Wikipedia

Half-Life: Alyx

Half-Life: Alyxis avirtual reality(VR)first-person shootergame developed and published byValve.It was released forWindowson March 23, 2020, and forLinuxon May 15, with support for most PC-compatibleVR headsets.Players controlAlyx Vanceon a mission to seize a superweapon belonging to the alienCombinebefore the events ofHalf-Life 2(2004). Like previousHalf-Lifegames,Alyxincorporates combat, puzzles and exploration. Players use VR to interact with the environment and fight enemies, using "gravity gloves" to snatch objects from a distance, similarly to thegravity gunfromHalf-Life 2.

Half-Life: Alyx
Developer(s)Valve
Publisher(s)Valve
Writer(s)
Composer(s)Mike Morasky
SeriesHalf-Life
EngineSource 2
Platform(s)
Release
  • Windows
  • March 23, 2020
  • Linux
  • May 15, 2020
Genre(s)First-person shooter
Mode(s)Single-player

The previousHalf-Lifegame,Episode Two,was released in 2007 and ended on acliffhanger.Valve madeseveral attempts to develop furtherHalf-Lifegames,but could not settle on a direction. In the mid-2010s, Valve began experimenting with VR and identified demand for a major VR game. They experimented with prototypes using their various intellectual properties, such asPortal,and foundHalf-Lifebest suited VR.

Alyxentered production using Valve's newSource 2engine in 2016, with the largest team in Valve's history, including members ofCampo Santo,a studio acquired by Valve in 2018. VR affected almost every aspect of the design, including level design, combat, movement and pacing. Valve planned to launchAlyxalongside itsIndexVR headset in 2019, but delayed it to rewrite the story following internal feedback.

Alyxreceived acclaim for its graphics, voice acting, narrative and atmosphere, and has been described as the first VRkiller app.It was nominated for numerous awards and won "Best VR/AR" at the2020 Game Awards.Valve acknowledged that the audience for VR games was limited, andGabe Newell,the Valve president, describedAlyxas a long-term investment into new technologies. As of 2024, it had sold more than two million copies.

Gameplay

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Like previousHalf-Lifegames,Alyxincorporates combat, puzzles, exploration and narrative.[1]Players control the Resistance memberAlyx Vanceas she and her father,Eli Vance,fight theCombine,an alien empire that has conquered Earth.[2]

Players usevirtual reality(VR) to get supplies, use interfaces, throw objects and engage in combat. Like thegravity gunfromHalf-Life 2,the gravity gloves allow players to pick up objects from a distance.[3]While it is primarily afirst-person shooter,Alyxadds elements ofsurvival horror,as health and ammo are more scarce, and includes frightening encounters.[4][5][6]

Alyxsupports allSteamVR-compatibleVR headsets,which include theValve Index,HTC Vive,Oculus Rift,Meta Questand allWindows Mixed Realityheadsets.[2]As the gameplay was designed for VR, Valve said they had no plans for a non-VR version.[2][7]Half-Life: Alyxalso supportsuser modsvia theSteam Workshop.[8]

Plot

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Screenshot showing the VR perspective hands and user interface

Earth has been conquered by the alienCombine,who have implemented a brutalpolice state.[9]In City 17,Alyx Vance(Ozioma Akagha) and her fatherEli(James Moses Black) are arrested by Combine forces as part of a crackdown on the Resistance. Their fellow Resistance memberRussell(Rhys Darby) rescues Alyx and warns her that the Combine are planning to transport Eli to Nova Prospekt for interrogation.[10]

Alyx ventures into the quarantine zone, an area of City 17 overrun with alien creatures, where she meets a vortigaunt named Gary (Tony Todd). He asks her to save his fellow vortigaunts and foresees that Eli will die.[11]Alyx derails the train carrying Eli, who is rescued from the wreckage by Gary. While in custody, Eli learned that the Combine are storing a superweapon in a vault inside the quarantine zone. He instructs Alyx to find the vault and retrieve its contents.[12]

Alyx fights past Combine forces and shuts down a power station keeping the vault aloft. She discovers that each station is powered by an enslaved vortigaunt. She rescues the station's vortigaunt, who promises that the vortigaunts will disable the remaining stations.[13]Eli contacts Alyx and warns her that the vault is not a superweapon, but a prison built to contain something discovered by the Combine. Russell reasons that the prison holdsGordon Freeman,and Alyx crashes the vault to the ground.[14][15]However, instead of finding Freeman inside, she releases theG-Man.[16]

As a reward for freeing him, the G-Man offers his services to Alyx. She demands the removal of the Combine from Earth, but the G-Man says this would not be in the interests of his "employers". He instead shows her a vision taking place five years in the future, and offers her the chance to change the outcome of Eli's death at the hands of a CombineAdvisorat theWhite Forestrocket facility.[17]Alyx complies, killing the Advisor and saving her father. The G-Man informs Alyx that she has proven herself capable of replacing Freeman, with whom he has grown dissatisfied. Despite Alyx's protests, he suspends her in stasis and leaves.[18]Five years later, Freeman regains consciousness at White Forest and is reunited with Eli. Realizing that the G-Man has Alyx, Eli declares his intention to kill him and hands Freeman his crowbar.[19]

Development

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Background

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Robin Walker(pictured in 2013) was the project lead forAlyx.[20]

After the release ofHalf-Life 2in 2004, Valve began developing a trilogy ofepisodicsequels, planning to release shorter games more frequently.[21]Half-Life 2: Episode Onewas released in 2006, followed byEpisode Twoin 2007, which ended on acliffhanger.Episode Threewas scheduled for 2008, but was canceled.[22]The designerRobin Walkersaid that Valve uses theHalf-Lifeseries to "solve some interesting collision of technology and art that had reared itself", but had failed to find a unifying idea that provided a sense of "wonderment, or opening, or expansion" forEpisode Three.[23]

Valve abandoned episodic development[24]and madeseveral failed attempts to develop furtherHalf-Lifeprojects.[25]They decided to complete their new engine,Source 2,before beginning a new game, as developingHalf-Life 2and theSourceengine simultaneously had created problems.[24]In 2016 and 2017, theHalf-LifewritersMarc Laidlaw,Erik Wolpaw,Jay PinkertonandChet Faliszekleft Valve. Coupled with Valve's support for their other franchises, journalists took the departures as an indicator that newHalf-Lifegames were no longer in development.[26][27]Walker blamed the lack of progress on Valve'sflat management structure,whereby employees decide what to work on themselves. He said the team eventually decided they would be happier if they worked together on a large project, even if it was not their preferred choice.[28]

In 2015, Valve collaborated with the electronics companyHTCto develop theHTC Vive,avirtual reality headsetreleased in 2016.[7]Valve's president,Gabe Newell,aimed for Valve to become more likeNintendo,which develops games in tandem with hardware and allows them to create innovative games such asSuper Mario 64.[20]Valve experimented with VR, and in 2016 releasedThe Lab,a collection of VR minigames.[29]Valve recognized that many players wanted a more ambitious VRAAA game.[29]Walker wondered if they could develop a VR "killer app"equivalent to the influential FPSDoomin 1993.[20]

Production

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AU.S. Air Forcemember using aValve IndexVR headset

Valve developed several VR prototypes, with three projects under development by 2017.[30][31]Finding that the portal systems of their puzzle seriesPortalweredisorienting in VR,they settled onHalf-Life.[7]Walker said thatHalf-Life 3had been a "terrifyingly daunting prospect", and the team saw VR as a way to return to the series.[7]Additionally, they anticipated that fans would react negatively ifHalf-Life 3were a VR-only game, and felt that a prequel carried less weight.[20]

Valve built prototypes usingHalf-Life 2assets, and narrowed the gameplay systems to those that best fit VR.[7]They found that theHalf-Lifesystems were a "surprisingly natural fit", but that VR affected almost every aspect of the design, including combat, level design and pacing. For example, shooting in VR, which requires the player to physically position their hand in space, is a different experience from aiming with traditionalmouse-and-keyboardcontrols.[29]

Valve did not develop a non-VR version ofAlyx,as they were confident that it would only be possible in VR. They anticipated that fans would modify it to run without VR equipment. Though this bothered some on the team, Walker was not concerned, as he believed it would offer an inferior experience that would demonstrate why they had chosen VR.[32]

Half-Life: Alyxentered development around February 2016,[33]and entered full production later that year.[3]The team, comprising around 80 people,[34]was the largest in Valve's history, and includedCampo Santo,a studio Valve acquired in 2018.[1][7]As Valve had repeatedly failed to see projects through, some staff were reluctant to join and many were skeptical that VR was the right direction.[20]Mike Morasky,the composer forPortal 2andTeam Fortress 2,wrote the score in consultation withKelly Bailey,the composer for previousHalf-Lifegames.[35]He citedindustrial musicby acts such asNine Inch Nails,the ProdigyandSkinny Puppyas inspiration.[20]

In late 2018, Valve held a company-wideplaytestof the entire game. The results convinced them that VR had been the right choice.[20]The final weeks of development took place remotely due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.[20]

Movement

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To mitigate the problem ofmotion sickness in VR,Valve implemented several movement options. They cited inspiration from the 2018 VR gameBudget Cuts,which uses teleporting to move the player between locations. Valve had assumed that teleportation would damage the experience; however, though teleporting appears jarring when watching others use it, they found that players quickly became accustomed to it. According to Walker, "It recedes to the background of your mind, and you become much more focused on what you're doing with it."[36]

To disincentivize players from quickly teleporting through levels, Valve filled areas with elements to capture their attention and slow them down, such as threats, collectables, set pieces, or other points of interest.[36]To solve the problem of taller players having to crouch when moving through some spaces, Valve standardized the player's virtual body size when they teleport, effectively making every player the same height when teleporting.[37]They found that players did not notice this discrepancy as they were focused on moving to their goal.[37]

Combat

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Every weapon in the game is used one-handed, as Valve wanted players to have a hand free to interact with the world at all times.[38]The crowbar, an iconic weapon from previousHalf-Lifegames, was omitted as Valve could not make melee combat work in VR, and because players would accidentally catch it on objects in the game world as they moved, creating confusion. Additionally, players associated the crowbar withGordon Freeman,the protagonist of previous games. Valve wanted to create a different identity for Alyx, portraying her as a "hacker and tinkerer".[39]Other discarded weapon concepts include a trip mine, slingshot, shield, and rocket launcher.[20]

As players move at more realistic speeds in VR compared to typical FPS games, Valve had to adjust enemies to make combat fair and fun.[20]Antlions, returning enemies fromHalf-Life 2,would quickly overwhelm players with their speed. The team slowed the Antlions' movement and added the ability to shoot their legs off to slow them down.[20]Fast zombies and fast headcrabs, also introduced inHalf-Life 2,were cut as they were too frightening for some players in VR. According to the designer Dario Casali, "The shock of having [them] come around the corner and latch onto you before you'd even know what was going on was just too much."[40]

Casting

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Merle Dandridgereprised her role as Alyx for initial recording sessions in March 2019, but after playtests indicated that Alyx needed a younger voice,Ozioma Akaghawas cast in September 2019.[35]Akagha avoided using irritation in her performance, as "you don't want someone in your head that sounds irritated with you".[20]

Additional actors include James Moses Black as Eli, replacingRobert Guillaume,who died in 2017,[41]andRhys Darbyas Russell, who added comedic elements.[20]Returning actors includeTony Toddas the alienVortigaunts,Mike Shapiroas theG-Man,andEllen McLainas the voice of the Combine broadcasts.[41]Shapiro recorded his lines in one 20-minute take, with pickups in 2019.[42]Cissy Jones(Olga) andRich Sommer(Larry, Russell's drone, and Combine Soldiers) were cast at the suggestion of the writerSean Vanaman,who had worked with them on Campo Santo'sFirewatch(2016).[42]

Writing

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The writers includedErik Wolpaw(top) andJay Pinkerton.

The former Valve writers Erik Wolpaw and Jay Pinkerton turned down invitations to return to Valve early in theAlyxdevelopment.[20]Instead, Valve recruited Rob Yescombe ofThe Invisible Hours,who worked onAlyxin 2017 and 2018. Yescombe's narrative was darker than previousHalf-Lifegames, with scenes of dread, torture and horror. The antagonist was a female Combine officer named Hahn; in one proposed ending, Alyx would kill Hahn in revenge for torturing her father.[20]Yescombe also proposed an ending in which Alyx and the G-Man would travel back in time to the events of the firstHalf-Lifeto prevent Freeman from triggering the alien invasion.[20]

After the company-wide playtest in 2018, feedback was overwhelmingly positive but for the story, which employees scored the lowest of any Valve game.[20]Morasky described it as "dark, serious and laborious", likening it to aZack Snydersuperhero film.[20]The designer Corey Peters said the feedback vindicated their misgivings about the story.[20]

Valve initially planned to launchAlyxalongside itsIndexVR headset in June 2019, but delayed it to address the story. They re-enlisted Wolpaw and Pinkerton to rewrite the plot and dialogue while preserving the gameplay, along withJake Rodkinand Sean Vanaman, who had joined when Valve acquired Campo Santo.[20][43]Marc Laidlaw, who retired in 2016, denied reports that he had provided consultation, saying he had confidence in Pinkerton and Wolpaw and did not want them "second-guessing" him.[44]

The new writers identified three problems.[20]First, the nature of a prequel meant that players knew the characters would survive, reducing suspense. Second, the story did not have an impact on the overallHalf-Lifestory; the writers did not want it to feel "just like a hermetically sealed short story in the world ofHalf-Life".[45]Third, the game had to end with the powerful G-Man giving Alyx something for freeing him.[20]The team wanted the ending to have a meaningful impact and end the "narrative limbo" fans had been in sinceEpisode Two.[46]

Having Alyx and the G-Man travel forward in time and rescue Eli at the end ofEpisode Twowas suggested by the character artist Jim Murray.[20]The team was reluctant, as this undid theEpisode Twocliffhanger, but were intrigued by the questions it raised about the world and how it pushed theHalf-Lifestory forward.[42]The change required Valve to create new assets, such as theEpisode TwoWhite Forest helicopter hangar and models for Dog, the older Eli, and Gordon Freeman.[20]Thered herring,wherein Alyx believes she is rescuing Gordon Freeman before discovering the G-Man, was conceived by Vanaman late in production. As there was no character model for the Combine scientist Alyx overhears, the scene was animated inshadow play.[20]

While previous Valve games usesilent protagonists,the writers found that having Alyx speak improved the storytelling.[47]They added radio dialog between Alyx and Russell as a simple way to "bring the energy up" whenever needed.[20]The final script ran to 280 pages, compared to 128 pages forHalf-Life 2and 18 forHalf-Life.[20]

Release

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Valve announcedHalf-Life: Alyxin November 2019.[22][48]They waited until it was almost complete before announcing it, aiming to avoid the delays of previous games.[20]They were conscious that players, having waited years for a newHalf-Lifegame, might be disappointed by a VR game, and tightly managed the announcement.[20]To promoteAlyx,Valve made the priorHalf-Lifegames free on Steam from January 2020 until its release.[49]Valve was due to showcaseAlyxat the2019 Game Awardsthat December, but canceled hours prior, saying they were "hard at work on the game".[50]

Alyxwas released on March 23, 2020.[51]It was free to owners ofValve Indexheadsets or controllers.[2]Valve released aLinuxversion on May 15, along withVulkanrendering support for both platforms.[52]A pre-release build was mistakenly released on Steam; it included non-VR developer tools, allowing interactions such as picking up objects and firing weapons. However, most of the basic interactions, such as pressing buttons or filling Alyx's backpack, could not be completed with mouse-and-keyboard controls.[53]

When asked about plans for futureHalf-Lifegames, Speyrer said Valve was willing but were waiting for the reaction toAlyx.[3]According to Walker, "We absolutely seeHalf-Life: Alyxas our return to this world, not the end of it. "[29]

Mods

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Modtools for the Source 2 engine and Steam Workshop support forHalf-Life: Alyxwere released on May 15, 2020.[54]Valve announced plans to release a new Hammer level editor for Source 2, and planned to release a partial Source 2software development kitfor the updated features later, with the focus at launch on shipping and supportingAlyx.[35]

In March 2023, fans released the "NoVR" mod, which allows players to play through the game without a VR headset. This also allowsAlyxto run on less powerful devices, such as theSteam Deck.[55][56]Reviewers found the mod removed the game's immediacy and that mouse-and-keyboard controls could not replicate the dexterity of VR controllers.[55]

Reception

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Half-Life: Alyxreceived "universal acclaim", according to thereview aggregatorwebsiteMetacritic.[57]By April 2020, it was one of the 20 highest-rated PC games on Metacritic.[67]Reviewers at publications such asVG247,Tom's Hardware,andVideo Games Chronicledescribed it as VR's "killer app".[64][68][69][70][71]

The announcement trailer was watched more than 10 million times within the first 24 hours of its release.[72]Though most fans expressed excitement, some were disappointed that the game was only available in VR,[73]a small but growing market in 2019.[74]Before the game's release, Vic Hood ofTechRadarexpressed enthusiasm but wrote that "we forever live in hope for aHalf-Life 3".[75]

Kevin Webb ofBusiness Insiderwrote thatAlyxcould "spark fresh interest in an industry [VR] that has struggled to win over hardcore gamers".[76]Andrew King ofUSGameralso suggested thatAlyxwould be the "make or break VR Jesus Moment" for the modding community, in whether the players would be interested and be capable of using the tools provided by Valve to produce new creations that took advantage of VR space, as modification within VR space had traditionally been difficult to work with prior to this point.[77]Alyxalso won theEasy Allies2020 awards for both Best World Design and Game of the Year.[78]

InPolygon,Ben Kuchera wrote of howAlyxused VR to transform FPS systems. For example, he felt that reloading guns, traditionally performed with a button press, was more fun in VR. He wrote: "The magic lies in beinginsidethe world, being able to touch it, and interact with it, directly. The game's design and pacing would lose all meaning if played as a standard game, even if more players would be able to experience the story for its own sake. "[32]

Sales

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The Valve Index headset, controllers, and base stations all sold out in the United States, Canada, and Europe within a week of theAlyxannouncement.[79]By mid-January 2020, they were sold out in all 31 regions where the units were sold.[80]According to Superdata, Valve sold 103,000 Index units in the fourth quarter of 2019 as a result of theAlyxannouncements, compared to the total 149,000 sold throughout 2019, and it was the highest-selling VR headset for PCs during that quarter.[81]Though Valve had expected to supply several Index pre-orders in time for the release ofAlyx,theCOVID-19 pandemiclimited their supply chain.[82]

Valve's Greg Coomer said Valve knew many people would not playAlyxon launch and that its audience was "relatively small right now".[83]Newell described it as a "forward investment" into long-term technologies.[84]In 2021,PCGamesNwrote that though it was "artfully crafted",Alyxhad had little cultural impact.[85]As of December 2024,Alyxhad sold more than two million copies.[86]

Awards

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Half-Life: Alyxwon "Game of the Year" at the 2020 VR Awards. Atthe Game Awards 2020,it was nominated for "Best Game Direction", "Best Audio Design" and "Best Action", and won for "Best VR/AR".[87][88]At the17th British Academy Games Awards,it was nominated for "Best Game", "Game Direction", "Audio Achievement" and "Artistic Achievement".[89]At the24th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards,it was nominated for "Action Game of the Year","Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction",and"Outstanding Achievement in Game Design",and won for"Immersive Reality Technical Achievement"and"Immersive Reality Game of the Year".[90]

References

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