Hello and Welcome.
Hello and welcome to Hall of Fame for PlanetPhillip.Com.
This page lists the top 5 SINGLE PLAYER combat or puzzle maps and mods for each game. The results are roughly taken from my unique rating system called The Recommendation Image System.
Instead of simply clicking an anonymous numbered rating, each rating must come with a proper written review, from a logged in member. That way you know you can trust the recommendation given as being honest and fair.
To be entered into the Hall of Fame, each mod must have recieved at least 10 reviews.
However, I haven't included single maps because I feel that HOF entries should be proper mods.
Please use the menu links above to view each games' top rated mods.
Finishing Half-Life is just the beginning!
HALF-LIFE 1
All the maps and mods below require Half-Life 1.
HALF-LIFE 2
All the maps and mods below require Half-Life 2.
Please Read
With over 400 maps and mods released for Half-Life 2, selecting the best ones from the site was always going to be difficult. I have used the Recommendation Image System as a guideline but recognize that for various reasons many mods have not been reviewed and consequently may not appear in lists created by the system.
I have therefore selected the top five based on a minimum number of 25 recommendations. That still left some fantastic mods and I decided to add an Honourable Mentions section to ensure that those mods are at least visible.
I have little doubt some won't agree with the selections but that's a fundamental element of these types of lists - not everybody will agree.
Powerstation 17
by Jason Gimba
Posted on 19 August 2008
About
Gordon Freeman infiltrates a powerstation commandeered by Combine forces in an effort to destabilize their control of the region.
Of course, things never go as planned and your "Easy In, Easy Out" briefing suddenly starts tos eem like a joke.
Good luck finding a viable escape policy!
Sample Comments
ThunderDawg: Best HL2 Mod Ever! Yes, it was quick, but full of action and enjoyment, good for when I don't have a lot of time to kill, and have to maximize killing zombies and combine soldiers.
Pollution434: This has to be one of the best mods I've played. Smooth gameplay, loved every minute of it.
fragmaster: Yes, indeed I've played through this twice & enjoyed it each & everytime.
zeek: Excellent stuff - we need more like this, polished work - not to missed.
Bladesinger: Awesome maps! Some of the best ones available! A must play.
Chris Fox: I really enjoyed this map. For a single map, it sure does offer a lot of gameplay, and the author is quite clearly very talented. The architecture and lighting are beautiful and genuinely interesting.
Forward Motion
by Justin Carlton
Posted on 01 June 2008
About
This is a collection of maps that can be played in any order, although if you start at the beginning they do flow better.
There is a wide variety of lcoations and plenty of action, exploring and even some driving.
Sample Comments
Hoyy: IMHO, this deserves your download right now. Do it whenever you can. This mappack is simple, yet fun, plain killing.
BC: Wow, I've never killed so many Combine with the Airboat before! Some very good ideas here, like someone said not so much for eyecandy but real good fun!
zeek: Worth downloading for the Airboat section alone. some puzzles but nothing too hard, certainly fun to play
Yochanan: I've really enjoyed this mod. I first sat and played it for hours before stopping. I haven't found a mod that captured my interest that way in a long time.
clunkfish: Really enjoyed it: the mine sequence, though short, was very atmospheric with great lighting.
K-Mav: Wow! This has been fun! I have had a great few hours playing this mappack. It reminded me of when I played HL2 for the first time. It had the same atmosphere and action, and I was left wanting more.
Leon's Coastline to Atmosphere
by Leon Brinkmann
Posted on 08 August 2006
About
This mod continues the story where Half-Life 2 finished and offers one possible scenario. After the big explosion you fall to the ground and are very badly injured. Some people find you and take you home to a small village outside the city where the citadel was built. After 3 months you're strong again and want to fight on.
You have never seen Alyx or any of the others since the explosion. But you try to find new people that will fight with you against Breen. Nobody wants to help, some are afraid, others think that Breen has learned his lesson and won't start again.
It also seems that most of his organization was lost in the explosion. Then you hear that along the coast Breen is starting again and trying to take control again. So you decide to go to the coast. There you take a little boat and go along the coast so the Combine won't notice you coming.
Sample Comments
Codex: Stunning - in the top 3 all time best mods of any game - Valve should release this via steam - it's brilliant!
joho: just finished Coastline to atmosphere, and all I gotta say is WOW – you belong on the Half-Life developement team. An awesome mod and I've played them all!
geoffreyfleming: Leon just dropped by to seriously commend you on this rather large and intricate single player mod. I've been a avid downloader of single player mods since the original HL and I think this map pack deserves the highest honours.
Calamity
by Bobby Cardona
Posted on 29 May 2009
About
Battle the violent combine regime, obliterate zombies and Xen creatures, and learn even more knowledge surrounding the rise of Earth's benefactors. Calamity is around 1-2 hours of solid gameplay filled with tense combat scenes and puzzling conundrums mixed within the deteriorating setting of one of Earths last thriving cities - City 17. Explore a hidden story twist in the climax of the mod, and enjoy every minute of the exploration and fighting.
Sample Comments
Jasper: Wow, just wow! Very, very hard ending and the lead in is a little over complex but doable. I'm off to play it again.
Kodox: Calamity is a superb work of art that keeps getting better and better as you go along. Download this one right away, grab urself a Coke, and enjoy!
Clunkfish: eally outstanding. I like the multiple routes to an objective, and the sense of humour - the dangling shipping container, fooling you into thinking that's the way to get across the gap (it had me scratching my head for a while!) is a good example.
proskier72: I really enjoyed this mod! I really loved the map layout and the mood music was good. This mod is well worth playing!
Clunkfish: Really good mod - long, varied, put together with much care and attention to detail. It is confusing in places, but never to the point of utter frustration. The use of deliberate dead-ends means you should make sure to quick-save before heading into the unknown!
Riot Act
by Germano uoz Guerrini
Posted on 27 July 2009
About
You play the role of Jamil Lee, who is a young member of the civilian resistance, taken by the Combine and currently imprisoned in Nova Prospekt.
"Numbness and rage. Fright and anger. I open my eyes. My cell is pitch dark anyhow.I heard their inhuman voices. Lying on this cold metal bed, I stretch my arms along my sides. No, I won't give way to grief. The door opens, light replaces darkness. I will ask for a reason later. Now I have a choice to take. An easy one. I will run the hell out of here, whatever it takes. It's time to get a little revenge. It's time to start my own riot act."
Sample Comments
Kasperg: Very good presentation and overall design. It’s true that the Nova Prospekt theme is nothing new, but that was part of the idea and it’s pulled off extremely well. Some areas might feel empty in visual terms, but the fast paced combat makes you forget that.
LANMAN: I thoroughly enjoyed this mod. Great job on the environment, good traps and even a few good puzzles.
Robspace1: 119 mb of pure action and a whole lot of fun. This has to be in the top ten of best HL2 mods ever made.
Harmondale: Great well made mod that fits in well with the half-life 2 story! loved it!
tommiezat: IJust replayed this and think it deserves its HOF status. enjoyable from start to finish with a wide variety of areas, enemies, puzzles and environments.
Honourable Mentions
Strider Mountain
by Leon Brinkmann
Published September 2009
AT 30,000 FEET you are almost 6 miles above sea level. The human body is not made for these conditions. The brain is starved of oxygen and each step is a new experience in pure agony. It's difficult to breathe. It's difficult to think. It's difficult to move. And you still have to endure another 444 feet to get to the peak.
The Citizen
By Kasperg and Playbus
Published February 2008
The Citizen is set parallel to the events of the original Half-Life 2.
The player takes the role of an ordinary man, pushed over the edge by the oppressive regime controlling his life.
The Citizen 2
By Kasperg and Playbus
Published December 2010
Previously in The Citizen you had taken control of an important combine message relay, making the most of a failed mission to assassinate Dr Breen. It was located in a large conference building situated near a rebel safehouse - the Spare Time Cafe - from which your assault was originally launched.
Mistake of Pythagoras
by Koumei satou
Published February 2006
You are Gordon in a parallel world and the city is under attack from unknown enemies.
You have to find out a way to stop the invasion by travelling into their world and correcting the "mistake".
You'll experience unique single player experience spanning 3 chapters, 10 maps.
CSS: SCI-FI: HARDWIRED
By Fitzroy_doll
Published October 2009
Waking up to find himself an augmented clone of Gordon Freeman, the player must fight time-travelling Combine forces and other enemies across 42 unique and replayable missions.
Missions are set in 18 retail and 24 custom Counter-Strike: Source maps, which are installed intact to the player's CS:S game folder.
Das Roboss
By Tyler Munden
Published February 2005
Combine forces are in the process of constructing a huge robot in an abandoned government fallout shelter outside City 17. The robot, codenamed "Das Roboss", is the most destructive Combine creation yet.
Your mission is to infiltrate the occupied bunker and find Das Roboss. If you can destroy, steal, or otherwise remove the robot from Combine hands you will be doing City 17, and the world, a great service.
Rock 24
by Henley Bailey & Richard Acherki
Published November 2006
The mod takes place on a previously abandoned cliffside prison.
The combine have moved in and are re-using the prison as a place to hold rebel leaders.
Gordon is required to infiltrate, free the Rebel leader and escape from the facility.
Combine Combat
By RedPuma
Published March 2009
This is a beta/demo of Combine Combat, which is approximately 40 minutes long.
It features some new content, including: New levels in the Half-Life universe, New weapons, including Manhacks, A new vehicle, Full support of HDR, A reworked HUD
Leon's Mappack 1
By Leon Brinkmann
Published March 2005
You get extracted in the sewers outside a big city that is controlled by the Combine, although there are certain parts of the city that are filled with headcrabs and other creatures. You have to find and fight your way through the sewer, over the railroad track into the city. Once you're in the city, your objective is to find the power plant and destroy it. It sounds easy but you will have to fight for your life before you get there.
HALF-LIFE 2: EPISODE ONE
All the maps and mods below require Half-Life 2: Episode One.
Minerva: Metastasis
by Adam Foster
Posted on 01 october 2007
About
I am Hypatia, murdered for her beliefs, discoveries ignored by fools, name stricken from record. I am Joyeuse, an infinitely cutting blade wielded by an ignorant tyrant, for a cultural renaissance based upon military might. I am Athena, hunter and scientist, covertly guiding long-dead warriors for my quiet purposes. And as they say, technology and violence are a girl's best friends; power is eternal delight....
...In short, I must create my own system, or be enslaved by another. And in this, I have an advantage. Your ancients were superstitious, deluded zealots, prone to inflation of already impossible, beautiful claims. My adopted forefathers are different, their scattered, discarded playthings more conducive to a meaningful imposition of my thoughts upon our captors.
I am Minerva.
Sample Comments
Sniperjike: This was the best thing I've ever played. Challenging, lovely level design and my crappy computer still kept rather stable, if you think about the size of the maps... Size? No matter?
jjawin118: Utterly incredible! One of the most original concepts in some time. Clear and progressive story line. Great original maps. Enemies use ass kicking hit and run guerrilla tactics. Highly challenging combat.
FireTime: This is the best half-life universe mod I have ever played (if not the best). The level design is very technical and flawless.
Sebastian
by Jason Gimba
Posted on 27 December 2010
About
Where would you be without Barney? That Beer Buddy just keeps coming to your rescue.
You start in a calm city square, but things turn a little more action packed within a few moments.
Listen to Barney, he knows what to do.
Sample Comments
PlanetPhillip: Jason's work oozes quality; from the visuals to the gameplay. I have no hesitation in recommending this mod and it's possibly my Mod of the Year
Jasper: Very, very good indeed. I thoroughly enjoyed this mod. Excellently mapped and the combat gameplay is hard but excellent. Very evocative of EP1 but without Alyx - thanks for that :).
andyb: Excellent. Extremely hard in last battle i thought but overall its very well done.
HiroProtagonist: Good maps, rewards exploration, good Barney voice actor. Multiple ways to approach fights shows real mapping talent.
Puritan: Wow, what a fantastic mod! After 10 seconds I was facing a Strider and I said to myself: This is gonna be an interesting challenge! The layout and architecture is excellent. Combats are sometimes hard, just what I like.
Siren
by LuE.Kami
Posted on 25 April 2010
About
You start in a small town and have to work your way through the tunnels.
You meet Father Grigori but are blocked from reaching him and from then on your objective is to join him.
We are lucky to have it because the author considered not releasing it, but eventually listened to reason!
Sample Comments
K00pa: Great great great mod! I can't really say anything bad about this map. Sounds, lights, everything. It just works.
Jasper: Loved it. Very well developed indeed, I think, and the combat nicely paced. The bonus map. Magnificent! Very hard and engaging your tactical mind strongly recommended. There's loads of action against the combine.
stoopdapoop: Excellent mod. very very good use of space that lead to rewarding exploration without the use of conventional rewards like extra ammo or health.
stonewalljack: If your a fan of great ambient sound then play this mod now. The great sound and atmosphere made this very enjoyable, especially the first map.
Grey Acumen: I have to say that this was a fun trip the whole way through. The level design made me really feel like I was seriously exploring, and though there were a few places that I had the opportunity to skip past areas, I would have missed out on weapons if I had done so.
The Sprucecape Mappack
by Erik and Aleksi
Posted on 01 November 2010
About
You play the role of John Sprucecape. Apparently, a "once a successful professor of philosophy, but now a violent unemployed middle-aged man with an alcohol addiction".
You wake up to find yourself locked in the house and your family gone. Go look for them! Of course Life has a way of throwing stuff in your way, as I am sure you expected.
Sample Comments
s.anchev: Well, it's a very cool mod, divided in three parts (house/station/hangar + finale), and it's really well done!
rikersbeard: This mod, though short was very interesting to play and very rewarding. So play it now!
AV3NTAL: These maps are awesome! I enjoyed every minute I played this map pack.
denizen50: LOVED these maps. Great atmosphere, great design. Keep it up!
jjawinte: In all honesty, this is the first map pack I've played since spring and I'm just so damned happy I chose this set.
Andrew: Liked it very much. A lot of creativity here. And the ending was hilarious.
nbean64: It was a great mod, one of my favorites
Lakeside Village
by Remonttimies
Posted on 28 February 2010
About
You are stranded in a Ravenholm-style village.
Find a radio and call for help, that is if you can survive long enough.
The streets are wider than Ravenholm but don't expect an easy stroll through the town!
Sample Comments
PlanetPhillip: I'm not a great fan of zombies and Ravenholm but I can't help but give this a WOW recommendation.
Jasper: I loved the TRAP. No combat player can resist (as remontimies knows only too well) and I'm glad I did not. The highlight for me was the garage with 2 Combine and turrets - I needed the help!
eeVee: It was a nice mod, until I got to the end. Then it was a great mod!
Zonbie: Playing on Hard mode without cheating - and winning - is a great feeling. I felt great suspense trying to outrun the zombie hordes and pick them off with flames and explosions. I survived with only 7 HP.
jjawinte: An excellent piece of work! Great design - plenty of combat - visuals were terrific - wonderful Ravenholm feel - nice open areas to exercise more than one approach and a kick-ass ending! Enjoyed every minute !
shadowmancer471: Fantastic. The gameplay is nicely paced, and features zombies in the 'good' way. Has some nice scenes. Traps, collapsing floors etc.
HALF-LIFE 2: EPISODE TWO
All the maps and mods below require Half-Life 2: Episode Two.
Research and Development
by Marcello Bortolino
Posted on 18 July 2009
About
Research and Development is a puzzle-centric mod for Half-Life 2: Episode Two featuring an unarmed player but plenty of violent mayhem.
The player has NO weapons, except the gravity gun, and there is no shooting at all. However that doesn't mean you can't kill things, but 95% of the mod is about solving the puzzles that are presented to you in a very natural way.
Sample Comments
fasteddie: All I can say is fantastic!!! ...I guess I have a long way to go to obtain your puzzle solving abilities.
Wolfen Victrocious: This mod is almost pure brilliance. It takes you out of the normal mindset of violence after violence and says "Here, solve this puzzle." You never get a gun through the whole thing and the only thing close is the Gravity Gun. The puzzles rang from "get the antlion through the maze" to "how do I get the light to the end of this series of mirror like objects?" The game tries not to make you repeat puzzles and the only backtracking is for your own mistakes.
Lars: The environments are full and well-developed. The diagrams for how to build Mr Whirly or the nitro-booster made me go "Awesome!" The puzzles definitely break new ground in what can be done with the HL2 universe. There were many moments of "Cool!"
Mission Improbable
by Magnar Jenssen
Posted on 06 July 2009
About
Part 1: A Resistance listening post suddenly goes off-air and you are sent in to find out what happened to the original support crew and get the station back online. Your journey begins as a rowing boat coasts towards the landing point. Who knows what you will encounter, both on the way up to the tower and on your way down.
Part 2: The Combine have destroyed the listening outpost and you managed to escape in to the tunnel, but don't think you can just drive away, oh no! You must help your fellow rebels out before you can put your feet up and have a cup of tea. Plenty of beautiful views and deadly action.
Sample Comments
PlanetPhillip: Beautiful, just beautiful. I want spoil it but you get to travel in a way that you have NEVER done before and it ROCKS! Action is great, design is great, one puzzle is great, did I mention the word great yet?
stoopdapoop: Part 2 was fantastic, but I'm not sure which one I would consider the better experience, which I guess is a good thing
Grey Acumen: The mapping is of course the most spectacular feature of this mod, in my opinion some of the best visual style and layout that I've seen, and that's after playing better than 100 different top quality mods and maps.
Clunkfish: Brilliant. I played right through - Part 1 again, and Part 2 for the first time - and that indefinable feeling of high quality permeates the whole thing.
Dangerous Worlds
by TiiM
Posted on 30 November 2009
About
You are Frank Harrison, a rebel, who lives near City 17.
You wake up and find that the Citadel looks like it is about to explode and those scientists are urging you to flee the city.
No need to tell you twice! Off you go and good luck - you'll need it.
Sample Comments
PlanetPhillip: Without doubt, you MUST play this mod and I am sure nearly everybody will enjoy it. Can't wait for Dangerous Worlds 2
gsp1995: One of the best mods ever of 2009. A must freakin' play. And also, one of my favorites so far. Loads of fun, incredible level design, balanced gameplay and the non-linear feel it gives to the player. Just. Awesome.
Grey Acumen: I find that I enjoyed every single part of it, and yet when viewed as a whole it feels entirely disjointed.
Zaphod: Amazing! This is one of the top five HL2 mods I ever tried. Fantastic level design, great visuals and interesting puzzles that fit in to the environment. Spectacular action and epic scripted sequences.
Clunkfish: Really good mod - long, varied, put together with much care and attention to detail. It is confusing in places, but never to the point of utter frustration. The use of deliberate dead-ends means you should make sure to quick-save before heading into the unknown!
Eye of the Storm
by Lord
Posted on 15 February 2009
About
Picking up the story after John's escape from Ravenholm, you will visit new locations and meet new characters as you are taken prisoner by the Combine in City 24 and are reunited with an old friend from your resistance fighter days in City 17.
Now he appears to be the key to unlocking the next chapter of your forgotten past. Does it not seem there is a greater power behind the curtains?
Eye of the Storm Part 2
Lord started work on a sequel to EotS but after constant Source problems, decided to stop development of Eye Of The Storm 2 and move onto a new engine and game.
He has released his work in progress but no more development will happen on this mod. Please be aware that this is UNCOMPLETED work and contains bugs, errors, missing textures etc. You can view the work here
Sample Comments
PlanetPhillip: Superb! ...This mod oozes quality and the final battle is fantastic.
BrianC: Best Intro ever!
BladeSinger: ...this is just full of awesomeness!
Kasperg: This is easily one of the best looking mods for the Orange Box I've played.
Human Error
by Half-Life: Short Stories Team
Posted on 08 February 2010
About
The death of the Nihilanth threw the Xenian army into disarray, and the subsequent portal storms stranded many on Earth in the wake of Combine occupation.
After once more having to endure existence beneath the totalitarian boot of their cosmic nemesis, they have searched for a way out. Now, buried in the heart of a dilapidated university, they've found it.
Sample Comments
PlanetPhillip: This is a fantastic piece of work and everybody involved should be congratulated. When you play this mod you will enjoy so many new elements and wonder why it hadn't been done sooner.
s.anchev: This is a great mod. Really great. The APC sequences, the HL1 enemies version 2.0. Wow, what a pleasure!!! The most enjoying part was the utilisation of the manhacks, it is not just a gadget, it is really necessary to go through the game.
Hec: Goshhh, this is a must must must play! Definitely is on my few personal favourites list, because this mod is fun, has a great story line, is innovative in the gameplay.
OG Loc: I played this mod multiple times, that's how good it is! This mod is great, because it's showing Metrocop's personalities.
Kyouryuu: By far the best thing about it was the Manhacks. Being able to pilot a Manhack and use it to solve puzzles was a great idea.
Honourable Mentions
Union
by Matt Glanville
Published February 2008
"The last thing I remember was our train being stopped in the woods. OVERWATCH told me I was needed for questioning, so they locked me in one of those cold pods and stuck me on the next train to NOVA PROSPEKT. I can still see my WIFE watching me drift away."
Outpost16
By Mike Anderson
Published February 2010
This is a cinematic portfolio piece. You and Alyx must support Echo Team in their attempt to attack Outpost 16. Things don't go quite the way you or they expected. You have action and some puzzles to deal with, oh and don't hang around looking at the beautiful view, if you linger you die!
Offshore
By Darrow Linder
Published February 2008
When Gordon's buggy was taken by the Combine Dropship, some maps of Combine outposts hidden in one of the buggy's side compartments were lost. Gordon was immediately dispatched by Dr. Kleiner and Dr. Eli Vance to locate the buggy and return the missing maps.
Kallaim
by Sharpentine
Published October 2010
You find yourself in what looks like a prison but it's much more industrial than most. Clearly you need to escape and that is easier said than done. You get to leave the prison and feel the fresh air on your face but not for too long. Keep the faith as you will eventually see the light of day again, but you might wish you hadn't.
Project 25
By Filip Coulianos
Published April 2009
"Project 25 is a single player episode, with about 30 minutes of playtime set in the Half-Life 2 universe. The episode is a part of a final year project to get a Bachelour of art. The goal is to create a unique single player experience while still keeping the episode true to the original."
Neuromancer
By Bailey Hall
Published June 2008
Neuromancer is a Half-Life 2: Episode Two single player level where the player must travel between cyberspace and reality to of unlock new areas of the physical world.
Half-Life 2: Episode Three
Of course, Half-Life 2: Episode Three hasn't been released yet and we are all hope it gets finished soon.
Once it does and assuming that the modding tools allow for the creation of maps and mods, the best ones will appear here.
While you are waiting, why not play some of the other games' mods?