I've finally got around to finishing Black Mesa (what is released of it) and I am now eager for more Half Life. I have never played the original release and I am not aware of how it ends. Would you advise I wait to play the final chapters before starting Half Life 2? I do own Half Life, but the graphics make me sick and it seems the final chapters aren't generally considered to be very good anyway. What are your thoughts?

You dont have to finish The first Half Life to understand Half Life 2. The connection to both is sparse (really there's only a few nods to the first half life in two and both games are mostly their own thing).

If you really want to play Half Life 2 there's no reason you shouldn't. Even if you want to delve into the rest of Black Mesa whenever it comes out- it wouldn't ruin anything in my opinion.

Go and play Half Life 2 already. The story importance of the xen past of the game is at best minimal and the only thing that you may not know is the last part of the game which is kind o mimiqued on the first instances of Half Life 2 and you may not know why it happens but is not as crucial.

Black Mesa ended just before the point where Half-Life becomes shit. Maybe if they do finish it they'll make it not shit but you really don't need to play it to understand Half-Life 2.

You can always just watch the ending or read up on it.

What's wrong with Half-Life's graphics? I think they hold up pretty well. They were absolutely mind blowing when it was new.

Xen wasn't so bad, and the shit the Nihilanth says is some of the more interesting stuff in the series. But it's nothing you can't get from reading about it.

Or just watch this (with the added bonus of the expansions endings if you're interested):