Why Ravenholm is HL2's best level

[inpurpleshadows]

If you've seen some of my discussion posts, you should already know that Half-Life 2 is my favorite video game of all time. The satisfying gunplay, paired with an engaging narrative and impressive visuals makes HL2 a standout title in the FPS genre. However, there is one level in HL2 that I would consider its best, that being Ravenholm. First off, Ravenholm has the best level design in the entire game and I would go as far as to say that it's also one of the most well-designed levels in FPS, period. Not only is Ravenholm a visually impressive level, but it's enemy placement and puzzles are absolutely genius, requiring a lot of thought from the player. I'll admit, Half-Life 2 is a pretty easy game (for me at least) however this level actually does have some genuinely challenging moments. I also love its incorporation of the Gravity Gun, a weapon you get in the previous chapter (Black Mesa East). Using the Gravity Gun is one of the most satisfying things I have done in a video game, you can chop zombies in half with a saw blade, throw paint buckets at them and not to mention using Grigori's traps against your enemies. The integration of the Gravity Gun and physics makes Ravenholm my favorite level in HL2. I also love how unsettling the atmosphere is in this level. I will always appreciate it when games use horror elements in non horror games because it's pretty unexpected and can be very effective if done right. Ravenholm's dark and gritty (lol beta reference) visuals and scary sound design make it kind of terrifying, and I love it. The pain noises zombies make when they are on fire is absolutely spine-chilling. The introduction of the fast and poison zombies/headcrabs was something I never saw coming and as annoying as these enemies are, they do add some variety to the way you approach defeating your enemies. This level, as well as the junkyard scene in Detroit: Become Human has some of the best uses of horror elements in non-horror games. Ravenholm also employs some engaging and subtle storytelling. For context, Ravenholm is, or at least was a mining town that was eventually attacked by Combine forces with many of its inhabitants either dying or turning into zombies. The sole survivor, Father Grigori helps you along the way, giving monologues and fantastic dialogue that lighten up the mood. Throughout the level, you can make use Grigori's traps such as crushing zombies with cars and using spinning blades, all of which make impressive use of the Source engine's physics. After going through all of Ravenholm, you finally meet Father Grigori in person, where you and him go to the cemetery in one last stand. In the end, Grigori allows you to escape Ravenholm, where you eventually travel through a series of mines and finish the chapter when arriving to the shorepoint. If there's one complaint I have with Ravenholm, it's that it makes the rest of the game feel kinda worse in comparison. I'm not saying the rest of Half-Life 2's chapters are bad, in fact, they are full of great level design, immersive atmospheres and brilliant storytelling, it's just that they can't compare to this amazing level. If you disagree with me, feel free to share your thoughts on Ravenholm or what you think is the best chapter in the Half-Life series.

[bitch ass yb]

Ravenholm is the coolest level from a story standpoint. The introduction of the gravity gun is really cool but some of the zombies can be pretty annoying to deal with. It certainly stands out from every other level and I think that's pretty impressive on it's own.

[calembredaine]

though i like both, i pick highway 17 over ravenholm any day.

from what i can tell, ravenholm's strength gameplay-wise is to give you the low-hanging fruits for physics interactions. zombies are slow or give plenty of room to react, and they are placed near explosives or traps. while fairly popular, that's not what i enjoyed most in hl2.

meanwhile, highway 17 is a chain of arenas (mostly) against the combine. you can still use the gravity gun, but it also gives spotlight to other handheld weapons, and especially explosives (grenades dropped by soldiers, the rpg being recently introduced). i like that better.
obviously, shooting each others is also different from zombie extermination, with line of sights management mattering more. while hl2 is really not renown for such kind of combat, i preferred it nonetheless. besides, found highway 17's arenas to be fairly decent with plenty of isles of cover and circulability. it's really by lategame that i spot jarring map design tropes.
highway 17 also introduces the first gunship encounters, which i particularly fancy in hl2. as for the car, i admit i don't care much about it.

as for world-building, i have little to say. they're two distinct sceneries depicting a destroyed earth. all i preferred in highway was the lonely trip vibe.

[inpurpleshadows]

Originally posted by calembredaine:

though i like both, i pick highway 17 over ravenholm any day.

from what i can tell, ravenholm's strength gameplay-wise is to give you the low-hanging fruits for physics interactions. zombies are slow or give plenty of room to react, and they are placed near explosives or traps. while fairly popular, that's not what i enjoyed most in hl2.

meanwhile, highway 17 is a chain of arenas (mostly) against the combine. you can still use the gravity gun, but it also gives spotlight to other handheld weapons, and especially explosives (grenades dropped by soldiers, the rpg being recently introduced). i like that better.
obviously, shooting each others is also different from zombie extermination, with line of sights management mattering more. while hl2 is really not renown for such kind of combat, i preferred it nonetheless. besides, found highway 17's arenas to be fairly decent with plenty of isles of cover and circulability. it's really by lategame that i spot jarring map design tropes.
highway 17 also introduces the first gunship encounters, which i particularly fancy in hl2. as for the car, i admit i don't care much about it.

as for world-building, i have little to say. they're two distinct sceneries depicting a destroyed earth. all i preferred in highway was the lonely trip vibe.

I actually agree with a lot of the stuff you said here. Highway 17, while not my favorite is one of the best chapters in Half-Life 2 for the reasons you mentioned. I guess one of the reasons why I prefer Ravenholm over Highway 17 is the atmosphere. In the previous chapter (Black Mesa East) the Combine attacked Eli's base leading you to go through Ravenholm. The shift in tone compared to the rest of the game feels like whiplash which is actually why I love it so much. In the chapter, you also get to see just how much damage the Combine has caused on Earth as most of the town's inhabitants have either escaped Ravenholm, died, or turned into zombies. A lot of people meme about how "dark and gritty" the HL2 beta was compared to the retail build but seeing the destruction and damaged inflicted on Ravenholm was more effective than anything seen in the beta versions.

[rmoriel73]

Still the creepiest game level I’ve ever played.

[Ghidrah1]

All the chapters that allowed me to find and take advantage of shortcuts so that I could avoid as much combat as possible along with cutting time down without using cheats etc, etc.
Most of the shortcuts come from utilizing the game's world physics via GG and vehicle use