Half-Life: Alyx needs to be played. Ignoring all the amazing set pieces and revolutionary visual flourishes, if you’re a long-time devout of Valve’s FPS series, there are some vital story moments in the VR shooter that completely change how you look at Half-Life 2 and the episodes. There are ways to play Alyx without an expensive headset (more on that later) and now, as rumors abound that Half-Life 3 might actually, really, truly be in development, the 2020 sequel is available at a historically low price. Maybe it’s a coincidence. Maybe it’s not. But just to be on the safe side, this is probably a good time to give Alyx a whirl.
So, Half-Life 3. As we reported yesterday, the online portfolio for Natasha Chandel, a voice performer whose credits include Fallout 76 and Starfield, makes mention of a ‘Project White Sands,’ in production at Valve. The White Sands are a desert and missile testing area in New Mexico; New Mexico is where the Black Mesa lab from the original Half-Life is located. Whether this signals that the long-awaited FPS game is truly in the works remains to be seen. While speculation circulates, Valve is selling Half-Life: Alyx at a 66% discount.
A prequel to Half-Life 2, without dropping spoilers, Alyx nevertheless has implications for the main game’s story – what begins as a spinoff becomes a full, fresh chapter in the ongoing Half-Life canon.
Officially it’s only available in VR, but the revolutionary ‘Half-Life: Alyx No VR mod’ turns Alyx into a regular shooter that you can even play on Steam Deck. In combination with this new sale, where the FPS is down to $20.39 / £16.99, this is the perfect time to play Half-Life: Alyx. If you want to give it a go, just head here.
Otherwise, find out the full story behind whatever happened to Half-Life 3. You can also check out all the best upcoming PC games on their way this year and beyond.
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