-
Ever wanted an RSS feed of all your favorite gaming news sites? Go check out our new Gaming Headlines feed! Read more about it here.
-
We have made minor adjustments to how the search bar works on ResetEra. You can read about the changes here.
Half Life: Alyx - Reveal Trailer & Interview (March 2020 for SteamVR)
- Thread starter Deleted member 8196
- Start date
They will pull an Outlast Whistleblwoer DLC stunt with this with the events taking place before HL2 events, then during HL2 events then afetr HL2 EP2 events. That is why they recommened playing EP2 first, just exactly liek how you shoudl finish Outlast before playing Whistleblower eventhough that DLC starts before the event of Outlast (then later meets with the event of Outlast and the last part is even after the events of Outlast). Logical.
Yeah, I am not seeing anything that makes the HL:A G-Man look more cartoony or less photo-real than the previous. I guess his pores are no longer the size of the holes in Pinheads face anymore?
I should say the character models in game. G man didn't give off that vibe as much. They have a sort of stubby/chubby look to them which I don't think will be apparent while viewing through a headset. Visuals and style look superb but it did strike me as different but familiar. I'm digging it.
Sorry if this was discussed already...but didn't the previous main writer of the HL series posted his conclusion for the series a few months ago on his website and expressing disappointment with Valve that they weren't doing anything anymore with the series? And now we get Alyx reveal...Does this mean the game was made without any involvement of him?
He is sharing his input with Valve's writing team throughout the development.
I'll be entirely honest, that's what I thought. In the trailer she says a thing that does not sound like Alyx at all - immediately followed by "So what's the plan?" or something which sounds 10000% like original Alyx.
Something is up lol
Unrelated to the Merle stuff, but what mod is being played on top of HL2/Minerva Metastasis there? Those animations look pretty dang good.
After viewing the trailer several times, I find myself looking forward to seeing an actual demo of the game being played. I have so many question about the structure of the gameplay. For example, does Half-Life: Alyx play like Half-Life 1 through HL 2: Episode 2 in that the player will walk (teleport or whatever) freely through the world? Or is the game divided up in some way to make it more accessible for people in VR?
Having played a number of VR games, I've found that some of the best do away with traditional first-person world design in favour of stationary gameplay based around an extremely high level of interactivity. Those that do have free movement, generally have some sort of gimmick which makes it work in VR. About the only game I have played in VR that approaches a traditional flat-screen game in design is Lone Echo.
Jumping from the environment complexity in Lone Echo to what is on display for Half-Life: Alyx would be a major achievement. HL: Alyx looks like a mix of a traditional first-person game and Job Simulator in terms of level design and interactivity. At least, that is the impression I have from the trailer and what has been said outside of that.
I think that is what excites me most about Half-Life: Alyx, not just that it is another Half-Life game, but that it might be the culmination of the last several years in VR game design.
Having played a number of VR games, I've found that some of the best do away with traditional first-person world design in favour of stationary gameplay based around an extremely high level of interactivity. Those that do have free movement, generally have some sort of gimmick which makes it work in VR. About the only game I have played in VR that approaches a traditional flat-screen game in design is Lone Echo.
Jumping from the environment complexity in Lone Echo to what is on display for Half-Life: Alyx would be a major achievement. HL: Alyx looks like a mix of a traditional first-person game and Job Simulator in terms of level design and interactivity. At least, that is the impression I have from the trailer and what has been said outside of that.
I think that is what excites me most about Half-Life: Alyx, not just that it is another Half-Life game, but that it might be the culmination of the last several years in VR game design.
I'm torn on the Dandridge stuff, after watching the vid, because it's impossible to say what's going on behind the scenes. Recastings aren't uncommon including after extensive recording with original actors, if the production team feel like the performance isn't meeting their standard. For example, it is possible that Dandridge was cast and has done a lot of early recording work, and eventually Valve just felt her voice (which will have also aged over a decade) doesn't fit the character they're writing and the performance they expect. It's not a nice reality, but its a possible one.
On the other hand, time dialation is a staple of Half-Life, and so there could be narrative beats involving Alyx at various states of her life, thus multiple castings.
Who knows.
On the other hand, time dialation is a staple of Half-Life, and so there could be narrative beats involving Alyx at various states of her life, thus multiple castings.
Who knows.
Doesn't bother me either, my impression is that it's mainly people who don't play VR who think it will be immersive breaking.
As a long time PC Gamer who grew up playing Half Life and its expansions + Half Life 2 + expansions, and who things it's still one of the greatest FPS series ever, but who doesn't own a VR headset or plan to, this is hugely disappointing. I want a proper Half Life game. Not some VR thing.
OP
OP
This is indeed a proper Half-life game.
Half-Life was all about revolutionizing the FPS genre, they did it two times, being stuck to mouse + keyboard with shiny graphics and better physics ain't doing much, but pushing for more immersion and player interactivity is the next step.
This being a VR game and a proper half life game are not mutually exclusive.
No, he was really clear with the opposite. He's even helped guide the writers for the new game.
As usual it's more conjecture and whining, yelled loud enough to be "fact". He retired and is writing a new book last I heard, outside of answering Alyx writers questions.
I love my Index, and I wholly think it's the best headset, but if the setup is a big sticking point for you maybe consider the Rift S or Quest. They're super painless to set up in comparison, and far cheaper.
Imo the quality difference is real, but Index is firmly a hardcore enthusiast device.
Fun speculation time:
Between Valve's "hey you should really play Episode 2 before this", Eli's "Close your eyes honey!" in the trailer, and Dandridge's voice maybe being in the trailer and in game files behind the scenes, it really does seem like there will be a significant flash forward in the game. I could see them recreating the final scene from Ep 2 and then another new scene or two beyond that setting up Alyx's motivation and the plot for the next game (and this would be where all the Merle audio files comes in). Gordon would presumably be knocked out the whole time so you don't have some mute weirdo staring at you.
Between Valve's "hey you should really play Episode 2 before this", Eli's "Close your eyes honey!" in the trailer, and Dandridge's voice maybe being in the trailer and in game files behind the scenes, it really does seem like there will be a significant flash forward in the game. I could see them recreating the final scene from Ep 2 and then another new scene or two beyond that setting up Alyx's motivation and the plot for the next game (and this would be where all the Merle audio files comes in). Gordon would presumably be knocked out the whole time so you don't have some mute weirdo staring at you.
Oh man this video put a huge damper on things for me. Apparently the smooth locomotion option isn't implemented properly into the current build of the game. Moreover according to an interview the teleportation way of moving around was the intended design for the game.
So pardon the pun (and the hyperbole) but VR gameplay basically takes some steps forward but at the same time takes us back to games like Myst, Riven, etc? Great...
The gameplay we've seen seems to be smooth locomotion. Teleport spots is probably the best way to create a consistent experience between players if you want to make sure a player sees X at Y so they do Z.
Geoff has played through it all. In that interview, he asks "Why isn't this HL3?" He is fucking in on it. He lives for this Kojima shit.
People are going to be so salty when they change the name of this game to Half-Life 3 on release day, lol.
People are going to be so salty when they change the name of this game to Half-Life 3 on release day, lol.
The setup hasn't changed much, though there are lots of QOL improvements over the years (such as the lighthouses power on and off on their own without issues now, the audio automatically toggles to the right devices).
Comfort is vastly, vastly improved over the Vive though. It takes only a second or two to put the headset on and be comfortable and it doesn't suffocate your face anymore as the mount is very well balanced. If you're playing a game that isn't high intensity (like No Man's Sky or something) it's pretty easy to leave the headset on for hours.
I think you are misinformed about "teleport spots" in that there are predetermined spots you can teleport to that are hand placed. The teleport system should be more like it is in SteamVR Home where you can teleport anywhere. There isn't going to be a handful of spots you can teleport to.
Digital Foundry's reaction is so on point.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ox_biRCifUw
Congrats! Do you wear glasses? I recommend getting prescription lenses: https://vroptician.com/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ox_biRCifUw
Congrats! Do you wear glasses? I recommend getting prescription lenses: https://vroptician.com/
Yep. It always looks silly and then you actually play VR games and realize it isn't that silly, especially when the alternative leads to a lot of awkward arm angles that aren't possible in real life.
With the hints in the trailer that the plot is partially about "saving" Eli and the call-backs (forwards?) to the end the episode 2 I'm starting to wonder if the twist might be that Alyx knows about the events at the end of Episode 2 (or it's after them), and she's trying to change/prevent them. Of course it would also add an extra layer of cruelty to it if she had foreseen the end but can't prevent it... (as well as a bunch of anger/motivation for future games if she knows/finds out the G-Man is involved in some way)
Can't believe Valve made a canon where New Zealand was swallowed by the sea smh
Thanks :)
It helps a lot that John and I are friends who happen to be colleagues!
Er are very excited for the game, but damn do i need a vr setup!!!
I was surprised that you didn't have one yet! Highly recommend the Index.
Yes, only wireless that's adequate for HL:A is the Oculus Quest with the Link addon.