Back in May 2020, NoClip shared a documentary video about Arkane’s canceled Half-Life game, Ravenholm. And today, NoClip shared a brand new video, showcasing almost an hour of gameplay footage from it.
In case you didn’t know, Half-Life 2: Episode 4 or Half-Life Ravenholm was a Half-Life 2 game that Arkane Studios was working on. This was meant to be a zombie game that would take place in Ravenholm. From what we know, Arkane presented some prototypes of this game back in 2007. However, Valve decided that it didn’t make sense to pursue it at the time, and canceled it.
This video shows off the prototype levels that Arkane developed back then. These levels pack proper gameplay mechanics, weapons, and enemies. As such, they will give you an idea of what Arkane was trying to create.
Enjoy!
John is the founder and Editor in Chief at DSOGaming. He is a PC gaming fan and highly supports the modding and indie communities. Before creating DSOGaming, John worked on numerous gaming websites. While he is a die-hard PC gamer, his gaming roots can be found on consoles. John loved – and still does – the 16-bit consoles, and considers SNES to be one of the best consoles. Still, the PC platform won him over consoles. That was mainly due to 3DFX and its iconic dedicated 3D accelerator graphics card, Voodoo 2. John has also written a higher degree thesis on the “The Evolution of PC graphics cards.”
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Since Episode Two this franchise is in sleep mod, so much wasted potential… really wanna see something with Adrian Shephard.
Buy a VR headset. Play Alyx. Never be able to enjoy another game again.
No need to thank me.
Alyx was OK at best, genre defining for a trash tech.
“Never be able to enjoy another game again.”
When the sunken cost hits…
You got Alyx if you have VR.
VR games is just like Pachinko games not for everyone.
I agree, but Alyx is an amazing installment to the series and the only way to truly experience it is through VR.
Just like Huntdown (2021) pretty sick and fantastic game, also The King of Dragon (Arcade version) (1991) is a masterpiece of a game and still looks gorgeous to this day, the gaming world is not revolving around Alyx.
Alyx setting is similar to so many HL2 mods/expansion that focus on other characters, when people wants the story to move forward.
Laidlaw left, there is no one to write that story.
If they can’t make a game based on his script, them hire another writer, what’s so hard about it? My point stands, Alyx is just a “prequel”, not much different from previous expansions or mods in the same universe. But hey, one retcon is enough to make the fanboy drones excited, so there’s that.
You already got it
Where did i say i want to read a script?
As one of the probably biggest HL fans out there, I am not alone in saying: Leave the brand the fack alone.
We got what we got and we should be grateful for it.
Make new interesting IPs instead. Lately we got mostly sequels in the AAA scene.
No one should be grateful for anything, this is not charity we are talking about. So you are fan of the “brand”? Because it makes no sense admiring a unfinished game. Even a franchise like Halo provides an out for the people that are not happy with 343 sequels, just pretend it ends at Halo 3, Master Chief gets in stasis and that’s it.
Okay. Eli dies. Gordon and Alyx board the helicopter. Rest is in the Epistle I linked below.
Once again i’m saying i didn’t ask to read the script.
Do what you want, I got my closure. As do other fans – and I mean fans lurking the 2004 steam forums.
It’s ok, but you and other fans are coping with the fact Half Life 3 won’t have a game sequel (even if valve does a sequel it won’t be based on the original). I’ll wait for passionate modders to finish the game, i don’t want to play a game franchise only to have to read a book as the ending.
Not to be a dik and all, but why would you want to play as this or that silent protagonist? Like, they have no personality, they don’t speak, you don’t even see the 3d model.
Why the hell didn’t they release this game??
Valve pulled the plug. They still thought they have HL 3 well in the pipeline and were working on the episodes still if I remember correctly.
If you want details > youtube > The Untold History of Arkane (noclip). Would send you the link, but it would take John ages to check the comment.
Thanks man
They should release it for free at this point.
Old Arkane > post HL1 valve
Fact
Alyx : “We don’t go to Ravenholm anymore”
Could work as a Left 4 Dead spin off/single player campaign (the electricity thingy gets old quickly)…don’t see much of Ravenholm on it outside of the intro and father Grigori’s cameos.
Zombies and hospitals? what a novel idea.
Arkane died after Dishonored 1.
And yes the game looks like Left 4 Dead, looks cool and in the same time boooring and i can see why Valve ask them to stop working on it.
Given that this is just an early develop stage, we dont know how early still, is disappointing how pedestrian this hour looks, level and art design are the strong points of Arkane IMHO and none of that is showed there.
Ravenholm in HL2 is great, they clearly put a lot of effort on it, they exploited everything they could offer and it didnt overstate it’s welcome, short and sweet with a great change in the tone that doesnt look out of place.
This is not even close, they didnt even manage to capture the atmosphere, at least Arkane could pull off that but nope.
Given that this is just an early develop stage, we dont know how early still, is disappointing how pedestrian this hour looks, level and art design are the strong points of Arkane IMHO and none of that is showed there.
Ravenholm in HL2 is great, they clearly put a lot of effort on it, they exploited everything they could offer and it didnt overstate it’s welcome, short and sweet with a great change in the tone that doesnt look out of place.
This is not even close, they didnt even manage to capture the atmosphere, at least Arkane could pull off that but nope.
old Arkane > post HL1 valve
FACT
Leak the source code. Anonymously. By accident. So that fans can finish it!
it’s just demo for valve. nothing to finish. the game is like 50 minutes long, all of it is in the vid
Oh come on, it’s a lot to work with. Fans would love to have their try at it and other fans would love that to happen.
level design is better than most hl2 mods. The electricity weapon is cool but shooting zombies is meh. Just play fear o g string hl2 mod.
Looks like the Spam-Bots are back. This site needs more moderators. I would be willing to help if John wants.