News Half-Life: Alyx - Releasing March 23, 2020 on SteamVR

[ISee]

Half-Life: Alyx is officially coming March 2020, and here’s your first look

Valve says this isn’t a side story — it’ll be roughly as long as Half-Life 2.

www.theverge.com

Half-Life: Alyx is set in the aftermath of the Combine invasion of Earth, before the return of Gordon Freeman in Half-Life 2. While it does take place before the events of Half-Life 2, we actually recommend that you play through Half-Life 2: Episode 2 before you play Half-Life: Alyx, for reasons that will become clear as you progress. It’s not a side story, nor an episodic one — it’s the next part of the Half-Life story, in a game around the same length as Half-Life 2.


There will be some crazy portal, teleportation and time travel stuff.

Wonder if it will work on a GTX 980...

Most likely.
980 and 1060 are pretty equivalent in performance.

 

[Le Pertti]

I really hope they do time travel stuff, that it's happing directly after HL2E2.

 

[Kylac]

i don't know anything about figurines but we have a lot of anime nerds on here so they can tell me if this is good or not

 

[Spamlynguist]

 

[Durante]

Having spent basically the last 2 hours all over the internet I'm surprised at how generally positive (and often even enthusiastic) the reaction to this has been.

It had a lot going against it (VR, the anti-Valve sentiment propagated by some interests, etc.) but between the trailer (mostly the trailer), having the very informative site ready, and making sure that its compatible with all PC VR devices, all space constraints and all popular movement choices they really knocked this out of the park,

 

[Firewithin]

Having spent basically the last 2 hours all over the internet I'm surprised at how generally positive (and often even enthusiastic) the reaction to this has been.

It had a lot going against it (VR, the anti-Valve sentiment propagated by some interests, etc.) but between the trailer (mostly the trailer), having the very informative site ready, and making sure that its compatible with all PC VR devices, all space constraints and all popular movement choices they really knocked this out of the park,

half life nostalgia in effect even for a VR title. anything HL would be positive probably

 

[Durante]

half life nostalgia in effect even for a VR title. anything HL would be positive probably

I'm sure that's a big part of it, but I still think they could have messed this up in tons of ways (e.g. with a less impressive trailer, or not immediately clarifying the HW support / movement options etc.). But they didn't.

 

[Parsnip]

Was that Keith David I heard around 1:17? I think it might have been.

 

[EdwardTivrusky]

They even got the regional pricing right from what i've heard. Well, i'm in the UK so we pay more but i have a headset so i think i get Alyx free next year. They could have made a complete mess of this but damn it looked good and i even laughed at the gun joke in the trailer.

 

[Kylac]

Having spent basically the last 2 hours all over the internet I'm surprised at how generally positive (and often even enthusiastic) the reaction to this has been.

It had a lot going against it (VR, the anti-Valve sentiment propagated by some interests, etc.) but between the trailer (mostly the trailer), having the very informative site ready, and making sure that its compatible with all PC VR devices, all space constraints and all popular movement choices they really knocked this out of the park,

not disabling the likes/dislikes on the youtube video was very brave, very foolish, and completely paid off. 137k likes to 3.7k dislikes.

 

[Kvik]

I spent the last 30 minutes researching how to import an Index, and it's not cheap. I'll be looking at $2K AUD at the very least. Ironically, EBGames AU charges just as much for a Vive Pro. Lmao, what a ripoff.

Index's safety and maintenance booklet did mention Canada, Australia and New Zealand under the limited warranty paragraph, so it can only mean distribution is coming soon(?)

https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/store/valve_index/ValveIndexSafetyAndMaintenanceInfo.pdf

 

[ISee]

not disabling the likes/dislikes on the youtube video was very brave, very foolish, and completely paid off. 137k likes to 3.7k dislikes.

Blizzard: We are bringing Diablo to Phones. You all have phones, this will be glorious
Crowd: Buuuh

Valve: We are bringing Half Life to VR. You'll need to invest money and buy shit.
Crowd opens wallets.


I'm pretty sure Blizzard and cooperate suits are confused.

 

[Alexandros]

Having spent basically the last 2 hours all over the internet I'm surprised at how generally positive (and often even enthusiastic) the reaction to this has been.

It had a lot going against it (VR, the anti-Valve sentiment propagated by some interests, etc.) but between the trailer (mostly the trailer), having the very informative site ready, and making sure that its compatible with all PC VR devices, all space constraints and all popular movement choices they really knocked this out of the park,

Above all I think that it was just a really great trailer that a) got people excited and b) made a solid case for why this is a VR game. It's impossible to watch this trailer and have your first thought be anything other than "I really want to play this".

 

[Durante]

Above all I think that it was just a really great trailer that a) got people excited and b) made a solid case for why this is a VR game. It's impossible to watch this trailer and have your first thought be anything other than "I really want to play this".

Absolutely.
I've seen so many people (especially without prior VR experience) comment positively on some small interaction in the trailer. It doesn't really matter that most of the individual interactions were already shown/implemented by some existing VR games -- what matters for broad appeal is bringing it all together in one highly polished, large game. And of course being Half Life doesn't hurt.

 

[Joe Spangle]

I hope there is a gnome that you have to carry all the way through it.

 

[low-G]

Looks real great. I'd preorder it right now if there wasn't the remotest chance that there will be some deal on Index before the end of the year and I can get the game for free with the Index. I'm pretty attached to my Rift with its OLED and decent thumbsticks, but hey Valve shoot me a deal and we'll talk about it?

 

[Arulan]

Having spent basically the last 2 hours all over the internet I'm surprised at how generally positive (and often even enthusiastic) the reaction to this has been.

It had a lot going against it (VR, the anti-Valve sentiment propagated by some interests, etc.) but between the trailer (mostly the trailer), having the very informative site ready, and making sure that its compatible with all PC VR devices, all space constraints and all popular movement choices they really knocked this out of the park,

I've noticed this too. I remember reading a leaked/rumored statement a little while back where their objective was to attempt to shift the thought of I'm upset because this is in VR to I'm upset that I don't have a VR headset, and I now need one.

 

[Rosenkrantz]

Stealthy port-begging intensifies.

 

[Routa]

I'm gonna end up buying an index, aren't I?

 

[texhnolyze]

I really want a VR now.

They even got the regional pricing right from what i've heard. Well, i'm in the UK so we pay more but i have a headset so i think i get Alyx free next year. They could have made a complete mess of this but damn it looked good and i even laughed at the gun joke in the trailer.

Yeah, it has the best possible regional pricing for a $60 game over here. 1/3 the price of Cyberpunk.

 

[gabbo]

Well I was skeptical about it, but damn that trailer sold me, I just need to upgrade my pc and get a headset some time in the future. And Stephen McHattie for Gman in the film, do it Valve.

I wonder if this does well (and i mean, it will, even if the VR audience isn't huge) if that will move the series to VR completely going forward or if future titles will also come in non-VR

 

[fantomena]

Yeah, there's a lot of positive talk about VR all around.

What I see the most is the question "why can't you make a non-VR" game, which I sure understands, but good and deep VR interactivity don't translate well over to desktop gaming at all.

How are you suppose to slowly open a door, while looking back with your gun in case some enemies comes from you behind? Viewing all the Boneworks videos it just shows that a game built up from the beginning from VR will have to be redesignet to work in non-VR.

I'm gonna end up buying an index, aren't I?

You don't need an Index to play it, but it will be the best way surely. If Valve doesn't release the Index here before the game is out Im gonna play it with my Rift.

 

[gabbo]

Was that Keith David I heard around 1:17? I think it might have been.

That's the Vortigon from Half Life2 and the episodes, who is voiced by Tony "Candyman" Todd,which is a nice touch. Keeps up the continuity of Gordon freeing them from the Nihilanth/Combine and them becoming allies of the human resistance after the invasion

 

[Aelphaeis Mangarae]

It looks very good. I dunno how I feel about Alyx having a new voice actress, but we'll see. Anyway, a few things stand out.

1: I totally buy that this is a game designed around VR, and I expect a contrast akin to FPS games designed around M+KB vs gamepads in terms of complexity and interaction. However, I think that assuming the SDK is extensive enough, modders could rework the game into a very good "flat" game. Whether it would be as good as the VR version is neither here nor there, but a good example is that some people argue that Mario 64 was the game that made the analogue stick matter... except it plays perfectly well on a keyboard, as decades of emulation enthusiasts will attest.

2: I don't quite like the new G-Man design. He looks a little Team Fortress 2-slash-Incredibles-ey, and I think he needs to be darker around the eyes. The G-Man always had a sickly, unnatural look to him, that is largely missing here.

 

[fantomena]

Why no mouse and keyboard:

"We would love to be delivering a version of this where you can play with a mouse and keyboard," said Casali. "But as we've said, [Half-Life: Alyx] began as an exploration of VR. The more we used the controllers and the headset--the amount of interactions and possibilities these things gave us-- and the more we explored it, the more we realized that there's so much opportunity that we can't translate back to the keyboard when you can track your hands separately from your head. They're all in 3D space--all simultaneously tracking and moving. And when you put that into game mechanics with the kinds of interactions you can do now, you couldn't possibly do that with a mouse and keyboard."

Why Half-Life: Alyx Is VR-Only

In a recent interview, Valve explained exactly why Half-Life: Alyx can only be played on VR headsets.

www.gamespot.com

 

[Arulan]

The nerd in me (which, to be fair, is most of me) is incredibly excited that this is built on Source 2.

2-3 years ago Valve gave a lot of deep technical talks about very VR-specific rendering techniques that neither of the engines most VR games are built in ever fully implemented. I'm 100% convinced that this will be an absolute showcase in VR game complexity and rendering quality at any given performance level it supports.

 

[freshVeggie]

It looks and sounds so good.

I gotta get my hand on a VR somehow

 

[lashman]

I gotta get my hand on a VR somehow

you and me both, Veggie

 

[fantomena]

"Is the game Index exclusive?"
"Can you play with Oculus?"
"This is so hard gonna be Index exclusive"
etc.

Jesus christ can't people read?

 

[TheGreenArrow]

I can’t waittttt
Wishlisted it so fast

 

[warp_]

So now I need VR.
Index is a bit out of my range but Oculus seems like the best second choice.

 

[Arulan]

I've watched that trailer at least a dozen times now. I think replaying Half-Life 2 is in order before March.

I've been waiting to upgrade from the HTC Vive to the Valve Index, but I can't think of a better reason to pull the trigger.

 

[d00d3n]

This looks amazing. Additionally, I was really positively surprised to find out that the Valve friends and family pack (which I got as compensation for pre-ordering the Steam controller and having enough playtime in OSX Steam, which was buggy at launch) still gives out games for free, even story-based AAA games like this.

Edit:

One more tidbit a bit hidden away that is relevant to some people I know:
"Owners of Valve Index controllers also get Half-Life: Alyx for free."

This applies to me as well, so I guess Index controller ownership may be the real reason that I got the game for free.

 

[bobnowhere]

 

[KainXVIII]

One good news - at least Valve will release Source 2 tools so we can wait for some actual games from modders! (Black Mesa 2 in 2030? Why not? )

 

[Arulan]

One good news - at least Valve will release Source 2 tools so we can wait for some actual games from modders! (Black Mesa 2 in 2030? Why not? )

Yes, this has a lot of potential, although I'm more interested in seeing its use in VR. Giving users an engine that already solves a lot of the basics of VR from the get-go could lead to the boon of modding content a la the original Half-Life.

 

[Le Pertti]

So will Source 2 be available to everyone or does one have to buy HLA?

 

[NarohDethan]

I'm gonna buy the Oculus Quest just for this

 

[ISee]

If anybody is buying a headset just for this, I'd recommend doing so a couple of weeks in advance. Motion sickness on day one was a severe problem for me. Still there on day two, but already better.
You'll need to train your brain for this, probably.

 

[NarohDethan]

Amazon order:

One (1) Oculus Quest
One (1) vomit bucket

 

[Arulan]

So, which movement type do you think you'll go with?

I've always liked Teleport-style movement, but that may be because my play area is sufficiently large to where I can make small movements by just moving.

 

[BoosterDuck]

why isn't Valve retrofitting the Half-Lifes and Portals in VR to generate hype for Alyx

 

[ISee]

Amazon order:

One (1) Oculus Quest
One (1) vomit bucket

From one new oculus peasant to another.

So, which movement type do you think you'll go with?

If the game would launch today?

I'd order roomscale with a big portion of teleportation, as teleportation isn't making me sick currently.
Hopefully I'll be able to stomach continuous in a couple of months though.

 

[Joe Spangle]

I've watched that trailer at least a dozen times now. I think replaying Half-Life 2 is in order before March.

I've been waiting to upgrade from the HTC Vive to the Valve Index, but I can't think of a better reason to pull the trigger.

Same for me. I hope that Black Mesa is finished before March so I can go through that and HL2.

 

[ISee]

why isn't Valve retrofitting the Half-Lifes and Portals in VR to generate hype for Alyx

If you ask me, with my 2 days of VR experience. The answer lies in this scene here


A well build VR games need as much of an interactive world as possible. Aleyx is moving away trash, on a shelf, to find and pick up ammunition. Then loads it manually and kills an enemy with it. Just Half-Life 2 VR wouldn't be a good enough representation how immersive a VR game can be imo. Besides that, if I'm not mistaken: There seem to be ways to mod HL2 into VR. I've at least seen it in a YT video. But I have no idea currently how to do it.

 

[Dragon1893]

I had high hopes for this announcement and wasn't disappointed. It looks fantastic. I have no idea when I'll be able to play it though.

 

[ISee]

Hmm what if this a multiverse thing and we are going to play alyx from a universe where the G-man (who is a multiverse traveler) never unleashed Gordon on the world. What if the verge is recommending to replay episode 2, because this new, unknown reality and the one we already know will cross each other at the end.
Would be better than time travel imo.

 

[fantomena]

From r/HalfLife

 

[Alextended]

Ooh, I want those in 1440p (well, got the 2nd) to use the old one as lock screen and new one as wallpaper :d

Which I already do the latter, and yet I only just noticed the scaffolding showing it's under construction, lol.

 

[warp_]

I'm gonna buy the Oculus Quest just for this

Yep, I'm real tempted to just hit best buy on the way home. Only thing stopping me is a potential black friday sale...need to see what the scoop is on that.

e: looks like it's just the Rift getting a discount, Quest gets the Darth Vader game (which I'm sure my wife will love)

Best Cyber Monday Oculus VR Deals 2019: Quest And Rift S Sales In Time For Half-Life: Alyx

Oculus and Facebook have some excellent Cyber Monday 2019 deals for Oculus Quest, Oculus Rift S, and more.

www.gamespot.com