Mod: They Hunger
Developer: Black Widow Games
Type: Single player
Download Link
Required Game: Half-Life

Installation Instructions:
- Download They Hunger.
- Run the installation. Change the default path to where your copy of Half-Life is installed. For Steam users, that directory would be C:\...<Steam directory>\steamapps\<username>\half-life.

Running the Mod (Regular Install):
- Launch Half-Life.
- Click Custom Game on the main menu.
- Click They Hunger, then click Activate, then click Done.

Running the Mod (Steam)
- After installing They Hunger, exit Steam.
- Restart Steam.
- They Hunger should appear under your My Games tab.

Review


Given my current stint as a games journalist, one might presume that the new games I get to play early, coupled with the new games always over the horizon, get me too excited to dig oldies but goodies out of the closet. I suppose that's true, from time to time. But for my money, there's nothing like going back to a classic. Like a cherished book, some games bond me to them, creating memories that never fail to inspire the same warm fuzzies five years (or more) after I first played them.

Neil Manke's They Hunger, a survival horror adventure spanning three episodes of zombie blasting mayhem, is technically a mod, a total conversion dependent on the original Half-Life to run; but those who play it will find roughly ten hours of superb level design, truly chilling environments, and some brain teasers that make They Hunger more than just a great mod - it's a great game.


They Hunger is set a few decades prior to the first episode's initial release in PC Gamer's February 2000 issue. The story opens with a nondescript black car crunching its way along a rural area's dirt roads. It stops for a train, continues through rain, and putters along the edge of a pond - until a bolt of lightning strikes it and sends it plunging into the water.

It's not long after escaping his would-be fate that our nameless hero hears reports of strange incidents plaguing the nearby town. Those incidents refer to zombie attacks, and our identity-free protagonist is soon accosted by the rotting, shambling, undead.

Unlike many other horror titles which introduce zombies and slowly build up to greater, more challenging foes, They Hunger makes sure that the eye-rolling, moaning ones take -- and keep -- center stage. Similar to games such as Doom, most zombie confrontations will be against groups of three, four, five, or even more; but unlike frantic shooters, ammunition and health are far less prolific. When pitted against a mob of undead, you'll want to stop and think about your environment, the number of monsters, and how best to eliminate them. Sure, a few secondary blasts from your shotgun should clear the graveyard full of baddies that just clawed their way up from their graves, but is that really the best option?


Most of the time, no, it really isn't. My typical strategy in such instances was to pick off two or three with my pistol (or, in cramped quarters, a weapon packing more kick) before clubbing the rest with a melee weapon.

Other monsters will challenge you as the game progresses, and if They Hunger does have a weakness, this is it. Zombies are supposed to be dumb, right? I mean, their brains are half-rotted, half-eaten, half-whatever, so they have an excuse for stumbling into walls and sometimes turning completely away from you even as you staple a few semi-automatic rounds into their ruined bodies. But a human faces the opposite direction, as if happily pointing to a "kick me" sign taped to his back? That's bad A.I., plain and simple.

Humans shooting from afar often seek better vantage points if you try to find cover, but other than that, the humans just love to die. Direct confrontations see them stand there and shoot as they take bullets to the chest, and they'll often become stuck in thin air, making themselves easy targets.


Regardless of whether you're facing intentionally or accidentally stupid enemies, They Hunger's incredible ambiance and diverse set of environments makes every encounter intense. You'll creep through desecrated tombs where zombies wait behind sealed brick walls; sprint across graveyards and sewers; wade through a swamp; storm a police station; and more.

Besides being aesthetically impressive, They Hunger's backdrops are designed to force you to think about how you'll fight your enemies. Many corridors present two zombie hordes: one at your front, another at your back. Should you blast through and spend precious shotgun rounds, or relinquish a pack of dynamite? Should you ignore the rear mob, or obliterate them and see what treasure troves await shadowy, hidden alcoves?

Adding to the appropriately spooky settings are They Hunger's ambient sounds: the moaning and shuffling of zombies, the croaks and chirps of swamp frogs and crickets; the crackle of flames; the splintering of wood as zombies break free of their coffins.... Best of all, the mod is largely devoid of music, making this horror experience one that should be played in a dark room beneath a dark night sky.


Puzzles are sprinkled generously through each episode, though they rarely feel intrusive. There are segments, especially in episode two, where puzzles are placed too close to one another, barely giving the player any time to enjoy exploring a new area (and fending off its many stashes of hidden beasts) before presenting yet another brain teaser. Still, much like Half-Life and Half-Life 2, They Hunger's puzzles feel appropriate within its context, and most answers are usually obvious.

It's impossible to pour enough praise onto They Hunger. It stands as a shining example of why mods are so beloved to the PC gaming community: Half-Life is ten years old this year, and the last episode of They Hunger is now the little tyke age of seven; but when gaming experiences are this good, the combined age of a game and mod now old enough to drive is of the same value (or higher) as many new games priced at $50 or more.