Transmissions: Element 120

The Half-Life series is stagnating for quite some time now, because it would appear that Valve has no intention to continue working on it. Whether you are fine with that or not it doesn’t matter, but you can always take matters into your own hands and use the Source engine to create something in the same universe. As a matter of fact, that’s exact what the game at hand is about.

Transmissions: Element 120 is a mod designed using the Source engine in which you play the role of an unknown character trying to figure out where he is and what’s his purpose. As skeptical as you might be, the game is actually very well done, especially when it comes to the puzzles, the atmosphere and the level design. It brings back a ton of memories from the original game.

You wake up in a train tunnel with no memory of how you got there or what you should be doing. Hence, the only thing that comes to mind is to try exploring and escaping, which proves to be a tad more difficult than you’d think. There are all sorts of traps and puzzles that need to be figured out in order to make it out alive, and the mechanics are the same as in Half-Life 2.

The game’s greatest flaw is the fact that it’s a bit too short, but it’s to be expected, given the tiny development team and the complexity of the engine. On the other hand, the puzzles and the atmosphere are spot on, so at least the experience is highly concentrated. You get to play around with the crowbar, the gravity gun, as well as fight classic enemies like facehuggers and zombies.

When it comes to graphics, the Source engine needs no introduction, since everyone is aware of what it’s capable of. However, the developers added some new effects to make it look even better, such as enhanced dynamic lighting and better post-processing effects. Even so, the greatest thing about Transmissions: Element 120 is the level design, because it truly feels like every corridor has a purpose.

All things considered, Transmissions: Element 120 is beautifully designed and more than capable to impress any puzzle fan. Moreover, it should appeal to Half-Life fans as well, especially when it comes to atmosphere and level design.