Video Games
NoClip Reveals Gameplay Footage From Cancelled ‘Half-Life 2’ Spin-off ‘Ravenholm’ [Video]
We’ve previously delved into the Half-Life 2 spinoff Ravenholm, in another one of those “what might have been” instances. There’s a silver lining to this, as YouTubers NoClip have released nearly an hour of gameplay footage from the project.
This goes hand in hand with their previous documentary on Arkane Studios, which also delved into the developer’s work on the Ravenholm project from 2006 to 2007. This new video shows off the prototype levels that Arkane had been working on, along with the gameplay mechanics, enemies and more.
For those wondering, Arkane Studios was commissioned by Valve to create one of Half-Life 2‘s episodic DLCs, this one a dark spin-off starring the HECU marine Adrian Shephard from Half-Life: Opposing Force. Ravenholm would have had Shephard travelling to the zombie-infested European town of Ravenholm after the events of Half-Life 2, but before the end of Half-Life 2: Episode Two. Sadly, the whole project received the axe from Valve, who had decided that it didn’t make sense to pursue the game at that time.
In addition to the documentaries, you can also check out the fan-curated Half-Life wiki on Ravenholm, which had a bunch of the leaked screenshots and concept art from the project.
Moon Studios dropped a new trailer during the Sony State of Play for their dark action-RPG No Rest for the Wicked, while also hinting at the long-awaited launch window for the full 1.0 release. The game, which has been in Early Access on Steam since April 2024, will be launching this October in full for PlayStation 5 and PC via Steam, while versions for the Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch 2 will arrive at a later date.
As a token of appreciation for supporters new and old, Moon Studios is offering an exclusive Early Access Founder’s Pack, a free limited edition bundle available for anyone who purchases the game on Steam prior to July 10, with rewards unlocking when 1.0 officially launches. PlayStation 5 users can receive the Early Access Founder’s Pack by pre-ordering the game once available, any time before launch day.
The Founder’s Pack includes:
- A New Secret Hideout: Spirit Cavern – The legacy of Moon Studios now lives inside No Rest for the Wicked, exclusively for Founders. A hand-crafted home that bridges both worlds.
- Sayer’s Vow: An all new Sword in the stone reserved just for the founders that only early adopters can extract in the game world.
- A Custom Founders Tag ensures players are clearly identified as early adopters.
- As a Founder member, players will get access to an exclusive Public Beta Test Realm reserved just for them, even after the 1.0 game launch.
As for the full 1.0 release, it will be a massive expansion of the core experience, introducing a staggering 60+ hours of new content, a new horde mode, powerful new weapons, bosses and enemies, new areas and a completely reimagined class system.
In No Rest for the Wicked, players take on the role of a “Cerim,” a member of a holy order imbued with mysterious powers, tasked with destroying the Pestilence, an ancient plague that has begun to consume the island Isola Sacra, itself already the site of great political upheaval and death.