Half-Life 2 is one of the all-time defining FPS games. Released in 2004, and launching the Valve renaissance that also birthed Portal and Left 4 Dead, the legacy of HL2 is just as strong today, thanks to fan remasters, VR projects, and myriad Half-Life mods. But this one might just take the Black Mesa transit system ticket – Lego Half-Life 2 turns every character in the iconic shooter, from Gordon Freeman to Alyx Vance and the G-Man, into tiny, blocky Lego figurines. If you’re tired of waiting for Half-Life 3, and want to imagine an alternate universe where, alongside Star Wars and Indiana Jones, Half-Life also got the Lego tie-in treatment, you should head over to Steam right now.
Aptly titled ‘Lego Half-Life 2,’ this is a conversion mod created by ‘NotDaveorDaniel,’ and it’s currently available on Steam Workshop. It replaces the character models in Half-Life 2 with Lego versions – from the central cast to the citizens of City 17, the Combine soldiers, and even the Vortiguants, this is a sweeping Lego makeover. Used alongside some other mods, most notably a customizable third-person camera, you can make Half-Life 2 look like an official, licensed Lego game. Take a look at the mock-up HL2 Lego trailer from YouTuber ‘Ice Smash.’
A couple of things to keep in mind, however. Firstly, this mod only replaces the character models in Half-Life 2, not the environments. Secondly, since everyone is scaled down to Lego-person size, your in-game perspective and some of the interactions might be a little askew. Nevertheless, it’s a terrific proof of concept, and with the unofficial Half-Life 2 Remastered likely on its way, could hopefully serve as a catalyst for a bigger Lego mod. You can get Lego Half-Life 2 here.
If you’re a big Half-Life fan and want to get the nostalgia going, check out some of the best old games that you can still run on your PC. You might also want to find out whatever happened to Half-Life 3, which is coming one day, we promise.