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Valve releases three Half-Life: Alyx gameplay videos

Valve can count to three, after all

Less than one month remains until the next Half-Life game launches. Half-Life: Alyx takes the series to virtual reality, and while that choice is going to remain alienating to some longtime fans, it’s clear that Valve aims to make this the most comprehensive VR game we’ve seen to date. Three new gameplay videos showcase the mechanics in-depth.

The first video shows you – as Alyx, in case you’ve missed the early details – on a train surrounded by headcrab zombies. Outside the train, there’s a weapon upgrade station where you can improve your guns with things like reflex sights or burst fire modes. Elsewhere, an alien larvae is used to power a health station. You also reach through a window to pull out a bar blocking a door, then toss it to stagger an approaching zombie.

Video two opens with a wild hacking minigame that I cannot make heads or tails of. This one has a bit more puzzle-solving in general – there’s another point where you have to sneak a bio-grenade out of an alien mouth-hand, and another where you have to grab some sort of power cell before a Barnacle swallows it.

Then we’ve got pure action against Combine soldiers. Gunplay is enhanced with loads of extra VR interactions, like opening car doors to provide cover, or digging some extra ammo out of a toilet. Naturally, you can also toss live grenades straight back at the bad guys.

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YouTube Thumbnail
YouTube Thumbnail

Check out each of the videos above. Valve still can’t count to Half-Life 3, but at least the studio can count to three Half-Life videos. The Half-Life: Alyx release date is set for March 23, and you can follow that link for much more on everything we know about the game so far.