Half-Life finally returns, though in a way most players probably weren’t expecting.
It’s been 12 years since an official Half-Life game release, so many fans simply gave up hope that Valve would return to the franchise. However, prayers have been answered, and Valve has announced Half-Life is making a return — though not in a way that most people were expecting. Next year, Half-Life: Alyx, a virtual reality-only midquel between Half-Life and Half-Life 2, is set to hit headsets. Here’s everything you need to know about the game.
- Development and reveal
- Story and setting
- Gameplay design
- Bonus content
- Release date and pricing
It finally returns
Half-Life: Alyx
$54 at Steam
Half-Life 3, but it’s a midquel
Half-Life: Alyx is a bold comeback for Valve’s previously-stagnant AAA franchise, described by Valve itself as its “flagship VR game.”
Development and reveal
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On Nov. 18, 2019, Valve tweeted the announcement of Half-Life: Alyx, labeling it its “flagship VR game,” and that more information would come on Nov. 21. On that day, Valve dropped a trailer for the game that showcases gameplay as well as the story premise, graphics, and sounds, which we’ve embedded above. On top of that, the game’s Steam page went up on the same day, providing the gaming community with further information about the title.
As far as the game’s development goes, we know very little aside from the fact that the project was conceptualized when Valve was looking for a good franchise to use for a VR title. According to several Valve employees in this interview, Valve was ultimately down to choosing either Portal or Half-Life for the project. The developers said Half-Life was chosen because it offered the best opportunities to leverage the power of VR. The game will be powered by Valve’s brand new Source 2 engine, the sequel to their original game engine.
Story and setting
Half-Life: Alyx is a midquel that takes place between the events of the first Half-Life game and Half-Life 2. The player will control Alyx Vance as she, alongside her father Eli Vance, searches for a way to fight the alien Combine Empire and ultimately mount a resistance. The game will take place in City 17, though it’s possible that other locations will be visited as well.
Gameplay design
Half-Life: Alyx will retain the same focus on blending physics-based puzzle solving with dynamic shooting mechanics that the other Half-Life games have had, although from a new VR perspective. Examples of gameplay that will be possible in the finished game given by Valve include: pulling a headcrab off your face and throwing it, tossing a bottle to distract enemies, digging through shelves to find ammo and healing items, manipulating hacking tools, and leaning around a wall and underneath an enemy in order to make a precise shot. Given the fact that Half-Life’s fame is mostly due to its physics gameplay, it’s highly likely we’ll be able to do things like throw enemy grenades back or stack boxes to reach higher areas, too.
In terms of the types of enemies players will face, it looks like it’ll be Combine’s elite military as well as various hostile alien lifeforms, same as in Half-Life 2. It’s likely that there will be new enemy types within these two groups, but no specific information is available yet.
There will be no way to play the game outside of VR, as Valve developers have stated it would simply be way too complicated to try and assign all of the different in-game interactions to a regular controller or keyboard.
Bonus content
People who buy a Valve Index VR headset and/or Valve Index controllers by the end of 2019 will get a free copy of the game, along with bonus exclusive content including:
- Environments from Half-Life: Alyx in your SteamVR Home space
- Alternate in-game gun skins for Alyx’s arsenal
- Unique Half-Life: Alyx-themed content for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
In addition, all copies of the game will ship with Source 2 tools that will allow players to create their own levels and environments for other players to play. It’s likely that these will be distributed via the Steam Workshop. Valve has also stated that its level editing tool, Hammer, has been updated with all the necessary requirements to support VR.
Release date and pricing
Currently, Half-Life: Alyx is slated to drop at some point during March 2020 on Windows 10 PCs via Steam. No specific release date is known, but hopefully Valve provides us with one as we approach the game’s release window. In addition it’s unknown if other PC platforms, such as Mac or Linux, will be made compatible in the future.
The game will be compatible across VR devices, including the Valve Index, HTC Vive, Windows Mixed Reality, Oculus Rift devices, and the Oculus Quest, but only with the PC and Link cable.
In terms of pricing, the game is going to cost the standard $60, though it’s currently on sale right now for 10% off on its Steam page. If you’re planning on getting the game, it may be a good idea to pre-order it right now so you can save a little money.
Your thoughts
What do you think of Half-Life: Alyx? Are you excited to finally see Half-Life return, or are you disappointed that it’s a VR-only experience? Let us know in the comments.
It finally returns
Half-Life: Alyx
$54 at Steam
Half-Life 3, but its a midquel
Half-Life: Alyx is a bold comeback for Valve’s previously-stagnant AAA franchise, described by Valve itself as its “flagship VR game.”
