IGN's hands-on preview of Half-Life: Alyx "Half-Life: Alyx is every bit the masterpiece its predecessors were"

[Arthands]

Half-Life: Alyx – We Played the First 4 Hours – IGN First - IGN

The day that never comes is finally here.

www.ign.com

From my interviews with the team, a number of veterans of both Half-Life 2 and the original 1998 game are still at the studio and worked on the franchise's VR debut, but they've also been aided by the recently acquired team at Campo Santo, makers of one of the best-written games of the past decade: Firewatch.

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Headcrabs leap at your virtual face (you have to pull them off with your hand if they latch on), while Combine soldiers are extremely intimidating when standing right in front of you looking like a very chiseled 6'2"/220lbs.

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The result, thus far, is that Half-Life: Alyx is every bit the masterpiece its predecessors were, albeit in a new medium we've not seen utilized this spectacularly before. It is the antidote to the open-world, procedurally generated busywork that's become rampant in many other contemporary first-person shooters. Every moment seems to have been painstakingly hand-crafted. Every scene serves a purpose. The pacing is more deliberate. In short, Valve wants you to be in City 17, and you'll want to be there too, Headcrabs and all.

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Just in case, this game features a range of locomotion systems and all SteamVR headsets.

 

[Septimus]

Does this game use a lot of the finger specific actions? Just asking because I'm wondering how it will play on a Vive with its controllers versus Index. Like, would I be missing out on a ton of cool stuff?

 

[Strafer]

I think this is just a dipping the toe

if this game is succubus they will announce HL3 right away

 

[Deleted member 10737]

for the sake of my fantasy league score, i hope the game does extremely well review-wise. i'm optimistic.

 

[Mifec]

if this game is succubus

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it is, it made me get a index eventually.

I love your auto correct.

 

[Deleted member 21709]

I can't wait to go in. Media blackout for me!

 

[Arthands]

From my interviews with the team, a number of veterans of both Half-Life 2 and the original 1998 game are still at the studio and worked on the franchise's VR debut, but they've also been aided by the recently acquired team at Campo Santo, makers of one of the best-written games of the past decade: Firewatch.

Click to shrink...

Headcrabs leap at your virtual face (you have to pull them off with your hand if they latch on), while Combine soldiers are extremely intimidating when standing right in front of you looking like a very chiseled 6'2"/220lbs.

Click to shrink...

 

[Cyanity]

This game makes me want an index SO BAD

 

[@TheFriendlyBro]

N i c e

 

[Stoze]

I think this is just a dipping the toe

if this game is succubus they will announce HL3 right away

Click to shrink...

This really just seems like HL3 just without the name so they can be relieved of expectations.

 

[Rygar 8Bit]

LET ME PRELOOOOOOOOAD! This is going to be an amazing month.

 

[gdt]

Just recently built a new PC for this game. IM READY.

 

[DarthBuzzard]

I'm so glad there's no new footage here. I wanted to hear just some thoughts and that's what I got. I don't know if I want to see any new gameplay between now and the release.

 

[Deleted member 1839]

Does this game use a lot of the finger specific actions? Just asking because I'm wondering how it will play on a Vive with its controllers versus Index. Like, would I be missing out on a ton of cool stuff?

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You should be fine, it's been shown the game is playable with a lot of different headsets and configurations.

 

[BDS]

Fuuuuck stop making me want a VR headset

 

[cakely]

if this game is succubus they will announce HL3 right away

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It's totally succubus.

 

[Sotha_Sil]

I've never been too interested in VR, but those gameplay vids of this game looked awesome. Really hope this does well.

 

[Randomly Generated]

Hot damn!

 

[GrantDaNasty]

GabeN got the VR killer app y'all wanted.

 

[Randomly Generated]

I think this is just a dipping the toe

if this game is succubus they will announce HL3 right away

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I doubt they'll announce it so soon but it wouldn't surprise me at all if a small team has already started on it.

 

[Komo]

Does this game use a lot of the finger specific actions? Just asking because I'm wondering how it will play on a Vive with its controllers versus Index. Like, would I be missing out on a ton of cool stuff?

Click to shrink...

Nope they built this game on all of them.

 

[Lifejumper]

This game makes me want to port beg and get banned.

 

[Randomly Generated]

Only thing that disappoints me:

Spoiler

No train opening? Valve plz fix

 

[Kordelle]

Shocked that IGN is hyping up a game which is covered in IGN First.

(not saying it won't be a great game tho)

 

[Deleted member 21411]

Really frustrating this isn't on psvr but at the same time it only recreates my feeling of when half life 2 came out and I couldn't play it for years.

 

[DarthBuzzard]

Only thing that disappoints me:

Spoiler

No train opening? Valve plz fix

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Spoiler

Valve said there will be a train boarding sequence in the game and it's probably right near the start.

 

[Smurf]

sounds amazing

 

[XSX]

You don't put the Half Life name on just anything. This was expected.

Valve stays winning.

 

[TaterTots]

Less than 2 weeks now. Fucking amped.

 

[TrashHeap64]

We've only seen the same 3-4 areas for this game. If its really a 15ish hour game, I can only imagine what other crazy things Valve is going to throw at us

 

[s0l0kill]

Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie :D

 

[BeI]

My husband just impulse bought an Index, so it's at least reassuring that he should be in for a good time.

 

[Deleted member 25117]

Fucking hyped.

 

[Richietto]

Fuck I should have kept my order for the Index. But maybe not. I want this game.

 

[ClarkusDarkus]

Said all along, It is going to be groundbreaking in many ways. And the standard bearer for future VR games. Half-Life is back!

2020 and we get a new Half-Life game in Virtual reality. Would never be the same if it was just for the panel. Were treading new waters now boys. Can't wait to be IN City 17.

 

[Shinobido Heart]

Don't forget about the new modding tools too!

Can't wait to see what people can do with them.

 

[xpownz]

There goes Valve defining videogame market once again.
Half Life should be nominated the best gaming franchise ever made.

 

[Deleted member 2840]

N i c e

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Wait a moment...

 

[oatmeal]

I really need to find a way to get a gaming PC for my Quest.

 

[Launchpad]

This game will be a total and complete succubus. Glad I managed to get an Index.

 

[Voodoopeople]

Make a way to play this without a PC you cowards. .

 

[Deleted member 2840]

Make a way to play this without a PC you cowards. .

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There's no other way because there's no other hardware right now. When Sony releases a PSVR2 I can see it releasing there then.

 

[dsk1210]

I'm so glad there's no new footage here. I wanted to hear just some thoughts and that's what I got. I don't know if I want to see any new gameplay between now and the release.

Click to shrink...

This is where I am at just now, only watched snippets of the videos kicking about.

Even booked some days of work so I can properly get into it.

 

[karnage10]

This game looks so so good!
I'm thinking of saving to buy a VR headset. Is there a PC VR headset thread?
I'm thinking of going for index since it seems to be so much better then the rest but due to the price maybe its better to buy a cheaper one now then upgrade sooner?

 

[Rygar 8Bit]

This game looks so so good!
I'm thinking of saving to buy a VR headset. Is there a PC VR headset thread?
I'm thinking of going for index since it seems to be so much better then the rest but due to the price maybe its better to buy a cheaper one now then upgrade sooner?

Click to shrink...

PCVR Game Discussion Thread - A New Era of Gaming

For hardware / setup related questions or discussion, please use the SteamVR Hardware thread or the Oculus thread. This is a thread for PCVR users to discuss VR games available on all the compatible platforms (Steam/Oculus/Windows). In the previous incarnation of the thread I tried making a...

www.resetera.com

 

[karnage10]

PCVR Game Discussion Thread - A New Era of Gaming

For hardware / setup related questions or discussion, please use the SteamVR Hardware thread or the Oculus thread. This is a thread for PCVR users to discuss VR games available on all the compatible platforms (Steam/Oculus/Windows). In the previous incarnation of the thread I tried making a...

www.resetera.com

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thank you!

 

[BarryFishFinger]

God I wish I could play this. But buy in to VR on PC is just too expensive. I'll have to 'lets play' it instead and that makes me sad.

 

[Deleted member 2840]

This game looks so so good!
I'm thinking of saving to buy a VR headset. Is there a PC VR headset thread?
I'm thinking of going for index since it seems to be so much better then the rest but due to the price maybe its better to buy a cheaper one now then upgrade sooner?

Click to shrink...

Just a headsup, if you get the Index right now it'll take like 2 months (maybe less who knows) for it to ship, as they're having a massive supply problem, with the corona and all.

 

[shtolky]

Bought a beefy PC and an Index in December just after the announcement. Pretty sure no other franchise would cause me to do that. Can't wait for the 23rd.

 

[Son of Liberty]

Would love to play this game since Half-Life is one of my favorites, but I sold my launch day Oculus almost a year ago.
I'm thinking about the Index for sure, but it won't be for a while due to costs.