The Specialists is a multiplayer deathmatch mod for Half-Life, a total conversion which takes inspiration from The Matrix and the movies of John Woo. It is the work of Filippo "Morfeo" De Luca and Lorenzo "John_Matrix" Pasini.
In this game, players do not spend money on weapons - they spend units of weight, effectively deciding whether they're better off as a Mighty Glacier or a Fragile Speedster. Weight not only affects your running speed, but determines which of the cleverly-designed stunt moves are available to you: anyone can dive or roll (although the height of these dives vary), but climbing, somersaults and certain kung fu moves are reserved for the lighter players. The game boasts being the first implementation of Bullet Time in multiplayer.
Since its release in October of 2002, The Specialists has been praised for its moveset and special effects. This high-octane game has also garnered a fanbase of roleplayers, surprisingly.
The Specialists contains examples of the following tropes:
- Badass Longcoat: The default player model is Gordon Freeman dressed in one of these.
- Gangsta Style: There are several guns you can hold sideways by pressing the aim button.
- Gun Accessories: Laser sights, suppressors and flashlights are available for most of the guns, with scopes for a handful of them.
- Gun Fu
- More Dakka: Just because guns weigh you down, doesn't mean it's a bad idea. Most combinations of a pistol, SMG and assault rifle / shotgun fit in the weight limit.
- Revolvers Are Just Better: The Raging Bull is one of the most popular guns in the game. It is one of the three possible Sniper Pistols.
- Shout-Out: Most characters and some maps are taken from the game's influences. The game's most popular map - ts_lobby - is from The Matrix.
- Unnecessary Combat Roll
