As the years go by, there's less and less chance that the story of Half-Life will ever be represented in a new game. With it being one of the most anticipated video games sequels ever, it's unfortunate that Valve does not appear to be working on Half-Life 3, leaving it dead in the water. However, fans still have the first two games, as well as the two subsequent episodes, which have gone down as classics. Despite how old they are now, there are people out there who are still keen to tinker with them.
In a video uploaded to YouTube a few days ago, a modder who simply goes by Ian has managed to recreate an aspect of Half-Life 2 in Unreal Engine. Specifically, they've reimagined a more up-to-date version of the sequel's most famous level, the haunted mining town of Ravenholm.
For those who haven't played the 2004 first-person shooter, Half-Life 2's Ravenholm is one of the scariest locations in a non-horror game, switching the mood from a high-octane sci-fi shooter into a creepy test of player mettle. With the unsettling atmosphere, the abandoned and ruined area, and the presence of some terrifying variations on the classic headcrab zombie, Half-Life 2 became more than just an action game, incorporating some horror elements that seemed to come out of nowhere.
Ian's video shows a representation of what the mining town could potentially look like in Unreal Engine 4 and also shows some clips of them actually building the map in the software. While it's not the newest version of the development tool, Unreal Engine is one of the most used engines in gaming, used to make and remake all manner of AAA and independent titles. This demonstration of Ravenholm in Unreal shows just how powerful the engine is, but also gives the classic map a somewhat more modern lick of paint, with one user in the comments saying that it's both "pretty" and "spooky."
Considered by some to be one of the best FPS games of the 1990s, if not of all time, the original Half-Life is still influencing developers and modders to this day. The sequel, which is now 18 years old, continues to make waves in the gaming community. Even after nearly two decades, the graphics hold up to some extent. However, there is seemingly no harm in people like Ian taking this beloved title and showing what could be done with it if it was given the remake or remaster treatment.
Half-Life 2 was released in 2004 and is available on Mobile, PC, PS3, Steam Deck, Xbox, and Xbox 360.