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Will Half-Life: Alyx ever be released for non-VR?

Video Kojima

Video Kojima

Banned
Apr 5, 2020
2,541
I want to play the game, but I don't have VR. I looked around, and there isn't an official non-VR version available. Will Valve ever release the game for us non-VR folks?
I feel like its a missed opportunity here?
 
Plax

Plax

Member
Nov 23, 2019
2,820
I've not played it yet. But in going to guess, like most top tier VR games, the experience completely revolves around VR immersion. You would essentially need to rebuild chunks of the game to make it work.
 
tulpa

tulpa

Banned
Oct 28, 2017
3,878
no. it doesn't work without VR, everything about the game is designed around that method of interaction. there's no missed opportunity, it just doesn't make sense or function on a flat screen. it is designed from the ground up for VR only.
 
spman2099

spman2099

Member
Oct 25, 2017
10,893
It is possible that they could one day rework it for non-VR, but I wouldn't hold my breath.
 
Fumpster

Fumpster

Member
Nov 4, 2017
1,216
Having played the game, I legit don't know if it'd work. The game would be too easy and it wouldn't really be playing to its strengths anymore.
 

Mad_Rhetoric

Banned
May 7, 2019
3,466
Probably not (at least not officially), but there's certainly a possibility that we'll see another non-VR Half Life game again one day.
 
XR.

XR.

Member
Nov 22, 2018
6,583
I don't see it happening. The VR interaction makes the whole experience what it is.
 
Strikerrr

Strikerrr

Member
Oct 25, 2017
2,105
There's a mod in the works that will work without VR, but Valve probably wouldn't put it out officially.
The game is designed around VR though and I don't think it would be as interesting to play if you just port in the HL2 first person mechanics.
The environments and puzzles are designed for you to manipulate things with your actual hands and they don't throw as many enemies at you in the combat encounters as a traditional FPS game.
 
TaterTots

TaterTots

Member
Oct 27, 2017
12,966
Game was built ground up for VR. To make it work for flatscreen, they'd have to make a lot of changes from the start. I don't see it happening.
 
Soul Skater

Soul Skater

Member
Oct 25, 2017
10,201
Well get actual half life 3 before that happens so just continue waiting for that as we have for the past two decades before deciding to wait for that to happen
 
benbeau

benbeau

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 25, 2017
552
They would have to make an entirely different game in order for it to work without VR. VR is an integral component to the Half Life: Alyx experience .
 
Doskoi Panda

Doskoi Panda

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 27, 2017
14,970
It's not going to happen. There will probably be another non-VR Half-Life game some day, and you're better off waiting for that, or picking up Alyx at a later date when it's cheaper for you to do so.
 
HylianSeven

HylianSeven

Shin Megami TC - Community Resetter
Member
Oct 25, 2017
19,069
Unless they were willing to completely remake the game, no. You can't simply "make it for flat screens", it wouldn't work that way. It also wouldn't be fun. The game relies on being in VR and just wouldn't have the same impact without that.
 
HylianSeven

HylianSeven

Shin Megami TC - Community Resetter
Member
Oct 25, 2017
19,069
rare said:
it would be boring as fuck without VR, trust me.
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I think the issue understated the most about it is that most of Alyx's levels are small compared to what you see in HL1 or 2. To put it in perspective, somehow playing Alyx's levels without VR would be like HL1 or HL2 having the entire game on maps about the size of the hallways in the houses in Ravenholm.

They just wouldn't work. There's one section in Alyx in particular that straight up would lose all impact on a flat screen, especially with how the controls would have to change.

Alyx Chapter 7:

When you're stuck in the tiny cramped elevator with Jeff, the blind zombie with sensitive hearing, and have to get close to him to be able to reach the button without him realizing you're there.

I know someone on here had a creative solution to that where they could stand a bit further back and have a grenade attached to the shotgun and use the edge of the grenade to press the button.
 
HouseDragon

HouseDragon

Member
Dec 4, 2017
545
A lot would be lost in the transition, they would have to rework many of the scenarios for it to work in an engaging way. So yeah, doubt it'll ever get ported, but if the demand is there then maybe Valve will put resources into it.
 
Android Sophia

Android Sophia

The Absolute Sword
The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
6,110
Video Kojima said:
I want to play the game, but I don't have VR. I looked around, and there isn't an official non-VR version available. Will Valve ever release the game for us non-VR folks?
I feel like its a missed opportunity here?
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

It's not a missed opportunity, because most of the game mechanics are mechanically impossible in a non-VR setting and would have to be completely reworked.

To give you an idea:
  • All the guns rely on VR specific mechanics to add tension to a fight. The fact that you can drop ammo, and have to manually reload the guns really ups the immersion factor. Same with grenades' and healing items, which can be fumbled if you're not careful. You'd have to create poor simulacrums of all these mechanics in a non-VR version, and the game difficulty and atmosphere would be changed across the board.
  • Many of the puzzles are spatial intelligence based puzzles that rely on navigating objects as if you were holding them in your hand. These mechanics would become too easy or too difficult when translated to non-VR. Anything involving the multitool especially.
  • The game relies on the immersion factor inherent to VR for gameplay and atmosphere. You can lean around corners in ways you can't in VR. You can manipulate items freely. Secrets are hidden out of plain sign, often designed so you have to move an object or open a door to see something. The flashlight relies on the motion controls of VR to make it's sections scary. None of these mechanics would work the same in VR, especially the secrets. It would be either extremely simplified or extremely tedious.
  • The gravity gloves would have to be reworked or removed. They don't work without motion controls inherent to VR.
Expect Half Life Alyx on PSVR2 or whatever the inevitable console VR solution is, but don't ever expect a non-VR version of Half Life: Alyx. It just wouldn't be the same game at all.
 

Aegus

Member
Oct 29, 2017
1,198
I only have a SNES. Will Nintendo rework Mario 64 into a 2D platformer?


That's basically the kind of thing you're asking. A different game altogether.
 
finalflame

finalflame

Product Management
Banned
Oct 27, 2017
8,538
No, it was entirely designed for VR from the ground up. It will not be released for non-VR.
 
wafflebrain

wafflebrain

Member
Oct 27, 2017
10,245
Outside the visuals it would feel super dated if adapted for flat screen. Also the story beats are few and far between. Just play the HL2 episodes again :P
 

Deleted member 1190

User-requested account closure
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
5,663
No, and trust me you wouldnt want that version anyway. Being built from the ground up around VR is exactly what makes the game special.

Taking that away would completely destroy what the game actually is.
 
Zeouter

Zeouter

Member
Oct 27, 2017
1,606
Ireland
Having played, it wouldn't be the game it is? It's like asking for a touch based version of the Last of Us, or even a text adventure version.

It's a vr game that works because it is in vr.
 
c0Zm1c

c0Zm1c

Member
Oct 25, 2017
3,206
Valve could do it and it could even be a fantastic game but I don't see them having the interest - It would be a pretty big undertaking to rework the whole game as a traditional FPS.

That said, I would love to see it. It would even be better in some respects. Better locomotion in combat for one and get rid of those gimmicky hacking mini games that were fun at first but soon became tedious.
 
TooBusyLookinGud

TooBusyLookinGud

Graphics Engineer
Verified
Oct 27, 2017
7,964
California
Who do you think Valve is? Valve will more than likely keep it VR because they run by their own rules. They don't care about how much money it makes because Steam offsets it by a shit ton.
 
HylianSeven

HylianSeven

Shin Megami TC - Community Resetter
Member
Oct 25, 2017
19,069
TheSpaceBetween said:
Some of yall seem pretty confident we're actually going to get Half-Life 3...
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I think we will based on the Alyx ending. It might be a VR game, but I think we will get HL3/whatever happens to Gordon next within a few years.

The only way they could really be more direct was literally saying the words "Half-Life Three". It ends on you taking the crowbar in VR as Gordon, as the next mission is to figure out how to get Alyx back. To me that is even more concrete than the end of Episode 2 was, especially since with Alyx they had the context of there being no new HL for 13 years.
 

Deleted member 2620

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
4,491
maybe via extremely thorough fan mods that slash and burn much of the orignal game

but i do not think Valve will simplify the game to the point that it would be worth releasing for traditional monitors, no.
 
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