It’s been 13 years and we finally have a new Half-Life game. No, it’s not Half-Life 3, but it’s something! And apparently something quite special, as well.
Half-Life: Alyx is only playable in VR, but the game supposedly isn’t plagued by the typical technical issues associated with the technology. Reviewers agree that the title morphs VR’s weaknesses into strengths and also amplifies the strengths that already exist. But don’t get me wrong – you are still solving puzzles and engaging in thrilling combat. This is still a Half-Life game after all.
Half-Life: Alyx takes place between the events of Half-Life and Half-Life 2. The game doesn’t focus on Gordan Freeman this time around, but it doesn’t suffer from it. All in all, this seems to be a VR title that is just an incredible video game, not just a great VR game. Well, I will just let the reviews speak for themselves.
- IGN – 10/10
- VG247 – 5/5
- Road to VR – 10/10
- Video Games Chronicle – 5/5
- PC Gamer – 92/100
- Gamesradar – 4.5/5
- USgamer – 4.5/5
- PC World – 4.5/5
- Gamespot – 9/10
- Game Informer – 9/10
- Destructoid – 9/10
- PCGamesN – 9/10
- Venturebeat – 80/100
- Polygon – “… the gameplay loop of Half-Life: Alyx is exquisite, which means the entire game works. This is the Half-Life game I’ve been waiting for since the end of Episode Two.”
- Eurogamer – “…yes! I had been waiting for this moment. And this moment did not let me down.”
- Kotaku – “Half-Life: Alyx reaches some astoundingly high heights while also managing to be both too ambitious and too conservative for its own good.“
- Ars Technica -” The greatest VR adventure game yet—and then some.”
- The Verge – “But if you keep these admittedly big reservations in mind, Alyx is a worthy addition to the Half-Life universe. It’s not just a good VR game; it’s a good video game, period.”
And those are all the reviews so far. Most are overwhelmingly positive, which is great to hear since this is the first AAA game Valve has made in quite a while. And it seems to have made massive strides in VR gaming as well. At the same time, though, many players are left out, myself included. VR headsets are expensive and require good equipment to use.
Half-Life: Alyx isn’t available for PlayStation, so VR on the console isn’t an option. It’s only available on PC through Steam, which is owned by Valve. Half-Life: Alyx is certainly selling a lot of VR headsets, especially Valve’s own Valve Index. Regardless, it will be interesting to see how successful the game will be because of its limited release only on VR on PC. But I have a hunch the game will do just fine.
Are you like me and missing out because you don’t have a headset? Or are you playing it? If so, what are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments below!