Half-Life: Blue Shift

Half-Life: Blue Shift
Cover art, depicting the game's protagonist, Barney Calhoun
Developer(s)Gearbox Software
Publisher(s)
Director(s)Randy Pitchford
Producer(s)Randy Pitchford
Designer(s)Rob Heironimus
Programmer(s)
  • Sean Cavanaugh
  • Patrick Deupree
Artist(s)Brian Martel
Writer(s)
  • Rob Heironimus
  • David Mertz
  • Randall S. Pitchford II
Composer(s)
  • Stephen Bahl
  • Chris Jensen
SeriesHalf-Life
EngineGoldSrc
Platform(s)Windows, OS X, Linux
ReleaseWindows
  • NA: June 12, 2001
  • EU: June 15, 2001
OS X, Linux
  • WW: July 31, 2013
Genre(s)First-person shooter
Mode(s)Single-player

Half-Life: Blue Shift is an expansion pack for the first-person shooter video game Half-Life (1998). It was developed by Gearbox Software and published by Sierra On-Line. Blue Shift was the second expansion for Half-Life, originally intended as part of a Dreamcast port of Half-Life. Although the Dreamcast port was cancelled, the Windows version was released as a standalone product on June 12, 2001 for Windows. It was released on Steam on August 24, 2005.

As with Gearbox's previous expansion pack, Opposing Force (1999), Blue Shift returns to the setting and events of Half-Life, but portrays the story through the eyes of another character. Players control security guard Barney Calhoun, employed by the Black Mesa Research Facility, who must fight his way to safety during an alien invasion. Blue Shift also includes a graphics pack that upgrades the Half-Life models and textures.

Blue Shift received mixed reviews. Many reviewers were critical of the short length and lack of new content, although the new graphics were praised.