This week, Valve did something that fans have wanted for years; announced it’s making a new Half-Life game. However, it’s not what many were expecting. Titled Half-LIfe: Alyx, the game will take place between the events of the first two games and will be a VR only title releasing next March for nearly all PC applicable headsets.
For the past 12 years, fans have been waiting to dive back into the epic world that Valve had created and while the news isn’t exactly what many were expecting to hear, it is joyous to those that can afford the costly hardware needed to even play this. While there are cheaper alternatives to many of the pricey headsets, this, at least to myself, feels like a brand name title used to push hardware.
Taking place between the events of the first two games, you’ll play as Alyx Vance and join up with her father Eli as they work to establish a resistance effort against the Combine. While the trailer features a wealth of action, the game, which is reported as being as long as Half-Life 2, will still feel and play like a title in the franchise should.
Gabe Newell, Valve’s founder said the following in a press release:
“Everyone at Valve is excited to be returning to the world of Half-Life. VR has energized us. We’ve invested a lot of ourselves in the technology. But we’re also game developers at heart, and to be devoting ourselves to a VR game this ambitious is just as exciting.”
The upcoming VR spin-off runs on the Source 2 engine and will be playable on Steam with compatibility with all PC-centric headsets; Valve’s Index VR, HTC Vive, as well as the Oculus Quest through its PC link cable, and even Microsoft’s Mixed Reality Headset as well. Again, given that Valve has a personal stake in VR with its own headset, it’s very easy to assume this title, as good as it may end up being, can feel as if the company is using the long-awaited return to push hardware. Considering the title is free with their own headset, can you claim otherwise?
Those that love to tinker in Valve’s worlds and through its Source engine will be glad to hear that the game will support community-driven mods. These tools will be available when the game launches next march. Players will be able to build their own levels to share with others, all in the confines of VR.
Valve also revealed what the minimum specs will be for the game and considering VR requires a pretty substantial rig to run properly, these specs are not light and will require a decent PC for entry.
OS: Windows 10
Processor: Core i5-7500 / Ryzen 5 1600
Memory: 12 GB RAM
Graphics: GTX 1060 / RX 580 - 6GB VRAM
The game is currently available for pre-order but will be free to those who purchase or own a Valve index.