Unmissable Mods Month: Radiator

More Half-Life 2 single-player today (we’ll be branching out soon, I promise). Radiator’s a tricky one to fit into this list, even though it totally deserves to be here. It’s a three-part short-form mod which was due to have been fully released by the end of last summer, which wasn’t finished by the end of summer, and which we’re expecting the final episode of to land in our inbox in the near future. So it’s not yet complete, but each episode – while their stories interlink – is effectively self-contained.

So the difficulty is: which to pick? Part One, Polaris, was splendidly creative, asking players to engage in a spot of stargazing while telling the tale of an awkward date gone even more awry. It’s human and touching and well-written, and makes expert use of the breadth of the Source Engine. Part Two throws up a nice twist on the first game’s events, set some years later in a marriage counsellor’s office and, subsequently, inside of one of the character’s brains. It too is gloriously creative, and while the core mechanic – stacking or smashing boxes – wears a little thin, the sepia toned vignettes that break up the play are just wonderful.

So, of course, the obvious choice is to conveniently forget we’ve not played Part Three yet, and just lump the whole of Radiator on this list. And it really deserves it. It’s some of the most creative work yet seen in the Source Engine, all developed by one guy – Robert Yang – who I’m sure is borderline genius. I’m honoured and humbled to be collaborating with Robert on a couple of things in the near future (watch this space, indeed), and I’ll happily tap my nose, wink, and tell you that his post-Radiator work is looking no less progressive and brilliant than ever. For now, get stuck into Radiator Parts One and Two – you’ll be awaiting the third segment as eagerly as we are.

Why is it on our list?
It might not be finished yet, strictly speaking, but it’s already further out of the box than almost anything else out there. Touchingly human in its storytelling, as well.

Get it from
ModDB

Easy to install?
Robert hates it with a passion when mods aren’t. Yes.