User Score
9.2

Universal acclaim- based on 2812 Ratings

User score distribution:

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  1. Sep 10, 2023
    10
    This is the greatest game of all time best graphics sound physics enemy design miles better than mw trashfire 2 woke edition
  2. Sep 10, 2023
    10
    best pcvr game, why, because its half-life, hopefuilly there will be a sequel in which you play as gordon
  3. Sep 3, 2023
    10
    Это воистину ещё одна великая часть half life
  4. Aug 27, 2023
    10
    What a beautiful way to return in this legendary franchise! Such an immersive gameplay that couldn't be possible without VR. I'm happy they tried this option out, despite all the critics saying they ruined it with the VR stuff. Audiovisual masterpiece with heartwarming ending for a long time fan. That's a serious 10/10 from me! Can't wait to give it a another go wireless with Quest 3.
  5. Aug 16, 2023
    10
    This game is Incredible. I bought Valve index just because of this masterpiece, Somehow Valve makes this game looks too good in VR. The game looks phenomenal that sometime i fogot it's a VR game lol, it even looks better than many flat games. The Audio and physics system are great too.
  6. Aug 10, 2023
    10
    Best VR game of all time in the best fps franchise. Characters, narrative, art. All cools
  7. Aug 4, 2023
    10
    This is an outstanding and moving game. It's much more different than many games and movies.
  8. Aug 4, 2023
    10
    I played on novr but graphics are so good , gameplay is good only issue is money i buy it for 26$ but I dont count money as an negative buy it on sale lol
  9. Jul 31, 2023
    0
    Absolutely incredible almost all aspects and hands down the best gaming experience I’ve had. Can be a bit scary sometimes, but the gun play is amazing and the mechanics are as well. Absolutely makes VR worth it.
  10. Jul 28, 2023
    10
    Easily the best Half-Life game and probably my vote for greatest video game of all time. 10/10
  11. Jul 19, 2023
    10
    Best VR experiencie so far, most bad reviews is just people criticizing because a VR game is ony playable on VR, or they don't know anything about half life.
  12. Jul 2, 2023
    9
    This game just don't get full score because I wanted to play it like a 'regular' shooter, no VR stuff. But God... the game is great! And G-Man is a hot grandpa!
  13. Jun 7, 2023
    10
    Best vr game to date still in june 2023. I played through this game several times.
  14. Jun 2, 2023
    10
    Every moment in this game blows my mind. All hail Gaben, he hath delivered.
    I even forgot I was playing a game after a while. It's the best thing that happened to VR since VR Skyrim
  15. May 13, 2023
    0
    Tabii, Half-Life: Alyx oyununun kötü yanlarına ilişkin bir İngilizce inceleme yazabilirim. İşte örnek bir yazı:

    Half-Life: Alyx is one of the most hyped virtual reality games of recent years, but it falls short in many areas. While it offers a compelling story and immersive gameplay, there are several aspects that are frustrating and disappointing. Firstly, the game is incredibly
    Tabii, Half-Life: Alyx oyununun kötü yanlarına ilişkin bir İngilizce inceleme yazabilirim. İşte örnek bir yazı:

    Half-Life: Alyx is one of the most hyped virtual reality games of recent years, but it falls short in many areas. While it offers a compelling story and immersive gameplay, there are several aspects that are frustrating and disappointing.

    Firstly, the game is incredibly demanding on computer hardware. Most players will need a top-of-the-line gaming PC to run it smoothly, which is a huge barrier to entry for many. Additionally, the game's reliance on VR technology limits its audience even further, as not everyone has access to VR headsets.

    Secondly, the controls can be clunky and unintuitive, particularly when it comes to interacting with objects in the environment. This can be frustrating and immersion-breaking, as players struggle to pick up and manipulate objects in a natural and intuitive way.

    Finally, the game's pacing is uneven, with long stretches of exploration and puzzle-solving punctuated by intense combat sequences. While this can be effective at times, it can also feel repetitive and unbalanced.

    Overall, Half-Life: Alyx is a visually stunning and immersive game, but its demanding hardware requirements, clunky controls, and uneven pacing make it a flawed experience.
    Expand
  16. Apr 5, 2023
    10
    Best VR game ever.... so far! I'm super happy they brought us back to Half Life. Everything is perfect story Graphics control gameplay voice acting all perfect
  17. Mar 25, 2023
    10
    Спасибо! Лучшая из VR игр, и лучшая часть half-life. Но все же, следующую часть хотелось бы не в VR
  18. Mar 10, 2023
    0
    Its a great shame its VR only, they really did us dirty +++++++++++++++++++
  19. Mar 6, 2023
    9
    Este juego aún no lo eh jugado o completado, así que pondré una reseña y nota diferentes cuando lo haga.
  20. Feb 23, 2023
    10
    Borrowed my friends VR to play this game since I'm a fan of Half-Life. Was skeptical about how it would play..WOW this game blew me away! If you have or can get your hands on a VR then this is a must play
  21. Feb 6, 2023
    10
    It's a shame this is the only truly AAA VR exclusive currently out, but God Damn, there hasn't been a system-seller this compelling since Super Mario 64. It's good to know Valve hasn't given up on game development, or the half-life franchise. Here's hoping this wasn't a outlier.
  22. Jan 22, 2023
    10
    this is the best. best looking vr game ever AND ITS HALF LIFE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! the story is classive valve flavoured, just perfect it explains so much yet also leaves you on such a big cliff hanger waiting for half life : 2077 (realease date) the graphics are just eye candy (if you dont get motion sick) head crabs actually look terrifying now jumping at you from the dark is horrifying nowthis is the best. best looking vr game ever AND ITS HALF LIFE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! the story is classive valve flavoured, just perfect it explains so much yet also leaves you on such a big cliff hanger waiting for half life : 2077 (realease date) the graphics are just eye candy (if you dont get motion sick) head crabs actually look terrifying now jumping at you from the dark is horrifying now and the ending is just such a cliff hanger there just needs to be a new title in the half life series when a half life 3 comes out the world is going to end. 10/10 best vr experience ever. Expand
  23. Jan 20, 2023
    10
    Half Life Alyx is more than proof that Valve still knows how to make godlike games.

    Do yourself a favor, it is worth to buy a VR headset just for this game (sell the headset later if no other VR game interest you)
  24. Jan 14, 2023
    0
    Most overrated game of all time again in VR. Same way people overrate nonsensical art, they overrate this "game" only to show their own superiority and ego. No surprise. The Bussiness of valve stands on those people.

    - shallow story . shalow npc, blabbering all time - shalow enemies, dead in one hit - easy to play/win gameplay - shallow graphic which is ugly as before, wow, 10
    Most overrated game of all time again in VR. Same way people overrate nonsensical art, they overrate this "game" only to show their own superiority and ego. No surprise. The Bussiness of valve stands on those people.

    - shallow story
    . shalow npc, blabbering all time
    - shalow enemies, dead in one hit
    - easy to play/win gameplay
    - shallow graphic which is ugly as before, wow, 10 years, nothing changed
    - "Gabe" man image of what gabe tumor newell wanna be, but never be.

    No reason to play this, what keeps it alive is nostalgia.

    #StopSteam #StopNewell #FreeGameIndustry
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  25. Dec 1, 2022
    0
    This game makes every other Virtual Reality "effort" almost an embarrassment by comparison. Say what you will about Valve and their taxes and hats, they almost always hit a home run when it comes to game development.
  26. Nov 18, 2022
    10
    Espetacular! Gráficos excelentes. Ótima jogabilidade. Uma boa história. Uma imersão e aparência de realidade absurda. Um dos melhores jogos que já joguei. Queria que fosse mais longo.
  27. Nov 16, 2022
    9
    This is one of the best VR games ive ever played, the horror part of the game can be way to scary depending on how scared you get playing games, if you are normally scared playing games i recommend you turn on developer commentary.
  28. Nov 6, 2022
    0
    Whoever decided to make the game for VR, and especially SteamVR developers - just burn in hell pls. I ruined around 8 hours of my life trying to figure out how to run it as with each new method it just spited another error and in the best case showing black screen instead of game (it worked well on pc screen tho, just couldn't do anything). Don't understand why it was a probleem to justWhoever decided to make the game for VR, and especially SteamVR developers - just burn in hell pls. I ruined around 8 hours of my life trying to figure out how to run it as with each new method it just spited another error and in the best case showing black screen instead of game (it worked well on pc screen tho, just couldn't do anything). Don't understand why it was a probleem to just make 2 mods (VR and no-VR) so everyone could try it. Valve could focus on a great gameplay/concepts as they always do, instead of just putting the same game into VR which bugged af and even doesn't work.
    They'll soon complain that no one buys single player games anymore and continue add new hats to DOTA.
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  29. Apr 12, 2020
    10
    I've been playing PC games since 1989 and Alyx easily rankes among my top 5 best games ever played. Half-Life has always been on the forefront of what is technologically possible on PC and Alyx is no exception. With Alyx Valve has set a new standard for VR.

    Unfortunately there are a lot of haters out there that are review bombing this game. It isn't that they don't like the game. They
    I've been playing PC games since 1989 and Alyx easily rankes among my top 5 best games ever played. Half-Life has always been on the forefront of what is technologically possible on PC and Alyx is no exception. With Alyx Valve has set a new standard for VR.

    Unfortunately there are a lot of haters out there that are review bombing this game. It isn't that they don't like the game. They would like it if they were able to play it. They are just mad that they can't play because they don't have a VR headset. Exclusives have always existed on any platform, but not being able to play an exclusive is no reason to dislike the game.
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  30. Oct 15, 2022
    10
    Best vr game i have ever played. The story is great and the game is very detailed. You can clearly tell that the developers put a lot of time and effort into this game and truly cared.
  31. Sep 5, 2022
    10
    This is hands down the best VR game ever to be made. Its as ground-breaking as Half Life 2 was when that came out. It changed everything. And this has changed the fact that you can make a compelling game in VR, a big budget VR blockbuster. The game itself is just perfect. I love the characters, Russell being the standout for me. His witty lines kept me chuckling throughout. But this isThis is hands down the best VR game ever to be made. Its as ground-breaking as Half Life 2 was when that came out. It changed everything. And this has changed the fact that you can make a compelling game in VR, a big budget VR blockbuster. The game itself is just perfect. I love the characters, Russell being the standout for me. His witty lines kept me chuckling throughout. But this is what Valve does best. They make amazing games. This is a thing of beauty when you play it. I've never forgotten I was playing a video game before. But this happened while playing this, someone spoke to me while I was playing and for a second I had to work out where the sound came from. It's the first time I've ever lost myself like that in a game. You know what, I'm submitting this review and I'm going to go play some more. Expand
  32. Jul 2, 2022
    10
    A breath-taking VR title

    This is so far ahead of any other VR game.
    Its simple if you have VR and a machine that can play it buy it!!!
  33. Jun 24, 2022
    8
    Probably the best VR title so far. I'm not going to debate weather that game has exceeded my own expectations or not, but this is a worthy continuation.
  34. Jun 22, 2022
    9
    The best VR game I have ever played. Its the only VR game I have played where I forgot I was in VR.
  35. Jun 4, 2022
    10
    The best VR game ever. The storytelling and puzzles are out of this world. It's a lot of horror and the game gives me anxiety but I'm also living actually inside the world, fighting against the monsters and the combine. I have never gotten such experience in any other game.
  36. May 31, 2022
    10
    ЭТО! ПРОСТО! НЕВЕРОЯТНО!
    Я просто на просто потерял дар речи!
    THANK YOU VALVE!!!!!!!
  37. May 10, 2022
    10
    very interesting plot cool graphics some pluses waiting for half-life 3 continue 10 out of 10
  38. Apr 20, 2022
    10
    Trovo questo gioco il migliore uscito quest'anno e anche il più rivoluzionario. Proprio come il 2 cambiò la storia nel 2004 half Life alyx consacra la realtà virtuale quest' anno. Divertente, immersivo, vario, semplicemente un capolavoro. L'ennesimo di Valve. The last of us 2 orrido in confronto a questo. La trashata commerciale contro il rivoluzionario
  39. Apr 4, 2022
    9
    Very good game. Very great interactivity and a lot of player interaction with the world. Good graphics, game design and thoughtfulness.
  40. Apr 2, 2022
    10
    Valve's still got it! This is a great VR game. It's a great Half-Life game. The graphics are the best I've ever seen in VR. The story is phenomenal. There is more comedy than I'm used to in my half-life but that's not a bad thing. Some other parts are downright terrifying and I had to take a break after. The interaction with the environment is done well, from the way you can place yourValve's still got it! This is a great VR game. It's a great Half-Life game. The graphics are the best I've ever seen in VR. The story is phenomenal. There is more comedy than I'm used to in my half-life but that's not a bad thing. Some other parts are downright terrifying and I had to take a break after. The interaction with the environment is done well, from the way you can place your hands against things to the way you can push around objects. The ending hits like a punch to the gut. Please don't make me wait another 13 years for the next one! My only disappointment is the lack of throwing or melee combat. In a game where you can pick up and throw literally everything around you it seems like a huge missed opportunity. Expand
  41. Mar 17, 2022
    10
    Masterpiece of gaming
    Everyone should play just for this. even My **** RX470 graphics card, this game was **** amazing

    Btw don't use Oculus. worst mistake of my life. use Windows MR or HTC instead
  42. Mar 5, 2022
    10
    A İNCREDİBLE GAME FROM BEST GAME SERİE. İ HOPE SERİE CONTİUNE WİTH HALFLİFE 3
  43. Feb 24, 2022
    9
    An insane VR experience, the best by far. HL:ALYX looks like a PC video game, it is insane how they have been anle to create this world where you can interact with everything along with those beaautiful graphics.
    Valve has set a new standard for VR games,
  44. Feb 4, 2022
    10
    This is easily in my list of favorite games of all time (no, not just VR-Games).

    This IS the first AAA VR-Game and can easily hold itself against the best Games ever made. ------- At the same time, it captures the essence of the amazing Half-Life Universe perfectly while also bringing some new aspects to it (like a speaking protagonist, new creatures and of course everything that
    This is easily in my list of favorite games of all time (no, not just VR-Games).

    This IS the first AAA VR-Game and can easily hold itself against the best Games ever made.
    -------
    At the same time, it captures the essence of the amazing Half-Life Universe perfectly while also bringing some new aspects to it (like a speaking protagonist, new creatures and of course everything that comes with it being a VR-Game).

    The Story and especially world-building is (as always for Half-Life) almost perfect, even if in the first few chapters there is not much going on in our main storyline. This, like many other decisions like it, could however be seen as a strategic choice by Valve in order to slowly introduce Players to VR and even Half-Life itself (as it will be the case for many players since the last Half-LIfe is 13 years old).
    -------
    At the end of the day, this game is easily a 10/10 for me and probably in my top 5 games of all time so far.
    Expand
  45. Jan 28, 2022
    9
    Half Life: Alyx really shows the potential of what VR gaming has to offer. It clearly shows that there are some experiences only VR can accomplish, and I'm 100% certain it laid the groundworks for triple A VR games to come out in the future. Is it a perfect game on it's own? No. But it does have a unique experience you can't replicate in a non-VR way.
  46. Jan 25, 2022
    10
    Only thing that can be said Masterpiece. Greatest VR game.
    ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
    10 Back
    ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
  47. Jan 24, 2022
    8
    I played the game through oculus quest 2 link cable and I really enjoyed it.the graphics looked good to me. The music, gameplay, and story were all awesome.
  48. Jan 17, 2022
    10
    일반적인 게임으로 본다면 약간 식상한 작품일수도 있지만 VR로 본다면 보석중의 보석임을. 이 작품의 출현으로 우린 이제 VR로는 이런것도 할 수 있다라고 자랑할 수 있게됬다.
  49. Jan 15, 2022
    10
    This is the beginning of the greatest revolution in the gaming industry that I have ever seen. The ending is amazing! I put 10/10 without any doubt! This is the future!
  50. Jan 12, 2022
    10
    So much better than expected – a real Halflife game in every way and also THE best VR-game so far. Absolutely love it. Halflife 3 in VR? Yes, take my money!
  51. Jan 12, 2022
    10
    One of the best games I have ever played. If you have a VR headset get this asap. It goes 50% off on major steam sales.

    Gunplay, immersion, graphics, atmosphere, story. It's all here.
  52. Jan 5, 2022
    10
    Long time ago I was played Half Life-2 and sometimes my hands trembled and sweated. This was amazing game, very convincing and empathetic. Today many games is nothing worth, like new Assassin's Creed series, new Far Cry series, and others...
    But Alyx! Alyx is super game, very impressive!
    My hands tremble and sweat again!
    It's incredible! A rare game today leaves such an impression
  53. Dec 31, 2021
    10
    Half life alyx.............................................................
  54. Dec 18, 2021
    10
    Оценивая игру с точки зрения виар - действительно отличная графика, интересный и увлекательный геймплей.
  55. Dec 5, 2021
    10
    Masterpiece. Most innovative game I've played in my life. It was also nice to return to HL universe after a decade.
  56. Nov 20, 2021
    10
    One of the best VR games I have ever played. But look out for Jeff. He's a mean one.
  57. Nov 15, 2021
    10
    Dazu kann man nicht viel sagen... Wenn ihr eine VR Brille habt seid ihr quasi verpflichtet dieses Game zu kaufen. Bisher das beste VR Game überhaupt.
  58. Nov 14, 2021
    10
    The best VR game to date and a fantastic continuation of the half-life saga, It's the closest thing we got to a half life 3.
  59. Oct 22, 2021
    9
    A really amazing experience. The only drawbacks is the price point of hardware which is hardly the games fault in reality. Story is a bit bland but all the ambience and places you visit are well crafted and truly nice to look at.
  60. Oct 13, 2021
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is a good game for VR. It is a terrible shooter.
    The game mechanics, given that it's VR, are great. It is immersive. You want to go back to it. You feel like you're there. The atmosphere, as with a lot of Valve games, is brilliant.
    As a shooter, it feels like a simple shooting gallery tailored to VR with some additonal logical gimmicks (rather good some of them). Granted, it's understandable. Nobody wants players to hurt themselves in the real environment while dodging the attack of imaginary enemies. VR game design must somehow address the fact that quick reflexes that can be achieved with a joypad or good ol' mouse and keyboard must somehow be transalted to VR without the player breaking a nearby cabinet to pieces along with his/her arm.
    This works very well as a VR tech accomplishment for 2020. One can complete it and enjoy it. But VR still isn't quite there yet. Also, given it's a HL game, did I mention the ridiculously poor script? Never mind.
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  61. Oct 13, 2021
    8
    8/10 - Very good.
    (after 27 hours of playing & completing the game)
    A sensational VR game, it restores my faith in this universe. A slightly horror-like atmosphere, a sensational ending. Fighting with melee weapons is missing. Shooting is very enjoyable, the need to manually reload the weapon is really cool. You can pick up a lot of items and even deflect a jumping headcrab with
    8/10 - Very good.
    (after 27 hours of playing & completing the game)

    A sensational VR game, it restores my faith in this universe. A slightly horror-like atmosphere, a sensational ending.

    Fighting with melee weapons is missing.
    Shooting is very enjoyable, the need to manually reload the weapon is really cool.

    You can pick up a lot of items and even deflect a jumping headcrab with them, but it won't deal any damage to him.

    Unique VR experience.
    I played the game slowly and played with everything I could find.
    Great graphics and lots of beautiful places. It was a really fun experience to play through this game

    I was playing VR on Oculus Quest 2 and Samsung HMD Odyssey + (Windows Mixed Reality)
    Expand
  62. Oct 11, 2021
    0
    At first, it was an amazing game, I absolutely loved it, however, after less than 2 hours of playtime, the game started instantly crashing when launched, saying Timed out waiting for response from mongoose. This bug has been around since the day after its release, and it still hasn't been addressed. I tried contacting steam support however they were completely incompetent and there seemsAt first, it was an amazing game, I absolutely loved it, however, after less than 2 hours of playtime, the game started instantly crashing when launched, saying Timed out waiting for response from mongoose. This bug has been around since the day after its release, and it still hasn't been addressed. I tried contacting steam support however they were completely incompetent and there seems to be no set solution online, only solutions that seem to apparently work for some people and not work for others. Utterly disappointed. Eventually, I just got a refund because after 5 hrs total of attempting to fix this bug, multiple requests for support from steam, all they had to give me was half baked solutions like "You should remove razer software" which I did, and it still didn't work and "You should verify your game files" which I had already done multiple times and I prefaced the whole interaction saying that I had already verified my files for both HL: Alyx and SteamVR multiple times, they also told me to go into the beta version, which I knew wouldn't work due to their incompetence to fix a single bug over the span of more than a year, however, I humoured them and did it anyway, and it still didn't work as I thought. I wish steam started caring about their customer experiences rather than putting crappy staff on their support team and forgetting about it. Expand
  63. Oct 11, 2021
    10
    If you do not know what to play in VR, then I recommend playing in half life:alex.
    Incredible attention to detail, cool gameplay and awesome story.
  64. Oct 11, 2021
    10
    I was extremely sceptical about VR generally and about how great Half-Life as a franchise is, not to mention the divine status that Alyx earned.

    I bought a Quest 2, I bought this game, and now I believe 110% in this technology and medium. Starting with the story, I played all Half-Life games for the first time, for a month, before diving in this part. I was constantly amazed by how
    I was extremely sceptical about VR generally and about how great Half-Life as a franchise is, not to mention the divine status that Alyx earned.

    I bought a Quest 2, I bought this game, and now I believe 110% in this technology and medium.

    Starting with the story, I played all Half-Life games for the first time, for a month, before diving in this part. I was constantly amazed by how interesting and deep the lore went with its universe, and Alyx makes no exception to this aspect - characters are believable, locations have atmosphere, depth and realism to them, and how it all connects to the previous entries is done masterfully.
    In the graphics department, the game deserves a score higher than a 10. Although it has a more "painty" style, like Dishonored for example, it retains the visual fidelity and feel of Half-Life, and I was constantly amazed by the presented vistas. Physics are fantastic, animations are truly life-like, you'll forget about reality with this game.
    In the sound department, it's even better. Music is memorable and adds a punch to every situation, dialogue is good, sound design is better than ever, from the zombies' cries in a dark tunnel, to a headcrab's hissing, to the Combine soldiers speaking to you and among themselves.
    And of course, the gameplay - the gameplay is like nothing you've played before and nothing like you'll play anytime soon. Puzzles and hidden stuff aplenty, combat and gun mechanics that will get you addicted and searching for them in any other game, great variety of levels and mechanics.

    It's simply a must buy, a must play, and it's the reason I've registered on Metacritic to write a review for it. And words can't explain how good this experience is.
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  65. Oct 7, 2021
    10
    This game convinced me VR is the future of gaming. this is an unique experience that every gamer should try
  66. Sep 16, 2021
    10
    Just fantastic. Experienced something I've not before and what any other game couldn't give me. And as always, a perfect well thought trough gameplay. Just brilliant!
  67. Aug 17, 2021
    10
    Though this game is a masterpiece its confusing chronology can be a bit hard to understand.
  68. Jul 22, 2021
    10
    very good very good very good very good very good very good very good very good very good very good very good very good very good very good very good very good very good very good very good very good very good very good very good very good very good very good very good very good
  69. Jul 18, 2021
    10
    The best VR game I've played.
    Most VR games think it's acceptable to only last around 2 hours but this is a decently long game, even for flatscreen games. Most players seem to find it scary, which I did not (apart from one section). It was engrossing and I recommend it to anybody that has a good enough PC to play it.
  70. Jul 12, 2021
    2
    Story: 0/10
    Most cliché story of any game I've ever played. If this was a movie it would've been a complete joke. Very slight spoiler: your objective is to save the world. Amazingly original, I know. Alyx's character is incredibly annoying. She is condescending to the one creature that tries to help her, and she constantly makes snide remarks to the person guiding her through her journey.
    Story: 0/10
    Most cliché story of any game I've ever played. If this was a movie it would've been a complete joke. Very slight spoiler: your objective is to save the world. Amazingly original, I know. Alyx's character is incredibly annoying. She is condescending to the one creature that tries to help her, and she constantly makes snide remarks to the person guiding her through her journey. The story also makes the person who invented the gravity gloves seem stupid. It's supposed to be funny, but I'm not really amused by the "look this guy is so stupid!" kind of humor. You have no choice in what Alyx says, and she basically says the opposite of what I want her to say every single time.

    Gameplay: 3/10
    Guns are really satisfying (reloading and holding your gun "feels" nice. Really well polished) and the upgrade mechanics are nice. Gun fights are pretty fun and the AI is decent. Only issue is the enemies are always in front of you. Flanking typically isn't an option and you kind of just hang out in one cover spot shooting everybody. There's no incentive to move around of anything.

    Problem is, gunfights are about 5-10% of the game. Most of the gameplay is walking around, shooting the occasional headcrab, figuring out where to go next, and solving the same 3D puzzle over and over again. Its a very boring and slow paced game. You're given a flashlight that turns on automatically in the dark, but often it doesn't actually turn on so you can't see what's on the floor and find stuff. Just a minor annoyance. The game has some scary flashlight in the dark scenes, but they're ruined by Alyx's snide remarks throughout them. It's a very linear game. Its essentially just going level to level without any real options. I'd prefer at least a semi open world game like Metro Exodus, but I guess it stays true to HL so not a big deal.

    Graphics: 10/10
    Definitely the best looking VR game I've ever played. Runs really well and looks fantastic. I'd love to see an open world game where you can just go around exploring City 17 with this level of graphically fidelity, but it seems they were only able to achieve this because of linear nature of the game.

    Overall: 2/10
    The occasional fun gun fight and beautiful graphics aren't worth the annoying entitled condescending 19 year old constantly screeching in your ear. A story based game needs a good story and good characters, something HL:A clearly lacks.
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  71. Jul 7, 2021
    10
    Half-Life Alyx is without a doubt the best VR game so far. The depth and details put into this game is insanely incredible, which made me thrilled through the whole campaign of the game. The graphics are superb, even though it is a pity that my vr glasses (occulus rift s) doesn't allow for better graphics. The gameplay is easy to comprehend and get used to, but don't fool yourself thinkingHalf-Life Alyx is without a doubt the best VR game so far. The depth and details put into this game is insanely incredible, which made me thrilled through the whole campaign of the game. The graphics are superb, even though it is a pity that my vr glasses (occulus rift s) doesn't allow for better graphics. The gameplay is easy to comprehend and get used to, but don't fool yourself thinking that it's an easy game. It contains various puzzles which are mostly quite simple and easy to solve, even though entertaining. The level design and scenarios of Half-Life Alyx are simply amazing and probably one of the most impressive features of this game. I hope you enjoy playing Half-Life Alyx as much as I did! Expand
  72. Jun 27, 2021
    10
    Amazing game, Half Life in VR - done well. What an experience. This is the future! Highly recommended. One of my few 10/10s!
  73. Jun 12, 2021
    10
    Amazing game! You will need at least a little knowledge from the previous two games, I didn't beat them but I played through them at least partially, so I wasn't completely blind going into this game.
  74. May 18, 2021
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The choice to make this game VR exclusive really botters me, i've been always against the exclusivity in the industry, there are more ways to compete and innovate than making sth exclusive. The game is worth playing and a great VR experience that is certainly one of the best in this niche market but Half-Life brand is as of now in a limbo, an unfinished narrative that is certainly going to take a lot of time to be finished, the original game certainly can enjoy a remaster by valve, but this entry while being reasonably good, didn't satisfy me. It's not worth getting a VR set just for this game because you are not going to use it after playing this game, the fact that they messed with the end of episode 2 is a bit annoying but let's not judge too fast and see what valve has in mind for this franchise. Expand
  75. May 17, 2021
    4
    No amount of polish can make a fundamentally flawed game good, this is the case with HL:A. No amount of stunning visuals can mask antiquated movement systems, utterly odd physics choices, obviously flawed AI, or simply strange inventory and weapons. There's a sprinkle of humor here and there, but the characters are mostly forgettable. Overall, there's a gimmicky feel that's baked into theNo amount of polish can make a fundamentally flawed game good, this is the case with HL:A. No amount of stunning visuals can mask antiquated movement systems, utterly odd physics choices, obviously flawed AI, or simply strange inventory and weapons. There's a sprinkle of humor here and there, but the characters are mostly forgettable. Overall, there's a gimmicky feel that's baked into the core of the game that stays for the duration of the game. The only thing it's worth playing for is the "A gnome vault of my own" achievement which very few people seem to have, and you get the bragging rights that go along with it. Expand
  76. May 15, 2021
    10
    By far the best title in virtual reality, an excellent graphic quality that will hardly be surpassed soon. Half life is the perfect example of how games should be developed in the VR environment.
  77. May 6, 2021
    5
    The VR market is overpriced, and overrated.

    This is the most average game I've played yet, its so dull and uninspiring its kind of weird that its made by Valve, it honestly feels like a very polished school project.

    Ahh, what the OG developers could have done with VR.....
  78. Apr 25, 2021
    9
    The fact that this game is VR-Only really bugs me, i don't know if Valve is going the right direction or not but many people don't have access to this game my buddy has the money for VR but he really doesn't want to buy a thing that he will probably only use once, but it's still good to see valve making games.
  79. Apr 14, 2021
    10
    Sensational game. Not only is this the best VR game so far. It's up there with the absolute greats. If you have a vr headset that's compatible with this game and you haven't played it, you need to!
  80. Apr 13, 2021
    10
    Played it on quest 2 and rtx 2060. I have bought the headset just to play this game and it worth every penny. Amazing game, especially if you are into the previous half life titles. It is a bit scary, fun and a revolutionary as a true half life.
  81. Apr 10, 2021
    10
    Huge surprise by Valve and an ending that left me shook. One of the biggest reasons to get VR.
  82. Apr 9, 2021
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is by far the best game I have ever played. Period. The environments look better than anything I have ever seen before, the storytelling is awesome as always, and every little detail has been accounted for. It's evident that Valve has spent a long time working on this game, and all of that work has paid off. It's fun to look around for resin, which you can use to upgrade your weapons, along with ammunition and health. It's no fun if you run out of ammo because your options become very limited due to the lack of melee combat. You can pick up things and throw them at enemies for a small amount of damage to be dealt, but it isn't very good. If you own a VR headset and a VR-ready PC, buy this game right now and play it. You won't regret it. Even on a lower-end PC, the game looks really good. Do not buy a VR headset and a PC solely for this game. Only do that if you're absolutely sure you want to invest in VR. I can't stress that enough. All of the negative reviews saying "WHY IS IT VR WHERE IS GORDON WAAAAH" don't understand at all. The puzzles are only capable of being done in VR. And Gordon is currently held in stasis by G-Man, as this takes place before HL 2. Plus, it's called Half-Life: Alyx. You can't expect Gordon to be there. (PS: Gordon IS in the game.) These negative reviews are all whining about how it isn't the HL they know, but they can't be serious. Sometimes they even say how "expensive" it is to play when you can get a VR headset for as low as $150 nowadays, and you don't even need that much of a PC. The minimum specs are a GTX 1060/RX 580, a Core i5-7500/Ryzen 5 1600, and 12 GB of RAM. Those altogether (including a headset) are ~$1400. And I doubt that they don't at least have a system that is close to this that doesn't require as many replacement parts. These people are quite literally stuck in the past and can't seem to grasp how this game is a prequel and isn't supposed to be HL 3. I'm sorry for critiquing those people in this way, but they're not giving this game a chance at all. Somebody even said that the game "looks like they took 2004's Half-Life 2... but in VR." Did some of these people even bother to play the game for more than 30 minutes? Expand
  83. Apr 3, 2021
    10
    Better than real life, here i can finally life to the fullest lol 10/10 would love to go back
  84. Mar 21, 2021
    9
    Dieses Spiel ist der Durchbruch für VR-Gaming. Sicher kann man einige Sachen verbessern aber es ist eine echte Pionierarbeit.
  85. Mar 16, 2021
    10
    its half life 3. thats it. thats the review. its the perfect game. literally nothing wrong with it. all praise gaben our lord and saviour
  86. Mar 3, 2021
    7
    It's a great tech demo but not a great game. The interaction with the world is nice and really shows what is possible in VR. The leveldesign is boring and dull and far inferior to previous HalfLife entries.
    The story is okay but nothing special. Dialogues are kinda cringy.I was expecting a lot more from a HalfLife game when it comes to story telling, atmosphere and leveldesign.
  87. Feb 16, 2021
    10
    Best VR Game ever. This game competes and embarrasses Non-VR Games too. Great combat with great level design and a nice story. This game is genuinely scary too. Some of the puzzles are complete BS, and sometimes I have no clue where to go, but other than that, it's a fantastic game.
  88. Feb 11, 2021
    10
    It was one of the first games I got for VR and might take some time before something beats it. Valve has done it again and set the bar for VR experiences incredibly high.
  89. Feb 10, 2021
    10
    it is what Avatar was for the movies. My expectation was high. It blow it! maybe it's cause i own a rtx 3080 card and a reverb G2.
    But dawn this game is crazy. To be honest; it have more inpact on gaming than the legendary Super mario bros( For Me ). Hope every gamers experience it in there life sometime. i know it's not possible right now for everybody. But guys...those guys are just genius.
  90. Feb 10, 2021
    10
    It is not HL³ but it is a preparation for it!

    The ending worth the entire game.
  91. Feb 1, 2021
    9
    Hello there. Yeah series of the Half-life games have been legendary. Alyx continue it worthy; bringing new creatures, combines, to our understanding of the Half-Life world. At expense of VR we can dive in the days, going up to the second part. Alyx shows us the cities captured by the Alliances from the other side: architecture is not yet so disfigured, a cat is sitting on the balcony. TheHello there. Yeah series of the Half-life games have been legendary. Alyx continue it worthy; bringing new creatures, combines, to our understanding of the Half-Life world. At expense of VR we can dive in the days, going up to the second part. Alyx shows us the cities captured by the Alliances from the other side: architecture is not yet so disfigured, a cat is sitting on the balcony. The plot in the game is quite fascinating, there is a shooter and action. And for this we love Half-Life Alyx. The game deserves 9 points Expand
  92. Feb 1, 2021
    10
    Half-Life: Alyx es un videojuego perteneciente al género de disparos en primera persona en realidad virtual (VR) desarrollado y publicado por Valve Corporation. Es el primer videojuego de la serie Half-Life desde el lanzamiento de Half-Life 2: Episode Two en 2007, y tiene lugar entre los eventos de Half-Life y Half-Life 2. La historia sigue a Alyx Vance, quien aparece como personajeHalf-Life: Alyx es un videojuego perteneciente al género de disparos en primera persona en realidad virtual (VR) desarrollado y publicado por Valve Corporation. Es el primer videojuego de la serie Half-Life desde el lanzamiento de Half-Life 2: Episode Two en 2007, y tiene lugar entre los eventos de Half-Life y Half-Life 2. La historia sigue a Alyx Vance, quien aparece como personaje jugador por primera vez, y su padre Eli en su lucha contra una ocupación de la Tierra por la Alianza. 1El videojuego fue desarrollado usando el motor Source 2 y funciona con todos los visores compatibles con SteamVR, incluyendo a Valve Index, HTC Vive, Oculus Rift y Windows Mixed Reality. Su lanzamiento se produjo el 23 de marzo de 2020.1​ Expand
  93. Jan 28, 2021
    9
    Specs: RX580 8GB Red Dragon Powercolor, jet engine model.
    R5 3600
    Oculus Quest 1, virtual desktop wireless PCVR streaming. Compared to PSVR and native Quest games, Half-Life Alyx, even on medium fidelity, looks pretty good. the art style and use of light and shadows is done pretty good. The controls, even on a Quest set-up, also work very well, with smooth locomotion options and some
    Specs: RX580 8GB Red Dragon Powercolor, jet engine model.
    R5 3600
    Oculus Quest 1, virtual desktop wireless PCVR streaming.

    Compared to PSVR and native Quest games, Half-Life Alyx, even on medium fidelity, looks pretty good. the art style and use of light and shadows is done pretty good. The controls, even on a Quest set-up, also work very well, with smooth locomotion options and some pretty nice VR interactivity. Shooting feels nice, although I would have much preferred body mounted UI with holsters, shoulder holsters, and a utility belt to the button swipe weapon switching. Mild nitpick anyways, the game lets you eject your magazine, place a new one in and slide the rack back, which still is not done by every vr game. While I'm nitpicking, as a left handed shooter, a body mounted UI would have let me freely switch hands between weapons, (right hand for handguns, left hand for shotguns, just like in real life for me) but as it is with a lot of VR games, your weapon is stuck to your primary hand. If you want the gun on the left side it switches locomotion to the right controller, and considering character movement has been mapped to the left side of any controller since the NES, I cannot adapt to that. So I'm stuck shooting right handed, which works better in this game than most for me, but not ideal as I am nearly blind in my right eye. Overall, the controls work well, are easily memorized and never lose tracking or otherwise fail me.

    The gameplay is very good, but not great. If you've played other Half Life games, I'll have you know that general level traversal is pretty much the same. Linear paths, broken up with secret item caches, enemies, and a decent amount of problem solving and mild puzzle elements. I think VR suits the problem solving aspects of Half Life very well. Little gimmicks like pushing barrels over to pull a valve handle off of a broken railing, turning it with your own hands, smashing boxes and throwing trash away to find missing batteries and ammo work really well and are really immersive. The combat, however, can be a bit generic. This is the kind of game you get as a full package, because if you were expecting top of the line VR action and mechanics, this is gonna mildly disappoint. The combat is very slow paced, and really spread out. You'll only be fighting 2-5 enemies at one time for the most part, and they aren't nearly as aggressive or resourceful as in past Half-Life games. The combat IS fun, but compared to the past Half-Life games, Robo Recall, Sairento, Superhot, even the general feel of Pavlov were that a singleplayer game, it just felt like combat in Alyx went in safe and didn't take any risks. Probably in the name of character legitimacy, since Alyx Vance is not Gordon Freeman. Combat is functional, nice, and in character, I just thought it could be a little better.

    Exploration on the other hand is done much better. The gravity gloves are REALLY gimmicky. But damn, they are fun. Just flick that object towards you and catch it, it doesn't get old. I'm always on the hunt for Resin, a material you collect to upgrade your weapons. It highly rewards slow, methodical exploration, and going out of your way to look through every nook and cranny. It's satisfying to come by in a well hidden spot, and in my opinion, prevents the game from feeling too much like a walking simulator. Hunting for resin is one of the most enjoyable parts of the game for me.

    Overall, it's a very solid game. It's a full length game, not just an experience, and it has AAA level design compared to some other decent VR games that feel like mobile games made for VR. I do think if it wasn't for the VR gimmick, people wouldn't be as impressed by the game, and neither would I. A game like this just wouldn't be as fun to play on a flat screen like the other games, because it's a lot slower paced and personal than Half Life 2. As a VR game though, it goes leaps and bounds above what most games made for VR do with their world building and gameplay length. Worth a buy? Yes.
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  94. Jan 27, 2021
    10
    Life-changing.
    Perfect graphic, Insane storyline;;
    Expecting Half-life 4! LOL
  95. Jan 23, 2021
    10
    Half-Life Alyx is by far one of the most amazing and immersive games I have ever played, and I think it will be a long time before anything else comes close to it. Between the story, the graphics, the gameplay and the setting, HL:A is a must play for anyone who has a PCVR headset, and a great reason to get into VR in the first place.
  96. Jan 18, 2021
    10
    Jeszcze nigdy nie czułem się tak bardzo częścią jakiegoś wirtualnego świata
  97. Jan 12, 2021
    10
    When I bought my VR system in 2019, this is the gaming experience I was hoping to experience. As fun as Beat Saber and SuperHot are, I have been wanting a fully-realized, polished, VR game that truly transplanted me to another world and stripped away the obstacles to immersion.

    No janky distracting body/arms to bug out and distract you, no constant clipping of your hands through
    When I bought my VR system in 2019, this is the gaming experience I was hoping to experience. As fun as Beat Saber and SuperHot are, I have been wanting a fully-realized, polished, VR game that truly transplanted me to another world and stripped away the obstacles to immersion.

    No janky distracting body/arms to bug out and distract you, no constant clipping of your hands through objects, a simple to use and intuitive weapon equipping and inventory system....this game feels great to play and does not drag you down with awkward issues a lot of other VR games have.

    I am really hoping Valve makes more stuff like this.

    And no, you don't have to have played the previous HL games.
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  98. Jan 11, 2021
    10
    Watching other people play this game for the first time (I like dropping them in somewhere in the middle of chapter 2) is almost as fun as playing the game yourself. Half Life Alyx is a jaw dropping, gut wrenching, hopelessly entertaining experience. Simply put, it's ahead of it's time. An utter masterpiece of fiction. Get vr, if only for this game. It's worth it.
  99. Jan 8, 2021
    10
    Absolutely amazing experience. Game is brilliant, thrilling, engaging, so well designed. Must play! VR need more games like this!
  100. Jan 4, 2021
    10
    Лучший представитель VR игр. Увлекательный сюжет с гениальной концовкой. Множество интересных механик. И отличнейшая графика на sourse2.
Metascore
93

Universal acclaim - based on 69 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 67 out of 69
  2. Negative: 0 out of 69
  1. Dec 21, 2020
    95
    Half-Life Alyx is proof that Valve is still at its best creatively. This emblematic franchise has been brought to virtual reality; in Alyx we enjoy an immersion never seen before, with comfortable and intuitive mechanics as well as excellent visuals and atmosphere that accompany this interesting adventure within the iconic saga.
  2. Game World Navigator Magazine
    May 21, 2020
    92
    It’s a good thing that Valve didn’t add a digit to the title: from Half-Life 3 we expect nothing short of revolution, while Alyx is “merely” an amazing game. [Issue#245, p.50]
  3. May 15, 2020
    100
    A special mention should be made of the game's dialog, mainly consisting of Alyx herself and Russel, a scientist who Alex remains in constant communication with throughout the game. Their relationship feels genuine, the conversations between them are enjoyable, and almost all of the intended comedic moments land perfectly, which is something most video games seem to have trouble with.