Half-Life: Alyx: the wait has paid off

Philipp Rüegg

27.3.2020

Translation: machine translated

Half-Life: Alyx is not only a great VR game, but also an excellent Half-Life episode. Who would have thought that Valve would have managed to turn the corner again?

This game marks the return of the Half-Life series. At last! After 16 long years, when we no longer expected it, Valve is releasing a new episode for its iconic series as a VR exclusive. It's not a decision that everyone's happy with, but it's a necessary sacrifice to bring the series back from the brink of oblivion. Various interviews with Valve employees showed that the company's Seattle headquarters had reached an impasse with its Half-Life series. However, the team managed to emerge from the shadows with Half-Life: Alyx. This time, Alyx Vance replaced Gordon Freeman and the FPS became a virtual reality horror game, because one thing was clear: the scientist wasn't the only one who ignored the warning about Ravenholm, "We don't go there anymore" in 2004.

Smart developers...

Chronologically, the game takes place between Half-Life and Half-Life 2. The world is in the midst of a war with the Combine alien species. As part of the resistance, Alyx does his bit to save humanity. The story may not break any bones, but it fits in perfectly with the Half-Life narrative, and if you like the world, you can expect some very interesting twists and turns. The development team seems to have drawn inspiration from Portal's humour. Alyx is in constant radio contact with Russell, who reminds me a little of the chatty drone Wheatley. The dialogue had me laughing out loud on several occasions. In the design of the game, Valve puts a lot of emphasis on physics and doesn't fail to incorporate some funny scenes.

While VR novices will be amazed by even the slightest demonstration of physics and the reloading mechanic, hardcore VR gamers will no doubt have seen most of these mechanics before in other games. But it's better to copy well than to run out of ideas. All the more so as Valve manages to appropriate the various inspired elements by giving them a particular twist. This is particularly true of the gravity gloves that allow you to attract objects. All you have to do is aim with your hand until the object lights up orange, then flick your wrist slightly to make it take off. But then you have to catch it. After a short period of adjustment, the functionality is very intuitive.

Thankfully, because in tough fights against head crabs and sticky zombies, these gloves are worth their weight in gold. If you play your cards right, you'll be able to attract objects like gas cylinders and throw them at your enemies. Or catch a magazine you've dropped in a hurry. Yes, you have to reload your weapons manually. A button releases the magazine, you reach over your shoulder and pull a new one out of your rucksack, then all you have to do is insert it until you hear the 'click' and press the button one last time. In the heat of the moment, it's not such a simple task, but it's extremely effective at making you panic.

A world to explore

It's possible to interact with almost every object in the game. Imagine dropping the limp body of a zombie off the edge of a cliff, throwing stones at cats (ew, who does that?) or dancing with a dead crab. The illusion is sometimes destroyed when something doesn't work as it should. For example, when you come across a metal pipe blocking a door. True to Half-Life gameplay, I'm thinking of using it to slaughter some zombies later. But the bar has no effect. Valve apparently chose not to use this type of weapon to prevent VR gamers from destroying their homes. Which brings me straight to my other negative point: to play, you'll need space. While Alyx allows you to play in almost any configuration, the ideal position is clearly standing with plenty of space around you. I'm not that lucky. As a result, I spend a lot of time banging my hands when I'm rummaging through cupboards or throwing grenades in the game. A shame, but it's a known VR problem.

The grenades, on the other hand, are a real highlight. You can throw them with surprising realism. Valve understood the full potential of the action and created some fun animations. You can use an air duct to throw a grenade into a locked room, or open a window to find a room full of zombies. Open the window, throw the grenade and close it again. Then grin slyly until the explosion vaporises all the undead.

The physics puzzles are otherwise more complex. Although the game only lets you carry two items apart from magazines, it doesn't stop you from filling a basket with grenades and healing syringes and carrying it. It's a bit cumbersome, but it works.

But a Half-Life without puzzles isn't a true Half-Life. Among other things, they come in the form of holographic globes that you have to interact with. You might have to connect all the identical symbols, as in Memory, or try to pass a beam of blue light while avoiding red lights. With one hand, you hold the transparent ball, while you steer it with the other.

Overview: highly recommended for anyone with a VR headset

Half-Life: Alyx isn't revolutionising VR gaming and it won't bring virtual reality out of the shadows. The limitations and obstacles that come with VR make it a niche technology and cannot be overcome, even by the wizards at Valve. Nevertheless, Half-Life: Alyx remains the first VR game I really want to play every night. And that's not just because of the series' excellent universe. Half-Life: Alyx may not move mountains, but it does open doors to new developments at Valve. That's more than enough for me. Glados, I'm ready for my cake.

Philipp Rüegg

Senior Editor

Philipp.Rueegg@digitecgalaxus.ch

Being the game and gadget geek that I am, working at digitec and Galaxus makes me feel like a kid in a candy shop – but it does take its toll on my wallet. I enjoy tinkering with my PC in Tim Taylor fashion and talking about games on my podcast http://www.onemorelevel.ch. To satisfy my need for speed, I get on my full suspension mountain bike and set out to find some nice trails. My thirst for culture is quenched by deep conversations over a couple of cold ones at the mostly frustrating games of FC Winterthur. more

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