Dark Interval is a free game utility developed for the popular Half-Life 2 game. It is a mod that allows players to revisit City 17 but with a fresh set of eyes.  It recreates the first-person shooter game with all new levels and a somewhat more overtly cyberpunk atmosphere.

Unlike other Half-Life 2 mods, Dark Interval does not restore bits and pieces from the original game. Rather, it is based primarily on the book Half-Life 2: Raising the Bar. Interestingly, you don't need the vanilla game to run this mod. You only need the free source SDK to play. 

What is Dark Interval?

Dark Interval is a mod that recreates Half-Life 2 from the ground up as it was originally envisioned. As mentioned, it does not use the bits and pieces of the original game but uses the concepts and documents laid out in the book Half-Life 2: Raising the Bar. With this, you have all-new levels, original locations and characters, and a different plot that you can experience.

The game contains a total of 11 maps, all of which are brand-new. The first part features four new chapters: the prologue, revamped Welcome to City 17, Manhack Arcade, and Kleiner's Lab. As noted, the visuals are more like cyberpunk games thanks to the use of Combine technology. However, it lacks Valve's critical eye for design. The lighting is a little too high-contrast in some places.

Users must note that this is a standalone release. It does not require Half-Life 2 or the Episodes. Although, it requires an installed copy of Source SDK Base 2013 Singleplayer. Once you download the file, unzip and place the "darkinterval-release" folder in the \sourcemods\folder. Then, enable the "-upcoming" beta option for Source SDK Base. Once done, restart Steam, and the mod will be ready to play. 

Is the mod good?

If you are a fan of Half-Life 2, Dark Interval should be right up your alley. With this, you get to experience the popular game, but in a new light. It has a completely original plot and new locations. Moreover, it does not require the original game to play. However, as it is not made by Valve, some trademark Half-Life 2 elements are not present.