A new visual overhaul mod has now been added to Half-Life 2's ever-growing list of community creations, this time revamping Valve's classic FPS into a full-fledged Traveler's Tales LEGO game. The Half-Life franchise has historically been one of the most mod-friendly IPs under the sun, with a large number of mainstream Source Engine games having started their lives as Half-Life mods.
Both Counter-Strike and Team Fortress started off as mods for the original Half-Life, for example, and the fact that its successor, Half-Life 2, offers modders full Steam Workshop integration for ease of modding and content sharing means that anyone and everyone can mod, should they wish to do so. It is a bit strange, then, that it took so long for a LEGO character conversion mod to come out.
Developed by modder Not Dave or Daniel, the LEGO Half-Life 2 mod converts all human characters into LEGO minifigures that wouldn't be out of place in an actual LEGO video game. The mod is a very far cry from graphics-intensive conversions like the recent RTX Remix mod for Half-Life 2, but it successfully delivers on its promises. The whole thing looks appropriately ridiculous, but as it technically is just a character reskin, the seriousness of the game's subject matter remains. The resulting experience is no less funny than some of the stuff Traveler's Tales has produced over the years.
It is worth pointing out that Not Dave or Daniel's mod doesn't rework anything other than the game's many character models. Those who were hoping to play around with a crazy LEGO rework of one of gaming's most legendary gravity weapons shouldn't expect anything of the type from this mod. For that, it may be worth visiting Lordo Antonio's Tools and Weapons LEGO Collection mod, which should fit the bill rather nicely.
Another feature of the mod that's worth highlighting is that it incurs a slight perspective change due to the fact that a LEGO minifigure's body part ratios don't translate at all to those of an actual human being. It's not nearly as drastic of a change as what was shown in Half-Life 2's fixed-perspective mod, but it may throw some players off early on all the same, as the doors, vehicles, and other assorted objects will be too large for the new character skins.
Not Dave or Daniel's LEGO mod isn't here for accuracy's sake, however. While some modders are attempting to meticulously remaster Half-Life 2 to the best of their abilities, others are still most interested in setting up patently ridiculous situations within the game's engine and narrative, and sometimes that's all it takes for a mod to skyrocket in popularity. The LEGO character rework mod is now available via the Steam Workshop, and the modder aims to keep working on it.
Source: Lego Half Life 2 Converstion/Steam, Tools and Weapons LEGO Collection/Steam
