script that manages to blend humour and drama
in classic Valve style.
The base mechanics of Alyx will be familiar
to experienced VR players, from guns that need
to be aimed and reloaded by hand, to a pair of
devices called Gravity Gloves, which let you
pick up objects from a distance. However, all
the weapons have been given a typical Valve
twist. The Gravity Gloves, for example, require
you to flick your hand to spring targeted objects
into the air, then manually catch them with
your controller’s grip buttons. It adds a layer
of dexterity to picking up objects that, once
understood, becomes supremely satisfying.
Yet what makes Alyx special isn’t its polish
or any specific idea, although these elements
help. It’s in how the Half-Life universe
interrelates with VR. A good example are the
Barnacles, giant alien molluscs that dangle
from the ceiling and use their long tongues to
pull up food into their giant, toothy mouths.
In VR, you can now hand-feed them objects
to get those tongues out of the way, from
discarded water bottles to grenades. Speaking
of grenades, you can use the Gravity Gloves to
catch enemy ordnance out of the air, then toss
it back before it explodes.
Valve also carefully applies VR-specific
details to much of Half-Life’s environment
design. One level sees you explore an
abandoned hotel infested by xenobiology.
Much of that alien flora or fauna will react to your
touch, from glowing tendrils that retreat from
your reach, to strange, bottle-shaped plants
that reward you with an alien grenade when
you tickle their bellies.
Alyx also shows us the intimate workings of
Combine technology. Many terminals have to
be hacked by manipulating simple yet stunning
holographic puzzles, while we see how Half-
Life’s iconic health machine runs on the juiced
bodies of alien grubs.
As VR brings life to Half-Life, Half-Life
brings a level of structure, style and narrative
depth that VR has lacked for a long time. Each
chapter takes place in a distinctive location,
and introduces new mechanics, weapons or
ideas. The early chapters offer a kind of low-key
survival horror, with you exploring sewers and
subways prowled by zombies and headcrabs.Later chapters are more action-centric, with
you battling Combine soldiers through industrial
districts and antlions rampaging through a
deserted zoo. One of the best chapters is simply
titled ‘Jeff’, and sees you playing a hugely tense
game of cat and mouse against a monster
inside a vodka distillery. Here, all the game’s
best qualities shine, from scripting and level
design to clever use of VR.
There’s little question that Alyx is a superb
game, but it isn’t perfect. Those hacking puzzles
we mentioned showcase VR brilliantly, but
they’re overused in the middle of the game and
begin to feel arbitrarily obstructive.
Meanwhile, some of the Combine enemies
are both heavily armoured and carry powerful
weapons, which means they can easily pin
you down, adding an unwelcome element of
frustration to combat. Lastly, while you can use
objects in the environment to defend yourself
to a limited degree, don’t expect to be whacking
headcrabs with hammers or anything. Alyx
is very much focused on being a shooter, and
melee combat features surprisingly little.
Nonetheless, Alyx is a hugely welcome
return to game development form for Valve. It’s
a proper Half-Life game that offers a whole new
perspective on the franchise, both mechanically
and narratively. Please don’t make us wait 16
yearsforthenextone,Valve.OVERALLSCORE
93 %
VERDICT
A spectacular VR
experience, Half-Life:
Alyx redefines the
classic shooter series in
a whole bunch of ways.HALFLIFE
+^ Incredible VR
experience
+^ Stunning visuals
+^ Dramatic,
well-told story
+^ Mostly great combatNO LIFE-^ Some enemies
frustrating to fight
-^ To o m a n y
hacking puzzles