izigame.me

This game is incredible and, as of time of writing, it might very well be the best VR-exclusive title ever made. Here is why.
Brief Plot Overview
Set shortly before Half-Life 2, Half-Life Alyx’s story takes place in the dystopian City 17 under the oppressive rule of the alien Combine. You play as Alyx Vance, a young rebel who works with her father Eli and other resistance members to fight back against the invaders. Along the way, Eli warns Alyx of a mysterious vault that holds a secret that could change the fate of humanity. But things are not exactly what they seem…
As a huge fan of the Half-Life series since the original 1998 game, I did enjoy the plot and its twists, particularly near the end of the game which I genuinely did not expect. The after-credits scene filled me with excitement as well, though it might not mean much to people who have not played the rest of the games in the series.
On that note, if you have played Half-Life 2 and the “Episode” sequels, you will find yourself right at home as the environments will look familiar while you discover both new and old friends and foes.
Technical: Graphics and Sound
Speaking of environments, the graphics of the game, especially for a Virtual Reality one, are incredible: every single object in the world is fully detailed and feels “alive”, almost as if they had their own personality, in a sense. The fact that you can interact with virtually anything that you can see allows you to appreciate their details even more, even if you keep them very close to you. Animations are also fluid and realistic, though I wouldn’t expect any less from a franchise that in 2003 (when the first Half-Life 2 gameplay footage was released at E3) showcased better facial animations than games released in 2017 (Mass Effect Andromeda) or even today! Nevertheless, the world and object details, in addition to the great art style, really contribute to the immersive feeling. One minor criticism I might give to the graphics, though, is that some of the character models do look a bit “cartoonish” presenting an evident contrast with the realistic environment around them, but this is just personal preference and it did not detract from the overall experience.
Back on the positives, the game felt fairly optimized, running mostly without any issues on my computer except for some rare moments of hitches in certain sections. Keep in mind, however, that this game still requires a pretty powerful rig to be enjoyed properly, though it should be scalable enough. And thanks to the art style, even on low settings you should still have a great experience.
Another aspect of the game that deserves praise is the sound design and soundtrack. The sound effects are crisp and realistic, enhancing the immersion and adding to the tension of the gameplay. The voice acting is fair, though I did not find the dialogue as well-written as previous games of the series with the exception of the last part of the game which I won’t spoil in this review (you will see what I mean when you get to that part…).
The soundtrack, composed by Mike Morasky, is a fitting accompaniment to the game, with various atmospheres and moods that feel right at home for a game set in the Half-Life universe. The music adapts to the situation, changing seamlessly depending on the events happening around you.
Gameplay
The weapon selection is quite limited, however you will be given the chance to upgrade your firearms with useful modifications such as larger mags, laser sights, and so on. Regardless, all the weapons have the right “feel” to it, never feeling underpowered with satisfying feedback to the player. As mentioned in the previous section of the review, the ability to interact with almost any object in the game adds greatly to the feeling of being immersed in the virtual world, and is also crucial to solving various physics-based puzzles throughout the adventure, another staple of the Half-Life series. You can either interact by simply grabbing objects close to you, or you can use the gadget you start the game with: the Gravity Gloves, which, as you might have guessed if you have played Half-Life 2, replaces the Gravity Gun. Just like the rest of the controls, the Gloves are very intuitive to use: simply point at an object in the distance (which will then glow in orange), then press the grip button on your controller while you pull with your hands. Press the button again while the object is getting close to your face and you’ve grabbed it. Once you have done so, you can then throw objects which can be handy in case you want to save some ammo (which is quite limited, though not unfair), or in some cases necessary to solve certain puzzles.
Speaking of puzzles, they are excellent: they are always logical and often challenging but never in a way that seems impossible or only solvable if you already know what you have to do. You are encouraged to look around you and use the objects you have available in creative ways. But again, I feel it is important to stress out that unlike certain games (e.g. Resident Evil 2 Remake), you always feel like the puzzles make sense and are realistic. There is only one type of minigame/puzzle that you encounter in various parts of the game via holograms that I felt was quite frustrating and genuinely the worst part of Half-Life Alyx: in order to unlock certain cabinets that might give you ammo or health, you need to hold an holographic globe while with your other hand you guide a “circle” to a location on the sphere avoiding moving lines. This would be enjoyable if only the controls of this minigame weren’t surprisingly frustrating, as I often found myself either losing grip of the sphere (you will constantly need to rotate it), or unintentionally moving the circle instantly to a side of the globe I had no intention of going to, causing the puzzle to be reset.
One last final criticism of this game is the chapter called “Jeff”. This involves a special zombie which cannot be defeated through normal means, but instead you have to carry around the map with you by making noise. This section was particularly frustrating and not as fun to play, though I do understand the will of the developers to break from the standard gameplay loop and fill the player with a sense of tension and threat throughout the chapter.
When not in combat, the game heavily promotes exploration, as the world is filled with ammo, resin (the material used to upgrade your weapons), grenades and health items.
Conclusion/TL;DR
Overall, Half-Life Alyx is a fantastic VR game that showcases the potential of the medium and delivers an immersive and engaging experience that fans of the series will love. The game has stunning graphics, realistic physics, creative puzzles, and thrilling combat. Of course, it is not perfect (will any game ever be?), with flaws such as a frustrating minigame and a tedious chapter, but despite these drawbacks Half-Life Alyx is still a must-play for VR enthusiasts and a worthy entry in the Half-Life saga even if it were a traditional “flat-screen” game.
Simply put, no other VR game has yet reached the quality of this Valve masterpiece, and I can’t wait for another entry by the same developer for the same platform.
Score: 10/10