Beta Aesthetics 2.0 Remastered

[BenedictKapustin_42]

Here you can take a look at my attempt to recreate a well-known Half Life 2 Beta style. I was inspired by maps from 2001-2002 beta and decided to make this addon. 

In addition to changing textures and models, sounds and music were changed too (I replaced the original soundtrack with unused music for one of the Half Life games (Album by
Chris Jensen: "Mishaps in the Reactor Chamber"). It is possible that these tracks should have sounded in Half Life: Opposing Force or even in HL2 beta (one of them plays in the
first trailer and is called "Docks"). It is worth saying that the addon does not change the maps themselves, as well as the plot. Same game, different atmosphere. During development, I tried to stick to the 2001 Beta style, but in some places I used content from the 2002 beta. This whole mod was a very laborious project for me. It took almost a year to create it, and now it's finally ready. I want to thank all those who supported my project and helped with its development. Special thanks to RizGBlue and Mr_K and everyone else whose content has been used in Beta Aesthetics.

The REMASTERED version is different from the one before:
* New textures and models
* Updated sounds
* New soundtrack
* Fixed bugs

WARNING *Don't play on HL2:UPDATE! This mod only for original Half Life 2*




















Gamebanana: https://gamebanana.com/gamefiles/13152

Download: https://yadi.sk/d/QVxPbVKoGSTgkQ

[CrayolaKit]

I played a bit of it and must say to this day I feel like this is the most geniune beta recreation out there, and its also sad since its just a retex and that is saying a lot.

Tons of mods "resembling" the beta but for some stupid and odd reason everybody always wants to add their own non-sense garbage to the maps, like stray cars that seem to be abandoned for no reason, extra rubble with fire on it, making it seem more post apocalyptic than what it actually once portrayed, or they just plain don't have enough changes, the antagonist looks the same way as he does in HL2, they don't change the model, nothing.. I just wish some one would take the maps from videos that were leaked back then about the 2001 story and put em up together for a single player experience even if its short, but that stays true to what valve showed back then, that for me would be the ultimate beta, just recreate what was there without going over the top, but it looks like  the scene for Half - Life 2 is too divided and everybody is out there trying to make a "name" for themselves, be the "Ultimate Beta Guy who recreated the beta version + a bit of his own wet dreams additions" and its so stupid

But I digress, I really enojoyed this the little i played (because I have beat half life 2 too many times now), it actually stays true to that old feel the trailers had, only thing that is missing is a more grey/green sky, City 17, canals, and the maps that got cut, but overall, THIS actually gives beta vibes unlike literally every other "Beta recreation" I have played .. thanks a lot for making this, OP!

[Shift]

Your "true 2001 experience without going over the top" never existed, and it cannot exist.

[CrayolaKit]

Your "true 2001 experience without going over the top" never existed, and it cannot exist.

Funny how you seem to be so confident saying that, yet the fact that there is a lot of concept art and even left over assets and models from the leaked betas that people keep using says otherwise. Maybe it cannot exist but "never existed"..? at this point you cannot say that unironically, you either picked a bad time for trolling or you're just a bad one tbh :P

[ChristianJP]

Awesome 

[BenedictKapustin_42]

I played a bit of it and must say to this day I feel like this is the most geniune beta recreation out there, and its also sad since its just a retex and that is saying a lot.

Tons of mods "resembling" the beta but for some stupid and odd reason everybody always wants to add their own non-sense garbage to the maps, like stray cars that seem to be abandoned for no reason, extra rubble with fire on it, making it seem more post apocalyptic than what it actually once portrayed, or they just plain don't have enough changes, the antagonist looks the same way as he does in HL2, they don't change the model, nothing.. I just wish some one would take the maps from videos that were leaked back then about the 2001 story and put em up together for a single player experience even if its short, but that stays true to what valve showed back then, that for me would be the ultimate beta, just recreate what was there without going over the top, but it looks like  the scene for Half - Life 2 is too divided and everybody is out there trying to make a "name" for themselves, be the "Ultimate Beta Guy who recreated the beta version + a bit of his own wet dreams additions" and its so stupid

But I digress, I really enojoyed this the little i played (because I have beat half life 2 too many times now), it actually stays true to that old feel the trailers had, only thing that is missing is a more grey/green sky, City 17, canals, and the maps that got cut, but overall, THIS actually gives beta vibes unlike literally every other "Beta recreation" I have played .. thanks a lot for making this, OP!

Thanks! Glad someone paid attention to this

[aska1]

This looks fantastic!

[ToothpasteGuardian]

I haven't tried this out yet, but from the images, it looks amazing! I'm definitely going to have fun with this mod.

[rataj]

I have to say that the overall style looks amazing and very atmospheric. It is one of the best BETA styled mods for the retail and i can say i've tried a lot mods with that goal. Most of the hl1 sounds used don't fit perfectly but that's not a big problem to change that back.

It would be okay if i upload a patch for it to change some little things?
Example, i am using another combination of citizen models/materials.

[ToothpasteGuardian]

I just played Half Life 2 with this mod active for a couple of hours straight. I love it. 

[BenedictKapustin_42]

I have to say that the overall style looks amazing and very atmospheric. It is one of the best BETA styled mods for the retail and i can say i've tried a lot mods with that goal. Most of the hl1 sounds used don't fit perfectly but that's not a big problem to change that back.

It would be okay if i upload a patch for it to change some little things?
Example, i am using another combination of citizen models/materials.

Of course, you can do whatever you want. As the creator of the mod, I am pleased that someone is interested in improving my creation.

[BenedictKapustin_42]

I just played Half Life 2 with this mod active for a couple of hours straight. I love it. 

Cool, glad you like it

[BenedictKapustin_42]

This looks fantastic!

Thanks!

[rataj]

Of course, you can do whatever you want. As the creator of the mod, I am pleased that someone is interested in improving my creation.

So after a complete playthrough i've tested episodic with your Aesthetic compilation but some files of materials/effect folder gaved me some weird bugs within first chapter. Specifically the red light above citadel. So I started to merge your mod with my own Aesthetic compilation.
(Started during Black Mesa Source 2012 release)

BEWARE
I am trying to mix all content from 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004!
All Credits going to everyone else, not to me.
I dream about a darkish and dangerous style.
So I am playing without HDR or Bloom!

Changes (So far a week of work),
-Integrated my uploaded OICW variant which i got from Jackathan
-Repaired the big wooden crates for physcannon
-Changed physcannon self back to another beta model
-Female Humans wear white beta clothes
-Male Humans wear the green beta clothes (conscripts still there)
(I like a mix of all variants because an Alien Species would separate females from males)
-Odessa's Face is now reverted to original one
-Integrated own fixed textures for Alyx 2002 model +high resolution neck texture
-Removed crosshair from every weapon
-Citadel model is again retail +desaturated and recolored textures to match sky etc
-Replaced Combine Elite variant with Missing Information one
-Added another Metrocop beta variant
-Merged Mossman purple jacket to retail one
-Revert Kleiner model back to retail one
-Grass restored in some locations/areas
-Changed Skybox for all d2_coast maps to a more toxic style one (source gamebanana)
-Increased/doubled citadel_alert_loop2 sound 
-Reverted HUD/GUI to retail one (But working on fixing sniper icon)
-Added RE4 ENBSeries with modified Header to give a lot more dark style
-Changed Combine Scanner to beta Wasteland Scanner
-Restored Suit Charger back to Combine one
(makes no sense for combine to have old HEV charger)
-Replaced MP5 model with smg3 model (idk if it was 2 or 3)
-Changed Crossbow (Sniper) ammo count from 30 to 20
-Changed 357 ammo count from 12 to 22
-Airboat ammo count is set to 600 and recharge rate to 50
-Removed beta trees (because vanilla trees are scary enough)

+Now it is compatible with Update version by Filip Victor
+Material folder is slightly cleaned as some unused files were present or duplicated

I'm still working on it to test about bugs but episodic seems to work fine yet.
I will try to port all things to episodic and ep2 as not every change in hl2 is used by episodes.
Some models and textures also need to be added to their custom folders!

Some screens, (created on/with hl2 Update Version)

Spoiler

[close]

[Omega93]

are you thinking of uploading the files one day?