Research and Development is a puzzle-centric mod for Half-Life 2: Episode Two featuring an unarmed player but plenty of violent mayhem.

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RPS digs R&D

News 28 comments

PC gaming super-blog Rock, Paper, Shotgun loves R&D! In a new review Alec Meer praises the mod as "a seismic shift" away from the norm, telling readers that it is "as must-play as an HL2 mod gets":

R&D’s hook is that it’s essentially non-combative. Yep – you go without guns throughout (bar the ol’ Gravity jobbie, but hey, that’s more about construction than destruction here). Sure, you can tell an Antlion to claw someone to death or arrange to squash men with falling girders, but you’re definitely not Edward Pistolhands. It’s an environmental adventure game, taking the irregular physics and logic puzzles seen in HL2 itself and turning them into the game itself. Mazes, gravity, exploding microwaves and fire-retardant antlion carapaces all make an appearance – it’s very much a point’n’click adventure in an FPS engine.

If you still haven't played Research and Development, which requires Episode Two, download it now!

Update: Destructoid also has a very positive review.

Research and Development released

Research and Development released

News 101 comments

Matt Bortolino's excellent HL2: Episode Two "action puzzler" has been released from nowhere!

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RSS Files
Research and Development Patch - Source SDK 2013

Research and Development Patch - Source SDK 2013

Patch 61 comments

This patch fixes most issues related to engine branch incompatibility and is designed to run using the latest "Beta" of Source SDK Base 2013 Singleplayer...

Research and Development (installer)

Research and Development (installer)

Full Version 50 comments

Updated 17 July 2009, fixed several issues & added a dynamic crosshair when using the keypads & lab buttons. Requires Episode Two.

Research and Development

Research and Development

Full Version 41 comments

Updated 17 July 2009, fixed several issues & added a dynamic crosshair when using the keypads & lab buttons. Requires Episode Two.

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Fry_Kickstart
Fry_Kickstart

This mod should definitely be released on Steam! Is there a way how one could initiate this?

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razvan2
razvan2

There is no chapter selection. Yes i have episode two

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Madhopie
Madhopie

Alright, for those that can't get it to work because of an error or the water in the main menu has a missing texture then here should be the fix:

First, right-click Source SDK Base 2013 Singleplayer in the Steam library and select properties. Under the General tab, you will search Launch Options and add this in the space: -game "Research and Development". Keep those quotes.
Second, go to the Betas tab and make it upcoming - upcoming. This may change in the future so if it does just try whatever is there after the process is over.

For water with missing texture:
You only installed the patch and not the mod itself. Download the main mod called Research and Development. You can find this under the files tab at the top of the page

For error when starting the Source SDK game:
You need to download the patch called Research and Development Patch - Source SDK 2013. You can find this under the files tab at the top of the page

You need to install the patch or move the mod to the right place. Make sure to move the main mod to where the SDK game folder is (for example mine is at E:\SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\Source SDK Base 2013 Singleplayer). The "Research and Development" folder should be in "Source SDK Base 2013 Singleplayer" folder. Now download the patch at the top of the page and overwrite the contents in the "Research and Development" folder. That's literally it.

Restart Steam just in case.

This worked for me after 2 hours of meddling. Hope this works and have fun

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Fry_Kickstart
Fry_Kickstart

I wanted to know why someone would bother to write such a guide. I used the same knowledge during the "installation", which you need to get any other Source Engine mod, which you have downloaded somewhere, to work. Furthermore, I didn't even read any readmes or guides.
Result: The mod can be started and played even in the year 2023 without any problems. I only played it for a short time, but I didn't notice any bugs (except the antlions) or other problems.

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jiman12
jiman12

still isnt working even thought i moved it to source sdk base 2013

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Guest
Guest

i put it in source sdk base 2013 single player but it still doesnt work

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