. Where the laser exploded the wall in HL1, it now leaves a gaping, glowing hole rendered in incredible detail. Where the surgical machine was just a pair of spinning blades, it is now reminiscent of something out of Saw. And most obviously, where HL1's chapter had a kind of lackluster ending, Black Mesa forces players into a HECU ambush at the lobby, resulting in a high-energy and fitting finish to the end of the level. Every new addition in this chapter makes the lab feel much more realised and lived-in. The first half, where Freeman is just going through the deserted corridors and taking all the experiments in, is akin to the start of Blast Pit in its focus on atmosphere and story-telling through "show, don't tell". The addition of new areas like the Snark launcher and Xen biome is also greatly appreciated. It is evident that the team spent a lot of effort into not only recreating the game's iconic moments and improving on them where needed, but also trying to provide additional tidbits of lore to tie everything together in a way that makes sense - that is Black Mesa in a nutshell.

[@Nosgard]

you pretty much summedu p everything I felt, and more..in that comment. I got nothing :D

[@omarandresorellano4142]

Te entiendo perfectamente👍🏻👊🏼

[@tbotalpha8133]

I like how the labs' layouts still make no sense, and expect everyday employees to walk through the mens' or womens' locker rooms to get anywhere.

[@a_cats]

I don't like the ugly orange fog present throughout lots of this chapter though

[@Sexy_Nutella]

@@a_cats Hmm, I don't really notice any orange fog in this chapter that stands out to me.

[@hellyeavesx]

28:05 My man really did a perfect fight choreography and 2 years later he does it even better, simply awesome

[@Sexy_Nutella]

Glad you liked it! And I do also agree that this one was better than my previous attempts :)

[@ProGamez262Archived]

@@Sexy_Nutella The Tau cannon shot was literally perfect at the ending, great job btw this is probably one of my most favorite parts in the whole game

[@finlaywinnard1954]

20:28 Genuinely love that Gordon runs for cover the second he hears the scientist tell the guard not to overcharge the cannon. It's like he knows the Black Mesa staff well enough to know exactly what's coming next.

[@RedDogDragon]

Excellent timing on ending the big battle to the music.

[@odavidsilvalima]

True.

[@Sexy_Nutella]

Thank you! By this point I've probably done this in 5 videos, but there's just something innately satisfying about killing that last HECU via charged Tau shot haha

[@Hater67876]

Last HECU watching gordon charge Tau Cannon: *chuckes* I'm in danger.

[@AshSpots]

Can you imagine the scienstists and guard point of view inside when you leave? A single gunshot and the cut-off sound of their collegue dying. A moments silence. And then the sound of absolute carnage. They just saw the result of Freeman's work, and can only imagine what he's doing on the other side of those doors.

[@Sexy_Nutella]

Yeah, I think that's what makes the "Look what you did" line from the scientist so impactful. They're in awe of Freeman but also kind of scared of what he can do

[@BobsonQDugnutt]

28:06 is like a dance bro. How perfectly you played this section alongside the soundtrack is one of the most satisfying things I've seen someone do in a video game.

[@Sexy_Nutella]

Thanks for the kind words! I listened to Joel's track an unhealthy amount of times just to get that sequence the way I envisioned in my head.

[@nunooliveira6747]

BIG fan of this style of cinematic gameplay: taking your time with the mouse movement, exposing important elements of the setpieces with the zoom mechanic, very nice!

[@Sexy_Nutella]

Thanks - takes a ton of time to make so I'm glad to hear you enjoy it!

[@AndersonMallony-EricCF]

Viciei nesse canal por causa desse estilo cinemático de gameplay. Mas só vou fazer isso com Half-Life mesmo lol

[@8Delian8]

29:15 - When they actually remark on Freeman's carnage.... it's a good moment. Honestly, I really like that reaction. It's like they acknowledge Freeman is a bit of a psychopath who has and will murder as many humans as aliens.

[@Sexy_Nutella]

That's a great thought that I never considered! I just thought they were in awe of what he managed to accomplish, but now I can see how they'd be a bit taken aback by how easily he slaughtered an entire squad of American soldiers.

[@adrianvandyke4177]

They were in awe, not condeming him. Have you seen the surgical room?

[@Sleeper2k]

27:49 timestamp for the best part

[@Sexy_Nutella]

Probably is the moment most people are looking forward to haha ;)

[@carljohan9265]

@@Sexy_Nutella And for good reason. This bit is one of the best additions to the half-life story that crowbar collective did.

[@Sexy_Nutella]

@@carljohan9265 Agreed. This chapter needed an exciting finale and the lobby battle delivered.

[@fRztyler]

This fight alone makes me wanna replay the game one more time, and I probably will.

[@haydolimposofficial]

You did not only end the fight with a Tau Cannon exclamation mark, but also started it with that. GOD DAMN IT'S BEAUTIFUL

[@Sexy_Nutella]

I was trying to find out how much of that song I can sync with the gunshots. I also tried to match the magnum shots with the intro of this song, when I headshotted both soldiers rappelling down

[@haydolimposofficial]

@@Sexy_Nutella Also that satchel part. But the real question is; Did you say "MAAAN DID YOU SEE THAT SHOT?" to yourself?

[@Sexy_Nutella]

@@haydolimposofficial I was pretty proud of those magnum shots more so than the final Tau shot because those marines were moving, but yes I did think something close to that ;)

[@juneBug412]

the lobby fight is probably the best example in any game of how to make a player feel like a badass. it's not unprecedented in any game like this for an ambush or trap to take place, let alone within black mesa/half-life itself, but this particular one intuitively forces the player to make use of every skill they've learned n every tool they've earned to come out on top despite greatly unfavourable odds. if there's any moment that gordon freeman stops bein just a theoretical physicist, it's *that* moment. even the other staff at black mesa take note of how incredible a feat has just taken place; after a full minute of constant gunshots n explosions, likely more than the even expected to hear once they realized it was a trap, they see only gordon freeman standin among piles of bodies n giblets. it's hard to not see why he was so deified by the resistance n vortigaunts in half-life 2

[@Sexy_Nutella]

Well said. The scientists probably thought he was dead. When he is shown to be alive that must've been a shock and awe moment for them

[@Crydove18]

OH MY GOD, ENDING BATTLE WAS SOO AWESOME, like scientist say: -look what you did, i cant believe what you did

[@Sexy_Nutella]

"Holy shit!" xD Glad you enjoyed it.

[@haydolimposofficial]

tHe fAciLiTy mUSt bE coMpLeTeLy uNdeR miLiTaRy coNtRoL

[@Crydove18]

@@haydolimposofficial XD

[@ConquerHell]

The scientists thought a simple man of Freeman's intelligence with only one PhD would die in such an ambush. Little did they know that freeman going to the security portion of the hazard course was beneficial haha

[@lightly5363]

The thing I like about Questionable Ethics is the meaning behind the name. Gordon spends most of the chapter walking around the lab that clearly experimented on living beings, even though they were alien. The scientists from here are already used to that kind of work, they don't particularly care about the morality. Yet, they are horrified by the aftermath of the battle in the end of a chapter. Despite all their work on meticulously dissecting possibly sentient creatures, they couldn't kill a fellow human even if that was nessesary for their survival. So, whose ethics are really questionable here? Those scientists', that can torture aliens just to learn something, no matter how insignificant? Or Freeman's, who can turn dozens of humans into Swiss cheese, without second thought if attacked? Both, maybe? Or neither of them? Either way, it won't matter. Not anymore.

[@Sexy_Nutella]

Excellent analysis, I never considered that part of the title name before! What a twisted sense of irony that the scientists are horrified at Freeman's actions like you've said. I also realised that, aside from this encounter, nobody ever SAW Freeman fight scores of HECU soldiers. Which explains their reactions haha.

[@cheezemonkeyeater]

Also, "Look what you did! I can't believe what you did!" Last Crusade reference.

[@ReasonX3]

To be fair to Freeman, he simply has no choice. Either he fights or dies. Afterall HECU are perfectly fine with killing dozens of civilians "because orders".

[@Itakino]

​@@Sexy_NutellaMy man talks like character AI 💀

[@fantasybabydino]

​@@Itakinoor maybe character ai talks like him

[@Crowborn]

28:00 Oh my god, you made the whole fight in sync! That was amazing!

[@Sexy_Nutella]

Thanks! It was very important for me to do so :)

[@vodkavecz]

I love this chapter. At the start I always go around the cute sleeping houndeyes by scaling the shelves. I really love how much more lore was put into this level. You could feel throughout the game that these creatures are not new to some of the staff, but in this one you can be sure of it. And it's really cool. The end fight had some say "it's not in the original, it doesn't fit, etc". I remember first time having that fight. Died like 6-7 times in a row. And loved every minute of it :D What a great closure for the chapter. And the music rocks!

[@Sexy_Nutella]

Oh yeah, I died probably like 15 times when I played through that lobby fight in 2012. Back then the HECU were just straight up brutal haha.

[@carljohan9265]

It actually does fit quite well. This moment is one that really helps to sell the fact that Gordon became the legend that people know him as in HL 2.

[@blueversace4447]

@@carljohan9265 the scientist going “Holy Shit!” lmao

[@carljohan9265]

@@blueversace4447 Precisely. I love moments like that in any form of fiction, where the main character's friends (who still think of them as a normal person) gets to see them in action for real for the first time.

[@bigpappa4041]

Around this time, Shepherd and his squad are boarding their Osprey and heading to Black Mesa, whereas it is shot down and he loses consciousness and wakes up at around the beginning of FaF.

[@Sexy_Nutella]

Yeah, it's always cool to think about where OpFor's story ties into Half-Life's

[@somethingenthusiast]

no I think Adrian and his squad came in around Office Complex or We’ve got hostiles, but their osprey is shot down and he’s unconscious until the middle of surface tension

[@connorgolsong290]

Actually, this is around where Shepard is waking up and heading out.

[@Kabirdix]

Shephard would have arrived with the rest of the marines, but this is around when he's waking up after the crash

[@АндрогинЙао]

You are wrong.

[@jeanscuissiato135]

One minor detail: the Tau cannon actually can penetrate walls in Black Mesa, even without altering it's code, but it just works on some walls of a certain thickness. Contrary to HL1 though, the beam does not go straight and the beam itself has a unique effect shape (looks like a RNA). It cannot explode through walls in it's original code, or ricochet at the player like HL1 but it has a bit of the original's feature. You can try making it penetrate walls playing off, it seems to work better on thin concrete ones. Remember the security guard at the guns locker in Surface Tension? You can kill him behind the wall with the secondary fire. At least it worked on the 1.0 version.

[@Sexy_Nutella]

Thanks for the correction. I did try penetrating through the concrete walls in the QE lab but I guess they were too thick (or perhaps it's only possible with a charged shot?).

[@jeanscuissiato135]

@@Sexy_Nutella I think some of those can be penetrated, the one with the scripted sequence can if I recall. But thin walls certainly can. I was watching a stream today and I told the streamer of the gun's ability and he tried on the weapons supply in Lambda Core, shooting from outside the room. The beam divided into two, one went upwards and the other downwards. The weapon has a spread code, so it's beam can divide into multiple beams and go for random directions and has a maximum and minimum value.

[@jeanscuissiato135]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/lXTKXn2Nd79lrJY Here is the closest you can get of a HL1 Tau cannon in Black Mesa

[@luckylarry71]

I'm lost for words how beautifully this level looks. The lighting of the interiors and the stark contrast with the outdoors is so spot on. It's just mind boggling how dull and uninspired this short level looked like in the original Half-Life, even back then, but the studio managed to turn it into an absolute eyecandy and also expand on it. I really appreciate how you took a little more time to investigate some of the tiny details this time, as this was truly a treat to watch. So looking forward to the Surface Tension and the Xen parts (the two chapters in between them aren't exactly my favourite, but haven't seen them in this new edition yet, so who knows).

[@Sexy_Nutella]

I too am looking forward to Surface Tension, though all those combat encounters are going to be challenging to record - might be another long wait haha. Forget About Freeman is one of my personal favourite chapters in the game because of the topside fight alone. I'm excited to finally get there :)

[@luckylarry71]

@@Sexy_Nutella Yeah, I mean, it's just that I feel like the studio didn't really clean up the mess, that was the underground fight with aliens and even gave the security guard that silly line about rushing into a dead end filled with monsters. Just sad that they didn't see the potential to make less similar to the original and perhaps expand on it. Plus, the previous chapter is just so amazing, that it's hard to top that off imo. Lambda Core has way too much platforming for my personal taste and once again, my biggest complaint is the enormous amount of ammunition the player is allowed to carry. Once you get to the secured supply depot, where they send you off world, there's hardly anything you're able to pick up from there and just doesn't feel that rewarding.

[@felton7570]

Wait, you can go around the houndeyes?! EDIT: The "HL2.exe has stopped responding" can also be seen throughout Unforeseen Consequences and Office Complex.

[@Sexy_Nutella]

Yeah, they won't wake up unless you bump them or run near them.

[@CepbIuLOL]

Really like this style of playing - moving slowly through the level, noticing all the details and stuff that developers prepared. But that final battle and synch with music was something else.

[@Sexy_Nutella]

Glad you liked it! I wanted to showcase the game thoroughly so glad you found it so :)

[@ΒασίληςΒλάχος-τ3κ]

-Do you play an instrument? Nutella: G U N

[@Sexy_Nutella]

Hahaha yessss

[@nick6857]

Played the mission today and went right afterwards to see how you handled it. And as always it is so impressive seeing the difference to my playthrough. The little details I completely missed, the perfect timing, the variety in weapon choice. It’s like watching a movie! Looking forward to the rest of the series. You earned yourself a new subscriber.

[@Sexy_Nutella]

To be fair, I basically ran through this chapter again and again to showcase it the way I want to, as if it's really Freeman. It was important for me to capture as much detail as I can, show the action sequences in sync with the music, and use all the weapons in his arsenal to keep the video entertaining, therefore I pieced together segments from different savepoints to make this video, it's not a no-death run by any means :)

[@TheGringuish12]

29:02 is not only fascinanting because of the sync you pulled off but because the fading guitar is meant for you to reflect on the fact that you are now a restless killing machine ( this is emphazised by the scientists reactions). I often think this is not just the story of the tragedy at Black Mesa but the tragedy of Gordon Freeman, a man wanted just for his right to live trough Amazing job as always Sexy, making you quite famous here in chile

[@Sexy_Nutella]

I like your analysis - I too agree that the song hints at Gordon's transformation from a hapless scientist to a badass saviour of humanity, and the psychological toll that must take on his mind. Thanks for the comment and I am glad you enjoyed the video :)

[@grygoo2680]

25:30 Dang. I never really considered the almost poetic nature of Peter's death. Killed by the very same machine he used on another intelligent life form.

[@Sexy_Nutella]

Ironic and a bit of dark humor as well! The fact that his initials are F Peter is just icing on the cake haha

[@ethansaucier2917]

The scientists in the Questionable Ethics labs dare to ask the bold question: Can aliens be just incinerated?

[@Sexy_Nutella]

Sounds like some questionable...ETHICS *roll credits*

[@AndersonMallony-EricCF]

28:05 The legendary moment you're coming back here to see again.

[@Sexy_Nutella]

Glad you find it so replayable :)

[@AgentStamos]

I have nothing to say apart from that your 500+ Runs of QE were worth it. Keep up the good work man.

[@Sexy_Nutella]

Thank you for the feedback! Surface Tension is next and it's my favourite chapter, so I am pumped (although also dreading all those combat encounters that I'll have to go through multiple times as well!)

[@AgentStamos]

Your welcome :)

[@likopinina6803]

that buildup with reloading weapons and fight ending perfectly with music aaaaaaaaaaaaa GOOD STUFF also F for Peters and bless for going through all that hassle to not wake up sonic puppies

[@Sexy_Nutella]

Thanks mate, I wanted to find a way to build up that lobby battle even more, reloading all my guns seemed like the perfect way to do it ;)

[@honest_cake]

I haven't had the chance to play through the newest update recently, so I was surprised to see they changed the hornet behavior on the Grunts. But not gonna lie I'm down for it, those guys were brutal at times :) Also mad props to your 500+ runs, there's a reason your videos are so great!

[@Sexy_Nutella]

Thank you - not gonna lie those 500 runs sucked the soul outta me, but I'm glad you enjoyed the final version I ended up going with! And yeah, those hornets used to be crazy with how they can hit you around corners. I also liked the change, the agrunts still seem pretty aggressive even without their homing hornets.

[@erikpng]

Ok, all those recording attempts paid off. That battle was epic. Aslo, I love how the guard roasted the HECUs =)) "You shoot like a girl."

[@Sexy_Nutella]

Yeah, the guards in this game are hilarious with their one-liners sometimes. Glad you enjoyed the battle :)

[@erikpng]

@@Sexy_Nutella oh yeah, forgot to mention. Those 3 are now probably dead because of the houndeyes you left alone. Well, they probably died anyway due to military or the nuke that G-Man set off.

[@Sexy_Nutella]

@@erikpng highly unlikely given I left the door closed at the cage.

[@guestpwl]

9:04 really gives HECU some personality, now no longer just man-made robotic killing machines that speak like god damn boomers, like you have that irritable guy, and then the ‘Super bus… via..’ stuff.

[@Sexy_Nutella]

Yeah, one thing the game does very well is humanizing the HECU

[@devyn.]

half life made them seem like a bunch of psychopaths. the only actual conversation you get to hear between them is "I killed a bunch of scientists lmao," but black mesa actually made them feel like people. probably my favorite part of the game.

[@true_nights_edge]

“Shit, I gotta piss…”

[@thenihilanth3382]

That last fight was one of the most satisfying things I've ever watched in my entire life. Good job sir, you nailed every part of that fight, when you pulled a perfect sync with the music I was like "oh yes" all the time.

[@Sexy_Nutella]

I'm glad you found that enjoyable, I knew I had to end the chapter on a banger with a good lobby fight sequence, so I just kept re-doing it until I could hit all the syncs I planned out.

[@thenihilanth3382]

@@Sexy_Nutella your dedication is admirable, you really deserve more subs. With no commentary you provide quality entertainment and you are more wholesome than the majority of streamers and youtubers out there.

[@Sexy_Nutella]

@@thenihilanth3382 Thanks again! My goal was indeed to try to express as much emotion as I could through my actions in the game - without any commentary. Glad you are able to interpret it all :)

[@audax117]

Always loved this mission now I love it even more, the attention to detail and the new areas are such a welcome bonus ngl, it actually makes the name "Questionable Ethics" have more sense, when I played the OG HL for the first time I didnt even knew wtf this mission was trying to tell but now anyone can clearly see it, also loved the little GMan appearence there they added, always felt weird how he suddenly disappeared for 6 missions lol, also, great work with the video dude, loved it cant wait to see Surface Tension lol, I love this cinematic feel you put into your videos, keep up the good work ;)

[@Sexy_Nutella]

Yeah, this version of QE is so much better than HL1's in my opinion. All the extra stuff they added in (including the G-man appearance like you mentioned) are so good. Thanks for the kind words as well :)

[@erikpng]

I came back here because I have a suggestion for Surface Tension. You know the "That could have been a lot worse." guard. When the door closes I want you to shoot at it, as if Gordon desperately tries to open/break it to save the guard.

[@Sexy_Nutella]

I will address this when I get there for sure as stated in my other comment - though I may not go as far as to shoot the door. I will run against it though.

[@tornadogamah]

Something I just noticed (although probably far-fetched) is that the dialogue between the marines at 8:58 might be a nod to Freeman's Mind: Episode 40, where Gordon sees the same sign and says, "Now what's this say? 'Superbus via...' I don't know much Latin..."

[@wylser]

I'm always amazed at how well you do the battle with the soldiers at the end and I never get tired of watching it haha. Waiting on the rest of your videos!

[@Sexy_Nutella]

Thanks :) I always look forward to doing the QE lobby battle, its so much fun

[@ibanez2010]

Awesome chapter and creepy as hell. I was genuinely relieved and happy when I met up with the first security guard. We had a good chat. I told him all about my little adventure I had just had in residue processing. He agreed, the solid waste disposal room was stupid AF;)

[@Sexy_Nutella]

I agree, the first map of QE is quite spooky with all the experiments and the lack of any living personnel until the end. There's also this creepy ambient scream/roar that only plays in this chapter that I really dig.

[@ibanez2010]

@@Sexy_Nutella I just got to Xen. Looks crazy good! Are you still planning on uploading the rest of the game? Would love to see it.

[@Cscuile]

I know how difficult it can be to time video with music. You did an AMAZING job at it! I can't image how long that must have taken to get perfect. The most satisfying fight I've ever seen! Well done!

[@Sexy_Nutella]

About 500 takes ;)

[@technicalsock2465]

If I'm not mistaken, the soldier's dialogue at 8:58 is also a reference to Freeman's Mind.

[@Sexy_Nutella]

That's neat! Never made that connection

[@Nachtfalke-NSKR]

24:37 I like to think Peters and the woman crying had something going on or something.

[@Sexy_Nutella]

That or they were close colleagues!

[@CynicalWarlock]

28:59 - Last shot perfectly synced with the music.

[@Sexy_Nutella]

Glad i was able to hit that. Took many tries

[@CynicalWarlock]

@@Sexy_Nutella Yeah, you managed to do that in several videos. Great cinematic sensibilities.

[@Sexy_Nutella]

@@CynicalWarlock it's something that I really enjoying doing despite the difficulty!

[@CynicalWarlock]

@@Sexy_Nutella Didn't realize I posted 3 comments about the same thing. :)) Think I like that aspect cause I love music and movies a lot. Guess you do, too.

[@norhomu]

28:11. Man, what a headshot! That was insane!

[@writinggoose6059]

The way you played the Tau Cannon introduction had me rolling. You can hear the moment Freeman thinks "oh shit!"

[@Sexy_Nutella]

Definitely intended to convey that, glad it turned out well :)

[@jose117_]

You just got an sub for that epic scene

[@SimonClarkstone]

29:06 That gun just sitting upright on the floor like this is original Doom or something. :-)

[@Sexy_Nutella]

Lol! What are the odds haha

[@blueversace4447]

Just finished this and it’s my new favorite level so far! Legit awesome Call of Duty like set pieces, awesome atmosphere and well paced progression of the story after the last level (which I also enjoyed). This game is way underrated.

[@Sexy_Nutella]

QE is one of my favourite chapters as well! I'm excited for you to get through Surface Tension - that one is amazing throughout and has some of the best setpieces in the game.

[@blueversace4447]

@@Sexy_Nutella I pulled an all-nighter and beat the game this morning! What an experience. I had a blast on Xen. The graphics were amazing and I enjoyed the gameplay more than the earlier levels actually as Hard mode wasn’t as much of a sweat as earlier on. The story! Seeing the aliens not be hostile and finding out what was going on was awesome. I referred to your videos a few times when I got stuck and as a sort of retrospective when I took breaks. I think it’s a must-play for any story FPS fans! It reminded me a lot of Bioshock (of course this came first). Thanks for this video series!

[@Sexy_Nutella]

@@blueversace4447 Awesome to hear you enjoyed your experience! If you haven't played them already, Half-Life 2 and its episodes are an excellent continuation of the story and are the ones officially made by Valve.

[@omarandresorellano4142]

1:58 te salvaste de los houndeye jeje! 33:20 la verdad la parte afuera a cambiado mucho! Buena jugada *Sexy Nutella* ^w^👍🏻👊🏼.

[@Sexy_Nutella]

Siempre trato de salvar a los Houndeyes cuando puedo, ¡son tan lindos!

[@omarandresorellano4142]

@@Sexy_Nutella ahora te entiendo y pienso lo mismo q los houndeye son como mascotas

[@Sexy_Nutella]

@Im a Black Lion No, solo uso el Traductor de Google para cambiar de inglés a español para poder entender.

[@catwild1663]

I heard about him "Gordon doesn't need hear all of this. He is highly trained professional". but I think. It's mean "trained as Experimental assistant". not soldier. He destroyed marine's ambush smoothly... increadibly skill - One survived person from black mesa

[@approximated_nerd]

the beginning bit with the alien grunt in the chamber paired with the really alien, creepy music really freaked me out, but in a good way. black mesa is a great game and can be very good with its atmosphere at many times.

[@Sexy_Nutella]

Definitely. The first map of this chapter is very enlightening in that it shows you what's really been going on behind the scenes at Black Mesa, but also gives off a creepy vibe because of how empty it is after the HECU went through and slaughtered all the scientists.

[@TheDarkJoker7]

This is definitely my favorite chapter!

[@Sexy_Nutella]

It's one of mine as well :) I love getting the Tau Cannon

[@darknight241]

28:57 so amazed that flinch didn't throw it all..

[@Sexy_Nutella]

Same here. Glad I was able to though

[@quaqyt4173]

28:25 how did this hit so perfectly and synced with the song i got chills, literally!

[@Sexy_Nutella]

Just tons and tons of practice and attempts ;)

[@timebomb42]

28:07 to 29:48.... That is what you call damn good gaming. That is something Joel Nielsen would look at and say" yep that's what you're supposed to do"

[@Sexy_Nutella]

I sure hope so! Not sure if he has seen it but it'd be awesome to get his thoughts on it :)

[@timebomb42]

@@Sexy_Nutella He has personally said that that's one of his favorite soundtracks of the game, and that there's a certain way players should play through it. I can't imagine anything being more perfect than your playthrough.

[@Sexy_Nutella]

@@timebomb42 That's very kind of you to say :)

[@dustypaint]

This is a very long day for Freeman. Apprehension Residue Processing Questionable Ethics Surface Tension Forget About Freeman

[@Sexy_Nutella]

Yup. Man's been on adrenaline for an entire day running from his enemies.

[@7drag0n]

sometimes i will come back to this specific video exclusively to watch that fight at 28:06

[@Sexy_Nutella]

Glad you find it that entertaining! :)

[@s-man5647]

21:48 the way that roll of wire just slides tickles me :)))

[@Sexy_Nutella]

Yeah when I noticed that when I was reviewing the footage, I laughed

[@help4343]

A very wonky OG HL:1 type slide.

[@govnolep]

This is where a nerdy scientist turns into a badass action hero 27:49

[@Sexy_Nutella]

Agreed. This is where the legend is born

[@jazdajazda2191]

freeman is not nerdy scientist hes a good scientist who tries to help fellow scientists and guards and then save humanity

[@HenrikKoh-sk1mm]

Epik final battle! Especially with that final Tau Cannon shot

[@Sexy_Nutella]

Thank you!

[@BodrioForce787]

Tu manera de jugar es jodidamente perfecta, se siente bastante cinematográfico, es el mejor gameplay de este hermoso juego que jamas pude haber encontrado!

[@DoomieGruntVentures]

I remember that battle at the end fondly, for good and bad reasons. I was really worried when I played through a second time with a hook program to enable VR, but after several failed attempts, I had one where I just went in, determined and focused. And like you, performed a sort of combat dance to the music. I'll never forget the moment when I made it through that fight with minimal damage taken, stopping to catch my breath, like Freeman would after a fight like that. Followed by shock and awe from fellow scientists as they see the aftermath. Inlore, I imagine this is the definitive moment when Gordon is no longer a scared theoretical physicist kept safe by a hazard suit, but now a determined survivor with military hardware, power armor, and a prototype weapon. And he is on a mission to reach Lambda complex by any means necessary. --- Also, two things. I never knew about the dopefish on the whiteboard, nor that you could "break" one of the computers like that.

[@grygoo2680]

Takes great care to not awaken and harm the sleeping puppies. Alien grunt trapped behind glass? BURN, BABY! BURN!

[@Sexy_Nutella]

In all honesty I just wanted to showcase the cool fire effect. Canonically you can treat it as Freeman realizing the Alien Grunt is doomed anyway and decided to put it out of its misery.

[@alexloardo9194]

You did it again sexy nutella. And that finally shot at questionable ethics theme. Like the first time.

[@Sexy_Nutella]

Glad you stuck around for the second time :)

[@SuperCristian1231]

28:11 damn that was such a clean shot

[@Sexy_Nutella]

Thanks :) It was important for me to nail those two starting magnum shots

[@SuperCristian1231]

@@Sexy_Nutella I really enjoy how you do your gameplays, keep up the content!

[@Sexy_Nutella]

@@SuperCristian1231 Thanks so much!

[@MisterMarin]

12:06 Security Guard: "You guys shoot like a girl!" Gina Cross, Colette Green & Female Assassins: Are we a joke to you?

[@stillalive221]

This is probably my most favorite chapter of BM (besides Xen ofc). It combines eerie atmosphere of empty corridors with relaxing blue color - it's just something... And of course stunning performance on the final fight. You know I like to experience games on hard because usually everything below hard presents no challenge. But BM and especially this fight kicked my ass hard. On my first playthrough I died here maybe 20 times and I had to take a break and go to sleep to come back next day and beat this fight. And I dreaded this fight since so on my second playthrough after Xen release I was like "Oh no, this is THIS level". I guess I'm just bad at video games😄 Thank you for suffering through this for my enjoyment!

[@Sexy_Nutella]

No worries, that final battle at the lobby kicked my ass as well - I too died around like 20 times the first time through.

[@SaffronHorizon]

8:28 that monitor lit on fire just by pressing a key on the keyboard lol

[@Rangerchips]

Ngl but your channel is probably the reason i wanted black mesa (which i got fortunately)

[@capsuleofdoom6942]

I knew today was gonna be a good day

[@Sexy_Nutella]

Glad I could contribute to that :)

[@mikekomarinski]

Good job leaving the sleeping houndeyes alone again.😁

[@Sexy_Nutella]

They are too precious to kill! I'll always try to avoid bugging them if I can haha

[@mikekomarinski]

@@Sexy_Nutella IKR

[@maxcook356]

I just throw a satchel charge so they dont wake up to me killing them

[@cowboy5944]

What a sick shot at 28:12

[@Sexy_Nutella]

Always satisfying to land a headshot with the Magnum :)

[@zepteriussanctus7261]

i think it requires a lot of skill to get so perfect timing at 29:00

[@Sexy_Nutella]

It definitely did take a lot of tries haha.

[@jayadevcalamur163]

That bit where the scientist says, look what you did! Reminds me of when Sean Connery reacts to Harrison Ford when he kills those nazis in Indiana jones and the last crusade

[@Sexy_Nutella]

I think it was an intentional reference to that, yes :)

[@PL5error]

The timing at 21:46 was just PERFECT.

[@VimyGlide]

everyone talking about how he ends the fight with a tau shot as the song ends, but nobody talking about how he slaps that other dude with the tau as the song climaxes

[@Sexy_Nutella]

Glad you noticed ;)

[@AgentStamos]

Pause the video at 29:07. Something... Intresting can be seen. Somehow an MP5 managed to stand perfectly straight. I don't know how to really explain it you have to see for your self. Its on the left side near the closest flare.

[@Sexy_Nutella]

Ha, I'd wager that was just pure chance and Source physics being it's old glitchy self.

[@ralphcifaretto1]

This is done so well. This chapter in Black Mesa is far more impactful than HL1. You actually see just how bad the stuff they were doing was

[@phyllotaxis]

20:59 Gotta love the Doom doors haha

[@Sexy_Nutella]

Yeah, nice callback for sure hehe

[@ola_ola._.]

what the hell the lobby ambush was just gorgeous

[@Sexy_Nutella]

Glad you enjoyed that! :)

[@Hater67876]

my man popped off in the lobby fight.

[@Sexy_Nutella]

Took plenty of tries to get it to look that way but I'm glad you enjoyed it!

[@erikpng]

You know, looking back, I wouldn't dare cross your path on a deathmatch server.

[@lascha2nd199]

To be honest, this is my favorite chapter and at the same time, there's a one of worst puzzle in this chapter where gordon block "laser-proof" by using metal crate something like that in Half-Life 1, while in Black Mesa you just instead unplug the cable which is weird for me, although it make sense but honestly HL1 bit challenging for thinking too if you play it for first time.

[@Sexy_Nutella]

Yeah, having to push the crate under the shield was super unintuitive in HL1. I think that's why they changed it for Black Mesa

[@toainsully]

20:57 It ain't the same without "Nuclear Missile Jam." I wish Black Mesa had an option to switch to the Classic Half-Life soundtrack

[@Sexy_Nutella]

I think there may be a mod on the workshop for this

[@rufukyduky]

I think this new soundtrack is better to be honest

[@aaronvuong4677]

Waited the longest time for this! hahaha

[@Sexy_Nutella]

Sorry to keep you waiting ;)

[@doge151alt_account]

My favorite level, just no question, my favorite level, especially the music In the topside battle

[@Sexy_Nutella]

One of mines as well!

[@smolpp1708]

I see that you're playing more agressive than usual.

[@Sexy_Nutella]

Hmm in my view I played this chapter the same way I did previous ones. I guess I was more aggressive during the big lobby fight, but with any big fight with the HECU, I'm always a bit more aggressive because they can and will swarm Gordon if he doesn't kill them as they come.

[@adrian.shephard.official]

I just yeeted some satchels at the houndeyes and exploded them into gazillion pieces

[@Sexy_Nutella]

Also a viable option haha

[@pearl-on-the-press]

You're an ace at this game.

[@Sexy_Nutella]

Thanks for the kind words :)

[@salty1water417]

And of course you must sync the gunshots with the music and thats cool

[@Sexy_Nutella]

It was really important for me to do so. I think it adds a lot to the video :)

[@hecubalaclavagrunt2335]

Barney:you guys shoot like a girl HECU:and we took it personal

[@Twenteeeee]

20:52 the boots 💀

[@DogukanAyan87_]

Rest in peace scientist

[@Sexy_Nutella]

Press F to pay respects

[@KyJIaK71rus]

More to Trivia: *0:11 - in original game you could slove this pizzle even with crowbar, by simply breaking one of the electric coils on the fence. 4rd wall breaking Trivia: This level has multiple references to unsloved Pizza ARG: *Through (the whole game course) this level in many unavailable for player places there's secret message 'Pizza is a LIE' which was a start of Pizza ARG; also in map bm_c2a4f there're a secret room which has few messages 'Pizza is a LIE' and also letters 'MYONS' which also related to ARG and it also a reference to fantastic race created by ARG dev: gankersquad.proboards.com/thread/127/meet-myons ; *4:32 - noclipping through this door leads you to the encrypted message 'I have hidden four codes abcd for access to my site - do Konami code a one zero zero one' ( kzbin.info/www/bejne/jYSmZJ17gNWJh80 ); *7:10 - this is Secutiry Officer Sisk, he ate Dr. Horn's pizza and actually start all this mess with ARG, he even talk about pizza at 30:50; also all this history was mentioned by Barney Calhoun in radio message which located inside Dr. Horn's secret lair in 'Gonarch lair' ( kzbin.info/www/bejne/jYSmZJ17gNWJh80 ); *7:35 - this pizza not only is required for 'Pepperoni Precipitation ' achievment, but also belong Dr. Horn (that was explained by dev of ARG); *19:01 - noclipping in this stairs leads you to secret room with low-poly model of the man with blowed off head, it somehow related to ARG ( kzbin.info/www/bejne/jYSmZJ17gNWJh80 ); *20:07 - this code on the right side of the whiteboard one of a few coded message related to ARG ( thepizzaisalie.fandom.com/wiki/Code_D ); *21:30 - Dr. Horn's office - his picture hanging on the wall (also this picture appears inside of Dr. Horn's shack in 'Surface Tension' as teleport easter egg in cliff map where you get RPG); also this man on a picture is Chris Horn a.k.a. Stormseeker, Black Mesa level designer and creator of Pizza ARG. You can find more about ARG here: thepizzaisalie.fandom.com/wiki/The_Pizza_Code_Mystery_ARG_Wiki Sloving of ARG is still in progress in this thread: discord.com/channels/592595839600558080/593973429405745152

[@Sexy_Nutella]

Thanks for the comments about the ARG, I am not familiar with it myself so it's appreciated

[@ericklopes4046]

Damn you managed to get past the alien dogos without killing them. I always felt bad about killing them.

[@Sexy_Nutella]

Same here. They're so cute!

[@nofox777]

I'm glad I'm grown now, I could never figure out how to beat this damn game when I was a kid but was totally involved in the half life tfc and cs culture my entire child hood.

[@Sexy_Nutella]

Same here, Valve games are what I grew up with and I'm glad for that :)

[@nofox777]

@@Sexy_Nutella it's a feel and experience I can't accurately describe.

[@Domiducus]

29:01 GAT DAHMN THE TIMING

[@Sexy_Nutella]

Glad you enjoyed that ;)

[@andrewdrawsstuff]

I like the music that plays when you get the tau cannon here but I feel like the music from the original is better

[@Sexy_Nutella]

Nuclear mission jam is amazing. I think Joel did a good job with his rendition of the score though

[@koheletcalaforexclan6508]

Those first 2 minutes were like a horror movie 😆🥶

[@Sexy_Nutella]

Houndeyes sure are sound sleepers, given all the racket I was making haha

[@koheletcalaforexclan6508]

@@Sexy_Nutella 😆, and then they stare in the opposite direction after the shot!

[@Stongg]

Damn they changed the muzzleflashes as well

[@typhoonn3478]

It's workshop mod from hl2mmod creator

[@Stongg]

@@typhoonn3478 oh

[@Sexy_Nutella]

That's actually from a workshop mod I'm using called "Particle Enhancement Project". They do look nice though

[@zacconeacademy1883]

Awesome job on the final fight

[@Sexy_Nutella]

Thanks! Glad you liked it

[@erwinrommy3412]

I like this Chapter Questionable Ethics

[@Sexy_Nutella]

It's one of my favourites as well!