Half-Life: Alyx’s iconic Citadel used to have a little more going on in the distance.
Over on Twitter this week Valve artist Tristan Reidford shared a look at an early design for the City 17 landmark, which is under construction at the start of Alyx. In it, some of the structure’s intricate machinery can be seen being slotted into place. Presumably, players would have seen this happen at various points in the game where the Citadel could be seen, including perhaps the opening shot in which it features prominently.
Early citadel construction idea. #HalfLifeAlyx pic.twitter.com/uwOwA9XFg7
— Tristan Reidford (@TristanRiedford) May 6, 2020
So, why wasn’t this included in the final game? According to Reidford, the concept didn’t really make sense from any angle other than viewed from below. You don’t scale the Citadel itself in Alyx, but one YouTuber did recently climb to the top using the SteamVR environment, where this design may have been exposed.
And, besides, the Citadel isn’t really the star of City 17 this time around. A lot of Alyx is instead concerned with a mysterious structure called The Vault, which is just as imposing, hovering above ground and looming in the distance for much of the game.
Alyx has been out for nearly two months now and, in that time, climbed onto Steam’s best sellers chart. Want more Half-Life: Alyx? Check out our list of the best custom mods, maps and campaigns. Or maybe you’re through with it and want something else to play? Check out our list of other big VR games to look forward to in the near future.
