Return to Ravenholm: Reborn

Return to Ravenholm: Reborn, also referred to as Half-Life 2 Ravenholm, is a fan-made project that aims to recreate the cancelled Half-Life 2 spin-off game that was in development by Arkane Studios from 2006 to 2007. The project is being developed by Boot Camp Interactive, a group of Valve fans dedicated to bringing the game to life.

Originally developed by Arkane Studios, the game was set to take place in the eerie and zombie-infested town of Ravenholm, with players taking on the role of HECU marine Adrian Shephard as the playable protagonist.

Plot
In the aftermath of the events of Half-Life 2, Adrian Shephard, the HECU marine, is discovered unconscious by Father Grigori in a classroom of an abandoned medical asylum located in an abandoned city. It's unclear whether Shephard was brought out of stasis by the Vortigaunts or by the mysterious G-Man. Grigori, overjoyed by the prospect of company, brings Shephard back to his refuge.

Shephard eventually wakes up and is greeted by Grigori, who hastily closes the door behind him. Grigori comments, "I'm pleased to have you here. Too much solitude isn't good for a man who wishes to serve like myself." Grigori extracts blood from live Headcrabs using a machine, believing that injecting it on the right side of his neck will build immunity to their bite. He then cooks Headcrab stew for Shephard.

The room is suddenly overrun by zombies who break through Grigori's barricades, forcing them to flee. They then embark on a mission to escape the asylum, the city, and return to Ravenholm. Shephard helps Grigori restore power to the Eastern and Western wings of the city to facilitate their escape. The reason why Grigori left Ravenholm and why he wants to return remain a mystery.

Gameplay
Similar to the iconic Ravenholm level in Half-Life 2, Return to Ravenholm: Reborn is planned to offer players a variety of tools to aid them in their battles against hordes of zombies. These tools include a movie projector, which can distract groups of zombies, and electric propeller traps. The gameplay will focus heavily on electricity as a key mechanic, with players using arc discharge to create dynamic electrical networks between broken outlets and torn power lines, and nearby conductive objects. The player is required to provide power to certain appliances as part of puzzles, it can also be used offensively to create traps for enemies. The player's suit provides protection from short-term exposure to electricity, with a meter on the HUD indicating the amount of energy that can be absorbed without taking any damage.

Weapons
The Shotgun, SMG, and Pistol from Half-Life 2 all make returning roles, though they have been seemly re-animated. Due to a filename error in the Alpha build, for example, the Pistol incorrectly displays the texture for Half-Life: Source's pistol, making it look rather strange.

The player has the new ability to perform a Buttstroke with any weapon using its alt-fire. This is shown to be quite an effective way of taking down enemies at close range. It seems that this Buttstroke is intended to replace a melee weapon, as the player is never shown with a Crowbar or Pipe Wrench.



A new nail gun shoots projectile bolts that stick to surfaces and damage enemies.

These nails carry electricity, which allows the player to create what is described as a "dynamic electricity network" to power appliances and solve puzzles. Zombies also fry if they step across an electric current, so it can also be used as a defensive weapon against hordes.

The new Charge Gun charges when near sources of electricity. That charge can then be used to fire a large ball of energy that powers appliances and damages enemies.

Nail Grenades conduct electricity through their explosion. The infobox that shows up when the player picks them up reads "Use Nail Grenades to create traps and electricity currents". This is the only weapon in the reveal trailer that has absolutely no texture; it appears entirely matte white.

Shephard can also use a Leaf Blower weapon to "double jump" like in Quake, implying that he could use it to propel himself through the air by jumping and firing the Leaf Blower at the ground.

Development
The project is being developed by a team of passionate fans who have been aiming to recreate the contents that were revealed to the public. The team have been keeping fans updated on their progress through various social media platforms such as Discord, Twitter, and YouTube.

The project has not yet been given a release date, but the team has stated that they are working hard to create a game that lives up to the expectations of the Half-Life community. The team has also mentioned that they have to take some creative liberties since Arcane, the original developers of Half-Life 2: Episode 3, never shared all the details about the story. However, they are hopeful that they can do as great a job as Arcane did and provide fans with an immersive and enjoyable gaming experience.

Despite the challenges faced by the team, they remain committed to the project and have continued to work on it with great dedication. They have also received support from the Half-Life community, who are eagerly anticipating the release of the game.