Half-Life: Alyx

 PC
User Score
9.2

Universal acclaim- based on 2812 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2,575 out of 2812
  2. Mixed: 58 out of 2812
  3. Negative: 179 out of 2812

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  1. Emrgkk
    Mar 24, 2020
    10
    Süper bir deneyim oynamanızı tavsiye ederim bölüm tasarımları iyi hikaye çok iyi yani bir half-life bekleyen için ilaç gibi bir oyun
  2. Fyle
    Mar 24, 2020
    10
    Excellent, the immersion is on point. The gameplay is excellent. The story is as good for fans as it is for new players to HL. A must have for VR users.
  3. VictorFortesque
    Mar 24, 2020
    10
    That's by far the most advanced game in terms of grahics and playability that I have ever seen. The narrative is unbeliveable, it keeps you tense, happy, sad, along the whole game. They did an amazing job, That's a great, GREAT, opportunity to comeback to the HL universe, with a fullblast this time. I really want to see this winning the game of year. **** amazing.
  4. Xosy
    Mar 24, 2020
    10
    Мне игра очень понравилось.графика,сюжет,взаимодействие ,физика, абсолютно всё на высшем уровне
  5. MacJak
    Mar 24, 2020
    10
    Mejor juego de VR en la historia del gaming. Es y será un antes y después el lanzamiento de este videojuego. Y cerrando el voto de silencio de más de 12 años de la saga. Increíble!
  6. minisith
    Mar 24, 2020
    10
    This is the best Half Life game to date. I did not expect Valve to top a Half Life game for VR but they did. This is the most detailed and fully immersed game I have ever seen and I can not wait to see what else Valve makes for VR.
  7. Max373
    Mar 25, 2020
    10
    God gob , valve This good games В эту игру хочется играть постоянно приходя со школы или с работы
  8. mark1neiman
    Mar 26, 2020
    10
    Мне понравилась. По сути это логический продолжение, чтобы возродить серию. Half-life Alyx как бы начальный эксурс в то, что Valve собирается делать в будуещм, так сказать плавное погружение обратно в серию.
    Я считаю, что они сделали правильно, сделав сначала игру про героиню, так как она является так же важным персонажем серии.
    Жалобы по поводу графики не уместны. Графика приятная и    Мне понравилась. По сути это логический продолжение, чтобы возродить серию. Half-life Alyx как бы начальный эксурс в то, что Valve собирается делать в будуещм, так сказать плавное погружение обратно в серию.
    Я считаю, что они сделали правильно, сделав сначала игру про героиню, так как она является так же важным персонажем серии.

    Жалобы по поводу графики не уместны. Графика приятная и чем-то напоминает серию игр Dishonored. Для VR графика уместная, так как не режет глаза изобилием деталей.

    "Не относится к игре"
    Забавно смотреть, что люди делятся в плохих оценках на "графика плохая" и "у меня тормозило и фпс дропы". Ребята, купите себе уже нормальные компьютеры, пожалуйста. Так же люди жалуются на графику - я бы посмотрел как люди играли в VR с изобилием большого количества деталей "crisis", глаза бы из орбит вышли.

    Так же плохие оценки идут от ПК пользователей без VR, молвят, что это не правильно выпускать игры на платформе такой. Игра сделана так, чтобы оно работало с VR! Она построяна на этом и в этом весь сок, ребята.    … Expand
  9. TheFallen1969
    Mar 26, 2020
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Disclaimer: Already a big fan of the half-life series. Was worried it wouldn’t be able to live up to my expectations.... I mean how could it after so many years?? But here I am wishing could give it an 11. The dialogue, the level design, it was all just amazing.

    Spoiler:



    The one level I will talk about was in the early section of the game: the one that made RAVENHOLM feel like a quiet stroll in the park. Maybe being in VR helped with the atmosphere of fear but whatever they did..... it came together beautifully    … Expand
  10. Nomadyb
    Mar 26, 2020
    10
    The 3rd Revolution was made by Valve again, others will walk like half life 1 and 2
  11. ajhorst35
    Mar 26, 2020
    10
    This is the best gaming experience of my life. It’s one of those rare games that raises the bar and blows away everything that came before. It reminds me of when I first played Ocarina of Time or Doom, which both showed the true potential for 3d games over 2D… just like how Alyx shows the true potential of VR over flat.

    Could Ocarina have been made in 2d? Maybe with a ton of    This is the best gaming experience of my life. It’s one of those rare games that raises the bar and blows away everything that came before. It reminds me of when I first played Ocarina of Time or Doom, which both showed the true potential for 3d games over 2D… just like how Alyx shows the true potential of VR over flat.

    Could Ocarina have been made in 2d? Maybe with a ton of compromises, but its almost pointless to ask because the game was designed to take full advantage of what you can do in 3d. This is much like how it’s pointless to ask the possibility of a flat version of Alyx.

    Nearly every critic is rating Alyx a 9 out of 10. I understand their reasoning, but the truth is that this game is far, far better than any other game rated a 9 out of 10. Critics don’t want to give out a 10, which implies perfection, when anyone who plays areas of improvement here and there. The paradox with Alyx is that while imperfect, it is better than any game that has come before. I remember when Doom, Ocarina of Time, (and Half life 2 for that matter) came out, it was difficult to think of a single flaw. As gaming progressed, its now crystal clear that none of those games were anywhere close to perfect.

    In Alyx, there are brief moments when things feel clunky. Certain recent VR games have come out with more advance mechanics. The voice acting doesn’t always match the tone/feel of the player (probably my biggest gripe…I feel like the voice actress for Alyx hadn’t played the game…as everything is far more intense than her tone), you run into some invisible walls, etc.
    That being said, there is absolutely nothing like the core of this game. With VR, you can do things that are otherwise impossible with a mouse and keyboard…and you’re actually doing them! Popping up out of cover with 5 bullets left and one heart of health to take out the last combine soldier is one thing to experience flat…doing it in VR takes it to another level, and you’re left breathless.

    When you run away for cover in a normal video game, t’s a strategy. When you do it in Alyx, you FEEL the need to do it as a fight/flight response. Reloading in a normal videogame involves pressing a button. Your emotional state has nothing to do with the success/failure/speed of the action. In Alyx, all of that comes into play.

    The game is perfectly balanced and paced. They give you the exact amount of ammo you need…no more or no less. Every clip of ammo you find feels critical, and every shot you miss is devastating. I’m not sure if Valve cheats on this by determining how much ammo to place for each playthrough on the fly, but it doesn’t matter. Somehow, I never once totally ran out of ammo, and after every gunfight, I only had a handful of bullets left. Twice I used my last bullet on the last bad-guy.

    The sound is the best of any video game. The music, mixing, sound effects, are all perfect.

    The graphics, art direction, and lighting are the best of any video game. Everything is super detailed, and the world building is astounding.

    The story is classic Valve. If you liked the storytelling in Portal and Half-life games, you’ll love Alyx.

    I feel we will not see anything like Alyx for some time, and possibly the only developer that can pull something like this off is Valve. Think about how much money they’re leaving on the table making this VR only. If they get 100 percent of the addressable market, you’re talking about 2 million in sales. If this were a flat game, with the Half-Life name alone, 20 million in sales would be a disappointment. What other developer would leave over a billion dollars on the table developing a AAA game?    … Expand
  12. mberman
    Mar 26, 2020
    10
    I've been hesitant to get too excited after so many years. I felt completely immersed and could not stop pausing and enjoying the incredible design and level details. I could not stop saying "You clever f***ers" every time I found myself in a clearly well planned sequence. The story gives a very strong idea of the characters relationship with the setting, without needlessly dumpingI've been hesitant to get too excited after so many years. I felt completely immersed and could not stop pausing and enjoying the incredible design and level details. I could not stop saying "You clever f***ers" every time I found myself in a clearly well planned sequence. The story gives a very strong idea of the characters relationship with the setting, without needlessly dumping information on you. There are several "Chekhov's gun" situations, which keeps the flow of the story and level very clean. I only hope people try the game as it is, I only modding it to being non-VR will break you many of the incredible moments within the game.… Expand
  13. PM11
    Mar 27, 2020
    10
    Ta gra jest wspaniałą kontynuacją serii. Cenię przede wszystkim za rozbudowaną i spójną fabułę.
  14. nrdw
    Mar 27, 2020
    10
    an absolutely fenomenal game. everything is impeccable. so glad to finally be able to play a new half life game
  15. shrinerh
    Mar 30, 2020
    10
    Half Life: Alyx is an absolutely phenomenal game. The creative level design, art style, puzzles, and dialog are right at home in the Half Life universe, and while Half Life: Alyx may not be the long awaited Half Life 3, Valve is definitely back at it with a new welcome addition to the Half Life universe. TL;DR below.

    THE PROS: - I continue to struggle to describe the way this game    Half Life: Alyx is an absolutely phenomenal game. The creative level design, art style, puzzles, and dialog are right at home in the Half Life universe, and while Half Life: Alyx may not be the long awaited Half Life 3, Valve is definitely back at it with a new welcome addition to the Half Life universe. TL;DR below.

    THE PROS:

    - I continue to struggle to describe the way this game looks, but I keep coming back to the same term, polished. It's by far the most polished VR game I have ever played, and probably one of the most well polished games I have ever played in general. I could talk for days about how stunningly beautiful this game is. Creative level design aside, taking in the views from City 17 is mesmerizing. From the Citadel towering above the clouds in the beginning of the game to the discarded cereal boxes along the side of the road, every detail is fleshed out to a level we've come to associate with Valve quality.

    - The gun play in this game, while not necessarily as in depth as some other more gun-focused titles, is fantastic. You can't swap hands without changing settings, there are only 3 weapons in total, and there is as of right now no melee combat in the game. HOWEVER, I want to stress this point because I've seen that it's a topic of discussion in more negative reviews, this game benefits from the lack of these features. Half Life has always been about story and lore first. Combat is important, but the world weaving is much more important. The game doesn't give you a lot of ammunition but it gives you enough to get the job done if you get a little strategic. The upgrade system for the weapons you can find is fantastic and works into the game play very, very well. I never found myself wanting, and the 3 guns you get are amazing.

    - The puzzles in this game are some of the most clever I've encountered. The best way I can put it is that they are all engaging enough to never be boring or too time consuming, but simple enough that you won't find yourself getting irritated.

    - The banter back and forth between Alyx and Russell is worth a few laughs and not much else, but it's a welcome addition in my opinion. I'm so used to gaming experiences where I play seemingly as a mute, or my dialog options are silent and responded to out of nowhere. The dialog in Half Life: Alyx is a small part of the game but it's enough to add just a tad more immersion for a VR experience.

    - The game play, ooh the game play. There are a few levels in the game that play like nothing I have ever experienced. Now granted, I'm certainly no professional so my experience may be somewhat limited, but there were so many moments of pure shock to the dynamic environment, moments of "oh you've got to be freakin' kidding me" from the unique challenges that you face, and moments of complete awe from the intricate scenery you're constantly surrounded in. Your spectators from a stream even get a detailed HUD reminiscent of previous Half Life games so they can see your health and ammo easily. You can chose from several movement options, but even when free locomoting, you can still teleport, which I found to be a wonderful combination. It is by far and away the best VR game I have played so far for all of these reasons and more.

    THE CONS:

    - When in free locomotion, Alyx walks a little slow. It's the apocalypse and we're on a mission. We could at least jog.

    - I know I said that limited ammo is a good thing because it makes you be a little more strategic, but I always found myself having more than enough ammo for the pistol and sub-machine gun, while simultaneously never having enough for the shotgun. I've heard that it spawns dynamically depending on what you use most, but I could never use the shotgun the most because I never had enough ammo. The shotgun is the most fun weapon in the game and has the best laser sight by far. Give me some more ammo for it.

    - That's literally it. I'm well known in my circles for being the "I like this, but..." guy, but I genuinely cannot find anything else about this game to complain about other than give me more shotgun shells, and Alyx walks a little too slow. Those are some pretty small complaints.

    IN CONCLUSION (TL;DR):

    Half Life: Alyx is an amazing VR game. You should buy and play it for yourself because it's worth absolutely every penny. It's not without a few shortcomings, but they don't impact my score enough to bring it down to a 9/10. The story keeps you interested, the gun play and game play work incredibly well, and this is by far the most beautiful VR game I've ever seen.

    To those people who are upset that it's only in VR and can't play this game, I'm sorry that you don't get to enjoy it. However, that doesn't mean you should dismiss VR as a gimmick like I see so many people doing. Valve uses Half Life to push boundaries, and this game does that.

    We're here. we're not looking at what VR "can be" anymore. We're looking at what VR already is.    … Expand
  16. andrebolivar
    Feb 10, 2021
    10
    It is not HL³ but it is a preparation for it!

    The ending worth the entire game.
  17. muldjord
    Mar 23, 2020
    10
    OH. MY. GOD! I've only played for 50 minutes when my controller ran out of battery (silly me for forgetting to charge it beforehand) but I can already tell that this game is something special.

    I've had almost constant goosebumps for the first part, and one particular part got me all teary-eyed. And I don't usually get that emotionally invested in VR games. I was speechless at some    OH. MY. GOD! I've only played for 50 minutes when my controller ran out of battery (silly me for forgetting to charge it beforehand) but I can already tell that this game is something special.

    I've had almost constant goosebumps for the first part, and one particular part got me all teary-eyed. And I don't usually get that emotionally invested in VR games.

    I was speechless at some points. It took my breath away! This is VR!

    And oh boy is this a Half-Life game. The environments are incredibly detailed and so Half-Life it makes previous Half-Life games look archaic. As it should be I suppose, given this game is so much newer. But I was worried it might not have that special Half-Life ingredient. Glad to say it does! In spades! Oh my friggin' god it's good!

    Almost everything is interactive beyond what any VR game has done before. And the feeling of presence is the best I've had. You are there! And it's nervewracking. I love it!

    I also have to mention the sounds and music. Half-Life has always had a very special sound to it - basically as important to the Half-Life feel as the world you're inside. And it is also there. Wow, some of those first 50 minutes... Some of the stuff. It was. Yeah, just go play it!    … Expand
  18. Seqwai
    Mar 23, 2020
    10
    23.03.20 20:50. Во-первых это точно совершенно новый шаг в графике vr-индустрии, который был так необходим для долгожданного погружения. Она здесь почти уровня ПК, а в то, что такое случиться с VR, по крайней мере столь скоро нельзя было поверить буквально недавно. Да Valve и первые две части Half-life выпустили с революционной на то время графикой. Действительно, эта компания всегда23.03.20 20:50. Во-первых это точно совершенно новый шаг в графике vr-индустрии, который был так необходим для долгожданного погружения. Она здесь почти уровня ПК, а в то, что такое случиться с VR, по крайней мере столь скоро нельзя было поверить буквально недавно. Да Valve и первые две части Half-life выпустили с революционной на то время графикой. Действительно, эта компания всегда делала Half-life революцией и не прогадала и на сей раз. Эта шикарная графика дополняется невероятно проработанным окружением, так всегда необходимым для VR, но мало кем реализуемым, в слиянии с возможностью взаимодействовать с почти каждым предметом. Буквально, ты всё можешь взять, потрогать, покрутить, бросить и т.д. Геимплей. Ну разве здесь надо что-то говорить? Неужели не было понятно насколько он хорош по трейлерам и официальному геимплею? Это лучшие механики из прошлых частей с добавлением ничем не хуже новых. Хочется отметить, что новая часть не держит в постоянном напряжении, дает порой осмотреться, это скорее плюс. Про сюжет же ничего не могу сказать, т.к. не могу его понять, посмотрев всего 5 минут прямой трансляции на ютуб :)… Expand
  19. Newal
    Mar 23, 2020
    10
    This game will change the way we act to technology in the next 5/8 years. It's a masterpiece non only for the video game industry but for the entire humanity.
  20. Asura7
    Mar 23, 2020
    10
    Хоть я и не являюсь особо ярым фанатом франшизы, но тут готов признать что это 10/10
  21. MrN0Nam3
    Mar 23, 2020
    10
    Amazing game, thank you very much. The best VR experience ever. The game industry needs to have a lesson
  22. Grubocap
    Mar 24, 2020
    10
    Впечатления как от второй, а хотелось бы как от первой. Не без косяков, но моментов "ух" масса, хотя халфа далеко не первое, во что играл в vr.
  23. jeff070496
    Mar 25, 2020
    10
    Amazing graphics, immersive interaction, surprising plot. The lack of choice of weapon is a downside.
  24. Jaffaman
    Mar 23, 2020
    10
    A glimpse at the future. I hope more triple A titles follow, valve shows us the way.
  25. Zenith22
    Mar 23, 2020
    10
    It's surprising, it's fun, it's beautiful. The puzzles are very puzzling. The combat is interactive. There are numerous events that showcase your tiny perspective as huge events unfold. It's not only the best VR game out there, but it's a delightful addition to the Half-Life series. Valve may have single handedly revived VR. Any 0s on Metacritic obviously have not played the game, and theyIt's surprising, it's fun, it's beautiful. The puzzles are very puzzling. The combat is interactive. There are numerous events that showcase your tiny perspective as huge events unfold. It's not only the best VR game out there, but it's a delightful addition to the Half-Life series. Valve may have single handedly revived VR. Any 0s on Metacritic obviously have not played the game, and they are review bombing. Masterpiece.… Expand
  26. Dabszu
    Mar 24, 2020
    10
    It is unbelievably good. Run, don’t walk. Don’t listen to the VR doubters who clearly haven’t tried it. Every bit the follow up game to HL2 we’ve been waiting all these years for.
  27. JRune
    Mar 24, 2020
    10
    Extremely well-crafted game. Such a shame it's being dragged down to an 8.7 because people are pissed over it being a VR exclusive and have never even played the game.
  28. halo_boggle
    Mar 26, 2020
    10
    Valve's done it again, this time with the handicap of a completely new gaming system that few developers truly understand. Their work here will be a lesson in VR game design for an entire generation, just like DOOM was in the 90s.

    It's an experience you couldn't get playing with a keyboard and mouse staring into a stuck rectangular display. The immersiveness of the environments is next    Valve's done it again, this time with the handicap of a completely new gaming system that few developers truly understand. Their work here will be a lesson in VR game design for an entire generation, just like DOOM was in the 90s.

    It's an experience you couldn't get playing with a keyboard and mouse staring into a stuck rectangular display. The immersiveness of the environments is next level thanks to amazing graphics that perform way better than expected and really lovely audio that makes your skin crawl just enough to set the mood, but not enough to consider this a horror title. The game makes you look around, peek your head through holes, stick your hands in many a gross place; even just grabbing onto a door handle and slowly pulling it open feels unbelievably satsifying. Classic Valve story pacing is also on display here, with wonderful voice acting wit and fun moments to break apart the monotony. Nobody does it like Valve, and certainly nobody is doing anything like this in VR yet.

    This is already the best VR title ever released by virtue of its actual AAA level graphics, voice acting, story, and gameplay. In VR land you absolutely will not find a game as complete, well polished, and fun-- nothing even comes close. This might even be the best all-around single player title of 2020, it really is that good. The fact that VR can rival traditional games was a dream just a few months ago, to have that even be a possibility means Valve did something amazing here.

    There are very few things to actually criticize in this game; a few awkward tasks, a few silly limitations brought on by the new medium (no crowbar? wildly swinging your hand about is probably not a great idea), but all in all this game feels like a full length Half Life release. Sure, it's not Half Life 3, and if that disappoints you, not even an actual release of Half Life 3 would truly sate your unrealistic expectations.    … Expand
  29. gamer570
    Mar 31, 2020
    10
    I read most negative review on here, and honestly i think non of them have a VR-headset. This game is the best game i ever played, it is just mind blowing good. Every chapter is good en the ending is just epic!
  30. Skals
    Apr 1, 2020
    6
    I've played a lot of VR games and Half-Life: Alyx is certainly one of the more polished ones of the lot. So why did I give it a 6? Well first of all, it fails to do anything new. I was excited for what Valve could come up with with their infinite resources, but unfortunately there's not much to set this apart from other VR titles. It comes with the same bugs i.e. hands disappearing, frameI've played a lot of VR games and Half-Life: Alyx is certainly one of the more polished ones of the lot. So why did I give it a 6? Well first of all, it fails to do anything new. I was excited for what Valve could come up with with their infinite resources, but unfortunately there's not much to set this apart from other VR titles. It comes with the same bugs i.e. hands disappearing, frame drops, tracking issues and so forth. The mechanics are great, they work well, from the gravity hands, to guns, and combat. However the game really drops the ball on level design. The core loop is extremely repetitive and gets tedious at times. The game is essentially a room simulator with constant lock & key puzzles. 1. You walk into a room, grab some resin, grab ammo, grab health pick ups. 2. You find an enemy fight an enemy or two, and kill them. 3. You find a locked door. 4. You find a way to unlock that door (which is usually a key card, power core, or re-routing some power) 5. You get to the next room and rinse and repeat. This is an extremely dull way of doing puzzles without much creativity, each puzzle gets slightly more complicated but they are all essentially the same puzzle copy+pasted. This is a far cry from the interesting level design of Half-Life 2.
    As for the story - it's there, stuff certainly happens. Can't fault the game in this sense. Voice acting is good, but can get annoying at times - each time you're about to run out of ammo Alyx exclaims "this is my last clip" as if you can't see the hud. This wouldn't be that bad if not for the fact that you're usually close to being out of ammo.
    On the subject of ammo - what were you thinking? I've had several encounters where I have no ammo at all, and I end up running around the level whilst under attack hoping to find some here or there, which isn't easy when you die from a few shots. I've also had an encounter with 10 combine soldiers where each one dropped health pick ups but no ammo at all. So I'm expected to kill all these dudes with health pick ups? When you run out of ammo that's it, there's no way to fight back, Half-Life 1 / 2 didn't have this issue as you had the crowbar. This is a big oversight as well.
    The game can be fun and interesting at times, but tedious and annoying at others.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

1
#1 Best PC Game of 2020
9
#9 Most Discussed PC Game of 2020

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
93

Universal acclaim - based on 69 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 67 out of 69
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 69
  3. Negative: 0 out of 69
  1. Areajugones
    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.
    Read full review
  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. Screen Rant
    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.
    Read full review
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