Half-Life: Alyx (Valve)
It is very difficult to imagine the gaming industry today without Half-Life games from Valve.
The first game that was released somewhere in 1998 helped set a standard of plot narrative and world building in games that up until that time amounted to a gaming experience of Doom, Wolfenstein or Duke Newcomb.
From it also emerged mods that became over the years other popular Valve titles such as Counter Strike, Tim Porters 2 or Portal.
The second game helped introduce Valve's new Source engine and made sure to show the gaming world real-time physics, and how "putting all the power in the hands of the players" (in their words) creates interactive and unique gaming experiences.
The expansion packs that were divided into chapters continued to build one of the game plots that left the players on the biggest cliffhanger in the history of the gaming world, and many thought that this was the end.
Then somewhere in 2020, Valve surprised us all when it announced and released Half-Life: Alyx - a new VR title that takes all the aspects the series prided itself on and transfers them into the world of virtual reality.
And the decision to release Alyx to a niche platform like virtual reality angered a great many players who were hoping to get another taste of the universe they loved so much and Valve seemed to have abandoned.
I am among them, which is actually the reason that made me purchase a VR set.
Half-Life: Alyx (photo: official website, Valve)
There is nothing that stands in the way of the will.
Or rather to the excluded
As befits the Valve community, something like a VR-exclusive game is no obstacle at all for Master Race players, who are known for their prodigious modding abilities.
Especially when it comes to a game engine like Source, where Valve strongly encourages tinkering and creativity among its players.
Something that competitor Apik Games is only recently learning to do.
Because Source 2 (the game engine that powers Half-Life: Alyx) is considered a newer version of the original Source, the match between the two was possible.
After many months of work, the group of modders that goes by the name GB_2 made sure to disassemble all the game mechanics that were adapted for virtual reality, and adapt them to keystrokes and mouse movements.
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Half-Life: Alyx (photo: official website, Valve)
Although the work on the mod is not finished and the modders promise further updates, but currently the entire main campaign is available.
Just to clarify: this is not the optimal experience to experience the game for the first time.
Alyx is a game that is very adapted to the virtual reality medium and its entire experience is based on the uniqueness of this platform.
But for those who are interested in the plot of the game only - for your consideration.
Even Valve knew this was possible and it was only a matter of time before modders found a way to play Alyx without a VR set.
The game's lead designer Robin Walker previously said: "I know players will find a way to 'butcher' the version, but once they lose all the elements we went VR for, they will clearly understand why we chose this option."
Click here to download the mod>>>
Not the optimal gaming experience, but it's up to you (Photo: screenshot, GB_2 Development Team)
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Gaming
valve
steam
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Virtual Reality
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