There's a reason that people don't go to Ravenholm - and
it's not just because scary music strikes up as soon as you enter. Perceptive
souls may realise that the dismembered corpse hanging from a tree might
have something to do with it.
Move cautiously down the slope towards the tree and be wary of zombies. Your most useful tool in this level will be your trusty manipulator: not only are the zombies slow, giving you plenty of time to find something to clobber them with, but there are many useful objects to hurl. Explosive barrels, breeze-blocks, vicious saw-blades capable of taking out multiple zombies, gas canisters that set them on fire and cans of paint that splatter white everywhere: it's all good.
Break through the boards blocking your way into the last house on the left (hehe) and you'll find a room full of sawblades and gas canisters. Another left turn and a zombie will attack from the dark tunnel - another one may wake up from its sitting position against the left wall. Once they're dead, there's another waiting down the corridor. Go through into the next room.
Two zombies will attack from round the corner ahead. The explosive barrels are useful allies but be careful of the resulting chain reaction. Take a U-turn right at the end and you'll emerge into a spooky courtyard, with the voice of father Grigori babbling in the background. Go right but be extremely careful of the whizzing-blade contraption. It's incredible useful, but also dangerous.
Don't turn it off; instead, crawl under it and wait for the zombies to attack. You won't even need to lift a finger (just make sure you don't stand up). Up the stairs to the left is another trap. Save a single headcrab, it seems safe - but as soon as you approach the doorway ahead, zombies will close in from a nasty dark corner on the left. It's best to activate the deadly blades and retreat until safe.
Smash the boards and go through the door, out into the midnight street. There's a headcrab squeaking across the cobblestones and a couple of nasties will lurch at you from the right. The room beyond the door where they came from is crawling, but there's a spinny-blade sitting smugly in the middle. Best to start it whirling and hide in a corner. And don't try to pick up any explosive barrels - chances are they'll hit the fan and detonate.
When the dust clears, smash the barricade and take out the zombie lying on the floor beyond. When you walk around the corner, three zombies will attack but keep running forwards until Father Grigori makes his grand appearance. Once the zombies are done with, approach and he'll greet you from above. Don't stick around - instead, head up the sloping street and zombies will break through from the building on the right. Inside, you'll find one of Greg's little homely cubby-holes.
Turn the gas tap on and press the big red button for a demonstration of how deadly Grigori's fire traps are. Then go back to the big funeral pyre and approach. There's a zombie waiting to the left as you go up the stairs. If you skirt around the left side you'll find a gas tap, which, if shut off, will allow you access to the building. As you enter, three denizens of the living dead will stumble down the stairway to your left - but there are explosive barrels at hand.
Instead of going forward and up the barricaded steps ahead, climb the stairs on the left, up to the balcony with the big machines. Just above the machine on the left side there's a vent which leads to a secret supply cache. You can access it by climbing up onto the machine. Now, get atop the machine on the right side and you can jump onto the balcony near the ceiling. There's a sleeping zombie just through the door ahead. Once you enter, immediately turn right. The room is infested with headcrabs (and a sleepy-head zombie sitting against the sofa).
Blast the wardrobe out of your way and go through into the next room. Be sure to check every body - those that still have headcrabs attached are still alive and likely to jump up and begin chewing on your hazard suit.
Enter the next room with extreme caution. Just behind the innocent-looking pile of furniture, two deadly poison heacrabs are lying in wait. Either lob them a grenade or blast that furniture right in their faces with the gravity gun. Once dealt with, you can safely go to the window and pull the switch, turning off the electricity outside. Then retrace your steps and leave the building - but don't assume it's safe. Be on your guard - there's a poison headcrab on the floor of the big generator room, and two more in the corridor under the metal stairs.
After you emerge into the cool night air, walk up the sloped road and turn left at the top. It'd probably be a good idea to de-activate the fire trap before continuing (you can do this by turning the gas valve). When you come out of the alleyway, three zombies will wake - but why waste ammo on them when you can simply retreat and activate the fire trap once again, before watching them burn horribly, dousing the flames, and moving on?
With the electricity off, you can safely climb the ladder and ascend the fire escape, making a leap to the opposite roof once you've reached the top. Grigori will hail you from a loft, save you from a headcrab, and disappear again.
It's tricky working out what to do here, but if you move cautiously to the edge and look down and to your left, you'll see a walkway made of wooden boards. It shouldn't be too hard to drop down onto it. Walk across and climb through the window, but don't drop down the hole in the floor before you drop a grenade to take care of the crabs and the zombie. Then drop down. Make your way through the little corridor and out onto the street. Almost as soon as you take a step, you'll see zombies coming for you.
The switch causes an old care to drop, squashing anything underneath, before being winched up again. You can use it to stem the tide of zombies - the big bloodstain on the ground marks where it'll fall. At the first chance you get, jump onto the car as it is winched up and you'll be carried up away from the zombies, onto a wooden walkway, safe and sound. If you're pointing down the street, you'll see a big dark area on the right of the road, protected by a fence with a lambda symbol. It's entirely possible to leap right over the fence and into the blackness beyond, where, if you nose around the back of a large metal machine, you'll find supplies. You can get out by climbing a sloping girder, set into the wall next to the fence.
Use the car winches to get back to the top if you're still on the ground, and then walk forward along the walkway. Grigori will treat you to a dose of the old manic laughter. Once he disapears, climb through the window ahead, and go through the door to the next area.
As soon as you open the door, a fast headcrab will rush you. He shouldn't be too much trouble. Up the stairs and to your left, however, lies a whole lot of trouble: watch out for the Father as you open the door, because he might accidentally hit you. There's a zombie in the room with you that might just wake up, and the poison crabs on the ledge outside the window can actually reach you if they make a flying leap.
Proceed through the window and out onto the ledge with caution: three zombies will shuffle along from your right. Lucky the Father's here to help you with his trusty Winchester. Look down and you'll see the street is packed full of zombies and headcrabs of all kinds. At first glance it may look like you can simply sidle along the roof to your right and never touch the ground, but eventually you must descend. You can either drop down and make a mad rush for the ladder at the end of the street - the quickest and perhaps most fun option - or you can take them all out before you actually drop down. If you choose the latter, set off chain reactions using explosive barrels; pull objects towards you and then launch them down again; pick off survivors with grenades or gunfire. If you choose the former, then the ladder's at the downhill end of the street, on the right.
Once you're safely above street-level again, go into the loft on the left for some supplies (albeit accompanied by a fast headcrab). The way ahead, of course, lies on the right through the window, where a zombie is crawling pathetically on the floorboards. Kill it and go through the doorway.
The next room looks like Rolf Harris' Zombie Hospital. Don't worry, they're all dead. When you got down the stairs in the far corner, however, you'll meet a horde of zombies coming the other way in single file. A well-aimed sawblade can work wonders here, but it's unlikely to take them all out. Retreat up the stairs and blast them with the surrounding furniture as they appear. When you're sure you've killed them all, go down the stairs and straight ahead along the corridor to get to the next area.
Take the supplies in front of you, then go right out the door with extreme caution. You're about to come face-to-face with HL2's most chilling enemy - that much becomes obvious when you hear the inhuman howls and see the figures leaping overhead. Don't be too distracted; a fast zombie comes from the stairs straight ahead.
The area you're in is full of zombies and crabs, and while there is a health pack and an SMG grenade near the bottom of the ramp, it's not really worth the bother. Instead, go into the building to the left and head for the blue-lit corridor, which contains a sleeping zombie. There's another at the top of the stairs beyond, and yet another will crash through the barricade on your left when you reach the landing. Clear out the rooms on either side of you (the left contains two headcrabs; the right, two zombies and two health packs) before following the sound of Grigori's laughter upstairs - watching out for the two crabs near the top.
Father Grigori will throw you a shotgun, when suddenly screaming zombies will attack from the rooftops. Take out the one that comes for you and dive into the water tank, before climbing up out onto the roof. Your instinct will be telling you to pick up the supplies and get inside as fast as you can. It's best, however, to remain on the roof and take the zombies when they're vulnerable - namely, when they're climbing up the drainpipes. When you hear the telltale 'clank clank clank' sound, look for a drainpipe that's shaking. Then shoot them in the head before they can get to you. They'll come at you from the left and from the drainpipe on the wall opposite.
When they stop, dash inside and take advantage of the temporary lull to grab any supplies you've missed. When you call up the elevator, it triggers another attack, so dash outside and hold them off until it comes. Chances are, by the time the elevator has reached you, they'll all be dead. Climb inside and ride it to ground level.
A poison zombie will be waiting at the bottom, and it's a tough nut to crack. Explosives are most effective. If you need more health there's two packs behind the lift. Climb up the wooden board and over the fence, then go down the little alley on the right. There's a headcrab and some lovely supplies in the room ahead, but they way into the next loading zone lies to the left, down the darkened tunnel.
Welcome to death alley. With any luck, some explosive barrels should be knocked down when you walk forward - they can aid you in your fight. Continue with care down the street - zombies lie in wait at every turn, and once they start coming, they don't stop (be particularly careful of the poison zombie that lumbers in from a dark doorway down an alley on the left side). The spinney-trap isn't much use - it breaks seconds after activation. It's blades, however, can be picked up with the manipulator and make a very effective scythe weapon (albeit one with a tendency to fly further than expected).
You can't kill all the zombies, so only shoot those in your way. You need to get to the crane control building. It's easy to spot - a tall, square building with a yellow-lit balcony, on the right of the street just past the hanging corpse. Skirt round the back, past some explosive barrels, and you'll find a metal staircase. Head out onto the balcony and, though it's hard to spot, there's a yellow lever on the left. Pull it to start the crane moving. After that's done, jump down onto the street. Next, you need to head right, to the far end of the street, and there'll be a large red-roofed building with a walkway built on top.
There's no way into the building. Instead you need to go round to the right, where there should be a pile of metal crates allowing you to clamber up onto the roof. The long grass hides two poison zombies - avoid them like bubonic plague. As soon as you get to the roof, a fast zombie leaps down from the roof ahead. Waste no time in killing it, and then jumping onto the opposite ledge. From here, you can climb the ladder to the left and get onto the rooftops. Follow the walkways and pick up the supplies Grigori has kindly left for you on the red roof to the left. There are some explosive barrels if you wish to bombard the zombies below.
Now you'll see why you had to move that crane. Walk along the wooden boards, towards the uphill end of the street, and you'll find you can use the top of the crane as a stepping stone to the opposite platform. As soon as you do, however, a fast zombie will attack over the rooftops ahead and slightly to the left. Kill it and jump down the the flat roof in front of you. Fast zombies will start jumping down from the rooftops; first directly to your right, and then further down when you climb the ladder. Luckily, Father Grigori is on hand to help you out. Zombies to the right of you; zombies from behind. When they're all dead, you'll get a telling off from Grigori. Follow his advice and jump to the balcony on the opposite, but try to aim for the right end, because as soon as you touch it, it'll collapse.
Provided you managed to stay up on the walkway and didn't fall down, forcing you to run the entire gauntlet again, you can move through into the building.
As soon as you go into the corridor, a mass of zombies comes down the stairs at you. They're all in single file, however, and there's some saw blades in the room you just came from. They shouldn't be too hard to handle. Even more will start coming up the staircase on the right of the next room. be sure to make good use of the gas canisters piled against the left wall. When the coast is clear, skip happily down the stairs into the next zone. It might be an idea to take one of the sawblades with you.
The redbrick stairway on the left leads down to a zombie and street level. But there's nothing to be found down there. The way forward is up the ladder straight ahead - beware of quite a few headcrabs waiting at the top, some of them hiding in the vast pile of crates and junk. When you head out of the door, you'll find you're in a familiar area - and a fast zombie will come leaping across the rooftops from the left. Dispatch it and move forward across the wooden walkway. Another one attacks from directly ahead of you. In the courtyard below is a restless poison zombie - safest to drop a grenade on it and take it out from up here, where it can't harm you.
Drop down and head for the metal stairway. As you near the top, yet another fast zombie leaps from the rooftops behind you - either take it out, or leg it through the door and shut yourself in. Once inside, take the stairs up to the top of the attic, gathering supplies, until you come to a ladder and a metal trapdoor. Be ready for a fight when you emerge on the roof.
Father Gregory will hail you from the safety of the church - your destination too. He'll start winching the cable car across to you, but until then you'll have to defend yourself. Once again, the clank-clank of zombie climbing drainpipe is the signal that something's climbing up to eat you. When you see the drainpipes shaking, lean out over the edge and shotgun whatever beast is climbing up. As long as you kill the zombies before they get onto the rooftop, you should find it easy enough to survive until the cable car reaches you and Gregory shouts that it's ready. Pull the yellow lever and quickly step into the car to be taken over the fence to relative safety. Don't worry if the car goes without you - pulling the level again will bring it back, and so on.
The Father will greet you warmly and then ask you to follow him to the mines - and the next area.
The zombies are out in force tonight, and nowhere more so than in the graveyard. Unfortunately, that's exactly where you're going. As Grigori leads you through the canyon, keep a sharp eye on the cliffs above as multiple fast zombies will leap down to attack. Take advantage of Grigori's invulnerability by blasting the zombies as they try fruitlessly to kill him.
After you've climbed over the second fence, you'll hear a chilling chorus of zombie moans. Keep close to Grigori and watch your six as he leads you through the zigzag of the graveyard. The zombies may be slow, but there are lots of them and soon they start coming from behind as well. use your shotgun and magnum to take pot-shots at the encroaching horde, and fling any saw-blades or explosive barrels you can get your hands on at massed groups.
Once you reach the raised dais, make use of the explosive barrels. Soon enough, Grigori sets the whole graveyard alight. Watch for zombies from behind, as well as those coming through the blaze. Eventually the fires will die. Keep close to Grigori as you approach the end of the graveyard, where a poison zombie and its headcrab minions await. Just keep firing that shotgun, keep chucking those saw blades. When Grigori finally opens the gate for you, don't stick around. Bid Grigori a fond farewell, and he'll be surrounded by a hungry crowd of zombies. Head up the slope and through the door into the next area, as Grigori's gunshots and insane laughing fade away behind you.
Welcome to the mines. Beyond the door lies the shaft - push the explosive barrels down, and then climb very carefully onto the wooden supports. You should be able to drop down from one wooden beam onto the next, and then the next after that, only falling a very short distance each time. As you near the bottom, you'll see the floor is alive with headcrabs of all shapes and sizes. Unfortunately for you, they're on infinite respawn, so there really isn't much point trying to kill them. Observe the metal walkways suspended above the cavern floor; on those you'll be relatively safe. Drop down onto the walkway. On the left lies a little control room full of supplies beyond a break in the floor. On the right is a large gap where the walkway has collapsed.
If you look down towards one of the stairways, you'll see the exit. Unfortunately, the only way through is to get over the top of the fence that blocks it. It's possible to jump over the gap in the walkway if you climb up onto the railings. Possible, but improbable. In all probablity, you're going to hit the cavern floor.
Ready? Shoot all the explosive barrels before you drop - not only will this put a temporary dent in the crab population, but it'll prevent them being set off accidentally. Hit the ground running and immediately head for the staircase by the exit. Even once you reach the top of the stairs, keep going - that horde of headcrabs will be hot on your tail. Jump onto the rafters above the exit tunnel and stay there. You should be safe - for now. Now you're in the tunnel, the headcrabs don't respawn, so rain fire on them from above before dropping down yourself. There are some lovely health packs near the chain-link fence.
When you come to the mine-shaft, you'll see there are supplies on the other side. You just need to edge round the wooden ledge on the right...right? Wrong. As soon as you step on it, it'll collapse, pitching you into watery darkness below. If you want the supplies, you'll have to take a long sprinting run-up and crouch-jump right over the gap. You'll onyl make it if you sprint. When you're ready, take the old Geronimo down the mine shaft into the water. You'd think this would be the perfect place for some sort of water-dwelling monster to attack...but no, only the cold wet embrace of the underground cavern. Duck under the surface and swim through the big tunnel (really, you can't miss it). The long thing thing hanging down in front of you when you come up for air is in fact a barnacle.
Don't shoot it - instead, willingly climb onto it. As it pulls you up, you'll see there is a small ledge with some supplies. Near the top, shoot it while holding down the forwards key. You should drop onto the ledge from which you can collect the supplies before dropping down once again. Beneath the surface once again and swim between the big X-shaped wooden beams. You'll eventually emerge in a fire lit cavern. Head left along the railway tracks.
Now, you may think it a damn good idea to pull the big yellow lever and set the spinney-cart scything up the mine-shaft, slicing the zombies apart. And in fact, it is a good idea. Just remember that once it's set off, it will never stop, and that once it reaches the top, it'll come screaming back down again. Set the death machine rolling and start climbing the shaft behind it. When the zombies lumber out, run back down to the bottom and wait for the cart to come and splatter them. When it starts up the slope again, sprint after it. When it starts to come back towards you, seek cover in one of the many rocky alcoves. Time your runs between these alcoves, ducking into cover as the cart passes and sprinting on while you have the chance. No need to rush, though - you've got plenty of time, and if you see zombies, you might as well get into cover and wait for them to be chopped to pieces.
Eventually you'll reach the top and see light at the end of the tunnel. Waste no time in making your escape into the next area.
You've escaped the dread town of Ravenholm, but the level isn't over yet. Feels like you're safe, doesn't it? Well, you're not. There's a poison headcrab on a ledge directly above you when you come out of the tunnel. The ledge also holds some supplies; climb up on the piled of crates to your left in order to reach them.
As you continue along the train, tracks, watch out for the level's last fast zombie attacking from atop the two green train carriages. When you hear gunshots, itll be the sniper in the windows of the overpass above you. Wait till he's taken out the zombies, then edge out and lob a grenade into his window. If you don't have any, there are some in a supply crate on the left side of the tracks. Unfortunately for you, you can't pick up the sniper's weapons.
Walk onwards toward the platform ahead, but as you approach you'll come under sniper fire. Get behind cover as quickly as possible - but make sure you're nowhere near any explosive barrels. These snipers are smart. If you are near an explosive barrel, chuck it away with the manipulator as soon as you can.
To continue, you can either rush between areas of cover, or you can bring your own. Metal objects, like the baggage trolley on the platform, work best - but wooden objects are better than nothing. Find large objects, pick them up with the manipulator, and position them for maximum coverage to make a useful DIY riot shield. Either way, get along the tracks as quickly as you can.
As you approach the carriage carrying huge logs, the sniper will shoot something that causes the logs to roll off the carriage and onto the tracks. It's tricky getting over them - don't bother unless you've got a riot shield. Alternatively you can crawl down the left side of the tracks, underneath the big carriage. You'll have to emerge from cover eventually, but it isn't far to the big red carriage on the left where safety, a cache of grenades, and an easy vantage point from which to chuck them can be found. When you climb inside, get against the far wall as quickly as you can or else you'll be shot through the hole in the roof. Through that same hole, chuck a grenade into the sniper's window and chuckle with satisfaction as he's forcefully thrown from the overpass.
Onwards past the upturned wagon, where there are some supplies if the sniper run has left you drained, and you'll find a broken carriage with a route through the middle. The Combine soldiers on the other side have their hands full fending off a few zombies, so chuck a grenade through before shotgun-rushing them. One of them is carrying a new weapon: the standard issue Combine Pulse Rifle - a powerful and versatile assault weapon. Go round the flatbed car but don't try to pass the flames - head right through the little door and get the supplies in the red carriage. Then go back and climb the ladder, dropping from the roof on the other side.
When you get near the ruined van, you'll be shot at by Combine troops to your left and another straight ahead. Use the cover of the van and your new-found pulse rifle to lay down fire, but don't linger too long or they'll throw grenades. Sprint for the cover of the train in front of you, perhaps throwing a grenade over the fence or setting off some explosive barrels. As you skirt round the right of the train, you might be able to get off some cheap shots with the magnum by crouching and firing under the carriages. When you reach the end of the train, go round the other side and engage any troops still in the yard, using the cars for cover. When you've beaten them, a couple more will come from the warehouse. It's up to you how you take them on - there's plenty of cover and useful explosive barrels.
Nearing the door into the warehouse you'll hear gunshots. Rush inside, for your rebel friends are under heavy fire. You'll come out in a little windowed-off booth. The Combine are using the cover of the big machines in front of you; lob a grenade their way and then move through the room, taking out the enemies any way you wish. When the dust settles, the rebels will greet you. But victory comes at a bitter price...Winston has been hit. Oh, poor Winston. Follow the rebels inside their base and they'll contact Alyx. She'll give you a new mission: Eli Vance has been captured, and only you can rescue him from the Nova Prospekt high security facility. Stock up on ammo and health, and head outside through the door the rebel guy has just opened for you. Your buggy (and the next level, Highway 17) awaits!
Move cautiously down the slope towards the tree and be wary of zombies. Your most useful tool in this level will be your trusty manipulator: not only are the zombies slow, giving you plenty of time to find something to clobber them with, but there are many useful objects to hurl. Explosive barrels, breeze-blocks, vicious saw-blades capable of taking out multiple zombies, gas canisters that set them on fire and cans of paint that splatter white everywhere: it's all good.
Break through the boards blocking your way into the last house on the left (hehe) and you'll find a room full of sawblades and gas canisters. Another left turn and a zombie will attack from the dark tunnel - another one may wake up from its sitting position against the left wall. Once they're dead, there's another waiting down the corridor. Go through into the next room.
Two zombies will attack from round the corner ahead. The explosive barrels are useful allies but be careful of the resulting chain reaction. Take a U-turn right at the end and you'll emerge into a spooky courtyard, with the voice of father Grigori babbling in the background. Go right but be extremely careful of the whizzing-blade contraption. It's incredible useful, but also dangerous.
Don't turn it off; instead, crawl under it and wait for the zombies to attack. You won't even need to lift a finger (just make sure you don't stand up). Up the stairs to the left is another trap. Save a single headcrab, it seems safe - but as soon as you approach the doorway ahead, zombies will close in from a nasty dark corner on the left. It's best to activate the deadly blades and retreat until safe.
Smash the boards and go through the door, out into the midnight street. There's a headcrab squeaking across the cobblestones and a couple of nasties will lurch at you from the right. The room beyond the door where they came from is crawling, but there's a spinny-blade sitting smugly in the middle. Best to start it whirling and hide in a corner. And don't try to pick up any explosive barrels - chances are they'll hit the fan and detonate.
When the dust clears, smash the barricade and take out the zombie lying on the floor beyond. When you walk around the corner, three zombies will attack but keep running forwards until Father Grigori makes his grand appearance. Once the zombies are done with, approach and he'll greet you from above. Don't stick around - instead, head up the sloping street and zombies will break through from the building on the right. Inside, you'll find one of Greg's little homely cubby-holes.
Turn the gas tap on and press the big red button for a demonstration of how deadly Grigori's fire traps are. Then go back to the big funeral pyre and approach. There's a zombie waiting to the left as you go up the stairs. If you skirt around the left side you'll find a gas tap, which, if shut off, will allow you access to the building. As you enter, three denizens of the living dead will stumble down the stairway to your left - but there are explosive barrels at hand.
Instead of going forward and up the barricaded steps ahead, climb the stairs on the left, up to the balcony with the big machines. Just above the machine on the left side there's a vent which leads to a secret supply cache. You can access it by climbing up onto the machine. Now, get atop the machine on the right side and you can jump onto the balcony near the ceiling. There's a sleeping zombie just through the door ahead. Once you enter, immediately turn right. The room is infested with headcrabs (and a sleepy-head zombie sitting against the sofa).
Blast the wardrobe out of your way and go through into the next room. Be sure to check every body - those that still have headcrabs attached are still alive and likely to jump up and begin chewing on your hazard suit.
Enter the next room with extreme caution. Just behind the innocent-looking pile of furniture, two deadly poison heacrabs are lying in wait. Either lob them a grenade or blast that furniture right in their faces with the gravity gun. Once dealt with, you can safely go to the window and pull the switch, turning off the electricity outside. Then retrace your steps and leave the building - but don't assume it's safe. Be on your guard - there's a poison headcrab on the floor of the big generator room, and two more in the corridor under the metal stairs.
After you emerge into the cool night air, walk up the sloped road and turn left at the top. It'd probably be a good idea to de-activate the fire trap before continuing (you can do this by turning the gas valve). When you come out of the alleyway, three zombies will wake - but why waste ammo on them when you can simply retreat and activate the fire trap once again, before watching them burn horribly, dousing the flames, and moving on?
With the electricity off, you can safely climb the ladder and ascend the fire escape, making a leap to the opposite roof once you've reached the top. Grigori will hail you from a loft, save you from a headcrab, and disappear again.
It's tricky working out what to do here, but if you move cautiously to the edge and look down and to your left, you'll see a walkway made of wooden boards. It shouldn't be too hard to drop down onto it. Walk across and climb through the window, but don't drop down the hole in the floor before you drop a grenade to take care of the crabs and the zombie. Then drop down. Make your way through the little corridor and out onto the street. Almost as soon as you take a step, you'll see zombies coming for you.
The switch causes an old care to drop, squashing anything underneath, before being winched up again. You can use it to stem the tide of zombies - the big bloodstain on the ground marks where it'll fall. At the first chance you get, jump onto the car as it is winched up and you'll be carried up away from the zombies, onto a wooden walkway, safe and sound. If you're pointing down the street, you'll see a big dark area on the right of the road, protected by a fence with a lambda symbol. It's entirely possible to leap right over the fence and into the blackness beyond, where, if you nose around the back of a large metal machine, you'll find supplies. You can get out by climbing a sloping girder, set into the wall next to the fence.
Use the car winches to get back to the top if you're still on the ground, and then walk forward along the walkway. Grigori will treat you to a dose of the old manic laughter. Once he disapears, climb through the window ahead, and go through the door to the next area.
As soon as you open the door, a fast headcrab will rush you. He shouldn't be too much trouble. Up the stairs and to your left, however, lies a whole lot of trouble: watch out for the Father as you open the door, because he might accidentally hit you. There's a zombie in the room with you that might just wake up, and the poison crabs on the ledge outside the window can actually reach you if they make a flying leap.
Proceed through the window and out onto the ledge with caution: three zombies will shuffle along from your right. Lucky the Father's here to help you with his trusty Winchester. Look down and you'll see the street is packed full of zombies and headcrabs of all kinds. At first glance it may look like you can simply sidle along the roof to your right and never touch the ground, but eventually you must descend. You can either drop down and make a mad rush for the ladder at the end of the street - the quickest and perhaps most fun option - or you can take them all out before you actually drop down. If you choose the latter, set off chain reactions using explosive barrels; pull objects towards you and then launch them down again; pick off survivors with grenades or gunfire. If you choose the former, then the ladder's at the downhill end of the street, on the right.
Once you're safely above street-level again, go into the loft on the left for some supplies (albeit accompanied by a fast headcrab). The way ahead, of course, lies on the right through the window, where a zombie is crawling pathetically on the floorboards. Kill it and go through the doorway.
The next room looks like Rolf Harris' Zombie Hospital. Don't worry, they're all dead. When you got down the stairs in the far corner, however, you'll meet a horde of zombies coming the other way in single file. A well-aimed sawblade can work wonders here, but it's unlikely to take them all out. Retreat up the stairs and blast them with the surrounding furniture as they appear. When you're sure you've killed them all, go down the stairs and straight ahead along the corridor to get to the next area.
Take the supplies in front of you, then go right out the door with extreme caution. You're about to come face-to-face with HL2's most chilling enemy - that much becomes obvious when you hear the inhuman howls and see the figures leaping overhead. Don't be too distracted; a fast zombie comes from the stairs straight ahead.
The area you're in is full of zombies and crabs, and while there is a health pack and an SMG grenade near the bottom of the ramp, it's not really worth the bother. Instead, go into the building to the left and head for the blue-lit corridor, which contains a sleeping zombie. There's another at the top of the stairs beyond, and yet another will crash through the barricade on your left when you reach the landing. Clear out the rooms on either side of you (the left contains two headcrabs; the right, two zombies and two health packs) before following the sound of Grigori's laughter upstairs - watching out for the two crabs near the top.
Father Grigori will throw you a shotgun, when suddenly screaming zombies will attack from the rooftops. Take out the one that comes for you and dive into the water tank, before climbing up out onto the roof. Your instinct will be telling you to pick up the supplies and get inside as fast as you can. It's best, however, to remain on the roof and take the zombies when they're vulnerable - namely, when they're climbing up the drainpipes. When you hear the telltale 'clank clank clank' sound, look for a drainpipe that's shaking. Then shoot them in the head before they can get to you. They'll come at you from the left and from the drainpipe on the wall opposite.
When they stop, dash inside and take advantage of the temporary lull to grab any supplies you've missed. When you call up the elevator, it triggers another attack, so dash outside and hold them off until it comes. Chances are, by the time the elevator has reached you, they'll all be dead. Climb inside and ride it to ground level.
A poison zombie will be waiting at the bottom, and it's a tough nut to crack. Explosives are most effective. If you need more health there's two packs behind the lift. Climb up the wooden board and over the fence, then go down the little alley on the right. There's a headcrab and some lovely supplies in the room ahead, but they way into the next loading zone lies to the left, down the darkened tunnel.
Welcome to death alley. With any luck, some explosive barrels should be knocked down when you walk forward - they can aid you in your fight. Continue with care down the street - zombies lie in wait at every turn, and once they start coming, they don't stop (be particularly careful of the poison zombie that lumbers in from a dark doorway down an alley on the left side). The spinney-trap isn't much use - it breaks seconds after activation. It's blades, however, can be picked up with the manipulator and make a very effective scythe weapon (albeit one with a tendency to fly further than expected).
You can't kill all the zombies, so only shoot those in your way. You need to get to the crane control building. It's easy to spot - a tall, square building with a yellow-lit balcony, on the right of the street just past the hanging corpse. Skirt round the back, past some explosive barrels, and you'll find a metal staircase. Head out onto the balcony and, though it's hard to spot, there's a yellow lever on the left. Pull it to start the crane moving. After that's done, jump down onto the street. Next, you need to head right, to the far end of the street, and there'll be a large red-roofed building with a walkway built on top.
There's no way into the building. Instead you need to go round to the right, where there should be a pile of metal crates allowing you to clamber up onto the roof. The long grass hides two poison zombies - avoid them like bubonic plague. As soon as you get to the roof, a fast zombie leaps down from the roof ahead. Waste no time in killing it, and then jumping onto the opposite ledge. From here, you can climb the ladder to the left and get onto the rooftops. Follow the walkways and pick up the supplies Grigori has kindly left for you on the red roof to the left. There are some explosive barrels if you wish to bombard the zombies below.
Now you'll see why you had to move that crane. Walk along the wooden boards, towards the uphill end of the street, and you'll find you can use the top of the crane as a stepping stone to the opposite platform. As soon as you do, however, a fast zombie will attack over the rooftops ahead and slightly to the left. Kill it and jump down the the flat roof in front of you. Fast zombies will start jumping down from the rooftops; first directly to your right, and then further down when you climb the ladder. Luckily, Father Grigori is on hand to help you out. Zombies to the right of you; zombies from behind. When they're all dead, you'll get a telling off from Grigori. Follow his advice and jump to the balcony on the opposite, but try to aim for the right end, because as soon as you touch it, it'll collapse.
Provided you managed to stay up on the walkway and didn't fall down, forcing you to run the entire gauntlet again, you can move through into the building.
As soon as you go into the corridor, a mass of zombies comes down the stairs at you. They're all in single file, however, and there's some saw blades in the room you just came from. They shouldn't be too hard to handle. Even more will start coming up the staircase on the right of the next room. be sure to make good use of the gas canisters piled against the left wall. When the coast is clear, skip happily down the stairs into the next zone. It might be an idea to take one of the sawblades with you.
The redbrick stairway on the left leads down to a zombie and street level. But there's nothing to be found down there. The way forward is up the ladder straight ahead - beware of quite a few headcrabs waiting at the top, some of them hiding in the vast pile of crates and junk. When you head out of the door, you'll find you're in a familiar area - and a fast zombie will come leaping across the rooftops from the left. Dispatch it and move forward across the wooden walkway. Another one attacks from directly ahead of you. In the courtyard below is a restless poison zombie - safest to drop a grenade on it and take it out from up here, where it can't harm you.
Drop down and head for the metal stairway. As you near the top, yet another fast zombie leaps from the rooftops behind you - either take it out, or leg it through the door and shut yourself in. Once inside, take the stairs up to the top of the attic, gathering supplies, until you come to a ladder and a metal trapdoor. Be ready for a fight when you emerge on the roof.
Father Gregory will hail you from the safety of the church - your destination too. He'll start winching the cable car across to you, but until then you'll have to defend yourself. Once again, the clank-clank of zombie climbing drainpipe is the signal that something's climbing up to eat you. When you see the drainpipes shaking, lean out over the edge and shotgun whatever beast is climbing up. As long as you kill the zombies before they get onto the rooftop, you should find it easy enough to survive until the cable car reaches you and Gregory shouts that it's ready. Pull the yellow lever and quickly step into the car to be taken over the fence to relative safety. Don't worry if the car goes without you - pulling the level again will bring it back, and so on.
The Father will greet you warmly and then ask you to follow him to the mines - and the next area.
The zombies are out in force tonight, and nowhere more so than in the graveyard. Unfortunately, that's exactly where you're going. As Grigori leads you through the canyon, keep a sharp eye on the cliffs above as multiple fast zombies will leap down to attack. Take advantage of Grigori's invulnerability by blasting the zombies as they try fruitlessly to kill him.
After you've climbed over the second fence, you'll hear a chilling chorus of zombie moans. Keep close to Grigori and watch your six as he leads you through the zigzag of the graveyard. The zombies may be slow, but there are lots of them and soon they start coming from behind as well. use your shotgun and magnum to take pot-shots at the encroaching horde, and fling any saw-blades or explosive barrels you can get your hands on at massed groups.
Once you reach the raised dais, make use of the explosive barrels. Soon enough, Grigori sets the whole graveyard alight. Watch for zombies from behind, as well as those coming through the blaze. Eventually the fires will die. Keep close to Grigori as you approach the end of the graveyard, where a poison zombie and its headcrab minions await. Just keep firing that shotgun, keep chucking those saw blades. When Grigori finally opens the gate for you, don't stick around. Bid Grigori a fond farewell, and he'll be surrounded by a hungry crowd of zombies. Head up the slope and through the door into the next area, as Grigori's gunshots and insane laughing fade away behind you.
Welcome to the mines. Beyond the door lies the shaft - push the explosive barrels down, and then climb very carefully onto the wooden supports. You should be able to drop down from one wooden beam onto the next, and then the next after that, only falling a very short distance each time. As you near the bottom, you'll see the floor is alive with headcrabs of all shapes and sizes. Unfortunately for you, they're on infinite respawn, so there really isn't much point trying to kill them. Observe the metal walkways suspended above the cavern floor; on those you'll be relatively safe. Drop down onto the walkway. On the left lies a little control room full of supplies beyond a break in the floor. On the right is a large gap where the walkway has collapsed.
If you look down towards one of the stairways, you'll see the exit. Unfortunately, the only way through is to get over the top of the fence that blocks it. It's possible to jump over the gap in the walkway if you climb up onto the railings. Possible, but improbable. In all probablity, you're going to hit the cavern floor.
Ready? Shoot all the explosive barrels before you drop - not only will this put a temporary dent in the crab population, but it'll prevent them being set off accidentally. Hit the ground running and immediately head for the staircase by the exit. Even once you reach the top of the stairs, keep going - that horde of headcrabs will be hot on your tail. Jump onto the rafters above the exit tunnel and stay there. You should be safe - for now. Now you're in the tunnel, the headcrabs don't respawn, so rain fire on them from above before dropping down yourself. There are some lovely health packs near the chain-link fence.
When you come to the mine-shaft, you'll see there are supplies on the other side. You just need to edge round the wooden ledge on the right...right? Wrong. As soon as you step on it, it'll collapse, pitching you into watery darkness below. If you want the supplies, you'll have to take a long sprinting run-up and crouch-jump right over the gap. You'll onyl make it if you sprint. When you're ready, take the old Geronimo down the mine shaft into the water. You'd think this would be the perfect place for some sort of water-dwelling monster to attack...but no, only the cold wet embrace of the underground cavern. Duck under the surface and swim through the big tunnel (really, you can't miss it). The long thing thing hanging down in front of you when you come up for air is in fact a barnacle.
Don't shoot it - instead, willingly climb onto it. As it pulls you up, you'll see there is a small ledge with some supplies. Near the top, shoot it while holding down the forwards key. You should drop onto the ledge from which you can collect the supplies before dropping down once again. Beneath the surface once again and swim between the big X-shaped wooden beams. You'll eventually emerge in a fire lit cavern. Head left along the railway tracks.
Now, you may think it a damn good idea to pull the big yellow lever and set the spinney-cart scything up the mine-shaft, slicing the zombies apart. And in fact, it is a good idea. Just remember that once it's set off, it will never stop, and that once it reaches the top, it'll come screaming back down again. Set the death machine rolling and start climbing the shaft behind it. When the zombies lumber out, run back down to the bottom and wait for the cart to come and splatter them. When it starts up the slope again, sprint after it. When it starts to come back towards you, seek cover in one of the many rocky alcoves. Time your runs between these alcoves, ducking into cover as the cart passes and sprinting on while you have the chance. No need to rush, though - you've got plenty of time, and if you see zombies, you might as well get into cover and wait for them to be chopped to pieces.
Eventually you'll reach the top and see light at the end of the tunnel. Waste no time in making your escape into the next area.
You've escaped the dread town of Ravenholm, but the level isn't over yet. Feels like you're safe, doesn't it? Well, you're not. There's a poison headcrab on a ledge directly above you when you come out of the tunnel. The ledge also holds some supplies; climb up on the piled of crates to your left in order to reach them.
As you continue along the train, tracks, watch out for the level's last fast zombie attacking from atop the two green train carriages. When you hear gunshots, itll be the sniper in the windows of the overpass above you. Wait till he's taken out the zombies, then edge out and lob a grenade into his window. If you don't have any, there are some in a supply crate on the left side of the tracks. Unfortunately for you, you can't pick up the sniper's weapons.
Walk onwards toward the platform ahead, but as you approach you'll come under sniper fire. Get behind cover as quickly as possible - but make sure you're nowhere near any explosive barrels. These snipers are smart. If you are near an explosive barrel, chuck it away with the manipulator as soon as you can.
To continue, you can either rush between areas of cover, or you can bring your own. Metal objects, like the baggage trolley on the platform, work best - but wooden objects are better than nothing. Find large objects, pick them up with the manipulator, and position them for maximum coverage to make a useful DIY riot shield. Either way, get along the tracks as quickly as you can.
As you approach the carriage carrying huge logs, the sniper will shoot something that causes the logs to roll off the carriage and onto the tracks. It's tricky getting over them - don't bother unless you've got a riot shield. Alternatively you can crawl down the left side of the tracks, underneath the big carriage. You'll have to emerge from cover eventually, but it isn't far to the big red carriage on the left where safety, a cache of grenades, and an easy vantage point from which to chuck them can be found. When you climb inside, get against the far wall as quickly as you can or else you'll be shot through the hole in the roof. Through that same hole, chuck a grenade into the sniper's window and chuckle with satisfaction as he's forcefully thrown from the overpass.
Onwards past the upturned wagon, where there are some supplies if the sniper run has left you drained, and you'll find a broken carriage with a route through the middle. The Combine soldiers on the other side have their hands full fending off a few zombies, so chuck a grenade through before shotgun-rushing them. One of them is carrying a new weapon: the standard issue Combine Pulse Rifle - a powerful and versatile assault weapon. Go round the flatbed car but don't try to pass the flames - head right through the little door and get the supplies in the red carriage. Then go back and climb the ladder, dropping from the roof on the other side.
When you get near the ruined van, you'll be shot at by Combine troops to your left and another straight ahead. Use the cover of the van and your new-found pulse rifle to lay down fire, but don't linger too long or they'll throw grenades. Sprint for the cover of the train in front of you, perhaps throwing a grenade over the fence or setting off some explosive barrels. As you skirt round the right of the train, you might be able to get off some cheap shots with the magnum by crouching and firing under the carriages. When you reach the end of the train, go round the other side and engage any troops still in the yard, using the cars for cover. When you've beaten them, a couple more will come from the warehouse. It's up to you how you take them on - there's plenty of cover and useful explosive barrels.
Nearing the door into the warehouse you'll hear gunshots. Rush inside, for your rebel friends are under heavy fire. You'll come out in a little windowed-off booth. The Combine are using the cover of the big machines in front of you; lob a grenade their way and then move through the room, taking out the enemies any way you wish. When the dust settles, the rebels will greet you. But victory comes at a bitter price...Winston has been hit. Oh, poor Winston. Follow the rebels inside their base and they'll contact Alyx. She'll give you a new mission: Eli Vance has been captured, and only you can rescue him from the Nova Prospekt high security facility. Stock up on ammo and health, and head outside through the door the rebel guy has just opened for you. Your buggy (and the next level, Highway 17) awaits!
