Half-Life: Opposing Force

Cool concept of letting the players see other sides of the original half-life story, however, this iteration is way less polished and has much more bugs which can hurt the overall experience.

It was a fun game and probably one of my favorite things to come out of the half life series

its just half life but more and slightly worse. The level design actually feels like its from the 90s

This game was a good follow up to Half-Life, with a story consisting of 12 new chapters focusing on a new protagonist. This game also has new weapons and enemies.

It's a short, buggy game, still half-life and still enjoyable tho, despite the bugs

Pretty good. Kept me super inmersed and entertained. Level design is goated like the original but some parts were too dragged and the final boss fight is meh (also like the base game lol). So in general 8/10

ahh opposing force. probably the meatiest and longest expansion the original half life got. lots of new weapons, in some cases swapping out things gordon or barney had, and lots of new enemies. gearbox went out of their way to make an expansion that was still distinctly half life, but had a lot of legs to stand on its own in terms of challenge and fun. i find the price point more of a steal considering the substance this game offers you, but it can be a rather short time running through if you know what youre doing. if you went through all the other half life games, you know certain things to expect; weird collision that might need you to no clip, chapters that might feel a bit Too drawn out, maybe a puzzle or two that didnt age the best. they are negatives that apply (in various degrees) to hl1 and all its expansions, but i find the game has so many new pieces that you dont exactly think about it as much. i think opposing force is best suited as the last goldsource half life game to play though, precisely because of the new content it offers not being reused for blue shift or even decay. i also appreciate more under utilized enemies getting their spotlight here, like more black ops or ichtyosaur encounters. definitely a must play for any half life fan, even if the story is... questionably canon, just because of the new content alone

was a good ride squad mechanics were nice new edition to keep gameplay fresh and new weapons too.

Gearbox’s Opposing Force is an amazing expansion for Half-Life and its universe and lore, answering some of the questions that were not addressed in the original. Simply put, Opposing Force is an amazing game in itself, although it has a pretty different vibe when it comes to atmosphere and play style. Opposing Force is more action-driven, and you are constantly on the move, fighting for your life. Opposing Force features an expanded list of enemies, thanks to the inclusion of Race X, which, at least to me, are more annoying foes than the Xen inhabitants.

The weapon roster also expanded heavily—most notably, the Displacer Cannon, which brings an interesting mechanic to the game: Displacement (which is teleportation, really). This gave the opportunity to explore the game in a slightly less linear way or, at the very least, allowed you to restock your weapons.

Another great addition was the recruits, who seemed smarter and more useful than the guards in the original. I would also say that the level design was fantastic—better than the original (and, unsurprisingly, Xen in particular).

Sadly, the expansion, unlike the original, still has bugs that have not been fixed for years—such as getting stuck in pipes or floors, the ending cutscene not triggering, or the same cutscene remaining on a black screen.

In my opinion, Opposing Force is well worth the time and is a fantastic experience for anyone, especially the Half-Life enthusiast (even if you are a denier of the expansion’s canonicity to the series).

That said, I still believe the original installment remains unmatched. It is more balanced, with no annoying long battles, and had a vibe that kept you playing, making you not want to stop and eager to know what comes next (something this expansion failed to do for me).

Great expansion! I really enjoyed this more than Blue Shift. Valve needs to bring back Adrian Shephard for Half-Life 3.

The character is good, and the events of the game are very good. My expectations about this character, Adrian Shephard, are that he will appear in Half-Life 3 and finally confront Gordon Freeman. Or maybe the other way around.

Great game and great levels and I love the protagonist but I swear there are too many dang glitches in this 30 year old game still. Got stuck in the hecking floor like 7 times and had to restart my save checkpoint from like the beginning. ALSO MY DUMBAHH forgot the pipe wrench. THATS RIGHT I FINISHED THE GAME WITHOUT THE SIGNATURE MELEE WEAPON IN ONE SITTING, This game needs a official MMOD version on steam. 9/10 would play again

-Floor Elevator Glitches
-Rope to Floor Glitches

Solid expansion to the Half-Life series. I really like how you can sort of track where Gordon Freeman is during this game and really adds to the immersion, as it doesn't feel like you're in a separate universe/location that's completely unrelated to the original. The new weapons are stellar and fit very well with the rest of the Half-Life arsenal, though have a little bit of powercreep to them.

Only issue with the game is balancing, as most of the new enemies are bullet sponges that make half your weapons obsolete due to their lack of firepower. Don't play on Hard mode if you're not a masochist.

9/10 game. If you like Half-Life, you'll like this.

Lot of nostalgia here but I think this game still holds up and still is a fun short adventure.

Pretty much more Half-Life, featuring new enemies that are reskins of soldiers and Bullsquids! I enjoy it, except for the times where you can get stuck in elevators or walls due to buggy collision detection.

Having freshly emerged from my inaugural journey through Half-Life: Opposing Force, I find myself compelled to articulate the profound admiration I harbor for this extraordinary expansion. Clocking in at a brisk 3.5 hours, this experience proved not only a formidable addition to the original 1998 opus but a brilliant divergence—one that illuminates a parallel perspective I find both thematically enthralling and philosophically congruent with my own views.

Where the original Half-Life chronicles the desperate struggle of a lone scientist caught in the maelstrom of an interdimensional catastrophe, Opposing Force introduces us to the indomitable discipline of the United States Marine Corps. This military framework—precise, structured, and unyielding—evokes a sense of order amidst the chaos of Black Mesa. From the outset, the game establishes its militant ethos with a tone of grim determination: you are Corporal Adrian Shephard, not an accidental hero but a trained instrument of tactical efficacy. This immediate shift in perspective is not just refreshing—it is revelatory.

The military immersion is not superficial but richly embedded within the game’s mechanics, dialogue, and set pieces. The meticulous attention to detail—from the authentic radio chatter to the cohesive squad-based encounters—evokes a sense of procedural realism that resonates with my own deep-seated admiration for military order, discipline, and valor. Opposing Force doesn’t simply add new weapons and enemies; it redefines the player’s relationship to the environment. You are no longer surviving—you are executing, maneuvering, adapting with trained precision. This is not mere gameplay variation; it is a transformation of ethos.

What I found particularly laudable is how Opposing Force enriches the lore of the original without undermining it. Rather than recycling the central narrative, it carves a concurrent storyline that intersects with Freeman’s arc in subtle, poignant ways. The glimpses of Gordon Freeman as an elusive presence, never directly interacted with yet palpably there, is an ingenious narrative stroke. It reminds us that great events are multifaceted, and heroism comes in many uniforms—some clad in lab coats, others in fatigues.

In truth, my affection for Opposing Force is inseparable from my own admiration for the military as an institution. The game does not shy away from portraying the moral ambiguities and psychological burdens faced by soldiers in combat zones, but it does so while upholding a tone of professionalism and competence. It does not reduce the military role to caricature or cannon fodder; it dignifies it. And in doing so, it reflects back values I hold dear: resilience, loyalty, calculated strength, and operational clarity in the face of disarray.

Opposing Force is more than just a side story—it is a masterful recontextualization of an already brilliant narrative universe. For those who see the world not as chaos to escape but as disorder to be brought to heel, it is nothing short of inspiring. This game, with its martial heartbeat and narrative ingenuity, has not only earned my respect—it has entrenched itself as a personal favorite in the canon of interactive art.

Not easy, but worth the patience when you beat the levels. We need a new Half Life but in the perspective of the Black Ops <3

An alright game but sometimes you get a little lost and don't know where to go had to watch some youtube tutorials myself

This game is a GREAT expansion of the half life games, even though it is made by gearbox it still feels like a good and well made half life game, even for its age it still aged like fine wine.

Nice expansion, I liked it. And I definitely prefer Adrain's laser pointer gun over the magnum in the main game, it somehow feels more responsive.

I actually prefer this over Half-Life 1, it's definitely the best out of the 3 Half-Life expansions. Just wish this was a bit longer.

A unique alternative to the original Half Life's gameplay. I personally really enjoy stories that take place at the same time as other stories, so being a small part of the original story, plus adding on to said story really tickled me. I personally prefer the arsenal in OpF over HL, although I have mixed feeling about the Deagle. Sometimes it felt like it wasn't even dealing damage, and sometimes I'd one tap anything I come across. Overall, if you enjoyed Half Life, you'll enjoy this campaign as well

I think Opposing force is the best out of the classic Half-Life series, bcz its got alot of guns that didnt make it into half life 1, blue shift, and more monsters and mechanics. So this is my fav game if we talk about the classic games of half life so if u wanna get half life, i reccomend this one.

Arguably just as good as the original HL 1. It add many new and unique weapons that aren't seen in any of the HL games. Pretty hard towards the endgame.

"Race X" was probably one of the coolest things in this game exept the electric bug halfwits that just have straight up aimbot
the weapons are pretty nifty too personaly i loved the wrench still a 10/10 would replay

This’ a pretty good game. It could even go as a separate game if not for Half-Life. Even though Gabe Newell doesn’t know number 3, there can be more than 2 games in a Valve’s series. Opposing Force offers us a bit less unique experience than the original game does; it’s very similar with Half-Life by its gameplay, but it also brings new levels, new story, and new gameplay features. You obviously will feel déjà vu if you have played the predecessor of this product; but this can even confuse sometimes since some key mechanics make you come up with something new. Technical state is good here too, so you won’t have to install billions of mods to play this game, although it’s been released in 1999, 25 years ago.

GAMEPLAY

I’ve already mentioned Valve as a good creator of puzzles in games in my HL's review, so they’re still here. But not to look like a thing released just to earn more money while Half-Life had popularity, Gearbox Software created new gameplay possibilities and used them in their puzzles. One such novelty is rope climbing; and if you don't complete Training Room, you can get stuck in some places, like the elevator shaft in the chapter of Missing in Action. I strongly recommend completing Training Room not only because of new features that you’ll find out there, but also because of the charismatic Drill Instructors Dwight T. Barnes and Sharpe who will teach you about new mechanics in the Half-Life series.
I also should mention a new mechanic of taking allies with oneself; like they say, you can do more damage together. But at the same time you shouldn’t forget about their safety since they’re very helpful; medics can heal you and your teammates, for instance.
Howbeit, most gameplay with Shephard is pretty similar to one with Gordon Freeman.

PLOT (I’ll try to be spoilerless, but don’t promise)

Like I said, this game is about the story of a new character, Adrian Shephard, during Resonance Cascade, caused by Freeman’s actions. Story begins with Adrian and his crew flying to a mission. At that time their airplane takes some alien fire and the protagonist survives via a miracle. Shephard finds out his colleagues are about to pull out, but is late for their plane; he’s reluctant to find another way out and kill Black Ops soldiers, who are supposed to have the same purposes at Black Mesa, on his way. He gets to the last and “the nastiest-looking” alien - Gene Worm; having killed that terrible monster Adrian meets G-Man. And the latter doesn’t answer any questions again, as though he enjoys being misunderstandable. Opposing Force’s plot brings new lore in the Half-Life series, and I think it’s worth it. I’m not sure whether Valve has acknowledged extensions as canon stuff for the franchise, but, I guess, no one will argue that it’s a great extension to HL’s lore.

WEAPONS

Despite being only an extension for a game, Half-Life: Opposing Force can offer you new kinds of guns; some of them even make gameplay more diverse and puzzles more baffling. Barnacle Grapple is a good example: this’ an alien creature from Xen which can get hooked with biological substances and pull you and itself towards that object(or object towards itself). It makes player more mobile during gunfights. But there are also new firearms from Earth, like Desert Eagle, M249 Squad Automatic Weapon, and M40A1 Sniper Rifle. Last two make Adrian very dangerous. SAW is so powerful that Shephard even can’t stay in his position while shooting, meanwhile the Rifle is precise and painful.
But some weapons were even replaced. The legendary Crowbar is in this list - it was replaced by Pipe Wrench and Combat Knife. On higher difficulty levels you’ll ought break every wooden box that doesn’t blow up, so the wrench is better for gameplay, in my opinion, since it deals more damage, and hence, breaks boxes faster. Briefly speaking, weapons were updated for this game well enough to create its pace.

MUSIC

In Half-Life I didn’t notice music often; maybe I just was deaf. But in this game(or extension) I got what I was supposed to get in developers’ minds. Sometimes dynamic music plays when you’re supposed to rush to kick your enemies’ butts fast. With new guns, energetic music makes you feel like you’re in an action film; but if you’re playing at the maximum difficulty level, you shouldn’t forget your enemies aren’t just-born naïve babies who can’t even hold a gun. The only thing that confuses me is the absence of intro while launching the game. This’ not about this facet of the game, but it’s not æsthetic either.

CONCLUSION

Whatever you called it - an extension for Half-Life or a separate game - it’s great. I like this game, and I suggest playing Half-Life: Opposing Force because of its story and gameplay. It’s good as a separate game, but it also is a good addition to the original game’s story. Technical state is great, except for a few cases when I was stuck inside environment, so I see no reason not to get to know this classic masterpiece. I know that in our world everyone who has wanted to play it has already played it, but I’ll tell you anyway, that I recommend that you play this game; but better do it after having completed the original Half-Life.
And tell me what is your major malfunction…

Very good DLC to HL. Many new enemies and weapons you can use as a marine with clunky dumb ai soldier friends. The story line doesn't make any sense but there is a good focus on combat. This is basically HL but way less and easier puzzles. Combat and story not as good as HL1, enemies on hard just unfair and your basic weapons do no damage. Still worth playing though.

Opposing Force is a standalone expansion pack in which you can play as the enemy. In itself, this is a cool experience, because how often do games like this where you also get to see the other side? And also the paths of Freeman from the original game and Shepard diverge and it's very exciting to see the incident on Black Mesa from a completely different perspective. The add-on therefore not only offers new levels and weapons, but also provides added value for the lore and understanding of the plot. It offers a really good atmosphere and great world building, even if it is more hectic than in the main game.

The game wasn't developed by Valve this time, but by Gearbox (the guys who made Borderlands) and yet they've managed to recreate the Half-Life experience from the main game, especially in the gameplay:
It sometimes feels harder than the main game due to the new enemy types that appear in the endgame and on Hard difficulty, I really didn't have an easy time with them. It's also much more action-heavy than Half-Life with more enemies, situations where you get ambushed or can't find safe cover. But you have a whole arsenal of 8 (?) new weapons. Including some new military weapons, like the sniper rifle, but also cool designed alien weapons. My favorite is still the Barnacle weapon, which I use less as a weapon, but makes you feel like Spider Man when you swing around. I like all these new ideas that have been incorporated here. Unfortunately, the game often feels like a lot of experimentation has been done, but perhaps never polished due to a lack of development time.

In terms of playtime, the game is shorter than the main game, which should be obvious for an add-on, but it's definitely worth the experience. You can also forgive the small imperfections in this game, as you get more half-life action with this. and you definitly gona need it.

流程不是很长，手电换成夜视仪，撬棍换成扳手

Pretty fun dlc to the game feels like a whole new game itself, Brand new weapons and enemy types and a fresh setting in the black mesa facility 11/10 Personally I liked this more than half life 1

What an incredible game, the bugs no so much. Right off the hop, fired the pistol underwater and now it no longer works! Unbelievable.

Solution: Easy mode: Keep an old Windows 98 machine laying around with a CRT.
Hard mode: Emulate Win98 with PCem in W10.

This game has the most insane weapon variety out of any game and I don't feel like that's talked about enough. I can't believe people who say Opposing Force (and in extension, Blue Shift) are not only not canon, but also aren't good in general... they shouldn't be allowed to vote. They should be put into stasis for all eternity just like Shepard.

Very nice game and the third best half life game I guess

I was hyped to try Opposing Force and see Half-Life from the soldier's side. Playing as Marine Adrian Shephard in Black Mesa sounded cool. Right away I noticed this game moves faster than Half-Life 1. The action comes at you quicker and harder, with more enemies and bigger firefights.

The shooting feels great and way more intense than the original. New guns like the Desert Eagle and sniper rifle make combat snappier. The barnacle grapple gun is stupid fun too. Puzzles take a backseat to action this time around.

Race X enemies are kinda annoying though. Most just eat bullets, especially those beefy Shock Troopers. They slow down the pace when you're stuck pumping rounds into them. Still, they're different from Half-Life 1's aliens, which keeps things fresh.

What's wild is how different this feels from Half-Life 1. It's not just more levels - it's its own thing with a different vibe. Shephard's cool in his own way, not better or worse than Gordon. The ending comes out of nowhere though, and some areas aren't clear where to go next.

Bottom line? Opposing Force kicks ass if you want faster, heavier combat than Half-Life 1. It's not as smart or polished as the original, but way more action packed. Totally worth playing if you like shooting stuff in the Half-Life universe. Just expect some frustrating bullet sponge moments.

Хорошее дополнение к Half-Life, начало довольно интересное, но ближе ко второй трети появляется слишком много мутантов и черных оперативников, и игра вместо головоломок уже предлагает бесконечные сражения, что, как мне кажется, слишком однообразно

The "Race X" feel kinda out of this world but it still was fun. It's a shame they pretty much forgot about Adrian Sheparf in the next games, I still hope for something like at least a mentioning.

More fun than normal halflife for being an addon but some parts are really annoying so its best if you dont wanna be annoyed to play on easy mode

best half life game just finished I'm addicted finished before half life 1 lol👍 also the best weapons i LOVE the barnacle and the boss fight at the end. Snarks are also SO cute.

Defo reccomend :)

Fun little side story telling a different perspective during the Black Mesa Incident, feels weird to play as an army dude but at least you get to be the GOOD army dude right? This one is also green instead of orange so that's good too. I need the remake to this game it would be awesome.

A short spinoff to Half-Life that Valve didn't even make themselves.
Still a great game
would recommend

its pretty much more half life, so its pretty good. The weapons they added are super unique, I like the friendly NPCS better than the OG, and the enemies are more harder. Although, the game is short and feels rushed once you get to the end. The first half of 'The Package" feels rushed and on the final chapter you just stumble upon the final boss with little to no build up. and the only warning that the boss is even in there is a barney that says "yeah theres probably some random monster in there kill it good luck lol". Other than the rushed end of game it's good

I would like to thank Valve for making these games for us. Games like Portal (1-2), Team Fortress (OG-2), and the game (which the third might never come out) Half-life (1-2-Alyx-etc).

97 / 10. Extremely fun, more fun than the last game. Only 9.7 because of the multiple game crashes at the ending boss fight

Half-Life: Opposing Force is the best expansion for Half-Life. This game doesn't just give a new story but new features, weapons and mechanics as well! It keeps an interesting story and experiments with the gold source engine really well!

Sadly alongside Blue Shift this game still contains the gold source problems seen before the 25th update of Half-Life which can be annoying if came across and the boss seemed more easier than I expected, though I have no problem with that.

Overall this game does great at expanding on Half-Life and I highly recommend if you want more Half-Life or a really fun shooter!

Link to game review (if I do one) here: TBA

-DrSeaDevil

Really good game honestly, I prefer it over the original Half-Life, but Half-Life is still the better game overall.

Pretty good, but some enemies are just plain out unfair. (Specifically the Race-X fellows). And sometimes the weapons like the shotgun just doesn't.. work? Eitherway, 8/10 expansion pack, though the bosses are underwhelming.

Pretty Good dlc for half life 1

new guns new enemies they added new gameplay elements to spice up going through black mesa 2nd or 3rd

shock trooper can be annoying even on easy but other then that skip blue shift just play this one and if you want a fresh og half life 1 sometimes better i just wish there was more zen in this dlc thou

7.5/10

Opposing Force is one of the best expansion pack ever made and it gives me a full metal jacket vibes

I wish Steam had the option to make a neutral review, because it's not that I hate the game it just feels very iffy. I see a lot of people glazing Opposing Force and I just can't get myself to even remotely like the game. It has weird bugs, strange level design, and annoying enemies. I can barely find any redeeming qualities about it other than you get to ally yourself with HECU soldiers and fight more Black Ops soldiers. The weapons are... whatever. They're reskinned Half Life 1 guns, which I usually wouldn't care about if it weren't for the fact that I see people also glazing Opposing Force's guns. 6/10

gearbox making the last few chapters: lets just throw in as many shock troopers and voltigores as possible