Black Mesa: Definitive Edition - 12c - Surface Tension [Hard]

Chapter 12: Surface Tension - Part Three

As the sun begins to set over Black Mesa, the embattled HECU continue to suffer significant losses against Freeman and the alien army that are endlessly teleporting into the base. Owing to the heavy casualties, they begin to pull out from the facility, covering their retreat with airstrikes. Meanwhile, the President of the United States has declared a state of emergency as the uncontained invasion spreads across the entire state of New Mexico. Reaching the Lambda Complex is now more critical than ever for Gordon, as he fights his way through both HECU and aliens in the final sequence of Surface Tension.

Playlist with all completed chapters:
   • Black Mesa: Definitive Edition (Full ...  

Notes:
- ST Uncut is one of the most intensive sections of the Earthbound chapters graphically - apologies for the slight frame rate hitches throughout the video
- All three maps shown in this video were originally developed as a mod to the game called "Surface Tension Uncut". The modder is Chon Kemp, who eventually joined the team as a developer. These three maps are quite a bit different from their original mod versions, it's interesting to see what has changed. See Chon Kemp's own video on this back in the day:    • Surface Tension Uncut - Public Releas...  
- For any of the big HECU v. Xenian fights, both parties WILL target Gordon if he gets too close or they notice him. That is why I typically stayed way back in order to observe the fights
- If Gordon stays behind the .50cal while shooting the Vorts at 00:14, it will shield him against all of their ranged electrical attacks
- It used to be that Gordon can avoid the Snarks at 19:50 by running back to the bathroom and closing the door. This is now impossible as the door is destroyed after the tremor
- The "stealth" section at 27:10 is optional. If Freeman kills the grunts instead, the Guard will remark, "Or loud! That works too...Jesus"
- It is impossible to save the Guard at 29:24, although if the player is to noclip into the room, they will see that the Alien Grunt does NOT kill him, but simply disappears after the audio of the "killing" is complete. Shown very well in this video:    • Black Mesa: saving the security guard  
- Gordon can skip killing the Garg entirely by using the Tau Cannon and "Gauss-jumping" from the top of the tower at 35:10 to the Lambda bunker
- A single mortar shell will kill the Garg. I just shot three of them for dramatic effect (35:52)
- The Xen jumppads at 36:07 can also be used to get up to the tower

Trivia:
- The HECU v. Xenian fights in this chapter (such as at 0:37) are scripted to an extent. However, the victorious party is not predetermined; the HECU actually do win these fights sometimes
- The airfield at 4:20 contains a hangar named "Kemp Air", a reference to developer Chon Kemp. This airfield is eventually visited by Freeman later in the chapter (at 26:02)
- In the 2012 build, the Snark vent at 5:18 lead directly to the final Garg chase. As well, the vent itself was located in the maintenance room at 0:31. With the addition of the "uncut" maps, this vent sequence plays out as it does in HL1
- The ticking bomb sound effect at 8:32 is the sound of a pipe bomb from a Valve game known as Left4Dead
- The radio transmission at 11:35 is between Goose-4 (the Osprey at the helipad at 12:30), and Bloodhound-3 (the LAV-25 that eventually appears at 12:50)
- In the original ST uncut builds, the Osprey was taken out by a Manta rather than by the Vorts (12:38)
- The Garg that chases Gordon in the last sequence of ST is first seen at 14:36
- The Abrams at 16:47 cannot be destroyed by Gordon
- The Osprey that is destroyed at 12:38 is still burning one map later, as seen by the smoke at 20:41
- The parking garage at the start of the video can be seen from the roof at 20:42. As well, the maintenance garage where the HECU shot out the vent can be seen at 22:52
- The explosion at 23:17 rips the hatch off the pipe and kills the HECU that tossed the satchel initially. In HL1, the grunt will still be alive after detonating the satchel
- It is implied that the Guard at 26:21 climbed into the hangar via the ladder at 26:57
- From the game files. there are additional voice lines for the Guard at 26:21, though Gordon can never get him to say it. It is impossible to interact with him when he's idle, such as at 29:17
- The last of the three EAS broadcasts is heard at 30:00
- The radio message at 32:23 mentions an IFAK. This stands for Individual First Aid Kit
- In HL1, the Garg intro involved it squishing two HECU against a wall using a Black Mesa SUV (33:48)
- In HL1, the bay doors at 36:56 also needed to be blown open by the mortars
- In prior builds, if Gordon does not kill the Garg and manages to make it to the bunker, the Garg will break the gate at 37:09 and follow him, as shown in this video:    • Black Mesa - Xenian Gargantua Chase (...