Half-Life: Azure Sheep

In Azure Sheep, you take on the role of security guard Barney, whose task is to rescue his colleague and love interest, codenamed "Azure Sheep," who finds herself in danger at the Black Mesa complex. The mission leads through familiar levels, encounters with Gordon Freeman and Adrian Shephard, and unfolds within a new campaign featuring unusual enemies, additional weapons, and important story events.

The mod offers a serious amount of content: about 50 levels with new scenes, models, sounds, and voice acting. Familiar zones from the original game appear, adding a sense of story continuation.

The interiors stand out for their atmosphere, with levels carefully crafted where design isn't limited to simple corridors. However, the large number of transitions and repetitive corridors becomes tiresome in places — the problem lies more in their excessive frequency than in lack of development.

The arsenal combines classic and unique weapons: from modified Snarks and railguns to flamethrowers and automatic machine guns. Some of these are significantly more powerful than the standard weaponry of the original game.

The story is dynamic, but contains elements that go beyond canon: Gordon and Adrian's appearance and ambiguous scenes that raise questions. Escort episodes with Kate add emotional drive, but at times her behavior feels like a burden rather than help.

Gameplay sometimes feels uneven: there are sharp difficulty spikes, unexpected damage, enemy spawns in unexpected places, and shortages of armor and health kits. Some sections require precision and a careful approach.

Despite its flaws, Azure Sheep remains a cult classic and unique mod of its time (2001) — ambitious, rich, and memorable.