Half-Life: Alyx, the new VR game from Valve, will reportedly introduce a major new tool to the series, but could also remove another.
In our report yesterday, we made mention of something called ‘Grabbity Gloves’. It’s not hard to imagine how those might work, based on the name. But Ars Technica is citing its own sources in saying that these gloves are real and will work like ‘Magnet Gloves’. Basically, the idea is that you’ll be able to point to an object in the game and then summon it straight to your hands.
It sounds very similar to the convenient quick grab options seen in many VR games. As with the iconic Gravity Gun, though, these gloves will apparently utilize realistic physics. Not that we’d expect anything different from a Half-Life game. We wonder, perhaps, if the physics-driven handling of Stress Level Zero’s Boneworks will be a good indication of what to expect?
All that said; Ars Technica also reports that another iconic Half-Life weapon may have actually been taken out of the game. The report claims that Valve has tested a virtual crowbar weapon, but scrapped its inclusion. The crowbar is typically the first weapon you get in a Half-Life game and has become synonymous with the series. The report notes, however, that it’s entirely possible the item still makes it into the game.
We’ll hopefully have an idea of whether or not these reports are true when the game is revealed on Thursday. Valve is promising to pull back the curtain at 10am PT. We’ll be here to bring you a full report.
