Valve finally announces a new Half-Life instalment, and it’s a prequel entirely in VR

Be still my thumping heart — 12 years since we last navigated the grim post-apocalyptic world as hero-scientist Gordon Freeman, there will soon be a new Half-Life game. 

Somebody hold me, I feel faint. 

Granted, Valve’s new entry in the Half-Life universe is not Half-Life 3, probably the most anticipated video game in the universe. Instead, Half-Life: Alyx will be a prequel of sorts set during the period between the first and second games. 

Depending on your feelings towards virtual reality, you may either hate or love the fact that the game will be entirely VR-exclusive, and will only run on any SteamVR compatible system. So even if you don’t have Valve’s own Valve Index headset, you can run the game on the Oculus Rift, the HTC Vive, and the various headsets in the Windows Mixed Reality ecosystem. 

[embed]https://twitter.com/valvesoftware/status/1197578067327119360[/embed]

To say that this is monumental news in the gaming world would be an understatement. This is Half-Life we’re talking about! The most beloved series of all time that changed gaming forever, transforming how we all think about storytelling and design in video games when Half-Life dropped in 1998. Then Half-Life 2 dropped in 2004 and revolutionised everything again with top-notch graphics (for that time) and advanced video game physics. 

I mean sure, Half-Life: Alyx is no Half-Life 3, but Valve has guaranteed that it’s not a short tech demo at all. “It’s not a side story, nor an episodic one — it’s the next part of the Half-Life story, in a game around the same length as Half-Life 2,” Valve’s veteran programmer David Speyrer assured The Verge. 

It certainly helps that the announcement trailer for the game is certifiably and undeniably awesome. Just witness how all the VR mechanics are weaved in perfectly in the Half-Life world. 

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2W0N3uKXmo[/embed]

In case it’s not obvious already, Half-Life: Alyx will put you in the shoes of Alyx Vance, the character introduced in Half-Life 2 and follows you through the game’s two extended episodes. Speyrer has said that it’s actually recommended that players play through Half-Life 2: Episode 2 before playing Half-Life: Alyx — “for reasons that will become clear as you progress”. 

“Everyone at Valve is excited to be returning to the world of Half-Life”, said Valve founder (and our lord and saviour) Gabe Newell in a statement. 

“VR has energised us. We’ve invested a lot of ourselves in the technology. But we’re also game developers at heart, and to be devoting ourselves to a VR game this ambitious is just as exciting.”

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9K0eJEmMEw[/embed]

Half-Life: Alyx is out for pre-order right now on the Steam store for $44.10, and will launch in April 2020 — hopefully giving you ample time to save up for a VR headset and a PC powerful enough to run it. 

ilyas@asiaone.com