First part of Source-powered community mod will be released next week; initial release will stop at Lambda Core level, offering 8-10 hours of gameplay.

The community behind the development of Half-Life mod Black Mesa (formerly Black Mesa: Source) has announced the first part of the game will finally be released on September 14 this year.

Black Mesa will be released next week.

The mod's official website has been updated with a countdown timer, and Black Mesa project leader Carlos Montero posted on the site's forums confirming the game's official release.

"On September 14th you will see the first release of Black Mesa," Montero said in his post. "This will include our re-envisioning of Half-Life all the way up to Lambda Core. We believe this is a great way to provide a complete-feeling 8-10 hour experience with a solid ending, make our fans happy and help us make the best overall game possible."

A remake of Valve's original 1998 title Half-Life using the Source Engine, Black Mesa promises a fully reconstructed Half-Life universe built from the ground up with new models, maps, soundtrack, voice acting, and textures. The remake will include the original game's protagonists, Gordon Freeman, as well as the original cast of characters and environments.

The mod project was launched in 2004 following fan disappointment over Valve's official Half-Life remake, Half-Life: Source. According to the project's site, Black Mesa will not require Half-Life: Source to play--just a copy of any Source engine game installed on Steam.

The Black Mesa soundtrack is now available to download via the project's site.

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