It’s a shameArkane Studios’Ravenholmwas cancelled. That would have definitely filled the largeHalf-Lifehole us fans have felt for some time. However, a modding team has been on the case with a custom story that lets us experience the creepy mining town some more.
From the people that brought us theRaising the Barproject – an overhaul ofHalf-Life 2that breathes new life into the iconic FPS – comesRaising the Bar: Salvation. In this mod, we fill the shoes of Father Grigori, the pastor of Ravenholm who watches over Gordon Freeman in the official game, as he continues his story.
We get to trek back through the abandoned location, in which the devout man intends to burn the entire place down. You can download the modhere. The above video says you’ll also need to install theDivision 2.1file from theRaising the Bar: Reduxmod in order forSalvationto work.
The holiest shotgun-wielder around
What makes this slightly intriguing is its approach to combat. The team has said that resources are a bit more scarce, and players will only have a limited amount of supplies. With just a shotgun, custom mines, and aDuke Nukem-style kick, it becomes more about picking one’s battles.
Father Grigori was definitely one of the most interesting characters inHalf-Life 2. While only in the one section of the game, and not always visible on-screen, his presence is often felt by the player, as gunfire and manic laughs are heard in the distance.
He’s part of what makes the Ravenholm chapter such a standout. While we may never know what happens to Gordon Freeman in any futureHalf-Lifeinstallments,Salvationat least fills in some of the side narrative. And isn’t that just as important?
