Recent reviews by Agoaj

(I played this game entirely with the Oculus Quest streamed over Wifi with Virtual Desktop)
I had my doubts going in, but Half Life Alyx succeeds at raising the bar for the Half Life series and VR games. Even exceptional VR games like Superhot and Budget Cuts I would only play for 30 minute bursts, but Alyx was the first VR game to have me burn though all 3 hours of the Quest's battery.

The game starts slowly and first feels like one of those VR shooting galleries. Things really open up as you get more guns and start fighting Combine soldiers. My first encounter with the combine was me hiding behind a pillar and taking potshots the whole fight. My last fight had me zipping around a construction site, grabbing grenades out of the air and sending them back home.

The use of physics props in puzzles makes for some great moments. One downside to Alyx is that physics takes a backseat to shooting. This is not a game where you can drop a barrel to kill people, unless it's a red one and you shoot it. Throwing objects to distract enemies? No, only one enemy reacts to sound, in a tense sequence built all around it. I never got tired of the basic physics interaction though, scavenging through shelves/drawers/filing cabinets looking for ammo, health, and resin for upgrades felt great.

The game is also really funny. Not just the dialogue from the new lovable man in your ear Russel, but you'll often come upon goofy environmental storytelling that's sure to get a chuckle out you if you notice(Like a headcrab trying to attach to a mannequin head). Some people might find it falling too much on the goofy side, but I was shaking every zombie corpses hand and thanking them for coming out so it worked for me.

While it lacks the store progression of the previous title, the sense of exploration and discovery within the trunk of the experience is superb.

The best in class action that's not a lawsuit.