Half Life: Alyx (henceforth abbreviated HL:A) is the Virtual Reality game you never knew you wanted. This game likely definitely is the first AAA VR title worth the full $60 simply for the care put into it. Continue reading for the full shin dig or...

TL:DR Valve did everything right to make this a phenomenal 9-12 hour experience worth your time and money. HL:A immerses you as the freedom fighter City 17, and humanity, so desperately needs. The graphics don't look like they came from the drawings on the fridge, locomotion as we know it is tight and unjarring, story and established characters continue to engage the player, and gameplay is fresh and invigorating. Treat yourself.

The Technical

In this section, I can only speak for the configuration that I used so do keep that in mind. My rig and playspace is designed for VR. 2060 Super, SSD storage, 16 gigs of memory, i5-7400. While VR generally requires a higher end PC to perform well, there is quite a bit more to a well-done VR masterpiece than what we are used to. VR brings new elements into play that a developer must consider to really brush on the finishing touches, and Valve made sure to have the full palette.

Graphics

If you have been playing VR for awhile then you already know the graphics you see in this genre are a mixed bag. "Stylized" and "Cartoonish" are words you are quite familiar with. Throw those words away here. This game lives in the beautiful nostalgic world of City 17 created all those years ago. Not what Half Life actually looked like, but what you wanted to remember it as. The screenshots and videos up there? Those are not carefully chosen locales to show to the public to rouse excitement. That IS the game you can hope to play. Keep in mind though: Resolution you see is directly tied to the headset you choose to experience this with.

Performance

With the exception of the occasional jitter on loading to a new chapter, HL:A ran like a dream, at least on specs listed above. There were no game crashing locations, no freezes at massive explosions, and no jarring cut outs on sudden grabs (watch the barnacles!). Frame rate was steady of which this is supremely important in VR. Low frame rate = nausea generation. Despite all the graphical fidelity brought to you, the optimization here delivers you the beauty without the flaws.

Locomotion

A constant trouble until someone finds a reliable solution affordable to consumers. As limited as it is now, this is one that will truly make the game suffer if neglected. Poor movement around the environment leaves players disoriented, nauseous, and frustrated. Valve implemented every version for the choosy player and even added extra I have not yet seen. Whether you enjoy blink teleport, continuous motion, hybridization of both, room scale, seated, or standing room only, you are covered. Time was even made to make sure the nuances of each of these styles were met and exceeded. Continuous motion players can breathe a sigh of relief to know you may choose what hand and whether it is based off your headset direction or direct controller input (a must that is often missed by the uninitiated). Playing seated? Not only is there a button that will toggle crouch for you, there is an in-game mechanic that allows interacting with the environment from the comfort of your pants no issue! More on this later. There are so many aspects of locomotion that can be brushed off by the untrained developer that were not brushed off here. Nice.

Story

Look, this is not Half Life 3. It does not continue beyond Half Life: Chapter 2. Whaaat? Another prequel nobody asked for? Wrong. For all that time you have been waiting for Half Life 3, here is well-written apology letter you have been waiting for. Alyx embarks on the story leading up to Gordon Freeman and has an adventure all on her own. One that you will invite your friends over to come experience with you or enjoy watching them discover. There is even much care in a Spectator mode for everyone outside the headset! To tell you any more than that would be a crime for fear of any spoilers. Suffice to say, you should look forward to 9-12 hour adventure from the comfort of your play space.

Gameplay

VR can be a little gimmicky right now from the very nature that it is. Variable headset + controller hardware, unrefined locomotion, natural health concerns, limits, limits, limits. All those limits can pigeonhole what one expects when donning on the headset. Shot yet another bow gimmick lately? Played a walking sim that by the end just made your feet hurt from standing around? How about a dungeon crawler where your sword felt like a fly swatter and the levels recycled? Bummer.

Here you can expect a bit of the same gameplay you know with a few additions that you definitely don't. Gravity gloves. Full on Half Life ingenuity that can only be brought to you by a VR experience. Slip on these beauties and know Jedi force like power! Grenade on straight trajectory to you? Yank it out of the air, catch it with (generous) precision, and throw it back with a might. Ammo on a bookshelf? Don't feel like closing the distance or perhaps reaching from your seat? No problem. Point, pull, and catch. Gordon Freeman wishes he had these!

Gunplay is tight and aim is what you expect. All firearms have more than just reloading a magazine, perhaps what you have come to know from Pavlov or Boneworks. Click to eject, grab from your pack (or perhaps yank a magazine to your open hand), click in, pull the slide, shoot some Combine. HL:A also has an upgrade system for your personal dealers of destruction. Add a reflex sight, extended magazine, alt-fire, or laser to your favorite(s) and really unleash the pain.

Wrap-up

There are few reasons to wait and everything to gain by diving into this Magnum Opus. What are you waiting for? Humanity needs you, Alyx.