It's a modernisation of a classic gaming legend in the best way, staying as faithful to the original as possible, while improving it in almost every conceivable manner. Crowbar Collective have taken exceptional care in the detailing and crafting of a far more believable and liveable world than the original, especially so in the Lambda facility and offices, and the truly spectacular and phenomenally imaginative overhaul of Xen, a sequence of levels that I once thought bland, frustrating and forgettable now one of if not my favourite locale in Black Mesa. It's gorgeous, and incredibly engaging.

There are still constant jarring issues I've come across with regards to stability, particularly during said spectacular Xen sequences, where it would often hang and require force closing, or hard crashing to the desktop without any error dialogues, once making it impossible to proceed without hanging, which was solved by just loading a prior save slot. I've also experienced cases of the graphics driver crashing and reloading. I'm not seeing a lot of similar mentions in other reviews, so this may just be due to my system age/configuration, so grain of salt and what not.

Other than the technical hassles, this is a triumph in remastering and the passion of fan works, and I hope this team of gigachads get to outdo themselves again in the future.

I would argue this is the de facto best way to experience Half Life 1 in all its glory. The original is an indelible piece of gaming history, but Black Mesa has brought the experience up to par with its timeless influence.
Laughably easy recommendation to anyone considering it a purchase.