Gamers who continue to wait for a potential "Half-Life 3" face improbable odds. Most fans will have to console themselves with the actual versions Valve last came out with. Alternatively, there is an ambitious project from Crowbar Collective in the form of "Black Mesa," touted to be a good alternative for folks looking for a first-shooter that captures the original perfectly well.

The final sections of development dated back to 2015. It is a game that hopes to pick up from the "Half-Life" series, which is set on a fictional planet called "Xen." And finally, Crowbar Collective has announced the latest updates for the game.

It seems that the final sections of "Black Mesa" hit a snag, and Crowbar Collective had pushed the release date to December 2017. Similar to other game developers such as Take-Two Interactive for "Red Dead Redemption 2," the "Half-Life" remake needs added time and work to deliver the quality the company had in mind based on a post on the Steam Community that says, "We know that this is not what anyone would want to hear, but after taking a long and hard look at what we want to achieve, we have decided that this is for the best."

There is no telling what standard Crowbar Creative has set for "Black Mesa," though they are given the benefit of the doubt. They have advanced in other areas such as colour correction, lighting systems and broken animations, but there are still key areas of the "Half-Life" remake that needs to be addressed.

"Black Mesa" has been around since 2012, but most improvements were made in 2015. Overall, the remake is technically finished except for the Xen levels, which seems to be the focus of the developers. Seeing how most were able to play the game for years despite bugs, waiting a couple more months shouldn’t hurt.

For those who are curious on why "Black Mesa" is branded as a "Half-Life" remake, check it out on Steam. There is an unfinished version available for US$20 (AU$26), which avid gamers may consider. While it would be sweeter if a free version of "Black Mesa" is available, some fans can hold off shelling cash – at least until December 2017.

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