Black Mesa: Xen delayed until December, dev team shows two images of Xen as-is rendered in game, in real time

[captain cactus]

https://forums.blackmesasource.com/index.php/Thread/30743-Summer-Update/

We start with the bad news:
 

Quote

Unfortunately, as some of you may have already predicted, we are going to need to push back our planned release of Xen to later this year, in December. We know that this is not what anyone would want to hear, but after taking a long and hard look at what we want to achieve, we have decided that this is for the best. We do not want to compromise on Xen’s quality in any way. That said, we consider December to be a do-or-die deadline.

 

 

Better delaying it for maximum quality than rushing it out and have it be crappy and full of bugs. Good on ya'll.


Now to the neat stuff.

Image one.


Image two:


As stated: 

Quote

All running real-time, in- game, with no edits.

You know what, unlike pretty much every game studio ever, I believe these guys, mostly because I know how Source can look, and how earlier posted images of the game (long before they got onto Steam Greenlight) showed the exact same thing as in the game when you run it yourself.

It's totally awesome, though I'd like to see some more green included in the ground and props.

Xen will be huge. HUGE.


They then talk about some technical stuff. One thing's worth mentioning:


 

Source will also get a lighting overhaul adding deferred rendering bringing real-time lighting, shadows and god rays. Super sexy. Especially considering this is Source we're talking about. A 2004 engine (heavily modified though but still) with code going back to the Quake days. And it's pushing out this. Amazeballs. And it still looks realistic. Not overblown like current engines like to do. Subtle yet effective.

They then talk about some color correction stuff and refined animations, but these are the main highlights I wanted to point out.

So yeah. Good stuff's coming to our favourite remake.

[FIXXX]

I'll play the crap out of this if/when it's released. 

Won't pre-order though, no matter how hard I want to.

[captain cactus]

3 hours ago, FIXXX said:

I'll play the crap out of this if/when it's released. 

Won't pre-order though, no matter how hard I want to.

Everything leading up to the Xen entry point (going into the main teleporter) is already released, and expanded upon in the last year or so with Surface Tension Uncut being the big update. Preordering means the game's not out yet, but Black Mesa is, just 2/3rds of it. You get about 7 hours of campaign gameplay with this, AND it has multiplayer (though it's a bit hard to find a populated server).