Half-Life: Blue Shift
Made by Gearbox Software and originally released in 2001 as an add-on to Half-Life, Blue Shift is a return to the Black Mesa Research Facility in which you play as Barney Calhoun, the security guard sidekick who helped Gordon out of so many sticky situations.
- Released
- 2001
- Developer
- Gearbox Software
- Platforms
- 1 systems
- Critics
- 71
- Steam Deck
- playable
- Download
- Not stated
What is Half-Life: Blue Shift?
Made by Gearbox Software and originally released in 2001 as an add-on to Half-Life, Blue Shift is a return to the Black Mesa Research Facility in which you play as Barney Calhoun, the security guard sidekick who helped Gordon out of so many sticky situations.
Description as published by the developer on its own store page, read 30 August 2026. It is marketing copy, not our assessment.
The record
| First released | 12 June 2001 |
|---|---|
| Developer | Gearbox Software |
| Publisher | Not recorded |
| Platforms | PC |
| Genres | First-Person Shooter |
| Languages | 3 supported |
Source. Catalogue facts from Wikidata Q831796, seeded 30 August 2026. Store data from Steam, read 30 August 2026.
How was Half-Life: Blue Shift received?
Method. Player figures are Steam's own totals for the PC version, read 30 August 2026. The Metacritic score is the one Steam publishes on its store page and can lag the site itself. Metacritic page. Neither is our opinion. We have not published a review of this game.
Accessibility
Seeing
None declared
Hearing
- Custom Volume Controls
Input
- Playable without Timed Input
Difficulty
- Adjustable Difficulty
- Save Anytime
Method. Features the publisher declared on its own store page. A declaration is a floor, not a review.
What does it support?
| Capability | Support |
|---|---|
| Controller | Not stated |
| Cloud saves | No |
| Cross-platform play | No |
| Mod support | No official workshop |
| Online play | Single-player only |
| In-game purchases | No |
| Steam Deck | playable |
| Download size | Not stated |
| Add-on content | None listed |
| Age gate | None |
Content descriptors
- Frequent violence or gore
- General mature content
Method. Read from the publisher's Steam listing on 30 August 2026. Describes the PC version. Console versions differ.
What does it cost?
Steam price in US dollars, read 30 August 2026. Prices move hourly and vary by region. Check the current price.
Problems players report
We read the 300 most recent negative Steam reviews of Half-Life: Blue Shift on 30 August 2026 looking for recurring complaints. Nothing came up often enough to report: no theme was mentioned by more than 3% of them. That is not a claim that the game is bug-free, only that the people who disliked it were not agreeing about why.
Games like Half-Life: Blue Shift
24 games overlap with Half-Life: Blue Shift on the tags Steam players applied to it, on genre, and on theme. The closest are Half-Life: Opposing Force, Half-Life 2 and Half-Life: Source.
Common questions about Half-Life: Blue Shift
What platforms is Half-Life: Blue Shift on?
Half-Life: Blue Shift is available on PC. It first released in 2001.
How much does Half-Life: Blue Shift cost?
$4.99 on Steam in the United States, read on 30 August 2026. Prices move often and vary by region, so check the store before buying.
Do players recommend Half-Life: Blue Shift?
93% of 21,191 Steam reviews are positive, which Steam rates Very Positive. That is players rating it, not our review. We have not published a review of this game.
What is the Metacritic score for Half-Life: Blue Shift?
71 out of 100 for the PC version, as published on the game's own Steam store page. Steam can lag Metacritic by a few points.
Does Half-Life: Blue Shift work on Steam Deck?
Valve rates Half-Life: Blue Shift as playable on the Steam Deck, from its own testing.
Who made Half-Life: Blue Shift?
Half-Life: Blue Shift was developed by Gearbox Software.