Ravenholm or Lowlife?

[Dr. Breen]

Which one would you say provides that scary atmosphere better?




Although I admit Ravenholm has that "long-term," creepy feeling, I find Lowlife to be much scarier since your visibility is very limited. I feel that when you can't see, you don't know what to expect, therefor, the game seems fast-paced.

 

[Asknoone]

Difficult to say...I don't really find Ravenholm that creepy. Sure it freaked me out a little when I ran inside the apartment building and locked the door; only for the fast zombies to enter from below and make their way up. But there's a real sense of being 'contained' within the underground sub tunnels when you know you need to be getting out of the City. That played on me abit.

 

[taviow]

I think Ravenholm is scarier because you are 85% of the time alone in there. In Lowlife Alyx was there, supporting you, telling her bad jokes. But If you ask me which is more fun, well... It would take very long to decide <starts to think about it>

 

[Keane]

Ravenholm was far scarier to me. Lowlife wasn't very scary at all, but that's probably because I was so used to zombies from playing HL2.

 

[63]

Lowlife. Not because it was necessarily "scary", but because of the panic-inducing "oh shi--" feeling.

 

[jdog5000]

Ravenholm was really freaky the first time I played through it, definitely could feel my heart beat faster. Those fast zombies scared me far more the first few times in Ravenholm than anything in Lowlife, it was newer and I didn't know what to expect. The answer might be different now, but in terms of the first time through, definitely Ravenholm.

 

[Loke]

Ravenholm.

I found Lowlife pretty frustrating at times, especially at harder difficulty levels. The dark parts of it were more tedious than atmospheric in my opinion. Just too many damn zombies for my taste.
The parking garage with all the antlions were pretty okay, although when you're overwhelmed with antlions everywhere (like the first time I played) it gets somewhat frustrating too.

Ravenholm on the other hand I found pretty damn superb for the most part. Great use of the Grav gun here, as it's very scarce with ammo (which I liked). It has a very good atmosphere, especially at the very beginning of the chapter when you walk outside from the shack and the totally awesome music kicks in with all the crows flying across your view. Fantastic piece of scenery.

 

[99.vikram]

Ravenholm. It was truly scary, unlike Lowlife. Lowlife was difficult, but never scary.

 

[Dr. Breen]

It has a very good atmosphere, especially at the very beginning of the chapter when you walk outside from the shack and the totally awesome music kicks in with all the crows flying across your view. Fantastic piece of scenery.

Yeah, I agree with you. That was really well composed. If Valve's good at something (although, at least in my opinion, they're good at pretty much everything), it's setting the atmosphere. That was one of my scariest moments in Ravenholm. I don't know the actual name of the song that's played in the part you mentioned above but the GCF sound file is called HL2_song7.mp3; if you listen carefully, you can hear these "chirping" sounds -- it really adds to the creepyness. What can I say? That scene "delivers."

 

[Jintor]

Ravenholm. But Lowlife was much more claustraphobic, imho. And I don't like the dark.

 

[MorganFreeman911]

Lowlife. Scary, claustrophobic, and dark. Perfect for a scary bit.

 

[Ridge]

Anybody else get a super creepy sense of deja vu here??? I seriously remember this thread with this exact poll and exact discussion happening like 6 months ago or more...

 

[Jintor]

I remember the thread, yes. But since necromancy is a no-no, this is ok.

 

[Bulletbrain]

Anybody else get a super creepy sense of deja vu here??? I seriously remember this thread with this exact poll and exact discussion happening like 6 months ago or more...

You got to lay off watching Lost buddy.:E

I voted for Lowlife purely because of the elevator battle sequence. It was scary in the "OMFG I cant see!!! I'm going to die!!!"
sort of way.

But the first time I heard the fast zombie scream in Ravenholm gets a honorable mention... thats was creeeepy!

 

[Ridge]

Agreed. The first time I heard that scream I got shivers all up and down my spine and started weirding out...

And I dont watch Lost...Im more of a Jericho guy

 

[nokori3byo]

Tough call.

Ravenholm, of course, is much longer, but I find its lengthiness has uneven results. A times, it simply feels like a slog, particularly toward the end. I don't think I've ever suffered a single combat-related death playing that level. The screamers are initially terrifying, but lose some of their menace when you learn they're not actually very dangerous. I also found that the overt horror element in the level at times verged on being campy.

Lowlife, on the other hand, is enlivened by a couple of memorable set pieces with tight gameplay and a real feeling of danger. The elevator sequence was brilliant, as was the decision to make the wait time longer than the battery-life of your flashlight. My first frantic escape from that area ended with this Brueghelesque tableau:



Quel jouissance!

 

[Asknoone]

Anybody else get a super creepy sense of deja vu here??? I seriously remember this thread with this exact poll and exact discussion happening like 6 months ago or more...

http://www.halflife2.net/forums/showthread.php?t=113702

 

[Laivasse]

I voted Lowlife. Before I played Episode one I was dreading the fight-with-your-flashlight bits, thinking they'd be more frustrating than fun. I really had to do a 180 on that, because the elevator fight turned out to be maybe my favourite bit from Episode 2.

The moments where my flashlight cut out and I was bumbling around in pitch darkness, with only the sound of Alyx's shotgun and zombie groans to guide me, had me cacking myself. All topped off nicely with a 'Mariiiines, we are LEAVIIING!'-style dive into the elevator when it finally arrives. WIN.

Ravenholm has a kind of slow-burn oppressiveness which was cool too, but as someone said, because it is so oppressive it does feel a bit of a drag after a while. I know I'm always eager to get it over with quickly. There are few bits of HL2 that feel as evil as Ravenholm (except maybe Point Insertion on first play), but for overall fun/grimness balance, Lowlife it is.

 

[Dr. Breen]

http://www.halflife2.net/forums/showthread.php?t=113702

Heh, that wasn't really to my surprise...

 

[CyberPitz]

I vote Ravenholm....only because I get a stiffy for half cut bodies on ropes.

 

[darkeye92]

I vote for Ravenholm. I don't have any specific reasons why I think so... I guess it has e better "feel" than lowlife. Ravenholm is also longer, I think

 

[Rapstah]

When you turn around and see a Zombine holding a grenade, screaming insanely while beating you with it, and hearing the clicks of it go faster and faster...

That's when you're scared.

 

[99.vikram]

No, when you see a rotting mass of flesh and bones charging at you and shrieking, that's fear. Ravenholm FTW.

 

[357]

I vote Ravenholm....only because I get a stiffy for half cut bodies on ropes.

The only part taht freaked me out was when i suddenly saw some guy's legs hanging around in front of my face (reeealy close), it was after Grigori gives you the shotty...I was wielding the shotgun, so as soon as I saw them it was like "waaaaaaaaah" BOOM - double shot and those legs did a 360 in the air and hit my face again, i jumped backwards and fell down. Beep-beep-beeeeeeeeeep...
When I realised what hapened I laughed as insanely as Grigori himself Pwned by legs...

 

[Iron Kat]

I was scaed shitless the first time I saw Ravenholm (I was watching my dad play it.)! Afterwards ikept thinking I could hear zombies and headcrabs around the house!

 

[ríomhaire]

Ravenholm was scarier and creepier. Lowlife made me panic more and was more fun.

 

[Slug Advisor]

Hmmm...Cant decide between Ravenholm and Lowlife,but here's a question: Will there be a zombie level in Episode Two?
I'd like there to be one,but I cant emagine how they would fit it in.The tunnels look like there's too much antlions in it, and there are too much Combine in the rest of the game.I can imagine killing a horde of zombies,only to find a Strider and a pach of Hunters, but I dont think there can be a zombie-only chapter.
But come to think of it,Ravenholm did include Combine soldiers near the end, and Lowlife had antlions...

 

[The Monkey]

Ravenholm by a mile.

 

[Asknoone]

Yeah, I think Ravenholm delivered a more 'creepy' and 'scary' experience but I think the gameplay in Lowlife trampled all over it.

 

[Higlac]

Aren't we voting on which one was scarier, not which one played better?

Ravenholm I don't own EP:1

 

[Asknoone]

Yeah I'm just saying.

 

[Ridge]

I would have to vote for Ravenholm, as well...I checked under my bed and in dark corners all night long after playing Ravenholm...while Lowlife was scary, it didnt leave that long lasting fear in me that Ravenholm did...

 

[taviow]

Having someone with me in scary scenes in games makes me feel much better and safer, no matter who is it. Alyx really made me feel safe and I didn't find Lowlife very scary just because she was with me. The sentry robots in Doom 3 did the same thing. No matter how many trites and other horrible monsters coming, I felt safe because the sentry bot was there. That's why Ravenholm was scarier to me, I was 85% of the time alone.

 

[TheFrontline]

Ravenholm was scarier in my opinion because of some certain sequences/happenings such as the fast zombies crashing through the glass roof but on a side note, some of the zombies didn't just jump out of nowhere(and thank god for that) thus making Ravenholm abit less scarier.

Where as in Lowlife, it had a few unexpected events such as Zombines in confined area where they could just whip out a nade and run to you like some terrorist zombie, getting to plug up Antlion burrows with derelict cars and also getting swarmed.

Summarized, Ravenholm = pretty scary, Lowlife = pressurizing.

 

[Xendance]

Ravenholm. Because Lowlife I couldn't see a thing.

 

[Ridge]

Yeah, Ravenholm you'd see the zombie hordes coming, but knowing you couldnt do anything until they were closer...

Lowlife, you didnt see them until the last second, and then it was a shotgun blast away from clearing them

 

[Hypnosos]

Anybody else get a super creepy sense of deja vu here??? I seriously remember this thread with this exact poll and exact discussion happening like 6 months ago or more...

Yep, I felt the same thing. When I saw the date stamp on this thread, I could've sworn I had seen the exact same discussion before on this forum.

And Lowlife is still better.

 

[nokori3byo]

There are few bits of HL2 that feel as evil as Ravenholm (except maybe Point Insertion on first play.

Excellent point. Whereas Ravenholm's frights stem from the world of supernatural horror, much of HL2's unique brand of creepiness draws inspiration from a more convincing, historically grounded, and genuinely horrifying source: the fear of totalitarian domination. This is part of the reason I found Nova Prospekt creepier than Ravenholm, at least initially.

 

[Ridge]

Werd...as soon as you leave the train, you get a creepy sense that all hope is lost...an alien force has taken over the entire planet, and just the sheer fact that so few people are around indicate something huge happened and only a fraction of the human race has survived...

 

[nokori3byo]

Werd...as soon as you leave the train, you get a creepy sense that all hope is lost...an alien force has taken over the entire planet, and just the sheer fact that so few people are around indicate something huge happened and only a fraction of the human race has survived...

Something about being unarmed as well. I originally played "Point Insertion" as part of the demo, and going through that first checkpoint made me genuinely tense.

If you're coming to the game cold, you're really out of the loop at first. Far from being able to fight the guys in masks, you don't even know who they are or why they're doing what they're doing.

As a side-note, the Vortigaunt with the broom has got to be one of the bigger WTFs of gaming history. You really know things are out of wack when you see that.