Half-Life : Residual Life mod

Hi,

I just wanted to make one final article about this mod, who developed it, why you can't find its files any more on moddb, where to find it, and a final listing about all the levels and secrets available.

I'm "DarkShift", last year I decided to make some playthroughs videos about the "Residual Saga", but this time 100% done, because each of them have many "secrets" and the "hints" to find them are only found on an obscure Korean wikia of the saga.

I've never been involved in the development of the mods, and the dev don't seem to really mind what I'm doing here, I've never received threats or complaints, althought he seems a bit amused in some articles posted elsewhere, that a french guy took so much interest in his work.

What is known so far (a history of Residual mods development (2002-20xx)

Residual Life is developed by Korean team Radiation Studios, who did White Force [2002], Survivor [2005], Residual Point [2007], Residual Life 1.0 [2012], and Zombie Edition : Residual Agent [2015- ?]),

What I understood after searching a bit, is that there is no "team" besides a "one man army", that is "Toxagen", a Korean guy speaking in Korean and sometimes in bad english, which made the communication extremly difficult since a decade, between him and moddb members, and between me and him, despite several attempts to communicate here, or on mail.

White Force and Survivor are basically "rough drafts" of what is Residual Point (RP). There are available as "training level" on Residual Point menu (which is why launching "training level" push you into a several hour long adventure).

RP is basically, a re-telling of HL story and chapters which tries sometimes to mix them up, from Black Mesa to Xen included, the mod initially ended with an anticlimatic ending (the red teleport) until we got a final update in 2020 with the last 2 chapters updated (return to Earth after Xen) and a proper ending.

You played W Jack Sohn, a PH D. MIT Theoretical Physics Decided Major, Research Associate at Black Mesa Biodome laboratory (instead of Anomalous Materials).

Residual Life is in fact in development since 2008, and has since got yearly updates and add-ons, culminating in the "1.9" final update with all levels, endings, and secrets.

Although there are 2.0, 2.01, now 2.05 versions, they are just "polishing" which for example make select level with RP and RL, some parts made easier, etc. but no new levels, it's just upgrade.

What happened is that Toxagen grew disappointed and angry from moddb's members, from their requests, from their critics, so he retreated back to his own Korean website, Cafe.naver.com, which is far more complicated to access.

He deleted all the versions of Residual Point, Life, Agent from moddb and there are now only avaible on Naver, but you can still find Residual Life 1.9 on RTSL, Residual Point on moddb (my own personal files), I chose not to upload again Residual Agent because it's a WIP version.

Residual Agent is a currently unfinished spin-off of the Residual Saga (development started after Residual Life in 2015), using Zombie Edition assets, taking place at the same time of Residual Life's events. You play as Rhezina-rhagithor 3320, one of the "Biological Expendables" headcrabs sent to Black Mesa after the Resonance Cascade.

What is Residual Life in the end?

Residual Life is a sequel/interquel/remake of Residual Point, beginning right where RP ended, with Gman somehow rebooting the space time continuum, so it can be seen as an "alternate timeline" of HL events and the Resonance Cascade.

You now play "W, Sora Kim", a female PhD, MIT, Theorical Physics Decided Assistant, working as a Reactor Operation Engineer in Lambda Complex.

Her trademark suit is not the HEV suit but the white "cleansuit" as introduced in OpFor, therefore the "White Force" in the title of their first mod (Residual Point and Life can be seen as White Force and 3)

Residual Life's plot takes several elements not only from usual Half-Life lore, but also from Marc Laidlaw's books Gadget, the Third Force but also borrow elements from mangas Full Metal Alchemist, Slayers, and sometimes not even official, but fan made material... which makes it a mish-mash of bizarre stuff.

In the Residual Universe, the Xen and Combine are depicted as the Sun Eater Pillar's Forces (see below), the two "paths" you can take in RL are deeply connected (the Sun Eater's Pillar, crystal processing led by the Tiny Dwarf, the Xen world, talisman system led by the Boo-Nihilanth) and in the end 2 sides of the same coin.

List of Residual Life levels, 100% version, only in HARD mode :

UNUSED SELECT LEVEL ZONE : this is where you select training levels and can see various fun stuff with K-pop.

GREAT ESCAPE : training level "medium" difficulty, in the map's of Resonance Cascade, just some fighting against vorts and zombies.

MADNESS : training level "hard" difficulty, with various challenges, run/hide/find weapons/fight back and kill enemies with a time limit, in the maps from Chosin Reservoir, chapter you'll see later.

IMPOSSIBILITY DREAM : This is the eerie intro, starting where Residual Point ended (see RP’s playthrough), Gman seems to "reboot" the whole story after Jack Sohn's journey, you (as Kim) wake up in Black Mesa dormitories, you can wander around in BM pre-catastrophe but no custom sequences or voice overs.

BLACK MESA INBOUND : This is the classic tram sequence.

ROUTINE WORK : The Resonance Cascade occurs as you work at the Lambda's Reactor Coolant System. This is where you find the first secret "LOST BATTERY" Get the 2 batteries after getting your cleansuit

STATE OF EMERGENCY : you're rescued, escape this mess, find weapons and allies. Second secret "DEMON SLAYER" kill the reskinned headcrab in that hard-to-reach vent.

LEGAL DEFENSE : HECU's arrival. Third secret "CIRCLE OF DEATH" find the two alchemy circles on walls, Fourth secret "CHAOTIC BUTCHER" : you have to clear 2 sand fields of their headcrabs, it can be long, take a Barney with you, helps a lot

THE FIRST 2 PURPLE CELLS : We go back because we need to find the purple cells, here 2 out of 5, needed to go to the hidden true final boss, at the very end of the mod.You can find also the very first laptop explaining a bit the background of the story

ONE IS ALL, ALL IN ONE! : Bonus Level in some sewers, only possible with Chaotic Butcher obtained, or mod played in Difficult setting (Secret : Dark Golden Energy : Get the Gravity gun in Surface Storage)

No more secrets after this level!!!Dark Golden Energy secret is not only the last secret but also, later, the only way to "Chosin Resevoir" bonus level for the 3rd purple cell

GROUND ZERO : Lambda Reactor-like level with various teleports to activate. If you get all secrets, this leads you to the bonus level, if not, you go straight to No way Out.

BETWEEN WORLDS AND CHAOS : Xen level, bonus level with no enemies, but with ammo and health.

NO WAY OUT : Surface Tension/On a Rail mix level. You encounter "Zgrunts", enemies introduced in Residual Point wich are HECU experimented upon by Xenians, now they are fast zombies with guns. Don't bother to fight the Gargs at the beginning, it's a waste of ammo.

COUNTDOWN : Surface Tension 2.0. This ends with the place, where you have to choose between 2 paths, "Xen" or "Black Mesa". No turning back from that point.

ROUTE 1 "XEN" :

leading to "Altar of Sacrifice" boss. However, Impossibility Dream/Credits/Epilogue are common to both roads.

COUNTDOWN, save the scientist, who opens a door, then go to the nuclear warhead.

NUCLEAR PORTAL, melting-pot between real world and Xen world, maybe out of time and space... Did that nuke blow up in your face anyway?

RUINS OF CHRONOS : Xen world but you can see sometimes, the ruins of an ancient and forgotten civilization.

ASHES OF LAUTREC : Xen world, again with more ruins of an extinct civilization, ending with a Citadel building taken over by Black Ops. If you got the "Talisman" (McGuffin stuff), it will open the way to the final boss. If you don't have it, then the doors of "Heaven" will stay closed, no text will appear, and you are sent back to Route 1, level "Heart of Nightmare"

ALTAR OF SACRIFICE : The Nihilanth/leader of the Xen forces in this mod is a black Boo. It works the same as the original, shooting lightning bolts and teleporters, which sends you to four elemental (Earth, Fire, Water and Air) places where you destroy each crystals. In the end, you destroy the "talisman system" whatever that means (maybe the same as the Nihilanth holding the giant portal leading to Earth?)

IMPOSSIBILITY DREAM : Tram outro, the end makes you question if this was all real, a dream, or another reboot done by Gman, like Residual Point.... maybe for another story in another Residual mod? (see Residual Agent)

CREDITS featuring all the 500+ faithful followers on moddb.

EPILOGUE, set in the same maps from "Madness" and "Chosin Reservoir" (see part 4) in a 1950's Korea War's setting, by night... In the end, you find a spacecraft and escape.... maybe?

ROUTE 2 "BLACK MESA" :

THE PATH TO ROAD 2, jump in the lower canal.

THE REGULAR PATH : The "locked" elevator door at the end is the exit door of the bonus level

CHAOTIC BLUE, bonus level, the fire door will be locked unless you got all previous secrets (Lost Battery... to Dark Golden Energy). If you manage to free the scientists, they will open various rooms, one with both Tau Cannon and Gluon Gun, and other stuff linked to the mod’s influences ("Sensorama" from Laidlaw's GADGET, etc...). In the end, you can shut down an energy transmitter connected to a mysterious black sphere in another dimension, you'll meet again at the very end of the mod.

ASHES TO ASHES, DUST TO DUST : Maze-like level full of tunnels, reservoirs, and battles against Black Ops and Xenians. You discover the main purpose of this road, stop the harvesting of that giant crystal (you see its "head" here), it is "Xenium" stuff, based on Laidlaw's book GADGET and THIRD FORCE, an endless power source with time- and space-bending properties. It is explained in some stuff from the dev. found on the web, that this is an ancient alien vessel which crashed on Earth billions of years ago, with this crystal.

HEART OF NIGHTMARE : More battles around the "core" part of the crystal, the "nightmare" is due to powerfuls and countless enemies, Bigger and faster-shooting Vorts, Cloaked sniper-wielding Black Ops, and Zgrunts. In previous versions, Gman was in the elevator with the nuclear warhead, then it was the warhead only, now it is empty.

CENTER OF ALL THINGS : Final part inside Black Mesa at the "bottom" of the crystal. In previous versions you just had to run to the warhead and it was the end. Final Gman's sighting, with a GoldSrc Combine Hunter. This is also the "final" level if you don't play on "hard" and/or have the 2 purple cells (see part 1), you go to the outro. Otherwise, you go to the true final level

THE SUN EATER'S PILLAR : The topside of the crystal's harvesting is connected to some mystic energy device in a Citadel-like building. This level is bigger than anything else in the whole mod and is full of ridiculous battles where you face countless waves of enemies (Of course, it's their homeworld...).

CHOSIN RESERVOIR : Bonus level in 1950's Korea war setting. Listen carefully : when you go to that giant structure, DO NOT TOUCH ANYTHING. Go to the little plot in front of the giant door, and if you have Dark Golden Energy secret (see part 1), you will automatically place the G-gun. The blue crystal sphere will shoot a teleporter to that level.

The THIRD PURPLE CELL is found on this level and then you go back to the level's beginning and then to :

THE SUN EATER'S PILLAR (part 2) : Countless painful battles. There are impressive lightning bridges and an annoying unending alarm. There are some cells/incubators? for various Xen creatures, rail tracks for alien trains, storage for Manta Rays. Various laptops attempting to expand the plot.

The FOURTH AND FIFTH (FINAL) PURPLE CELL are also found there.

There is one long ultimate battle against the last remnants of Black Ops soldiers, tanks, Apaches, air strikes.

THE TINY DWARF : The hidden super final boss' door won't open unless you have the 5 purple cells. It is a mix between Full Metal Alchemist's antagonist "Dwarf in the Flask" and the Demon Kings from Slayers. He'll send many enemies and shoot countless electric waves whenever he sees you, and sometimes, dozen of RPG rockets. Final laptop explaining about an ancient evil being sealed and how humans are sent as blood sacrifice. The battle is basically Run, strafe, hide, heal, shoot the crystals (crossbow is best).

You meet again the black sphere from CHAOTIC BLUE, after the boss' death. Could be "Dark Golden"/"Lord of Nightmares" aka "God" in Slayers universe.

THE SUN EATER'S PILLAR (finale) : even with the boss’ death, you still have to fight, and stop the pillar.The enemies spawn endlessly, so just quickly activate the rods, hide, wait for the green screen, and run to the teleporter at the center. The Black Ops send air strikes when the pillar is shut down. This ends with Sora Kim placed in "spatial isolation".

IMPOSSIBILITY DREAM : Tram outro, empty nighty Black Mesa, you meet a curious Barney... was it all a dream, or does Gman rewind time?

CREDITS.

EPILOGUE Run your way to the spacecraft. Both roads lead to the same outro. There are a few issues on this playthrough (sound, cuts...).

This was maybe the greatest, longest, hardest HL1/GoldSrc adventure ever made.I do hope this article will provide people some sense of closure about it.

I do hope that one day the dev. will think again about moddb and upload his stuff here.

For now, I don't know when and how, we will get an easy access to his next mods. Out of respect for his work, I won't take his mods from Naver (IF I manage to gain access to them) and upload them here.

Probably videos or playthroughs just to show the world what he took so many hours and years to develop, now nearly for "himself" only...