New Documentary Reveals a Ton of Half-Life: Ravenholm Footage

Noclip's documentary on Arkane Studios has revealed a significant amount of additional footage [...]

By Marc Deschamps

Noclip's documentary on Arkane Studios has revealed a significant amount of additional footage from Half-Life: Ravenholm, a project cancelled by Valve more than a decade ago. In the documentary, players can get an in-depth look at the world Arkane was creating. For fans of the Half-Life franchise, it's certainly an interesting glimpse into what might have been. In the documentary, Noclip discusses what a major impact the game's development had on the studio, despite the fact that it never saw the light of day. It's an intriguing look into the game development process, and those interested in video games owe it to themselves to take a look.

In the footage, players are introduced to the character Father Gregory. Other than the player, Gregory is the only other human in Ravenholm. However, Gregory is constantly experimenting with headcrabs and other creatures from the game's world, and as he does so, he injects himself with their blood repeatedly for his research. Apparently, Gregory would have mutated throughout the game, possibly becoming an enemy later on. Several different weapons would have been introduced in the game, allowing players to creatively dispatch the game's zombies.

The history of the video game medium is filled with projects that never got off the ground. There are many reasons that games like Ravenholm end up cancelled, but whether they see release or not, the impact these games have on the people who make them is undeniable. Noclip's documentary makes it clear just how much Ravenholm still has an impact on the team's employees, to this day.

Unfinished builds from games are often discarded or lost, but an early alpha build of Ravenholm still exists at Arkane, and it seems to be pretty far along. While it's highly unlikely that Ravenholm will ever see release, the team at Arkane Studios kept some plot elements close to the vest, just in case. Perhaps a playable build will see release one day. For now, it remains an intriguing footnote in the history of the franchise.

What do you think of the footage of Half-Life: Ravenholm? Is this a game you would have enjoyed playing? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!

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