edit: also, *everyone* should be getting the laser sight for the pistol. Save up for it, it is TOTALLY worth it if you have issues aiming. You can actually aim from the hip with it easily.
I'll second this. I'm almost done with chapter 3 (I think) and I saved up and got the laser sight for my first upgrade. I tried out the cheapo sight but didn't care for it at all so I reloaded and went for the laser. So much more accurate now. It was a good feeling putting the flashlight away and getting back outside.
Reflex sights are barely useful. Their main function is highlighting weakpoints, which is somewhat useful against a few select foes, but not so much that it's worth the resin. The laser sights are where your resin should be going, though I feel it's not as useful on the shotgun due to the weapon's limited range. At the ranges where the laser sight would be useful on it, you should already be pretty sure that your shots can hit the enemy.
Yes "experience" is the right way to describe it, just because it literally feels like you are experiencing these things. And I could get like little bits of that here and there with other VR titles, but this is on a different plane of existence. I'm around 15 hours in and just got to the 8th level so I'm taking my time. Feels like a watershed moment in media though for me at least.
Reflex sights are barely useful. Their main function is highlighting weakpoints, which is somewhat useful against a few select foes, but not so much that it's worth the resin. The laser sights are where your resin should be going, though I feel it's not as useful on the shotgun due to the weapon's limited range. At the ranges where the laser sight would be useful on it, you should already be pretty sure that your shots can hit the enemy.
Well yeah, that's by design and why both of these are the cheapest upgrades.
Honestly I made it through chapter 3 without really feeling scared which is surprising. I think it's because as immersive and creepy as it can get they still aren't throwing in your face jump scares.
Chapter 7 was one of the most amazing sequences I've ever played and it wouldn't have worked nearly as much outside of VR. Amazing the next chapter was just as stunning, I love the environments so much. On chapter 9 now and the beginning was already exciting but I am stopping for today. Got a good 5 hours in.
GOTY for me. I was sure Cyberpunk would be it and maybe it will but damn right now I can't even imagine an experience better than what Valve's given us.
Dude, I honestly was like "fuck it I'll buy a minimum specs comp and play the new half life for as cheap as possible, been wanting to do VR a little anyway" FULLY intending on selling it back. But this is a game changer for me. I played all the so called "best" VR games in the lead up - I don't get motion sickness. I mean there's nothing that compares to this imo. But I'm a 30 year old guy and I'm sure my taste in games reflects that (or else I don't really bother playing) never in my life have I been this blown away by a video game. The music, the atmosphere, the graphics and animation. Also side note: this is probably the best thing anyone can do while being in quarantine for real.
Do we know the exact differences between normal and hard? The Combine gunfights feel like nothing to me in normal. I just pop out from behind something at close range and destroy them with my shotgun. I want the game to stop me from doing that so easily.
Of course, but I'd go a step further and say it's more of a trap. I had a harder time using the pistol after getting the reflex sight than I did before. Maybe it's because I'm used to firing my dad's Browning HP at the range, but aligning that reflex sight was weird and cumbersome compared to the smooth and simple default iron sights.
Same deal with the SMG; the reflex sights add a ton of bulk, and the added optic is so big and cumbersome that it often distracted me more than it helped. That's likely a me problem, but when I replay this game in the future I won't buy either reflex sight.
Is anyone else's PC literally just completely shutting off when you explode to death ingame? Like the game is too intensive for just one milisecond and it crashes my computer entirely. Maybe a power supply issue? I've found that it isn't a overheating problem, I'm sitting at comfortable temps when it happens. Haven't had this happen before, except for COD Modern Warfare and the solution was to cap the framerate in the menus.
Do we know the exact differences between normal and hard? The Combine gunfights feel like nothing to me in normal. I just pop out from behind something at close range and destroy them with my shotgun. I want the game to stop me from doing that so easily.
I played through the entire game on Hard for my first playthrough. Sometimes I'd get into a firefight and wonder how much fun it'd be to dance through the battlefield without having to worry about taking shots and scavenging for healing supplies. Taking two or three shots usually took away an entire heart (if not more), and getting caught in the open without cover spell death for me very quickly. In the end, I think I had a better time simply due to how nerve-wracking it often was to manage whether it was worth taking a grenade over a healing syringe. I spent more time scavenging for supplies due to how much I needed the extra ammo and health. Sometimes I'd have my pockets full and still be physically carrying stuff, just in case I needed it.
I played through the entire game on Hard for my first playthrough. Sometimes I'd get into a firefight and wonder how much fun it'd be to dance through the battlefield without having to worry about taking shots and scavenging for healing supplies. Taking two or three shots usually took away an entire heart (if not more), and getting caught in the open without cover spell death for me very quickly. In the end, I think I had a better time simply due to how nerve-wracking it often was to manage whether it was worth taking a grenade over a healing syringe. I spent more time scavenging for supplies due to how much I needed the extra ammo and health. Sometimes I'd have my pockets full and still be physically carrying stuff, just in case I needed it.
1) Is anyone else having issues with Quest Link and launching the Steam VR overlay while in game? When I do, performance absolutely tanks for some reason until I close it.
2) is anyone seeing performance issues after playing for 20-30 min? Game runs perfectly for me usually but after a while it starts hitching until I exit and reload the game. My PC temps are fine so I don't think that's why.
3) what do people do for comfort with the Quest Link? the cable hanging off the side causes strange weighting that gets tiring after a while.
Do we know the exact differences between normal and hard? The Combine gunfights feel like nothing to me in normal. I just pop out from behind something at close range and destroy them with my shotgun. I want the game to stop me from doing that so easily.
Hard mode Combine combat so far hasn't been TOO difficult as of Chapter 7, but you do need to stick to cover, respect Combine suppressing fire and make sure you don't allow yourself to get flanked by the smaller guys at any point which means being willing to give up ground occasionally (And using your leap to do that because walking across that field's a no-go).
Also the Grenade Launcher is my best friend for dealing with the heavies. It's the best upgrade investment I've made so far.
how much room do people think is required to play this? i have a pretty small space and even something like arkham vr got frustrating in it's movement at times and reaching for things
Do we know the exact differences between normal and hard? The Combine gunfights feel like nothing to me in normal. I just pop out from behind something at close range and destroy them with my shotgun. I want the game to stop me from doing that so easily.
how much room do people think is required to play this? i have a pretty small space and even something like arkham vr got frustrating in it's movement at times and reaching for things
how much room do people think is required to play this? i have a pretty small space and even something like arkham vr got frustrating in it's movement at times and reaching for things
If you can handle continuous movement, very little. When I play I often don't actually walk around that much; I will maneuver a bit for peeking around/under things, crouching behind cover and occasionally do a little pathetic flinch to the left or right to dodge a projectile being shot at my head.
Otherwise the analog stick is more than adequate for correcting much smaller movement (I.E. opening a door by grabbing it and walking backwards with analog movement), strafing projectile fire or headcrabs in skirmishes and point to point traversal outside of combat, and using the leap/shift movement for basically anything involving hitscan weapons or big AOE.
1) Is anyone else having issues with Quest Link and launching the Steam VR overlay while in game? When I do, performance absolutely tanks for some reason until I close it.
2) is anyone seeing performance issues after playing for 20-30 min? Game runs perfectly for me usually but after a while it starts hitching until I exit and reload the game. My PC temps are fine so I don't think that's why.
3) what do people do for comfort with the Quest Link? the cable hanging off the side causes strange weighting that gets tiring after a while.
1. I find it can be a bit glitchy sometimes when opening and performance can tank but it also doesn't do it consistently. I just try to avoid opening it where possible.
2. I have done a two hour session and a coupe of 1 hours ones and not noticed this personally. Do you have 16GB RAM? Enough video memory?
3. I would suggest an L shaped bridge between the cable and headset, it means the wire will run to the back of the headset where it would ideally be clipped.
Only about two and half hours in, and it's pure fucking magic. Smashing windows, smooth movement, everything is so precise. The gravity gloves are one the greatest gaming inventions of all time. I wish every VR developer tried to make something as polished as this - I'm blown away!
I imagine having effectively unlimited time, money and resources helps. I think it has set a high bar that I don't see being surpassed for a long time now.
I imagine having effectively unlimited time, money and resources helps. I think it has set a high bar that I don't see being surpassed for a long time now.
the team maxed at 80 though (which is very low compared to other AAA titles). But yeah, they at least don't have to make a huge profit out of the sales, so that absolutely helps.
Reflex sights are barely useful. Their main function is highlighting weakpoints, which is somewhat useful against a few select foes, but not so much that it's worth the resin. The laser sights are where your resin should be going, though I feel it's not as useful on the shotgun due to the weapon's limited range. At the ranges where the laser sight would be useful on it, you should already be pretty sure that your shots can hit the enemy.
I don't have the game yet, but Norm from Tested was saying he thought the laser sights made the game too easy. Not sure what difficulty he was playing on, but he was recommending the reflex over the laser sight to maintain a decent challenge. I'm guessing that hasn't been your experience, though?
Just finished it, loved it to bits. There were some sections that felt a bit samey and grindy with encounters but otherwise this was one of the most joyous gaming experiences I've had in years. Obviously helps to have been a huge HL fan since the original but still this is god tier game design regardless of my adoration for the IP.
Very well paced overall, and while I probably should have paced it out a bit more like I told myself I would initially the shit was just too damn engrossing to put down, and I really wanted to see the ending before potentially getting spoiled.
The final few areas are incredible, and fighting the combine is so damn satisfying, just wish there were more weapons but what's there is balanced nicely.
Favorite moments (location and end area + story spoilers):
The Northern Star, great atmosphere and progression throughout, loved the fungal overgrowth everywhere
The "Jeff' chapter, one of the creepiest enemy designs I've seen, and when you see the details of the person's face as it used to be when he gets close is some spine tingling shit
The zoo with the antlion introduction, the graphics throughout are phenomenal but this area really shined visually, bummed we didn't get to see the "gorilla zombie" Alyx and Russell talk about though :P
The final area just before getting into the prison proper...the score is just otherworldly here, and the tesseract like permutations of the environment and all the gravity anomalies happening (the silverware gravity shifting area in particular) was a truly transcendent moment. Completely stunned how well that sequence was done...has me wishing for an entire game with that kind of atmosphere and solving quantum puzzles.
The ending itself in fine HL fashion was of course a huge tease leaving us wanting more...here's hoping Valve can get something out again that isn't like five plus years off.
On a final note just want to praise the visual work they've done here, when the Vive first launched years ago and many of our first introductions to that ecosystem included the photogrammetry environments Valve had created (such as the mountain top where you play fetch with the robo dog), I wondered how long it'd be until we would be able to see that level of fidelity on top of a legit game...I always expected the quality of scans to be much pared down but Valve seems to have pulled off some major optimization wizardry because it looks better than most of their examples in SteamVR environments...and the performance is phenomenal too. Just mind boggling how good the game looks, a true next gen looking title.
And with that it's certainly bittersweet having played a VR exclusive of such high quality and knowing it'll likely be quite awhile until we see another game with this level of visual fidelity and scale...I wouldn't be surprised if it's Valve's next game that is the first to match/exceed Alyx in that department. Here's hoping Sony has thrown some major coin towards some great PSVR2 titles.
Now I may have to play Black Mesa because I feel far from done and satiated by this universe...need more!
I don't have the game yet, but Norm from Tested was saying he thought the laser sights made the game too easy. Not sure what difficulty he was playing on, but he was recommending the reflex over the laser sight to maintain a decent challenge. I'm guessing that hasn't been your experience, though?
I was playing on Hard, and took every advantage I could get. I'll probably do another playthrough on Easy or Normal and spend the game just enjoying the sights, seeing if I missed anything, and taking different upgrades for my guns.
I'm kinda hating having the standard Vive controllers now. I can just imagine how much better it is with the grip controllers. Not a fan of the slide pads substituting the analog sticks.
Smooth turn fix works great, I can really play this properly now, makes such a huge difference to immersion. It is proper analogue too, although I find the deadzone on the Rift S Touch controllers mean it doesn't start to kick in until you make quite a lot of movement with the stick. Any way to change the analogue stick deadzone on Touch controllers?
Smooth turning is in? Awesome. I can't wait to play it again later today. The game's fantastic. I haven't spilled anything yet, but being calm while reloading can be an exercise in willpower.
Smooth turn fix works great, I can really play this properly now, makes such a huge difference to immersion. It is proper analogue too, although I find the deadzone on the Rift S Touch controllers mean it doesn't start to kick in until you make quite a lot of movement with the stick. Any way to change the analogue stick deadzone on Touch controllers?
Is anyone else's PC literally just completely shutting off when you explode to death ingame? Like the game is too intensive for just one milisecond and it crashes my computer entirely. Maybe a power supply issue? I've found that it isn't a overheating problem, I'm sitting at comfortable temps when it happens. Haven't had this happen before, except for COD Modern Warfare and the solution was to cap the framerate in the menus.
Try running Furmark to stress your PSU, then you'll know if that's the issue. The program also includes a CPU burner that you can run at the same time.
Doom Eternal crashed to the desktop on me, which I thought might be something power related, but I had no crashes with Furmark. What fixed it was oddly enough upgrading my mobo bios.
Try running Furmark to stress your PSU, then you'll know if that's the issue. The program also includes a CPU burner that you can run at the same time.
Doom Eternal crashed to the desktop on me, which I thought might be something power related, but I had no crashes with Furmark. What fixed it was oddly enough upgrading my mobo bios.
some of the later iterations of the lock picking mini game where you have to move the blue dot to the other blue dot while avoiding the red dots reminds me of Xortex from The Lab, especially once those red dots start moving. Feels quite a bit like a bullet hell shmup at times.
1) Is anyone else having issues with Quest Link and launching the Steam VR overlay while in game? When I do, performance absolutely tanks for some reason until I close it.
2) is anyone seeing performance issues after playing for 20-30 min? Game runs perfectly for me usually but after a while it starts hitching until I exit and reload the game. My PC temps are fine so I don't think that's why.
3) what do people do for comfort with the Quest Link? the cable hanging off the side causes strange weighting that gets tiring after a while.
1 ) This seems like a bug. I get that here and there but not only in Half-Life: Alyx. Works fine most of the time though
2) No. I have constant 72FPS, but annoying random CPU/GPU spikes every few minutes that cause stutter. I can't find out what's causing them.
3) Fix the cable with Velcro-Tape or some wire on the back of the headseat so that the cable runs down your back. Some USB-cables have those Velcro-Tapes already attached.
I don't have the game yet, but Norm from Tested was saying he thought the laser sights made the game too easy. Not sure what difficulty he was playing on, but he was recommending the reflex over the laser sight to maintain a decent challenge. I'm guessing that hasn't been your experience, though?
I can see that. A big part of the fun of shooting in VR is physically lining up your aim with the sights and learning how to be a good shot. Since getting the laser sights for my pistol and shotgun I'm not doing that anymore. I'm lining up a dot with an X-ray style vision or just pointing the shotgun in the general direction with a big laser cone and pulling the trigger. It definitely feels more 'gamey' and less immersive with the laser sights to me.
Finally available to PC headsets owners everywhere, Half-Life: Alyx is a stunning interpretation of AAA VR. It’s as polished a spectacle you’ll find in the industry. But, despite what you might expect, it’s not a physics showcase comparable to, say, Boneworks. Don’t get us wrong, Alyx
uploadvr.com
Or I sure as fuck hope they change their mind. Boneworks does it well. It can work. Stop getting so worked up about force feedback Volvo.
I don't have the game yet, but Norm from Tested was saying he thought the laser sights made the game too easy. Not sure what difficulty he was playing on, but he was recommending the reflex over the laser sight to maintain a decent challenge. I'm guessing that hasn't been your experience, though?
Finally available to PC headsets owners everywhere, Half-Life: Alyx is a stunning interpretation of AAA VR. It’s as polished a spectacle you’ll find in the industry. But, despite what you might expect, it’s not a physics showcase comparable to, say, Boneworks. Don’t get us wrong, Alyx
uploadvr.com
Or I sure as fuck hope they change their mind. Boneworks does it well. It can work. Stop getting so worked up about force feedback Volvo.
Volvo is my favourite studio (Or is this some kind of reference to Volvo and their force feedback technology? 🤔
This game has made me excited about VR! I'll probably wait a year or two more, but I'll be getting in on this when there is more I want to do except play HL :)
Finally available to PC headsets owners everywhere, Half-Life: Alyx is a stunning interpretation of AAA VR. It’s as polished a spectacle you’ll find in the industry. But, despite what you might expect, it’s not a physics showcase comparable to, say, Boneworks. Don’t get us wrong, Alyx
uploadvr.com
Or I sure as fuck hope they change their mind. Boneworks does it well. It can work. Stop getting so worked up about force feedback Volvo.
You say that, but I didn't like melee in Boneworks either. The only game where Melee has worked for me is Saints and Sinners, and that's because it's not about swinging stuff around but controlled stabbing motions. And even then it mostly only works because you're using your free hand to hold the zombie in place while you stab it.
Melee *can* work, it's just much, much more difficult than shooting, and has a much higher variance for breaking immersion. At least for me.
Volvo is my favourite studio (Or is this some kind of reference to Volvo and their force feedback technology? 🤔
This game has made me excited about VR! I'll probably wait a year or two more, but I'll be getting in on this when there is more I want to do except play HL :)
You say that, but I didn't like melee in Boneworks either. The only game where Melee has worked for me is Saints and Sinners, and that's because it's not about swinging stuff around but controlled stabbing motions. And even then it mostly only works because you're using your free hand to hold the zombie in place while you stab it.
Melee *can* work, it's just much, much more difficult than shooting, and has a much higher variance for breaking immersion. At least for me.
I don't have the game yet, but Norm from Tested was saying he thought the laser sights made the game too easy. Not sure what difficulty he was playing on, but he was recommending the reflex over the laser sight to maintain a decent challenge. I'm guessing that hasn't been your experience, though?
I haven't got the laser sight yet, but can confirm that when you nail shots by reflex/impulse it feels damn good
However I'm an experienced high end player. Laser sights are probably for 90% of people, who will probably struggle with aiming. You'd be AMAZED how bad the average player is at aiming, let alone in VR.
I've got the same problem with sorcery. Honestly, I think melee is by and large a dead end in VR at the moment, at least as it's been implemented so far. I'd much rather they put in more gravity manipulation so you can use world objects as weapons, just not in melee.
uploadvr.com
