Half-Life: Alyx VR

Half-Life: Alyx is an award-winning action VR game that transports players into the iconic Half-Life universe and empowers them to take full control over Alyx Vance during the events set between the events of the celebrated games Half-Life and Half-Life 2.

Requires a virtual reality headset. See system requirements for more information.

Featuring highly advanced physic-driven gameplay elements, a streamlined object interaction system powered by the innovative “gravity glove” system, excellent audio/visual presentation, and an engaging and long singleplayer story campaign, Half-Life: Alyx VR immediately attracted praise from worldwide players and media who named it one of the best VR game that was ever released.

Even today, years after its premiere, many are still in agreement that no VR title has managed to surpass the gameplay, narrative, and visual presentation heights that this game has managed to achieve.

Review

The atmosphere in this game is great and the level and sound design are delightful. Overall, the VR aspect feels like the focus of the game rather than a last-minute addition as seen in many other VR titles, making for a very immersive experience.

However, the pacing can feel too slow at times. Even after several hours of playtime, there should be more action. Although this doesn't ruin the experience, it does feel like a missed opportunity considering the range of cool weapons and gravity gloves available in the game. Instead, it can feel like there is a lot of walking involved, which seems out of place for a Half-Life game.

Regardless, the game is worth the price and is one of the best VR titles out there.

Main Features

Half-Life: Alyx is set in the oppressive City 17, following a brand new adventure of Alyx Vance and her father Eli Vance during their fight to take down the alien Combine empire that has enslaved the entire planet Earth. With an incredible variety of level designs, incredible attention to detail, and highly engaging combat and puzzle scenarios, this game offers players of all ages and proficiency levels an incredible experience that no other game has managed to match.

Featuring the world is richly detailed, realized with intricate textures, realistic lighting, and immersive sound design, this game instantly captures players' attention.

Gameplay in Half-Life: Alyx is intuitive and engaging, with a variety of weapons and tools at the player's disposal. The game also utilizes VR mechanics in clever ways, such as using the player's hands to manipulate objects in the environment or solve puzzles, rummaging through the clutter to find useful items, and quickly attracting objects placed outside of their immediate reach with the intuitive gravity glove system.

In addition to the campaign, Half-Life: Alyx VR also provides gamers with a wide array of community modding tools that players can use to dramatically expand the base offerings of this title. Over the past several years, the talented Half-Life: Alyx community has managed to craft not only a wide variety of gameplay mods but also whole new story campaigns that rival many other professionally made VR games with their high-quality production and gameplay systems.

PROS

• Immersive and Groundbreaking VR Experience
• Compelling Storyline and Rich Lore
• High-quality Graphics and Sound Design
• Innovations in VR Interaction and Physics

CONS

• Requires High-end VR Equipment
• Potentially Intense for Those Prone to Motion Sickness
• Limited Replayability and Game Length

Minimum System Requirements

• OS: Windows 11/10
• Processor:  Core i5-7500 / Ryzen 5 1600
• Memory: 12 GB RAM
• Graphics: GTX 1060 / RX 580 - 6GB VRAM
• VR Support: SteamVR

Conclusion

With a main story campaign that is around 12 hours long, and with a large selection array of optional activities that can provide several more hours of additional play, Half-Life: Alyx represents a landmark VR game that every PC gamer needs to experience. Its attention to detail, engaging gameplay, and immersive story make it one of the best VR games currently available.