Half-Life: Alyx

Best game ever. We need more AAA VR titles, like now! This game wants me to become a developer.

Honestly even four and a half years later, this game should be everyone's introduction to VR Gaming, Insane how well it holds up in a rapidly developing industry like VR. The Graphics, Level Design, VR Mechanic designs should be the basis for all future developers on how to make VR Games, the exact same way the First Half-Life and Half-Life 2 where for video game development.

Might possibly be the best videogame I have ever played. Half-Life 2 and it's episodes are masterpieces, and in my opinion, Half-Life 2 is the best game ever made. Half-Life Alyx is right up there with it though. I played with the NO VR Mod and my experience was excellent, if not a bit strange at first. Can't wait to play this again with a VR rig at some point. Absolute Masterpiece, 10/10.

VR perfection. The only unfortunate part is that it was the first full game I've played since getting VR and I'm confident that nothing else will ever live up to HLA. If that's the case, it's still worth it!

Incredible atmosphere, graphics, physics... but I have to say that I'm a bit disappointed with the overall interactivity the player has with the environment.

It's really frustating not being able to use the scene's items as improvised weapons (there aren't even melee weapons) or having to select through the hand controller the weapon do you want to use instead of grabbing them directly from your body; that means selected weapons will be sticked to your hand even if you don't press the common grab button.
This both features were implemented way after release of HL: Alyx by INDIE games as Pavlov, Boneworks or Blade & Sorcery.

I recommend playing it, it's a really enjoyable game, but the lack of real interactivity, not just moving, grabbing and throwing objects (WOW!), really frustrates me.

Great game and the graphics are awesome! It does make you feel like you are there.

very good vr game, makes you shit your pants every time a zombie or combine spots you, but after a while it just begins randomly crashing your game

4 years later and this is still THE best VR experience, and by far unfortunately.
Whenever a new hyped VR game comes out I'm like "yeah its good, but it is nowhere near Alyx good".

This is the best VR game ever made. It is the Half Life 2 of its generation. By playing this you are literally saving poor Laszlo and he no longer dies in HL2.

I feel like this review is redundant but I can't not give this game praise. It's the single most impressive, enjoyable gaming experience I've ever had. Nothing has ever come even close to the excitement and wonder I felt when playing this game. The main story is only around 8-9 hours long, it took me around 19 hours. This just goes to show how impressive the environments are, it really makes you want to explore every little nook and cranny. I'd pick up a 9 volt battery and just marvel at how detailed the textures are and how amazingly they react to the ambient lighting.

Half Life: Alyx doesn't have the strongest story of all time, and it's got issues here and there but the sheer amazing gameplay and fun makes up for any shortcomings. It also has a pretty big impact on the Half Life universe, and it pretty much confirms Half Life 3 (or Episode 3).

It's a really hard decision but I genuinely feel like Half Life Alyx might be the best game I've ever played. No other game has given me such feelings. No other game has offered such immersive experiences. I've never forgotten entirely about the outside world and been FULLY immersed in a video game for hours on end like I have in Alyx. I might be 4 years late but I'm so glad to have experienced this masterpiece.

10/10

This is the "Super Mario 64" of VR games. When Super Mario 64 - and the Nintendo 64 - originally released, for many people it was their first time getting into 3D games. It was revolutionary, and near-perfect right out of the gate. Similarly, Half-Life: Alyx sets the bar for what VR should do. I played this game 4 years after it came out, and it still feels like Half-Life: Alyx is a few years ahead of any other VR games.

I don't consider my gaming PC to be cutting-edge, and I have one of the cheapest VR headsets on the market. I had no prior experience to VR whatsoever, yet not only did this game give me my VR legs, it introduced me to a level of technology and fidelity that I did not believe was possible. In addition to an incredible story with great voice acting and writing, the entire game has been designed for VR, and includes accessibility options, developer commentary, challenging achievements, and full Steam Workshop support for custom content.

While expensive, the cost of buying a VR headset, extra battery headband, prescription lenses, and a new router for true PCVR over WiFi was worth it for the experience of Half-Life: Alyx alone, and there are enough other VR titles to keep me satisfied until another bombshell of a game like this releases. In the meantime, Half-Life 2 and its DLCs have also been ported to VR with assets from Alyx, and are equally good experiences.

Very good graphics, and a long campain so looking for a good long game here it is

One of the Best in the Making!
This game had me in shock and awe of how much I felt I was in the Half-Life world you are playing as the charectar as Alyx Vance hence the title of the game. And you are fighting against the combine and the zombies head hoppers etc. This will have the player on the edge of you seat the entire time and have you fully immersed the entire way that you play this. These games that they make and push out never have me dissapointed and have been a Half-Life fan ever since the day of the first one released. As always amazing job Develpers I will be patiently waiting for the next one to come out to pre-order again. I highly recommend this game and ONLY because of the shelf life of this being out I would grab it on a sale either way amazing game to play and most definitly replayable.

My first VR title as a long time Half-Life fan and I'm absolutely stunned how good this game is. Now all other VR games will be measured to this one and my guess is all of those will fail to amaze me.
I hope I will live long enough to play through HL3 eventually, but if that will be anything near this, I'll be satisfied.

Been playing videogames since the Atari days and let me tell you that Alyx is one of those major leaps in gaming. It's like a super mario 64 moment.Absolutely phenomenal games that everyone should play. Get yourself a VR headset and play this game asap. I played using the PSVR2 and it's just mind blowing

this is how VR should be done...makes me sad

successful Half Live successor, brilliant work with VR mechanics, good graphic/performance ratio, mod support...what more can i ask for? More games like this...f**k meta "destroyer of vr"

The go-to game for everyone in VR, new or old.

I usually find it hard to replay a game, but after replaying the game on hard, I have to say it's absolutely worth it! This game is another one of those valve classics you just can't get enough of. Added onto that they're is a lot of workshop content to play through as well!

Very solid VR game.

Very immersive!
Normally really hate Horror Games but thought I have to try it. Also watched a playthrough years ago and liked it.
Playing it yourself is completly different though. The interactivity of the World and the physics blew my mind.
Exploring everything is really rewarding and even though its quite scary some times its not to scary to play.
Also not to hard on normal mode either.
Quite interesting story exspecially in the end.

I think VR is just made for Storygames. Really hope Valve will launch another VR Game.

Just completed the long-awaited playthrough of Half-Life: Alyx, and I'm sharing some fresh impressions.

Alyx serves as a bridge between the games of what we might call the past (from a 2020 perspective) and the future. It shows us what games can and will be. That very first scene is breathtaking—you’re standing on a rooftop in City 17, and you’re overwhelmed. You lose yourself for a good half hour, sketching on the wall with markers. And when you’re hiding from Jeff, literally holding your hand over your mouth (both in the game and in real life), your heart pounds. You’re terrified to even turn your head, let alone make a sound. When you finally get to the “Vault,” you’re having the time of your life, using your hands as if they’re a gravity gun.

Here’s what I’ll remember forever:

• The Strider battle. The power of VR and controllers hits its peak here. Reload, aim, fire; reload, aim, fire. Amazing.
  
• The space and time distortions in the final chapter are spectacular. I wanted to stretch that moment, jump from the ceiling to the walls, manipulating objects like magnets.
  
• Jeff. Good ol' Jeff. You just have to get used to him, as Alyx rightly notes.
  
• The music and visuals are top-notch. I loved the deep crimson hues, the palette of greens and blacks that appear when you’re disconnecting the floating “Vault” from its gravitational tethers.
  

• The puzzles. Linking up the electricity lines behind walls becomes annoying and tedious. You start sighing heavily, looking for yet another junction to connect the wires. At this point, Alyx stops being a game and starts feeling like a monotonous, dull task. The chapter with the electric dog—where you need to extract energy to advance—is a slog. It’s one of those sections you never want to replay. I watched a playthrough on YouTube where someone installed a mod that auto-solves the puzzles. I get it.
  
• Lack of melee weapons. The game turns into an endless episode of Ravenholm with constant ammo rationing. Except in Ravenholm, you had sawblades and a gravity gun.
  
[*]The environments. The initial excitement fades into a feeling of “closeness.” There are almost no open spaces, just occasional courtyards. Soon enough, the sense of grandeur gives way to a local, confined vibe.

This game comes from an alternate timeline where VR gets invested into more by developers and we end up with a brand new amazing medium to play games.

Esse jogo é a experiência mais absurda já lançada até hoje. Sério mesmo! 10/10

Half-Life: Alyx is a must-play for any VR enthusiast, and here's why:

The Good:

The Not-So-Good:

Final Thoughts:

Half Life Alyx is an experience like no other and i mean it when i say that. but is it worth the standard price, no. but the lowest deal it's received is 26 dollars in CAD. 7.5 / 10 because there were some performance issues probably my PC. i played this with a quest 2 it works pretty good.

Honestly my favourite VR game, that I've ever played, I enjoy the Half Life series anyway but this game blew me away. I'm still a little salty about the ending but I'll look past the avoidance of half life three and say that's its a good game.

Best VR game I've ever played. Valve games are famous for interaction, and this really works with VR. Sifting through drawers to find ammo, and using the various different kinds of interaction, you are able to solve puzzles and find stuff. I think a particular highlight should be given to the haptic feedback, which makes it feel like your actions have meaning. If it is on sale, highly recommend. The original price is a bit hefty, but if you have the opportunity, get it if you can. Great stuff overall.

Honestly I was mad when this game first came out, a HL game with VR only support. But once I got my quest 2 I bought this game and loved it. It has been a while since a half life game was released by valve but this was a great addition, however where is Half Life 3?

The story, mechanics, upgrading, shooting and big maps are great, source 2 has a lot of potential and HL:A only shows part of it. I would 100% recommend buying this game if you're a fan of the Half Life franchise, you should play the rest of the games first though since it shows spoilers for one of the original HL2 games.

The graphics are great and the performance is excellent compared to other PCVR games (It also runs great on Linux).

There are mods for Half Life and Half Life 2 if you want to play the originals in VR.

One of the best VR experiences out there. One of the best game franchises every devised. What's not to love? The environments are the most high quality you will see. The gameplay loop is fun, albeit pretty standard for VR games. The mechanics are very well thought out and executed perfectly. Would have loved more movement options, but that's what mods are for I guess.

Half-Life: Alyx was possibly one of the best VR experiences I have had to date and I think everyone should play it at least once. My only main issue is that, for some reason, I just can't find myself wanting to play through it a second time. in a way, part of the second half of the game feels like it's dragging on with the antlions, but other than that, the game was still amazing.

maybe the best vr game ive ever played, i get lost in how good everything is. if i want to show off vr i have people play this. Valve needs to make more vr games!

Really well done! Immersive, smooth intuitive controls, nothing too boring or repetitive. It's a must try.

Really incredible game. Game mechanics and atmosphere are absolutely top-notch. This is shining example how VR games should be done.

Truly the finest VR game available.
Everything just WORKS. Feels fluid, looks beautiful, sounds amazing. Tops it off with great game play and impeccable storytelling.
Mind blown

As a gamer since decades, I must say this was something else than I experienced before. The atmosphere, the smooth gameplay, the GRAPHICS, omg. Just looking at the pistol, closer and closer to see the finest details. First day of play and I have had a work recharging my VR-headset. This is what gaming is about and a really good VR experience.

if you can run it well, you will love it. if you cant it will tease you with the best vr experience out there just out of your reach. the game is a 12/10 as far as vr games go. just dont it just feels right and runs buttery smooth. its also the clearest visually that ive ever seen. there's some kind of super resolution magic going on and playing on a quest 2 looks better that every other game out there. buy it!

Insanely fun and detailed game VR game, feels like everything you'd want from a VR game in terms of graphics, quality, audio and gameplay

Absolutely astounding - this is VR's killer app!

Incredible world that feels familiar from HL2, but with a whole new level of immersion. VR puzzles and combat are simple but feel really good. The handful of "scary" sections strike just the right balance between atmosphere and challenge. The story is good enough, with some plot twists that keep it interesting.

Minor complaints: some of the audio was lazy (repetitive sounds for certain enemies and situations), and the ending combat sequence was a shameless rip from HL2.

I dislike nothing about this game, the artwork, movement, story, and everything else is perfect! This is the first steam vr game I have played and it's worth the $60, also I'm working on getting all of the achievements So wish me luck.

great game

Truly astonishing. It is not a coincidence that after four years, this is still generally considered to be the best VR game ever. The attention to detail is staggering and reflects a labour of love over a long period of time. This is the best introduction to VR gaming that I am aware of. Some may think it pretentious to describe a video game as art but to me this is craftsmanship. I recommend players to savour the atmosphere, thoroughly explore and interact with the world; it's well worth it.

Played this with the awesome NoVR mod.

What can I say? It's beautiful to look at, the gameplay is fun and Russel is a nice new character to meet. The only thing I wasn't keen on was the dialogue with Alyx during exploring. Sometimes it just got on my nerves and she talked more like a little kid than a 19 year old. However, other than that, I'm glad I got to see what this game was like and I'm curious to see how the rest of Half Life's story will proceed.

Played this game with HLA-NOVR mod. Really great game, Valve did it again. Awesome plotpoints, music, sounddesign, Alyxes quips, I love it all. It really boggles my mind that this awesome game could be played in VR in 2020. Another game revolution from Valve.

To date, this is still one of the best VR games. Amazing gunplay, story, maps, graphics, you name it. Only a few gripes, like not having proper melee. (that would have worked so well)

it's the greatest VR game experience that currently exists. far too scary, i was scared.

The developers had incredibly large shoes to fill after such a long wait since the last Half-Life game, and they filled them with ease in Half-Life: Alyx. The level design, art direction, atmosphere, music, and gameplay all fit perfectly with the rest of the series. Nothing of the original Half-Life magic was lost in the least. They even tied it into the main story very well while opening it up wonderfully to continue the series.

Not only that, they made an absolute banger of a VR game, even if you don't care about Half-Life. Smooth, well performing, great gunplay, excellent level structure, beautiful environment interaction... This is why people like when Valve makes games.

The devs should be proud of this absolute masterpiece of a game!

This game is actually amazing. I can't tell you how much timed i started screaming and was fearing for my life. This game is a realistic masterpiece and is very worth the $60.

A great installment for the Half-Life franchise even though it requires special hardware that will net you at least $500 USD. Fortunately, there's other good to great VR games by now so Half-Life: Alyx isn't the only game worth playing for that amount of money, so your VR headset won't be collecting dust on its stand while you wait for other cool video games. Half-Life: Alyx has you playing as Alyx Vance five years before the events of Half-Life 2 where she eventually meets the legendary Gordon Freeman. We get to see Alyx's own involvement with the resistance after Freeman's mysterious disappearance after killing Nihilanth and how she forges her own path to heroine status among the remnants of humanity still fighting their alien conquerors.

While at first I was one of those people who wished Valve just focused on releasing Half-Life 3, non-VR, finally playing Half-Life: Alyx I can understand why they chose a VR version besides for the purpose of selling their own branded VR equipment. This is something that Valve loves to do. They'll create a product just to showcase the potential for new technology (see: The Orange Box's Half-Life 2, Team Fortress 2, Counter-Strike: Source and Portal for realistic physics engines) and while Valve didn't create VR, they still created a video game that perfectly demonstrates what VR gaming should be and helped set a standard for other developers to follow and make even better.

Valve has always managed to push the envelope with the video games they actually DO develop, at least somewhat consistently since they did fail with Artifact and the OGs will still remember the oddity that was Richochet. But back in 2004, Half-Life 2 was among the very first video games to utilize a realistic physics engine, or at least do it rather well, that the gameplay alone was something you didn't want to quit. They designed a number of physics based puzzles and even unique weaponry like the iconic gravity gun that really let you experiment and get creative. Where Half-Life 2 innovated what you can do with physics in a video game, Half-Life: Alyx takes it to the next level by letting you pick up nearly anything smaller than you are so that you can toss it off of a roof top to try and hit a civilian or a passing vehicle. It really highlights just how far technology and video gaming has come when you compare this game to its predecessors.

Just like other Half-Life video games, you can expect puzzles here and Valve's development with VR really does a great job immersing you into them. The puzzles have you physically reaching out to manipulate a holographically projected screen by twisting and turning and moving objects around to 'hack' into Combine technology, and while these can get somewhat repetitive by the end of the game, it was still a really cool way to solving puzzles. It's just impossible to explain how to perceive it without your just experiencing it firsthand yourself. There's a whole unique perspective on just everything when you play a video game properly designed for VR like this one. Everything in the Half-Life world was huge from the creatures you fight to the buildings you explore, but standing at the base of the Citadel tower and looking up at it in VR really shows just how small you are in the grand scope of everything as opposed to looking up at it from a computer screen in Half-Life 2. They even improved the headcrabs where they'll pounce at you and if you dodge them, they'll bounce off of a wall and flop over after recoiling from striking against a hard surface. Somehow, it makes headcrabs even cuter.

Having played other VR games since then, I can tell that Valve took a safe and accessible approach with HL:A to make it playable for anybody. Whether it be an old lady who is wheelchair bound or even a puke faced 8-year-old kid who gets motion sickness in a car, this game was still an incredible experience as my introduction into VR gaming regardless. I believe it could have been much better, a 10 out of 10, in fact; if Valve was less focused on comfortability and took a more bold approach to its design and gameplay like you have with games like Blade & Sorcery. Valve clearly wanted to avoid motion sickening scenes like how HL2 had an airboat chapter, but I suppose I understand their logic if their idea was to try and get VR into the mainstream.

But I digress, any VR owners (or those planning to invest into the equipment soon enough) should consider adding Half-Life: Alyx into their library. Much like how Half-Life, and then Half-Life 2 were among the best video games of its time, I think Half-Life: Alyx also meets the expectations you'd have for a Half-Life title and I can see what Valve is doing here regarding the long awaited HL3 as HL:A cleverly ties into HL2:EP2 and we even see a cameo of Gordon Freeman in glorious VR as well. I'm always worried for sequels/prequels to older titles because those who developed those older video games could be long gone and replaced by, well, inexperienced college grads. This is something we see with a lot of modern video games but fortunately Valve still knows what Half-Life is.

That isn't all there is to the game, either, by the way. There's also Workshop support and people have created additional content for you to play around with, where they've created their own levels and campaigns if you found HL:A to lack action or to be too short.

Just Finished Alyx in 2024 using Meta Quest 3. The visual is the best of all VR game. The Gameplay is on the sweet spot, not too complicated but not too simple so you can enjoy the first person shooter gameplay. If you have VR device & Good PC, you MUST play this game, especially if you follow or play the Half-Life Game Series since its the story is still connected.

"Half-Life: Alyx" is a masterclass in immersive storytelling and gameplay, and one of its standout moments is the exhilarating experience of acquiring the flashlight. As you navigate the dark, foreboding environments of City 17, the moment you finally unlock this essential tool transforms your experience, adding an exhilarating layer of tension and discovery. The flashlight not only illuminates your path but also enhances the game's atmosphere, revealing hidden headcrabs and lurking zombies with every flick of the beam. This simple yet impactful addition perfectly encapsulates the game's brilliance, drawing players deeper into its haunting world and keeping them on the edge of their seats as they confront both the beauty and horrors lurking in the shadows...

This is definitively the best VR game, yes better than beat saber, fight me over that

i got this game years ago and to this day its still the best VR game I've ever played great story, great action and good puzzles I never came across anything that stumped me just great fun i wish they would make another