1999 · Black Widow Games · First-person shooter · Zombie

They Hunger

1999 video game mod

Released: 2 July 1999
Platforms: Windows
Genres: First-person shooter Zombie
Developers: Black Widow Games
Publishers: —
Modes: Single-player
Engine: GoldSrc
Country: United States

About

They Hunger is a single player horror-based mod of Valve's first-person shooter Half-Life. It was released by Neil Manke's Black Widow Games in three episodes, They Hunger (2000), They Hunger 2: Rest in Pieces (2000), and They Hunger 3: Rude Awakening (2001). All three episodes were sponsored by PC Gamer and appeared on the magazine's cover disk. The original mod received positive reviews from critics; who commended the project's quality, horror elements, and the way it used the GoldSrc engine. A fourth game made for the Source engine, They Hunger: Lost Souls, was cancelled.

The articlegameplay, story, development, reception

Story

They Hunger takes place in a town called Rockwell, also called "the valley" by Deputy Jerry Hobbs. The location of the town is never revealed. The town is surrounded by many cliffs and canyons; many sections of the town are separated by tunnel systems. On the outskirts, there is "Rockwell Stud Bulls," a family-owned cattle company.

One of the town's more notable landmarks is a large volcanic chasm, which appears to be the town's main tourist attraction dubbed "Devil's Rift." It also has a Stonehenge-type structure. The town has its own local radio station, BMRF Radio (a reference to the Black Mesa Research Facility from the Half-Life series).

Reception

Giochi per il mio computer called the first episode professional product and an extremely compelling horror adventure. PCZeta said They Hunger has masterful use of lighting, creepy sound effects and ingenious level design. PC Player said They Hunger is the most acclaimed single-player Half-Life mod among the fan community. CNET Gamecenter placed it on its list of top 10 Half-Life mods, writing: "They Hunger is the best horror-themed first-person shooter since the original Blood."

Planet Half-Life wrote about the first episode in 2000: "In short, the dark atmosphere is there, the weapon balance is right on, and the immersion is near-total." In 2006, they wrote: "Its sweet blend of ambience, satisfyingly intense close-quarters zombie combat (or SICQZC for short), and slick manner of horror panache make it a must-download."