Valve has officially announced Half-Life: Alyx and given fans a first look at the new VR entry in the series. Releasing in March 2020, Half-Life: Alyx is set between the events of Half-Life and Half-Life 2. Playing as Alyx Vance, players “mount an early resistance to the Combine’s brutal occupation of Earth.” On Twitter, Valve said that Alyx and her father Eli uncover a secret that leads them into City 17 and the Combine’s occupation.
In an interview with The Verge, Valve programmer David Speyrer confirmed that Half-Life: Alyx is not a side-story, nor is it episodic. “It’s the next part of the Half-Life story, in a game around the same length as Half-Life 2,” he said.
He also recommended that players finish Half-Life 2: Episode 2 before playing Alyx “for reasons that will become clear as you progress.”
Half-Life: Alyx
The biggest change for Half-Life: Alyx is that it’s a VR title, unlike previous Half-Life titles. Valve’s description of the game reads;
Lean to aim around a broken wall and under a Barnacle to make an impossible shot. Rummage through shelves to find a healing syringe and some shotgun shells. Manipulate tools to hack alien interfaces.
Toss a bottle through a window to distract an enemy. Rip a Headcrab off your face and throw it at a Combine soldier.
Where you used the Gravity Gun in Half-Life 2, in Alyx, players use the Gravity Gloves. Using the gloves allows Alyx to pick up objects from a distance, interact with puzzles and more. Check out the trailer above to see the Gravity Gloves in action.
To play the game, Valve is giving players a number of options. It will be compatible with Valve Index, HTC Vive, Windows Mixed Reality, Oculus Rift and Oculus Quest with PC and Link Cable. If you already own the Valve Index, you’ll be getting a copy of the game for free and some extra content.
There’s no need to enter a key or purchase the game. It’ll appear in your Steam Library upon release, ready to play.
Half-Life: Alyx is yours, whether you’ve had your Valve Index for a while, or are just about to take the plunge.
Owners of Valve Index controllers also get Half-Life: Alyx for free.
The minimum specs for Half-Life: Alyx, as listed on Steam, are;
- OS: Windows 10
- Processor: Core i5-7500 / Ryzen 5 1600
- Memory: 12 GB RAM
- Graphics: GTX 1060 / RX 580 – 6GB VRAM
Half-Life: Alyx is launching in March 2020.
