![]() ![]() Valve has taken everything which has already been built before in virtual reality and refined it, taking cues from all kinds of different games which came before Half-Life: Alyx but somehow still remaining an intrinsically classic Half-Life experience. When all else fails, it's even possible to trap enemies like headcrabs in items like boxes and large kitchen pots, and some great fun can be had by holding a large item in front of Alyx like a shield and simply batting smaller creatures out of the way. Environmental items, such as alien grenades and explosive barrels, are also littered around the stages rather liberally, offering players multiple options on how to approach combat encounters. The ammunition distribution in Half-Life: Alyx feels perfectly balanced, with players very rarely running into situations where they are completely out of ammo and helpless unless they are especially bad shots. Related: Does Half-Life: Alyx Set Up A Real Half-Life 3? Half-Life: Alyx's grenade-launching attachment is especially useful, as it also allows the player to store an extra grenade on their shotgun itself. Alyx's pistol can be fitted with a reflex sight to show enemy weak points, her shotgun can be upgraded to include a grenade-launching attachment, and her assault rifle can be modified to take three energy cell canisters instead of just one, increasing the amount of available ammo. Unlike the large weapon selection wheel of most first-person games, Half-Life: Alyx only provides players with three different guns, but each of them can be modified in different ways to become better and more useful throughout the journey. Thankfully, there are a number of items, weapons, and tricks players have at their disposal in order to survive the numerous enemies they will come across in their twelve-to-fifteen hour journey. Virtual reality adds a whole new level of stress, immersion, and urgency to any sort of engagement Alyx encounters, whether it's with one simple headcrab or a room full of Combine soldiers and lightning dogs (the game's stand-out new enemy) and, lacking any sort of physical armor, Alyx can be taken down with only a few shots even on the game's Normal difficulty settings. ![]() Alyx, on the other hand, is a resistance fighter living inside City 17, and although her encounters aren't nearly as large-scale as Freeman's were (with some notable exceptions towards the end of the game) that doesn't mean they're any less intense. ![]() Half-Life and Half-Life 2 were action-focused first-person shooters, with the scientist-turned-hero Gordon Freeman constantly adding more and more weapons to his arsenal and taking out wave after wave of aliens, Combine, and helicopters alike. But I've cracked I don't know how many boxes using my crowbar in Episodes 1 and 2 already, not sure Alyx is worse - or better.There's something else virtual reality adds to the world of Half-Life: Alyx: it turns it into a horror game. Some dude made fun of all the boxes you investigate in Alyx to find resin etc. But I've cracked I don't know how many boxes using my crowbar in Episodes 1 and 2 already, not sure Alyx is worse - or better. On the contrary Alyx can be too immersive - and uncomfortable - due to horror elements and the extreme immersion. The boredom I felt playing Episode 2 today I've never felt that with Alyx. Everything feels light-years ahead of their previous games. With Alyx VR it feels like Valve took the most awesome things from all previous Half-Life games and turned them into the most awesome gaming experience ever know to man. ![]() No wonder Valve stopped after Episode 2 (ok, I've only played one hour, maybe it does get better), but compared to Half-Life 2 (main game), for now Episode 2 has felt like Valve lost their mojo. Those white spider monsters, lol - and having to set up turrets for waves of ant lions. It was really boring, repetitive and uninspiring. The final Strider battle in Episode 1 was pretty good - I did feel some immersion, but Episode 2, at least the first hour, felt more like a cry for help. Animations were quite bad in Episode 2, animations have improved tremendously in Alyx VR - but fun being able to compare Episode 2 directly with Alyx VR. And the game-play felt like something designed for teenagers in Episode 2 - while Alyx feels mature and made for adults. But graphics really did look dated, few polys used for hands, low-res textures - Alyx VR is so much ahead that any comparison simply doesn't make sense. I gave HL2 Episode 2 a go today - in solid 85 fps, all settings maxed. ![]()
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