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{{Short description|Fictional ghost town in Half-Life 2}}
{{good article}}
{{good article}}
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{{Short description|Fictional ghost town}}
{{Infobox fictional location
{{Infobox fictional location
| name = Ravenholm
| name = Ravenholm
| first = ''[[Half-Life 2]]'' (2004)
| first = ''[[Half-Life 2]]'' (2004)
| creator = [[Valve Corporation]]
| creator = [[Valve Corporation]]
| image = File:Half-Life_2_Ravenholm.png
| image = File:Half-Life_2_Ravenholm.png
| caption = Ravenholm, as seen from high above the town.
| caption = Ravenholm, as seen from high above the town
| type = [[Ghost town]]
| type = [[Ghost town]]
| genre = [[First-person shooter]]
| genre = [[First-person shooter]]
| characters = [[Father Grigori]]
| characters = [[Characters of Half-Life#Grigori|Grigori]]
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| source = [[Half-Life (series)|Half-Life]]
| colour = #fb7e14
⚫
| source = [[Half-Life (series)|Half-Life]]
| population = 1
| population = 1
}}
}}


'''Ravenholm''' is a fictional [[ghost town]] in the [[first-person shooter]] [[video game]] ''[[Half-Life 2]]'', developed by [[Valve Corporation]] and released in 2004. It is the main setting for the game's sixth chapter, "We Don't Go to Ravenholm", which follows the game's protagonist, [[Gordon Freeman]], as he journeys through the area in a nighttime escape from Black Mesa East after it is attacked by the [[Combine (Half-Life)|Combine]], in order to reach the coast. An [[Eastern Europe|Eastern European]] [[Mining community|mining town]] destroyed by a Combine bombardment of ravenous alien [[headcrab]]s that turned its residents into hostile [[Zombie|zombies]], its sole survivor, [[Father Grigori]], offers his assistance to Freeman throughout the level, culminating in a [[last stand]].
'''Ravenholm''' is a fictional [[ghost town]] in the [[first-person shooter]] game ''[[Half-Life 2]]'', developed by [[Valve Corporation]] and released in 2004. It serves as the primary setting for the game's sixth chapter, "We Don't Go to Ravenholm", which follows the game's protagonist [[Gordon Freeman]] as he journeys through the area as part of an escape from [[Locations of Half-Life#Black Mesa East|Black Mesa East]] after it is attacked by [[Combine (Half-Life)|Combine]] forces in order to reach a nearby Resistance outpost. Ravenholm is a [[Mining community|mining town]] in [[Eastern Europe]] destroyed by a Combine bombardment using [[headcrab]]s that turned its residents into hostile [[zombie]]s. Its sole survivor, [[Characters of Half-Life#Grigori|Father Grigori]], offers his assistance to Freeman throughout the level, culminating in a [[last stand]] at the town's [[cemetery]].


The level has received critical praise due to its level design and sudden horror overtones involving the headcrabs and zombies, with some critics calling it one of the most well-designed levels in a Valve game or one of the best first-person shooter levels ever made. Due to its popularity, Valve initially contracted [[Junction Point Studios]] to make a [[prequel]] [[Episodic video game|episode]] featuring the town, a project that later became a [[Spin-off (media)|spin-off]] game developed by [[Arkane Studios]] that further followed the story of Father Grigori and his fight against the Combine. However, it was ultimately cancelled partway through development.
The level received critical praise due to its level design and unexpected usage of [[Horror fiction|horror]] aspects involving the headcrabs and zombies, with some critics calling it one of the most well-designed levels in a Valve game or one of the best first-person shooter levels ever made. Due to its popularity, Valve initially contracted [[Junction Point Studios]] to make a [[prequel]] featuring the town, a project that later became a [[Spin-off (media)|spin-off]] game developed by [[Arkane Studios]] that further followed the story of Grigori and his fight against the Combine. However, both projects were ultimately cancelled partway through development.


== Level content ==
== Level content ==
Before the player enters the level itself, [[Alyx Vance]] speaks the "infamous" line "we don't go [to Ravenholm] anymore", foreshadowing its horrific nature.<ref name=":0" /> The player is first forced to go to Ravenholm when Black Mesa East is attacked by the Combine, shortly after obtaining the [[Gravity Gun]] and using it to play [[Catch (game)|catch]] with the robotic [[Dog (Half-Life 2)|Dog]]. Dog opens the door to the area, allowing the player access to the town's outskirts and beginning the game's sixth chapter.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book|last=Hodgson|first=David S. J.|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/192154345|title=Half-Life 2: The Orange Box: Prima Official Game Guide|publisher=Prima Games|others=Stephen Stratton, Miguel Lopez|year=2007|isbn=978-0-7615-5693-0|location=Roseville, CA|pages=50–53|oclc=192154345}}</ref>


Before the player, who controls protagonist [[Gordon Freeman]], enters the level itself, companion [[Alyx Vance]] states that "we don't go [to Ravenholm] anymore", foreshadowing its overrun nature.{{sfn|Byrd|2019}} The player visits Ravenholm when [[Locations of Half-Life#Black Mesa East|Black Mesa East]], a Resistance base, is attacked by [[Combine (Half-Life)|Combine]] forces shortly after the player obtains a [[gravity gun]] and uses it to play [[Catch (game)|catch]] with Alyx's pet robot [[Characters of Half-Life#Dog|Dog]]. Dog opens a door to a tunnel leading to Ravenholm, allowing the player access to the town's outskirts and beginning the game's sixth chapter, titled "We Don't Go to Ravenholm".{{sfn|Hodgson|2007|pp=50–53}}
When the player first enters, the music shifts to a traditional horror score, and they see a pair of decapitated legs hanging from a tree, soon after discovering zombies had infested the town. The sudden shift in genre forces players to raise their guard, which is warranted due to the fact that the level is the hardest the player has faced up until that point. Enemies in the level include poisonous headcrabs that can easily drain the player's life, and Fast Zombies that are more agile than those seen in the original ''[[Half-Life (video game)|Half-Life]]''.<ref name=":0" />


When the player first enters Ravenholm, which is revealed to be a [[ghost town]], the soundtrack shifts to a traditional [[Horror fiction|horror]] score, and they see a pair of decapitated legs hanging from a tree before discovering the town is infested with [[headcrab]]s and [[zombie]]s. The sudden shift in the game's tone forces the player to raise their guard as the level "is easily the most dangerous part of ''Half-Life 2'' that players will experience up until that point".{{sfn|Byrd|2019}} New enemies are introduced in the level, which include poisonous and fast headcrabs and their respective zombie counterparts. Poisonous headcrabs will temporarily drain the player's health to one point if they score a hit while fast headcrabs are quicker than their conventional counterparts. Fast zombies are quicker than regular zombies and can climb [[Pipe (fluid conveyance)|drainage pipes]], while poisonous zombies are slow but have large amounts of health and carry around poisonous headcrabs on their back that they can throw at the player.{{sfn|Hodgson|2007|pp=50–53}}
After first defeating several zombies with traps or sawblades left in the area, the player meets Father Grigori atop a burning pile of zombies. The player follows Grigori, using traps such as a car mounted to a [[winch]] to defeat more zombies, as they move to the town's Central Thoroughfare, then to the Warehouse District, where they meet the new Fast Zombies. Grigori throws the player a [[shotgun]] in order to help them fight the enemies. In the next area, the Town Square, the player encounters and fights Poison Zombies. The player heads out of town through the Church Grounds, where they meet Grigori and he gives them ammunition, and finally, the [[Cemetery|Graveyard]], where Grigori helps the player enter a [[crypt]] at the far end, holding off the zombies in a last stand. The player continues on through the Mines, escaping via the Railway Sidings to reach Shorepoint, a scrapyard held by the Resistance.<ref name=":1" />

After traversing the town, which is littered with traps designed to kill zombies, the player meets the town's lone inhabitant, Father [[Characters of Half-Life#Grigori|Grigori]], who built the traps as part of his efforts to remove the zombie presence from Ravenholm. The player follows him through to the town's [[warehouse]] district, where they encounter fast zombies for the first time; Grigori gives the player a [[shotgun]] to aid them in fighting the zombies. Proceeding to the [[town centre]], the player encounters poison zombies before heading out of town through a [[cemetery]]. There, they come face-to-face with Grigori, who helps the player enter a nearby [[crypt]], holding off incoming zombies in a [[last stand]]. The player continues on through a series of mines, escaping via a railway network to reach Shorepoint, a [[wrecking yard]] held by the Resistance.{{sfn|Hodgson|2007|pp=50–53}}


== Plot ==
== Plot ==

Initially, Ravenholm was a small mining town, mainly containing decrepit wooden houses. Following the invasion of the Combine, a hostile alliance of alien races, it became one of the last bastions of the Resistance, a group of humans who opposed the alien occupation. When the Combine discovered the town's location, they bombarded it with Headcrab Shells, biological weapons containing numerous alien headcrabs that can take over their victims and turn them into zombies. These headcrab launchers were rarely used by the Combine, and their deployment may have been an act of retribution towards the Resistance. The total zombification of its population caused the rebels outside the town to begin only speaking of it in whispers, and warning others not to go near it.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=Byrd|first=Matthew|date=2019-10-09|title=Why Half-Life 2's Ravenholm Is the Perfect Horror Level|url=https://www.denofgeek.com/games/half-life-2-ravenholm-horror-level/|access-date=2022-01-25|website=[[Den of Geek]]|language=en-US}}</ref>
Prior to the Combine invasion, Ravenholm was a small [[Mining community|mining town]] somewhere in [[Eastern Europe]]. Following the invasion, the town served as an outpost for the Resistance, which resisted the Combine occupation. The Combine eventually attacked the town by bombarding it with [[Shell (projectile)|artillery shell]]s containing headcrabs, alien parasites which attack organisms and turn them into zombies. Ravenholm's entire population was zombified, which led the Resistance to completely abandon any presence they maintained in the town.{{sfn|Byrd|2019}}{{sfn|Hodgson|2007|pp=50–53}}


== Development ==
== Development ==
[[File:Half-Life 2 Ravenholm concept art.png|thumb|Concept art of Ravenholm depicting a headcrab zombie tossing a metal [[barrel]] at the player, represented by the first-person gun. Debris is visible in the background.]]
[[File:Half-Life 2 Ravenholm concept art.png|thumb|Concept art of Ravenholm, depicting a [[zombie]] tossing a metal barrel at the player. Debris is visible in the background.]]
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The Ravenholm level was initially called "Traptown" or "phystown" in the game's files during an early [[E3]] demo of the game, referring to the many [[Booby trap|booby traps]] scattered through it. Datamined information by fans showed that an early build featured Combine soldiers in addition to the zombies, and that it emphasized the mining town aspect more, including allowing the player to control a large digging machine. The original version of Ravenholm may have also been set chronologically before the player arrives at the lab of [[Eli Vance]] and acquires the Gravity Gun. The weapon ultimately ended up defining the level, encouraging the player to decapitate zombies using saw blades and other incidental objects as an alternative to shooting them. Players, who possessed [[shared knowledge]] of zombie-based horror instilled by fiction such as ''[[The Zombie Survival Guide]]'', could instinctively guess that the physics objects could be used as weapons.<ref name=":0" />


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The level was initially called "Traptown" or "phystown" in the game's files during an early [[E3]] demo of ''Half-Life 2'', referencing the numerous [[booby trap]]s scattered through it. [[Data mining|Datamined]] information by fans showed that an early build featured Combine forces in the level in addition to headcrabs and zombies, and the "mining town" aspect of Ravenholm was much more prominent, including allowing the player to control a large [[excavator]]. The original version of Ravenholm may have also been set chronologically before the player arrived at Black Mesa East and acquired the gravity gun. The weapon ultimately ended up defining the level, encouraging the player to kill zombies using [[Saw|saw blades]] and other tools as an alternative to using the player's weapons. Players who possessed [[Knowledge sharing|shared knowledge]] of zombie-based fiction such as ''[[The Zombie Survival Guide]]'' could also instinctively guess that the objects able to be picked up by the gravity gun could be used in an offensive manner.{{sfn|Byrd|2019}}
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Level designer Dario Casali stated that Ravenholm was conceived as a "sanctuary gone bad", where the player went expecting help from allies, but realized they had all become enemies. He also said that the town was created to seem isolated so that it could have believably escaped Combine notice for a while, but match the world of ''Half-Life 2'' at the same time, describing this as a challenge. Designers first created the traps in the level using "simple geometric shapes", but then turned to [[Concept art|concept artists]] to convert the ideas into something more detailed and realistic.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Hogdson|first=David|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/57189955|title=Half-Life 2: Raising the Bar|date=2004|publisher=Prima Games|others=Valve Corp|isbn=0-7615-4364-3|location=Roseville, Calif.|pages=210–212|oclc=57189955}}</ref>


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Level designer Dario Casali stated that Ravenholm was conceived as a "sanctuary gone bad", where the player went expecting help from potential allies, but realized they had all turned into enemies. Casali further stated that the town was designed to both appear isolated to the point where it could have believably escaped Combine notice for a time while simultaneously match the game's other levels, describing this as a challenge. The level's designers initially created the traps in Ravenholm using "simple geometric shapes", before turning to [[concept art]]ists to transform the ideas into more detailed and realistic concepts.{{sfn|Hodgson|2004|pp=210–212}}
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It is generally believed by fans and critics that Ravenholm was partially based on a section of the 1998 video game ''[[Thief: The Dark Project]]'' called the “Sealed Section", as [[Marc Laidlaw]] was a fan of the game. A quarter of a great city that had become infested by [[undead]], it stood in contrast with the technological advancement surrounding it, and many who knew about it refused to go near it. However, unlike the ''Thief'' level, the player has not yet encountered overt horror elements in ''Half-Life 2'' before arriving at Ravenholm.<ref name=":0" />

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It is generally believed by fans and critics that Ravenholm was partially inspired by a level of the 1998 video game ''[[Thief: The Dark Project]]'' known as the “Sealed Section", as [[Marc Laidlaw]], who wrote the plot of ''Half-Life 2'', was personally a fan of the game. In the level, the player traverses through a quarter of a large city which has become infested by the [[undead]], which stands in contrast to the technologically advanced neighbourhoods surrounding it. However, unlike the ''Thief'' level, the player has not yet encountered overt horror tropes in ''Half-Life 2'' prior to arriving at Ravenholm.{{sfn|Byrd|2019}}


=== Cancelled projects ===
=== Cancelled projects ===
[[File:Warren Spector GDC 2023 (cropped).jpg|thumb|[[Warren Spector]], who worked on a cancelled ''[[Half-Life (series)|Half-Life]]'' game set in Ravenholm]]
Between 2005 and mid-2007, an episode developed by Junction Point Studios, with a team led by [[Warren Spector]], was initially planned to explain the backstory behind both Ravenholm and Grigori, showing how the town was destroyed and Grigori became the character seen in ''Half-Life 2''. The game would have included a Magnet Gun that could attract metal objects from a remote location with metal ball projectiles. This project was eventually cancelled and the studio went on to develop ''[[Epic Mickey]]'' instead.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Donnelly|first=Joe|date=2017-09-22|title='The dumpster would fly across the alley and slam into the wall,' says Warren Spector of Half-Life 2's ill-fated magnet gun|language=en|work=[[PC Gamer]]|url=https://www.pcgamer.com/the-dumpster-would-fly-across-the-alley-and-slam-into-the-wall-says-warren-spector-of-half-life-2s-ill-fated-magnet-gun/|access-date=2022-01-25}}</ref>


Between 2005 and 2007, a [[Unreleased Half-Life games#Junction Point Studios episode|''Half-Life'' prequel]] was in development by [[Junction Point Studios]], with a team led by [[Warren Spector]]. The game's plot was intended to explain the backstory behind both Ravenholm and Grigori, showing how it was attacked by the Combine and Grigori's actions prior to the player meeting him in ''Half-Life 2''. It would have included a "magnet gun" which could attract metal objects from remote locations using metallic ball-shaped projectiles. In mid-2007, the project was cancelled and the studio went on to develop platform video game ''[[Epic Mickey]]'' instead, releasing it in 2010.{{sfn|Donnelly|2017}}
The concept was later given to Arkane Studios and changed into a spin-off game entitled ''Return to Ravenholm'' (or simply ''Ravenholm'') solely set in the fictional town,<ref>{{Cite news|last=Brown|first=Fraser|date=2020-05-26|title=Arkane's Half-Life spin-off featured Opposing Force's protagonist and his mate, a mutant priest|language=en|work=[[PC Gamer]]|url=https://www.pcgamer.com/arkanes-half-life-spin-off-featured-opposing-forces-protagonist-and-his-mate-a-mutant-priest/|access-date=2022-01-25}}</ref> but was cancelled by Valve after "9 or 10" levels had already been completed. Intended as a linear game, it would star [[Adrian Shepard]], protagonist of ''[[Half-Life: Opposing Force]]'', as he fought the aliens with the help of Father Grigori. Grigori, who was revealed to have survived his last stand in the original game, would have gradually mutated into an inhuman being as the result of a serum created from headcrab blood that he believed would protect him from the aliens.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Phillips|first=Tom|date=2020-05-27|title=Watch footage of cancelled Half-Life spin-off Ravenholm|url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2020-05-27-watch-footage-of-cancelled-half-life-spin-off-ravenholm|access-date=2022-01-25|website=[[Eurogamer]]|language=en}}</ref> The game would also have introduced several new weapons, such as the [[nail gun]] (that could power up doors by acting as [[electrical conductor]]s), a [[plasma weapon]], and a weaponized [[leaf blower]] that could be used to [[Double jump (game mechanic)|double jump]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-05-26|title=Canceled Half-Life game 'Ravenholm' finally shows Father Grigori's fate|url=https://www.gamerevolution.com/news/647392-canceled-half-life-game-ravenholm-arkane-studios-father-grigori-source|access-date=2022-01-25|website=GameRevolution}}</ref> Laidlaw stated that reasons behind the cancellation included the fact that headcrabs and zombies "were pretty much played out at the time", and that the fact that it had to take place prior to ''[[Half-Life 2: Episode Two|Episode Two]]'' was too creatively constraining.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Marc Laidlaw On The Cancelled Half-Life Spin-offs: Return To Ravenholm And "Episode Four" – LambdaGeneration|url=https://lambdageneration.com/home/news/other/marc-laidlaw-on-the-cancelled-half-life-spin-offs-return-to-ravenholm-and-episode-four/|access-date=2022-01-25|website=lambdageneration.com|language=en}}</ref> Footage of the project was later revealed in a 2020 [[Documentary film|documentary]] by [[Noclip]], ''The Untold History of Arkane''.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Nunneley|first=Stephany|date=2020-05-26|title=Footage of Arkane's Half-Life spin-off, Ravenholm, appears in documentary|url=https://www.vg247.com/half-life-ravenholm-arkane-footage|access-date=2022-01-27|website=VG247|language=en}}</ref>

The concept was later given to [[Arkane Studios]], who changed it into a spin-off ''Half-Life'' game titled ''[[Unreleased Half-Life games#Ravenholm|Ravenholm]]'' set entirely in the town, but was cancelled by [[Valve Corporation|Valve]] after "9 or 10" levels had already been completed.{{sfn|Brown|2020}} Intended as a [[Nonlinear gameplay|linear game]], it would feature [[Characters of Half-Life#Adrian Shephard|Adrian Shepard]], the protagonist of ''[[Half-Life: Opposing Force]]'', as he made his way through the town with the help of Grigori. Grigori, who was revealed to have survived his last stand in ''Half-Life 2'', would have gradually mutated into an inhuman being as the result of a serum created from headcrab blood that he believed would protect him from harm.{{sfn|Phillips|2020}}

The game would also have introduced several new weapons, such as a [[nail gun]], which could power up doors by acting as an [[electrical conductor]], a [[Directed-energy weapon#Plasma|plasma weapon]] and a weaponized [[leaf blower]] that could be used to [[Glossary of video game terms#Double jump|double jump]].{{sfn|Adams|2020}} Laidlaw stated that reasons behind the cancellation included the fact that headcrabs and zombies "were pretty much played out at the time", and that the fact that it had to take place chronologically prior to ''[[Half-Life 2: Episode Two]]'' was too creatively constraining.{{sfn|Lambda Generation|2012}} Footage of the project was shown in a 2020 [[Documentary film|documentary]] by media company [[Noclip]] titled ''The Untold History of Arkane''.{{sfn|Nunneley|2020}}


== Reception ==
== Reception ==
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The level's originality caused it to stand out to critics. Alex Avard of ''[[GamesRadar+]]'' called Ravenholm an example of a horror sequence in a non-horror game, describing it as "harrowing" and a "blood-soaked frightfest".<ref>{{Cite web|last=Avard|first=Alex|date=2020-10-27|title=Ravenholm, Vault 108, and the devilish brilliance of horror sequences in non-horror video games|url=https://www.gamesradar.com/ravenholm-vault-108-and-the-devilish-brilliance-of-horror-sequences-in-non-horror-video-games/|access-date=2022-01-25|website=[[GamesRadar+]]|language=en}}</ref> Ashley Reed of the same publication praised the game's inclusion of "Zombie Chopper", an [[Achievement (video games)|achievement]] forcing the player to beat the entire level with only the Gravity Gun, saying that the absence of weapons forced her to think creatively about how to survive, using items such as saw blades as impromptu weapons, and strategies such as fleeing the zombies before they could notice.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Reed|first=Ashley|date=2015-11-27|title=Why I Love: the Zombie Chopper achievement in Half-Life 2|url=https://www.gamesradar.com/why-i-love-zombie-chopper-achievement-half-life-2/|access-date=2022-01-25|website=GamesRadar+|language=en}}</ref>


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The level's originality caused it to stand out to critics. ''[[GamesRadar+]]'' journalist Alex Avard praised Ravenholm as an example of a horror sequence in a non-horror game, describing it as "harrowing" and a "blood-soaked frightfest".{{sfn|Avard|2020}} Fellow ''GamesRadar+'' journalist Ashley Reed praised the game's inclusion of "Zombie Chopper", an [[Achievement (video games)|achievement]] which forced the player to beat the entire level employing only the gravity gun, arguing that not using weapons forced her to think creatively about how to proceed through the level, turning to items such as saw blades as improvised weaponry and employing strategies such as fleeing the zombies before they could notice her presence.{{sfn|Reed|2015}}
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The level was praised for its effective use of horror elements. Matthew Byrd of ''[[Den of Geek]]'' described Ravenholm as "the perfect horror level", saying that it both attempted to celebrate the tropes of the horror genre and effectively utilize them to scare the player. Suggesting that it "just happened to be the perfect idea released at the perfect time", he said that some elements of the level "certainly don't feel quite as groundbreaking" 15 years later as they did upon the game's release.<ref name=":0" /> Andy Kelly of ''[[PC Gamer]]'' included the game on the list of his best FPS levels ever, calling it "a tense, terrifying gauntlet" and "probably the best level Valve has ever designed".<ref>{{Cite news|last=Kelly|first=Andy|date=2015-03-31|title=The best FPS levels ever|language=en|work=[[PC Gamer]]|url=https://www.pcgamer.com/the-best-fps-levels-ever/|access-date=2022-01-25}}</ref> Padraig Cotter of ''[[Screen Rant]]'' stated that the level was "arguably the game's most famous" and had a "perfect balance" of horror and action. Calling the town's atmosphere "oppressive", he noted that the level's incidental details, such as bodies and gore, told a "powerful story", saying that it was "hard not to feel sorry" for the unwillingly transformed zombies.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Cotter|first=Padraig|date=2020-04-13|title=Half-Life 2's Ravenholm Level Is A Perfect Fusion Of Horror And Action|url=https://screenrant.com/half-life-2-game-ravenholm-horror-action-fusion/|access-date=2022-01-25|website=[[Screen Rant]]|language=en-US}}</ref> Jenna Stoeber of ''[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]]'' called Ravenholm an example of Valve's best level design techniques, praising its strong core narrative idea, and the fact that the player comes across the level [[in medias res]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Stoeber|first=Jenna|date=2020-04-22|title=Valve's best level design techniques can be seen in Ravenholm|url=https://www.polygon.com/videos/2020/4/22/21230042/half-life-ravenholm-valve-level-design|access-date=2022-01-25|website=Polygon|language=en-US}}</ref> Jeremy Parish of ''[[USgamer]]'' stated that Ravenholm "makes great use of audio cues to build tension", noting how the player can hear poison headcrabs before they see them.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Parish|first=Jeremy|date=2014-11-19|title=Half-Life 2 and Mixed Emotions|url=https://www.usgamer.net/articles/half-life-2-and-mixed-emotions|access-date=2022-01-25|website=USgamer|language=en}}</ref>

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The level was also praised for its effective use of horror elements. ''[[Den of Geek]]'' journalist Matthew Byrd described Ravenholm as "the perfect horror level", stating that it both served as a send up of horror tropes and effectively utilized them to scare the player. Suggesting that it "just happened to be the perfect idea released at the perfect time", Byrd further stated that some elements of the level "certainly don't feel quite as groundbreaking" 15 years later as they did upon the game's release.{{sfn|Byrd|2019}} ''[[PC Gamer]]'' journalist Andy Kelly included the game on the list of his best [[first-person shooter]] levels ever, calling it "a tense, terrifying gauntlet" and "probably the best level Valve has ever designed".{{sfn|Kelly|2015}} ''[[Screen Rant]]'' journalist Padraig Cotter argued that the level was "arguably the game's most famous" and had a "perfect balance" of horror and action. Describing the town's atmosphere as "oppressive", he noted that the level's incidental details, such as bodies and gore, told a "powerful story", saying that it was "hard not to feel sorry" for the unwillingly transformed zombies.{{sfn|Padraig|2020}} ''[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]]'' writer Jenna Stoeber called Ravenholm an example of Valve's best level design techniques, praising its strong core narrative idea and the fact that the player comes across the level ''[[in medias res]]''.{{sfn|Stoeber|2020}} ''[[Gamer Network#Former|USgamer]]'' journalist Jeremy Parish stated that Ravenholm "makes great use of audio cues to build tension", noting how the player can hear poison headcrabs before they see them.{{sfn|Parish|2014}}


== See also ==
== See also ==


* [[Locations of Half-Life|Locations of ''Half-Life'']]
* ''[[Half-Life 2: Lost Coast]]''
* ''[[Half-Life 2: Lost Coast]]''
* [[Unreleased Half-Life games|Unreleased ''Half-Life'' games]]


== References ==
==References==
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{{Reflist}}


==Further reading==
===Footnotes===
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{{Reflist|30em}}
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*{{Cite web|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/canceled-half-life-game|title=Half-Life 2: Ravenholm: An Hour of the Canceled Valve Game Revealed|website=IGN|access-date=May 4, 2022}}

===Bibliography===
{{Refbegin|30em|indent=yes}}

* {{Cite web|title=Marc Laidlaw On The Cancelled Half-Life Spin-offs: Return To Ravenholm And "Episode Four"|url=https://lambdageneration.com/home/news/other/marc-laidlaw-on-the-cancelled-half-life-spin-offs-return-to-ravenholm-and-episode-four/|website=Lambda Generation|date=January 13, 2012|access-date=January 25, 2022|ref={{harvid|Lambda Generation|2012}}}}
* {{Cite web|first=Robert N.|last=Adams|title=Canceled Half-Life game 'Ravenholm' finally shows Father Grigori's fate|url=https://www.gamerevolution.com/news/647392-canceled-half-life-game-ravenholm-arkane-studios-father-grigori-source|website=[[GameRevolution]]|date=May 26, 2020|access-date=January 25, 2022}}
* {{Cite web|first=Alex|last=Avard|title=Ravenholm, Vault 108, and the devilish brilliance of horror sequences in non-horror video games|url=https://www.gamesradar.com/ravenholm-vault-108-and-the-devilish-brilliance-of-horror-sequences-in-non-horror-video-games/|website=[[GamesRadar+]]|date=October 27, 2020|access-date=January 25, 2022}}
* {{Cite web|first=Fraser|last=Brown|title=Arkane's Half-Life spin-off featured Opposing Force's protagonist and his mate, a mutant priest|url=https://www.pcgamer.com/arkanes-half-life-spin-off-featured-opposing-forces-protagonist-and-his-mate-a-mutant-priest/|website=[[PC Gamer]]|date=May 26, 2020|access-date=January 25, 2022}}
* {{Cite web|first=Matthew|last=Byrd|title=Why Half-Life 2's Ravenholm Is the Perfect Horror Level|url=https://www.denofgeek.com/games/half-life-2-ravenholm-horror-level/|website=[[Den of Geek]]|date=October 9, 2019|access-date=January 25, 2022}}
* {{Cite web|first=Joe|last=Donnelly|title='The dumpster would fly across the alley and slam into the wall,' says Warren Spector of Half-Life 2's ill-fated magnet gun|url=https://www.pcgamer.com/the-dumpster-would-fly-across-the-alley-and-slam-into-the-wall-says-warren-spector-of-half-life-2s-ill-fated-magnet-gun/|website=[[PC Gamer]]|date=September 22, 2017|access-date=January 25, 2022}}
* {{Cite book|first=David S. J.|last=Hodgson|title=Half-Life 2: Raising the Bar|year=2004|publisher=[[Prima Games]]|isbn=978-0-7615-4364-0}}
* {{Cite book|first=David S. J.|last=Hodgson|title=Half-Life 2 (Orange Box): Official Game Guide|year=2007|publisher=[[Prima Games]]|isbn=978-0-7615-5693-0}}
* {{Cite web|first=Andy|last=Kelly|title=The best FPS levels ever|url=https://www.pcgamer.com/the-best-fps-levels-ever/|website=[[PC Gamer]]|date=March 31, 2015|access-date=January 25, 2022}}
* {{Cite web|first=Stephany|last=Nunneley|title=Footage of Arkane's Half-Life spin-off, Ravenholm, appears in documentary|url=https://www.vg247.com/half-life-ravenholm-arkane-footage|website=[[VG247]]|date=May 26, 2020|access-date=January 25, 2022}}
* {{Cite web|first=Cotter|last=Padraig|title=Half-Life 2's Ravenholm Level Is A Perfect Fusion Of Horror And Action|url=https://screenrant.com/half-life-2-game-ravenholm-horror-action-fusion/|website=[[Screen Rant]]|date=April 13, 2020|access-date=January 25, 2022}}
* {{Cite web|first=Jeremy|last=Parish|title=Half-Life 2 and Mixed Emotions|url=https://www.vg247.com/half-life-2-and-mixed-emotions|website=[[Gamer Network#Former|USgamer]]|date=November 19, 2014|access-date=January 25, 2022}}
* {{Cite web|first=Tom|last=Phillips|title=Watch footage of cancelled Half-Life spin-off Ravenholm|url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2020-05-27-watch-footage-of-cancelled-half-life-spin-off-ravenholm|website=[[Eurogamer]]|date=May 27, 2020|access-date=January 25, 2022}}
* {{Cite web|first=Ashley|last=Reed|title=Why I Love: the Zombie Chopper achievement in Half-Life 2|url=https://www.gamesradar.com/why-i-love-zombie-chopper-achievement-half-life-2/|website=[[GamesRadar+]]|date=November 27, 2015|access-date=January 25, 2022}}
* {{Cite web|first=Jenna|last=Stoeber|title=Valve's best level design techniques can be seen in Ravenholm|url=https://www.polygon.com/videos/2020/4/22/21230042/half-life-ravenholm-valve-level-design|website=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]]|date=April 22, 2020|access-date=January 25, 2022}}

{{Refend|30em|indent=yes}}

===Further reading===

⚫
* {{Cite web|first=Amelia|last=Zollner|title=Half-Life 2: Ravenholm: An Hour of the Canceled Valve Game Revealed|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/canceled-half-life-game|website=[[IGN]]|date=May 4, 2022|access-date=May 4, 2022}}


{{Half-Life series}}
{{Half-Life series}}
{{Arkane Studios}}
{{Arkane Studios}}


[[Category:Half-Life (series)]]
[[Category:Fiction about bioterrorism]]
[[Category:Bioterrorism in fiction]]
[[Category:Cancelled Windows games]]
[[Category:Cancelled Windows games]]
[[Category:Fictional elements introduced in 2004]]
[[Category:Fictional elements introduced in 2004]]
[[Category:Fictional places in Europe]]
[[Category:Fictional locations in Europe]]
[[Category:Fictional populated places]]
[[Category:Fictional populated places]]
[[Category:Ghost towns in fiction]]
[[Category:Ghost towns in fiction]]
[[Category:Half-Life (series)]]
[[Category:Video game levels]]
[[Category:Video game levels]]
[[Category:Video game locations]]
[[Category:Video game locations]]



[[fr:Ravenholm]]
[[fr:Ravenholm]]

Revision as of 01:37, 26 May 2024

Ravenholm
Half-Life location
Ravenholm, as seen from high above the town
First appearanceHalf-Life 2 (2004)
Created byValve Corporation
GenreFirst-person shooter
In-universe information
TypGhost town
CharactersGrigori
Population1

Ravenholm is a fictional ghost town in the first-person shooter game Half-Life 2, developed by Valve Corporation and released in 2004. It serves as the primary setting for the game's sixth chapter, "We Don't Go to Ravenholm", which follows the game's protagonist Gordon Freeman as he journeys through the area as part of an escape from Black Mesa East after it is attacked by Combine forces in order to reach a nearby Resistance outpost. Ravenholm is a mining town in Eastern Europe destroyed by a Combine bombardment using headcrabs that turned its residents into hostile zombies. Its sole survivor, Father Grigori, offers his assistance to Freeman throughout the level, culminating in a last stand at the town's cemetery.

The level received critical praise due to its level design and unexpected usage of horror aspects involving the headcrabs and zombies, with some critics calling it one of the most well-designed levels in a Valve game or one of the best first-person shooter levels ever made. Due to its popularity, Valve initially contracted Junction Point Studios to make a prequel featuring the town, a project that later became a spin-off game developed by Arkane Studios that further followed the story of Grigori and his fight against the Combine. However, both projects were ultimately cancelled partway through development.

Level content

Before the player, who controls protagonist Gordon Freeman, enters the level itself, companion Alyx Vance states that "we don't go [to Ravenholm] anymore", foreshadowing its overrun nature.[1] The player visits Ravenholm when Black Mesa East, a Resistance base, is attacked by Combine forces shortly after the player obtains a gravity gun and uses it to play catch with Alyx's pet robot Dog. Dog opens a door to a tunnel leading to Ravenholm, allowing the player access to the town's outskirts and beginning the game's sixth chapter, titled "We Don't Go to Ravenholm".[2]

When the player first enters Ravenholm, which is revealed to be a ghost town, the soundtrack shifts to a traditional horror score, and they see a pair of decapitated legs hanging from a tree before discovering the town is infested with headcrabs and zombies. The sudden shift in the game's tone forces the player to raise their guard as the level "is easily the most dangerous part of Half-Life 2 that players will experience up until that point".[1] New enemies are introduced in the level, which include poisonous and fast headcrabs and their respective zombie counterparts. Poisonous headcrabs will temporarily drain the player's health to one point if they score a hit while fast headcrabs are quicker than their conventional counterparts. Fast zombies are quicker than regular zombies and can climb drainage pipes, while poisonous zombies are slow but have large amounts of health and carry around poisonous headcrabs on their back that they can throw at the player.[2]

After traversing the town, which is littered with traps designed to kill zombies, the player meets the town's lone inhabitant, Father Grigori, who built the traps as part of his efforts to remove the zombie presence from Ravenholm. The player follows him through to the town's warehouse district, where they encounter fast zombies for the first time; Grigori gives the player a shotgun to aid them in fighting the zombies. Proceeding to the town centre, the player encounters poison zombies before heading out of town through a cemetery. There, they come face-to-face with Grigori, who helps the player enter a nearby crypt, holding off incoming zombies in a last stand. The player continues on through a series of mines, escaping via a railway network to reach Shorepoint, a wrecking yard held by the Resistance.[2]

Plot

Prior to the Combine invasion, Ravenholm was a small mining town somewhere in Eastern Europe. Following the invasion, the town served as an outpost for the Resistance, which resisted the Combine occupation. The Combine eventually attacked the town by bombarding it with artillery shells containing headcrabs, alien parasites which attack organisms and turn them into zombies. Ravenholm's entire population was zombified, which led the Resistance to completely abandon any presence they maintained in the town.[1][2]

Development

Concept art of Ravenholm, depicting a zombie tossing a metal barrel at the player. Debris is visible in the background.

The level was initially called "Traptown" or "phystown" in the game's files during an early E3 demo of Half-Life 2, referencing the numerous booby traps scattered through it. Datamined information by fans showed that an early build featured Combine forces in the level in addition to headcrabs and zombies, and the "mining town" aspect of Ravenholm was much more prominent, including allowing the player to control a large excavator. The original version of Ravenholm may have also been set chronologically before the player arrived at Black Mesa East and acquired the gravity gun. The weapon ultimately ended up defining the level, encouraging the player to kill zombies using saw blades and other tools as an alternative to using the player's weapons. Players who possessed shared knowledge of zombie-based fiction such as The Zombie Survival Guide could also instinctively guess that the objects able to be picked up by the gravity gun could be used in an offensive manner.[1]

Level designer Dario Casali stated that Ravenholm was conceived as a "sanctuary gone bad", where the player went expecting help from potential allies, but realized they had all turned into enemies. Casali further stated that the town was designed to both appear isolated to the point where it could have believably escaped Combine notice for a time while simultaneously match the game's other levels, describing this as a challenge. The level's designers initially created the traps in Ravenholm using "simple geometric shapes", before turning to concept artists to transform the ideas into more detailed and realistic concepts.[3]

It is generally believed by fans and critics that Ravenholm was partially inspired by a level of the 1998 video game Thief: The Dark Project known as the “Sealed Section", as Marc Laidlaw, who wrote the plot of Half-Life 2, was personally a fan of the game. In the level, the player traverses through a quarter of a large city which has become infested by the undead, which stands in contrast to the technologically advanced neighbourhoods surrounding it. However, unlike the Thief level, the player has not yet encountered overt horror tropes in Half-Life 2 prior to arriving at Ravenholm.[1]

Cancelled projects

Warren Spector, who worked on a cancelled Half-Life game set in Ravenholm

Between 2005 and 2007, a Half-Life prequel was in development by Junction Point Studios, with a team led by Warren Spector. The game's plot was intended to explain the backstory behind both Ravenholm and Grigori, showing how it was attacked by the Combine and Grigori's actions prior to the player meeting him in Half-Life 2. It would have included a "magnet gun" which could attract metal objects from remote locations using metallic ball-shaped projectiles. In mid-2007, the project was cancelled and the studio went on to develop platform video game Epic Mickey instead, releasing it in 2010.[4]

The concept was later given to Arkane Studios, who changed it into a spin-off Half-Life game titled Ravenholm set entirely in the town, but was cancelled by Valve after "9 or 10" levels had already been completed.[5] Intended as a linear game, it would feature Adrian Shepard, the protagonist of Half-Life: Opposing Force, as he made his way through the town with the help of Grigori. Grigori, who was revealed to have survived his last stand in Half-Life 2, would have gradually mutated into an inhuman being as the result of a serum created from headcrab blood that he believed would protect him from harm.[6]

The game would also have introduced several new weapons, such as a nail gun, which could power up doors by acting as an electrical conductor, a plasma weapon and a weaponized leaf blower that could be used to double jump.[7] Laidlaw stated that reasons behind the cancellation included the fact that headcrabs and zombies "were pretty much played out at the time", and that the fact that it had to take place chronologically prior to Half-Life 2: Episode Two was too creatively constraining.[8] Footage of the project was shown in a 2020 documentary by media company Noclip titled The Untold History of Arkane.[9]

Reception

The level's originality caused it to stand out to critics. GamesRadar+ journalist Alex Avard praised Ravenholm as an example of a horror sequence in a non-horror game, describing it as "harrowing" and a "blood-soaked frightfest".[10] Fellow GamesRadar+ journalist Ashley Reed praised the game's inclusion of "Zombie Chopper", an achievement which forced the player to beat the entire level employing only the gravity gun, arguing that not using weapons forced her to think creatively about how to proceed through the level, turning to items such as saw blades as improvised weaponry and employing strategies such as fleeing the zombies before they could notice her presence.[11]

The level was also praised for its effective use of horror elements. Den of Geek journalist Matthew Byrd described Ravenholm as "the perfect horror level", stating that it both served as a send up of horror tropes and effectively utilized them to scare the player. Suggesting that it "just happened to be the perfect idea released at the perfect time", Byrd further stated that some elements of the level "certainly don't feel quite as groundbreaking" 15 years later as they did upon the game's release.[1] PC Gamer journalist Andy Kelly included the game on the list of his best first-person shooter levels ever, calling it "a tense, terrifying gauntlet" and "probably the best level Valve has ever designed".[12] Screen Rant journalist Padraig Cotter argued that the level was "arguably the game's most famous" and had a "perfect balance" of horror and action. Describing the town's atmosphere as "oppressive", he noted that the level's incidental details, such as bodies and gore, told a "powerful story", saying that it was "hard not to feel sorry" for the unwillingly transformed zombies.[13] Polygon writer Jenna Stoeber called Ravenholm an example of Valve's best level design techniques, praising its strong core narrative idea and the fact that the player comes across the level in medias res.[14] USgamer journalist Jeremy Parish stated that Ravenholm "makes great use of audio cues to build tension", noting how the player can hear poison headcrabs before they see them.[15]

See also

References

Footnotes

  1. ^ a b c d e f Byrd 2019.
  2. ^ a b c d Hodgson 2007, pp. 50–53.
  3. ^ Hodgson 2004, pp. 210–212.
  4. ^ Donnelly 2017.
  5. ^ Brown 2020.
  6. ^ Phillips 2020.
  7. ^ Adams 2020.
  8. ^ Lambda Generation 2012.
  9. ^ Nunneley 2020.
  10. ^ Avard 2020.
  11. ^ Reed 2015.
  12. ^ Kelly 2015.
  13. ^ Padraig 2020.
  14. ^ Stoeber 2020.
  15. ^ Parish 2014.

Bibliography

Further reading

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