Riot TrActors

Inspired by the highly enjoyable Minerva, I spent a few hours this afternoon playing through Half-Life 2 mods. I was a little disappointed with the limited farming action in TractorSource, but nevertheless pleased that the ongoing intimate relationship between games and tractors continues apace. I look forward to the completed mowing add-on.

Far more satisfying was the single player Half-Life 2 mod Riot Act, which is set in Nova Prospekt at the time of Alyx and Gordon's original hell-raising. You play as an escaped prisoner fighting his way to freedom, and fight alongside other prisoners and so forth. There's a bit of shaky pacing and some annoyingly narrow corridors in there, but mostly the design is up to a professional standard. The scene setting visual effects as you fade in and out of consciousness in the opening moments are jolly impressive. Riot Act also boasts the third prettiest mod website I have ever seen. These chaps will soon be in gainful gaming employment, I'd wager. (If they aren't already.)