Half-Life 2 a light, action-packed scanner until you get into Ravenholm, then it's a terrific heavy-duty game. But nonetheless, Ravenholm still feels somewhat like half of Half-Life, flowing without a map from the maps in the foreground and leading well into the maps that follow.
This is because Ravenholm shows guidelines for a certain level of design that makes Valve's games so appealing. Guidelines like making sure the level has a solid starting point – not in the form of a map or style, but in a narrative sense. The game must communicate well with the player and not only what they are doing – trying to get into Ravenholm as quickly as possible – but also why. In this case, Gordon needs to escape the Black Mesa East, and the only route through Ravenholm.
Another important aspect of storytelling with the Valve design plan is that the map should be on social media. When a player enters an area, it is easy to say that something happened, and it is likely to happen. First level Half life you're a masterclass in this type of design, but you can see it in every Valve game. That is why you always stumble upon the wars that have just ended, or interrupt the wars that have just begun. It helps to make the world feel dangerous, and live in it.
And that's just the beginning of Valve's process of inventing standards. Watch the video above to learn more about all the cool secret trick tactics Valve uses to make his games more focused.
