If you've just looked at the headline and are now thinking, "huh?", you're not alone. A modder managed to put Half-Life 2 and Half-Life Source's movement physics into the racing game Need For Speed: Most Wanted, and the outcome is like nothing you could anticipate.
I was expecting the cars would just move a bit faster or be able to take advantage of the terrain or some sort of movement tech. Instead what you'll see is that Most Wanted basically plays as though Gordon Freeman is literally running alongside the cars himself, crowbar in hand and rearview mirror fully on display.
Half-Life speedrunner Jeepy shared a video to their YouTube channel showing off the potential of this mod. They absolutely annihilate their competition, hitting the finish line of the first race in about 20 seconds. It's hilarious hearing "something's wrong with your ride" over the radio when you're watching a crowbar fly through the air at impossible speeds.
During the races, tire marks can be seen appearing just ahead of Gordon, and the sound of brakes screeching and an engine revving imply that he is somewhat mechanical in this mod. A lot of the strategy involves jumping high over corners, but it is possible to bonk your head while doing so, so watch out.
It begs the question, is Gordon Freeman the size of a car or is the scale of Most Wanted much smaller than we were led to believe? According to a ResetEra post, this mod looks like the unofficial sequel to a video showing a Gordon Freeman turned into a Mitsubishi in Half-Life.
Jeepy says their video is "barebones run just to see what was possible off the rip", and the result is a time that's an hour and a half under the current world record. Obviously, this will need a new category, but it's one I'd be excited to follow just because of how bizarre it all looks.
If you're a fan of driving, then check out some of the best racing games you can play right now. I don't think any of them have Half-Life's movement modded in, but they're still pretty good.
