Half Life 2: Raising the Bar REDUX: Division 2 Full Release news

Hey everyone! It's our pleasure at RTBR to announce the release of Division 2! If that's all you needed to hear, you can download it right now and begin your journey outside of City 17! If you wanted an overview of what to expect (sans any serious spoilers), stick around and check out what's coming! We won’t be detailing it in this update, but we’ve also made some considerable improvements to Division 1 that are also included with Division 2! Check out this google doc here for a rundown of the mostly-comprehensive changelog: Division 1 Update Log

Baby Crab

First off – Ravenholm has been the home of headcrabs for a while by the time Gordon gets there, and adult headcrabs are not the only threat he'll have to face. This diminutive buggers will prove a dangerous obstacle when swarmed in large numbers.

Combine Crate

Next, we wanted to add some additional detail to Combine areas in RTBR, and with how eponymous crates are as a handy generic detail prop, we figured the Combine deserved a similar treatment. Some of these crates will have goodies inside for players to open up and supplement their rations.

Excavator

The player will have obstacles to face even after Ravenholm which only heavy machinery can dislodge, and that's where the Excavator comes in – a formidable vehicle that will provide a satisfying capper to the Division 2 journey.

Fast Zombie

Of course, in Ravenholm, a gallery of ghoulish goons will also pose a threat to the player – the fast zombie is iconic in Half-Life 2, and Andy's redesign, taking inspiration from the fetid look of one iteration of the enemy, will be just as prominent a foe.

Poison Zombie

Keep your ammunition well-stocked for when you face the poison zombies – their rotten bulk absorbs buckshot and common-arms calibre in equal measure.

Gonome

The poison zombie is not the toughest enemy Gordon will face – that title goes to the Gonome (which bears a striking resemblance to a zombified assassin), fused with its oversized and engorged headcrab, this beast will make short work of any unprepared and unlucky visitors to Ravenholm.

Maxwell's Teleporter

Maxwell is not quite as well stocked as his colleagues at Kraken Base and City 17, but his knack for making even the rustiest components do the job is apparent throughout his lab – no more so than his almost complete teleporter, based off of stolen Combine blueprints.

The Jetski

It's not Maxwell going out and getting all the bits he needs – that job falls to Alyx, who, much like the player, has her own vehicle for traversing waterfronts and the canal. She prefers a smaller silhouette, which has helped her and Eli remain undetected for so long.

Eli's Den

Of course, the first six maps of Division 2 have received considerable improvements during our final testing process, but we're going to shine a spotlight on the new stuff instead today. Eli's Den is a notable setpiece in RTBR, with special attention paid to the concept art as well as Maxwell's scrappy nature. There are plenty of references to older content and secrets waiting to be uncovered, and of course, it'll be your introduction to Eli, Skitch, T-Bot, and Alyx.

Eli Collapse

Not everything goes according to plan, though, and before long the player must make their escape of Eli's Lab. Here, the player will have the opportunity to see just how good Alyx's gunsmithing skills really are.

Quarrytown Vista

Your first introduction to the town overwhelmed by the dead is eerily beautiful, channelling at once the past bustling nature of Ravenholm and the now decrepit state you'll find it in.

Quarrytown01

As you enter the town proper, you'll meet the preacher who has made it his mission to shepherd his new congregation into undeath, and if you survive the journey, perhaps he'll even introduce himself.

Quarrytown02

The most dangerous of Ravenholm's denizens begin to rear their head as you plunge deeper into its depths, and in so doing, make yourself a target for the undead. Be wary, but look closely, for extra supplies of a powerful kind can be found if you're especially observant.

Quarrytown03

Finally, Grigori will deem you worthy of a more powerful tool to better your work of salvation – few will stand up to the rapid-fire onslaught of a semi-automatic SPAS-12, and you'll definitely need the firepower for the full gallery of the dead is now in play.

Quarrytown04

It all comes to a head as should the player survive this far, a final challenge awaits them before escaping Ravenholm. Grigori will do his part – as must you, with a tool of the righteous.

Minetown

Before Gordon can properly close this haunting chapter of his exodus from City 17, an obstruction in the mines that Ravenholm's inhabitants once dug must be overcome. Then, and only then, can the player consider their Division 2 journey complete.

Finishing Up

And that, folks, is all for now! We're so excited to finally be releasing Division 2! As is expected with any public release, we're planning to return for a patch update sometime in the new year with all the stuff we expect people to find, so please join our Discord and report any issues you find there. Before closing up, we're looking for more folks to join the team before we transition to full-scale Division 3 development:

• Competent level designers – We’re still open to having both additional support in the art pass and blockout departments
  
• Facial flex/sculptor – We’re still in need of someone comfortable with sculpting head meshes in the context of Source (so creation of VTAs as well)
  
• Creature animator – We're looking to do some exciting stuff in the NPC department in Division 3 and would love a dedicated animator (with experience implementing animations in-game) to manage the workload
  
• Captain Vance – We're still looking for a voice actor for Captain Jaxon Vance! Please take a look at our Casting Call Club and submit your audition there if you're interested

If any of these roles look good to you, please add me on Discord at Kralich/David#0901. Thanks everyone, and enjoy playing Division 2 of Raising the Bar: Redux!