The wait is over and Half-Life: Alyx is finally out. As expected, there’s been a bunch of different reactions and reviews from outlets all over the internet.
Half-Life: Alyx is undoubtedly one of the biggest VR releases in history. All eyes were on Valve’s flagship title upon release, as well as on the reviews that released alongside the game. We’ve got links to all the reviews from major outlets, including our own, and have picked select extracts from each to represent their thoughts on this monumental VR game.
UploadVR — 5/5 Stars
How could we not shamelessly self-plug? Here’s our review if you missed it.
“Alyx is a triumphant return; a stunningly produced, meticulously refined capping off of the past four years of VR learnings. Its 10+ hours of best-in-class combat, evolving level design and, every so often, moments of truly inventive ideas swiftly establishes it as a new benchmark for the platform.”
IGN — 10/10
“Valve has set a new bar for VR in interactivity, detail, and level design, showing what can happen when a world-class developer goes all-in on the new frontier of technology. In a lot of ways, it feels like a game from the future, and one that the rest of VR gaming will likely take a good long while to match, much less surpass.”
VG247 — 5/5 Stars
“When Half-Life 2 released, it revolutionised the first-person shooter … One of the reasons Valve never counted to three and gave us a proper sequel is the expectation that comes with it. The series’ core ideas have been refined and polished, and believable physics are no longer such a novelty in video games. Where is left for Half-Life to innovate? It turns out Valve just needed new tech. It just needed VR.”
PCGamesN — 9/10
“While it’s probably impossible to satisfy nearly 13 years of expectations after the end of Episode Two, Alyx does its damnedest to open the Half-Life universe to new stories again. By the end, it feels like Valve is grabbing you by the shoulders, screaming ‘we are going to make more Half-Life games!’ It’s ever-so-slightly hammy, sure, but in a warm, endearing way that shows just the right amount of reverence to the stories that have come before.”
GameInformer — 9/10
“Half Life: Alyx is a must-play game worthy of the series’ legacy. Despite some puzzles and encounters that feel like filler, the overall experience is strong. The stunning setpieces, beautiful world, and smart writing stand out no matter the medium, and mark a return to form for Valve. If you were waiting for a killer app before you made the investment into virtual reality, this is it.”
Read GameInformer’s full review.
Eurogamer — Recommended
“There are Hollywood moments that will stick with me, but I also remember being in a room filled with oil drums while a tank of explosive gas was being winched up towards the mouth of one of those horrible limpet things that sit on the ceiling. That’s the kind of clock Valve likes to put in a scene to add suspense. Hitchcock would be proud: you can see all the moving parts and yet the magic is still there.”
What do you think about Half-Life: Alyx? Let us know in the comments.
