When compared to the original, I suppose it is an upgrade, although the only improvements I noticed were the flashlight and water, which were good. I also think the textures were changed? I prefer the original textures. There were a few points where there were some texture glitches and I teleported out of the world at one point. I only played this game because it was in my library after getting the half life bundle. If you are looking to get into half life, I recommend playing the original. (I haven't played Black Mesa yet so I can't speak to that)