VR's Greatest Hope, We Thought - Half Life: Alyx Four Years Later

On its fourth anniversary, now marks an ideal time to venture back into the seminal title for virtual reality to review it and see how it helped save a flatlining corner of gaming, or so we thought.

[@BrotherBurnShow]

Hey guys, hopping into the comments here real quick for an update: A lot of you have been saying that if I enjoyed Alyx, I should check out Boneworks. To be completely honest, I’ve never had a chance to play Boneworks - can’t play everything right? But enough of you have made it clear that it’s certainly worth checking out, so expect a follow-up to this video down the line covering my thoughts on that game. Just gotta stock up on Tylenol first. That video wont be next, but it will be happening. So stay tuned and thank you for the suggestions!

[@J1njo7]

Boneworks and Bonelab are incredibly overrated in my opinion. Your true next step should be playing Vertigo 2. It’s the only VR game that holds a candle to Alyx.

[@ENDER_Music]

Boneworks is definitely one of the best vr games ever made, but if you get easily motion sick this one might be rough considering the entire game revolves around realistic physics. Definitely 100% recommend, but don’t push yourself too far.

[@farfromhomeandlost]

I wouldn't recommend bone works or lab for anyone uncomfortable with VR. I've put a bunch of hours into both and they don't compare to Alyx at all. Have you played any of the mods for Alyx? Some of them are incredible. Red dust is a great shootout and location. I can't remember the name of others off the top of my head, but there are a bunch well worth your time and better than pretty much everything else in VR (that I've tried at least).

[@zirconalian]

​@@J1njo7What makes you think that? You can't just say "nuh uh, play this" without reasoning. Besides, why can't he play both?

[@BarrySmoother]

Bone works was the first game I ever refunded lol.. The controller layouts for the HTC vive wands was god awful and literally painful to grip anything. The haptic feedback was also at 100% in bone works. In the new one they cut all support the vive controllers all together lmfao..

[@The_Official_You2]

the editing had me believe this video had at least over 1k views and such, I was so shocked to see how little attention it got

[@G_Matto_shorts]

I thought the same thing

[@hellboy365bm]

Give it time

[@mr2meows]

6,019 views

[@hellboy365bm]

@@mr2meows it’s cooking

[@The_Official_You2]

@@mr2meows not at the time I made the comment you nob

[@Ponial]

HL Alyx was the reason I wanted and got myself a Quest 3. Yet Alyx left me with an itch for more Half Life, was like a trip back in time. Did scratch this itch with Half Life 2 VR, my God was that intense.

[@LARVideos]

I suggest Vertigo and Vertigo 2 if you want that itch scratched again.

[@RealBasedSociety]

Look for Stormlands VR

[@unbearifiedbear1885]

Somewhere between the graphics and atmosphere of Alien Isolation and the intractability and depth of Alyx is the _perfect_ VR game

[@alecmackay89]

I had the same experience itching for more after Alyx, and Half Life 2 VR (including Ep1 & 2) did not disappoint. I found the gun handling especially good, since each weapon has unique reload styles and quirks based on how you grip them. Vehicle stages were a bit much, but I switched to playing seated for the remainder of the game and it was much better.

[@zirconalian]

Play Boneworks and Vertigo 1&2.

[@kodan50]

With Jeff, I like how, if you managed to grab a rebreather earlier in the game, you can wear it and it helps later since it filters Jeff's fumes. It's the idea that, even with everything grab-able, some things are just more useful than you at first realize.

[@antares3171]

Reminds me of how I once put on a random construction helmet I found for a laugh, because I was amused at the fact that the game let me actually wear it. Some hours later when I encountered barnacles, I ended up stumbling into one's tongue while walking backwards, and my helmet saved me because the barnacle took the helmet instead of me. Took me a bit to realize what happened but was absolutely astonished once it clicked.

[@Kostya444Sir]

You would hope it would work like that, but the game constantly removes or deletes you rebreathet, especially when you enter a loading screen.

[@thepooz7205]

I’m not entirely sure I played this section without a rebreather. Him saying you have to cover your face with your hand doesn’t ring any bells… but it has been like 3.5 years so could just be my memory.

[@icecold9511]

I had actually said "I hate you, Jeff" two seconds before Alyx did. I then laughed my ass off.

[@esphyxia]

Yes! I love gas masks as part of my alias and so I wore it anyway before needing to know why 💀

[@XENOpz]

They do actually explain how Alyx was in Half-Life 2 even though the G-man put her in stasis. He explicitly said he's putting her in stasis at the moment at the end of Episode 2. So everything leading up to the ending of Episode 2 did happen. Also he wiped Alyx' memory of his reward. That's why she never mentioned it. It's not a mess. It's a genius way of retconning Eli's death. The G-Man always had space/time powers, same as the votrigaunts. It actually makes 100% sense. :)

[@DuneJumper]

It's funny how many people jump to marvel-tier multiverse theories when we're basically told in EP2 that he's previously wiped her memory

[@naturesquad9174]

@@DuneJumper this is true, but it also implies valve has time traveling abilities because i dont think they had that foresight and i also dont think they simply "retconned" it

[@user-bv7zo6vd4m]

I still don't get it

[@peacemaster8117]

"Also he wiped Alyx' memory of his reward. That's why she never mentioned it" Maybe. Or maybe that was another timeline's Alyx and the one we're playing as is another person. There's all sorts of reasons they might give us in the future, but knowing Valve it will probably be intentionally vague and cause a decade of bitter arguments.

[@tamarinds]

​​@@user-bv7zo6vd4m its unfortubately contrived

[@vibaj16]

Valve may have been radio silent on any new VR games, but they have been working on a new VR headset (the Deckard) for quite some time now, and there will probably be a VR game to go along with it.

[@PSking_]

aw shiii, half life 2.99? (ep 3) or maybe a hl2 remake cause the ending makes no god damn sense when you think

[@jjkigtu]

Isn't the whole thing about Valve working on a new VR headset nothing just rumors?

[@vibaj16]

@@jjkigtu No, it's very real. Plenty of strings and other bits of code referencing the Deckard have been found through datamining SteamVR updates. Several patents for it have been found. People have discovered all sorts of things about what Valve has been working on for this headset: eye tracking, display and lens technology, audio technology, wireless capabilities, the chips it'll use, the method of tracking, the software improvements (like UI elements that are grounded more in the game or your real life environment via things like reflections and shared depth buffers), etc.

[@jjkigtu]

@@vibaj16 I see. Thanks for an explanation!

[@fanny2081]

We need another german hacker to get inside valve

[@WMan37]

26:53 The biggest issue I had when playing Alyx with the multitool was the missed potential it represented. We see alyx shock doorways in previous half life games with her multitool, and this was a missed opportunity to make it an optional lock shocker for when you wanted to conserve ammunition when blasting off chain locks, and, more importantly, to make it as iconic as Gordon's crowbar by literally just turning it into a slightly modified version of the taser from the PS1 game Syphon Filter. If you've seen that, then you're now going "Oh my god why didn't they do that, it would have been perfect".

[@HIGHONPOTENUSE]

Someone should make a mod for that lol

[@WMan37]

@@HIGHONPOTENUSE I've worked with Hammer 2 in the Alyx Workshop SDK, there's voice lines already in the game files for the combine making sounds for being electrocuted, and thanks to the electric dogs, also the particles. It's a matter of rearranging assets and making a new animation, however I'm not a coder or an animator so I don't have the skill to do that.

[@crossproduct9782]

Hey, a fellow lefty! After completing Alyx left-handed for the first time, I did a run right-handed for the extra challenge, and it revealed an interesting aspect of the level design. A lot of the levels near the end of the game run clockwise like staircases in old castles, so that your right hand is obstructed, but it also makes left-handed play easier. Playing off-handed, though, made throwing grenades much simpler and I found I used them all the time because I didn't have to put my gun away. Yoinking Combine grenades out of the air is so satisfying.

[@YukikoTsuki]

I actually did the opposite myself! I'm a righty, but I did my second playthrough left-handed and I found it surprisingly easier. I hadn't considered the world being right-hand-designed as factor in why it felt easier, but maybe that was part of why!

[@YellowBriefs]

I'm glad Valve are still innovating and trying new stuff, even if it means getting one game per decade

[@frozen9065]

Valve ain’t doing nothing but being greedy, messing with my counter strike.

[@CringePotato]

@@frozen9065 Valve is working on games in the background, there are a few such as the rumored Neon Prime. There is also some rumors that another VR Half-Life game is in the works. Counter-Strike 2 is also a pretty good upgrade, at least in my opinion. The issue with CS2 for me is that they should have just made it a separate game from CSGO but let you transfer skins over. I also think it's about time for VAC to get an upgrade.

[@myztklk3v]

there's a flatscreen mod for Alyx now, it functions more or less like Half-life 2, and I know of people who bought the game without a VR headset just to play it that way. Yeah you lose some of the magic, but at least if you're a half-life fan and can't afford vr there's still a way to experience it.

[@pliat]

Bruh if you can afford a pc you can afford vr. It’s so cheap now.

[@patar3323]

Like watching a movie made for 3d, usually still a good watch. If it wasn't substituting good direction

[@Skrenja]

_Some_ of the magic? You completely ruin Alyx by playing it flat. That mod shouldn't exist.

[@myztklk3v]

@@Skrenja I donno actually. I played alyx on release on index and it was amazing, but ive seen lots of videos of the mod and if you didn't know it was a vr game to begin with, you wouldn't even be able to tell.

[@sharktacos]

Great video! I’m honestly surprised how little subscribers you have given the quality/editing, keep it up!

[@AlaskanQueenInExile]

Wasn't sure what to expect when KZbin put this vid in my reccs out of nowhere, honestly surprised it's only 5 hours old, but I'm pleasantly surprised! A solid video overall, Hope to see more from you in the future. ... Wow that reads like a bot. Let's try it this way: vid gud. intro bit go too long tho. hope u get more view and subscriber. am real perzon me prommy.

[@doctorcraptonicus7941]

"Wow that reads like a bot."......not even that authentic.

[@hammerfell5727]

Nasty Malevelon Creek dweller

[@nik0208]

Damn you only have a thousand subs? the pacing and humor for this video feels really top notch, I'm gonna have to check out some of your other videos after this one!

[@Andrew-hk8qi]

Right? I just found this looking for reviews on the game, as I just got a quest 3. This is really good. I subbed right away.

[@JuanxDlol]

34:15 Counter point: People at the time didnt had all the right hardware for a stable 60 frame game, but they do played with 20-40 frames a lot and experienced it. You cant do that with VR, YOU NEED THE VR on top of a good PC.

[@TheLoneWolfling]

Not just 'a good PC' but 'a good PC with specific HW config'. There was a while where Radeon graphics was essentially a no-go for VR.

[@scorbiot]

In that part it sounded more like he talked about Doom, rather than Half-Life.

[@rdablock]

I mean Alyx is playable on 45 FPS

[@selectionn]

@@rdablock you can say anything is playable on 45 FPS. doesnt mean you wont get a headache from 45 fps VR and it wont look and feel like garbage with a bunch of input delay. Low FPS in VR feels terrible, its so important your inputs and the game itself feels smooth. its why there is a ton of esoteric, borderline space magic tech in VR headsets to squeeze every last FPS drop out of your hardware. its basically a miracle the quest 2 even works with its dogwater hardware.

[@rdablock]

@@selectionn yeah aiming was ass but overall it's okay, maybe because of ASW

[@hdanimatesorsomething]

Wrote like a whole essay that was badly worded but in short. Alyx was basically why I barely play VR now, absolutely amazing and played through it like 10 times not included modded maps. Videos like “HL:A is why VR sucked this year” talking about how Valve dropped a game pushing the medium forward but besides a dev commentary didn’t really give much to the industry so everyone was basically still at square 1 and we’re still seeing VR games try to do what Alyx did, but at the moment we’re only just starting to feel Alyx’s effects in VR. I love HL:A. Just wish they were more transparent about what they learned about VR so the medium could more quickly improve, not saying it would have been much quicker than it was but it would have really helped.

[@blackbonnieiscool]

what ever you say VALVE IS BACK!!! (with that blast)

[@midlevelgamer]

There are so many cool things to interact with in this game. You can wear a traffic cone on your head and it protects against barnacles. Also you can fill a bucket with grenades and other useful items. You may be surprised to learn that the grena6bucket will transfer through loading screens

[@Venoxium]

You should definitely give the Half Life 2 VR mod a go. They have one for HL2 and both episodes. I think there's also a Black Mesa VR Mod. You'd be really surprised at how well HL2 works in VR......except the boat mission.

[@bababooey5402]

He did say he has major motion sickness, though. If they have teleport options, then I see it happening, but I think two missions kill that chance: the boat mission in HL2 you mentioned, and On A Rail in HL1/Black Mesa.

[@googooblabla100]

I don't suggest from motion sickness, so I found the boat part very fun. I actually wish that they incorporated camera roll into it

[@Picklespit]

​@@bababooey5402 there are teleport options in the HL2VR mod. They've also added a ton of options for reducing motion sickness in the vehicle sections (especially the boat), but I haven't tried them out since I don't get motion sick. It feels like its official when you play it and rarely feels janky.

[@Skrenja]

@@Picklespit Yes, there's an option to play the boat parts on a virtual flat screen if people can't handle it.

[@uss_04]

I honestly though your channel was bigger untill I saw the comments. Saw this on the TV and shared it with others

[@hunted4blood]

Something I think anyone on the fence about VR should know is that the meta Quest 2 is cheaper than a ps5 these days, and you can use it to play PCVR and standalone games, so if you've got a gaming PC it's not really a huge gamble to try it. It's also nice that you can just use it anywhere you have room. For me personally the real killer app was Contractors and its cod zombies mods. Playing Kino Der Toten in VR is something I think I literally dreamed about as a kid.

[@elisenicole474]

The Quest 3 is such a huge upgrade over the Quest 2 that I can't even recommend the Quest 2 anymore, and the Quest 3 is only $500, so console priced.

[@hunted4blood]

@@elisenicole474 I have a quest 3 and my mom has a quest 2 and I think for someone interested in PCVR the quest 2 is a better choice. I don't know if I'm imagining it, but my PC seems to have an easier time keeping up with the quest 2's lower resolution displays. When I play Alyx with my quest 3 I feel like I get a lot more stutters.

[@dan_loeb]

​@@hunted4bloodthat's entirely configurable in steam vr via the resolution settings though, id recommend turning it down. the pancake optics are such a huge upgrade, there was always some weird glare on the lenses with quest 2, quest 3 it's nearly gone and the sweet spot for viewing without distortion is so much bigger, however when you consider new quest 3 vs used quest 2 prices (often just under $200 for one in good condition with the controllers) it's more equal footing. buying new, quest 3 is worth the price.

[@hunted4blood]

@@dan_loeb Oh thanks I didn't know that. I'll set that up.

[@TheLoneWolfling]

At the low low price of selling your soul to FB.

[@0rivon36]

Keep making good shit please! and i had no idea that its already on its fourth anniversary.

[@okto_0]

What a great video! I also have a VR headset and didn't play much besides modded Skyrim and Half Life Alyx on it. But damn, Alyx was worth it.

[@zachpn]

Sounds stupid, but after Alyx, Walkaround Minigolf was my favorite VR game - its so relaxing.

[@WhiteAndBlackGun]

this deserves much more likes/views and subs

[@darreno1450]

I was a huge half life 2 fan and only heard of Alyx fairly recently. I have to say, it is very impressive in terms of VR quality and detail. I spend a lot of time analyzing and studying the Combine tech, like their door locks, healing stations and large machinery. Valve really spent the time to detail these objects.

[@mgetommy]

Enjoyed this video a lot

[@The_voices_are_getting_louder_]

One month later and it got 100k veiws lol bro didn't fall off, he got on 🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@rockcabbage]

You're overthinking the time travel aspect of the ending. It wasn't so much time "travel" as it was granting a wish in the future. All of the events of Half Life 2 proceeded as normal, Alex with no memory of her encounter or deal with G-Man, until the ending of Episode 2, where the wish comes to fruition and Alex is whisked away by the G-Man. At least that's how I interpreted it based on the dialogue in the final cutscene. I do believe the loss of Laidlaw is irreparable though. everyone who cares has already read Epistle 3, and I doubt they will ever find another writer of his caliber. Seems that the only major company producing games with grade A writing is Sony, and Valve will likely to continue gearing into competitive multiplayer experiences instead of anything interesting or cinematic. Just my 2 cents.

[@JuanxDlol]

24:48 these are the antlions baby worms that you step on HL 2 Episode 2 to get health back.

[@thrilaCS]

Great video, thought I was watching someone who had at least a couple hundred thousand subscribers. Subscribed.

[@biasneeze]

thought this was a bigger channel. you deserve more

[@catsinbed7634]

Oh my god, thank youuuu for criticising this style of ironic, detached writing. I always find it super hard to put my finger on what bothers me about it but "detached" is definitely one of the best descriptors. (also: here before this video had 100k plays - it's so well made and i love your jokes, it's gotta blow up!)

[@peacemaster8117]

I don't think Alyx is a good example of the thing he's criticising. In the example he gives Alyx is just being patient with her goofy over-explaining autistic uncle, it's all based on character. It's not the same as saying "well THAT just happened" to fill the silence.

[@manuelgz515]

Loved the vid, keep it up bro

[@ThommyofThenn]

Its actually frightening how much of the last four years I've seemingly supressed from my memory

[@TheNaClBringer]

If you're looking for other VR games to try out, despite your motion sickness, I'd highly recommend Vertigo 2. It's a bit on the jankier side, but is super impressive considering that, to my knowledge, it was developed mostly by a single person. Speaking of companies taking risks in the space, it does appear that Metro will be getting a game in the series exclusive to VR through Metro Awakening, which seems to be taking heavy inspiration from Half-Life: Alyx based on the trailer that was shown. High hopes for that, and for the medium as a whole. It truly provides an experience a normal game simply cannot and it makes me super excited for the future.

[@LARVideos]

Do note that a "retcon" is when a story overwrites something that has been set up before with no in-universe explanation. Stories with time travel do not count as retconning its own events.

[@yosefsantoni599]

No, at that point we just call it a waste of time.

[@flordelizhawk358]

@@yosefsantoni599How is rewriting history ingame from this point forward a "waste of time"?

[@yosefsantoni599]

​@@flordelizhawk358 Imagine being halfway through a story when suddenly the author basically says "except none of those trials, tribulations, and deaths those characters went through mattered because the protagonist TIME TRAVELED to stop it! dun dun DUN!" No, I'd throw the book in the garbage for wasting my time. Multiverse shit and time travel is a plague on modern fictional storytelling. Half-Life 2 EP2 ended with Eli's death in my universe. The rest will be fan-fiction.

[@flordelizhawk358]

@@yosefsantoni599Bro, you should already know how Half Life 2 Episode: 3 ends, this is simply a way to continue on a different story ever since the epistle 3 incident in 2017.

[@yosefsantoni599]

@@flordelizhawk358 Copium...

[@murderlesson101]

Mainly salty that i brought russels vodka all the way to the end ad then it gets tractor beamed away 😒

[@The_Bastman]

Oh no for me jeff wasnt a highlight it was the point where i nearly shit my pants and then took a 7 month break. Still its a very fun chapter to return to in repeat playthroughs

[@libertarianterminator]

This game made me realize that I never want to play VR games that solely take place in cellars and small rooms. Come on! I play VR for the sense of scale, big canyons or laboratory halls. Vertigo VR on the other hand, that hit the spot.

[@okay-ec4vz]

Hopefully this video will blow up soon, deserves alot more views. This video was put together very well

[@ZeMewo]

wait, I thought you had 159k subs, not 1.59k wow, amazing video quality man keep it up! 👹

[@WackyHvH]

great vid, keep it up

[@Noa15Lv]

2016 was the year when i dreamed about getting this "VR Device" and how cool it would to be in game. Fast forward to 2021...Made my big step into VR world by getting Rift S & later on Valve Index. 3 years, still going strong & never regret my purchase, haha

[@rdablock]

13:27 Tongue-in-cheek dialogue has always been in Valve's house writing style though

[@PixelShade]

I have played HL: Alyx for over 100hours. And it's honestly the gift that keeps on giving with all the new community made content. Campaigns like Zheptics and Levitation feels like actual valve-made DLC to the game. I'm hoping Valve will continue to push the VR medium.

[@adawg3032]

I hope that valve one day maybe makes the player community tools to develop VR in source 2 because i know if they did someone would remaster both hl1 and hl2 and it would be great for all

[@cesarlegal]

Awsome video!!!

[@cURLybOi]

cool video :) the time travel was also hard to digest for me, i understood it that alyx will keep on living her life, probably not remembering the "father saving" events, then the events of hl2 + episodes will happen but the ending scene will be "rewritten" by these events, so suddenly alyx will have disappeared, eli will be alive and urge gordon to get her back and that's where the next half life game will pick up.

[@jennifer1400]

Half life Alyx is the only reason I own a VR headset. I bought a Meta Quest 1 last year to play this game for relatively cheap. And it was definitely worth it

[@RanmaSyaoranSaotome]

This is a great video! The motion sickness you're struggling with is often caused with either low frame rates, or the stock lenses in the headset. If FPS isn't a problem, I'd recommend you get a pair of "gear VR lenses", but be extremely careful when modding your headset, because you don't want even a spec of dust on the screen!

[@SysOpQueen]

I can't watch this video. As of now, I still have absolutely zero spoilers for HL:A. I want it to all be fresh and new when i finally get a VR headset. So many years ive waited for a new half life game, i hope it's worth the wait... edit: i still liked it and put it in a playlist for later, but god this is suffering

[@wta1518]

Aquaman drowns at the end.

[@SysOpQueen]

@@wta1518FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF--

[@seth3129]

absolutely worth it. one of the best experiences i've ever had in gaming. i hope you can pick up a headset and play it

[@Benzi514]

Its pretty mid, you dont really need to avoid spoilers.

[@mistermatt4855]

Now you can get a used quest 2 for 150$.

[@Chai_Rhythm]

Preface: I haven't played HL Alyx myself, just seen lots of playthroughs and am a big HL fan. My personal understanding of the retconned timeline is this: Alyx meets with the Gman inside his jail cell, which is outside time. He lets her save her father in the future before letting her leave while remembering nothing or only meeting the Gman. She continues to fight with Gordon in the HL 2 games as normal. Just as Eli is about to die, Past-Alyx saves Eli before the Gman puts present-Alyx into stasis. Eli gets (understandably) angry and then HL Alyx post-credits cutscene plays out. TLDR; Alyx does everything normal until Eli is about to die, then Past-Alyx saves him before Gman puts her into stasis in the present

[@drudigger]

10/10 intro

[@npz1838]

I love VR. Recently got into it via a Quest 3. So many great games currently there and in the pipeline. Into The Radius, Pavlov, Population 1, Arizona Sunshine, Walking Dead, Red Matter. We have a ways to go still, but it feels like I came into VR at the perfect time 👌

[@dawudmc]

While Jeff was intense and it´s puzzles genius My favorite part of the game clearly was the two lighting-doggos in the run down house basement/cellar I replayed that part 4 times just for the visuals alone. i just love those reviver-thingys

[@lemonposting]

I rarely leave comments, but I have to if it helps boost this video to other people. Incredibly well structured video essay, the humor is GREAT. Definitely subscribed and look forward to more of these :]

[@stormycat7188]

"and its so natural" *footage of donkey from shrek being stretched and squished in every direction for no reason*

[@von...]

14:40 just marked "KZbinr tells you mark **meta moment** off your bingo card" off of my bingo card.

[@marcosblando5876]

wonderful video

[@eractum]

HL Alyx may have little replayability, but it feels genius in just the amount of ways you can interact with the world (sadly excluding melee damage). On my second playthrough I found out that as long as the items you carried are in the same level transition room as you are, you get to carry them around through multiple sections of the game without technically having inventory room for it. So I carried two buckets full of grenades and threw them at everything that moved. Great times...

[@t_41]

subbed. ur going up

[@SnoTangerine]

From the looks of all of your videos, we had nearly the same childhood and I'm beyond excited to dive into this channel.

[@UwUBrick]

the reflex sight can alow you to see weak points on a zombie to one shot it, along with things like that tanks on combine that explode when shot, it's also a reflex sight making aiming easier than with iron sights

[@xPostPwnedx]

This video is hitting wayyy higher than the subscriber count. More vids like this and this channel will see 100k+ subs very fast.

[@lopez3486]

Asgards Wrath 2 is an exclusive AAA VR game that came out last year and the Vertigo games reach Half Life quality but aren’t advertised for some reason. The amount of high quality VR games that have come out since Alyx are numerous but most are indie or are made by Meta who do make AAA VR games but don’t know how to sell them to general audiences. Asgards Wrath 2 is especially compelling, being a 60 hour AAA open world VR RPG running standalone but it seems that most people don’t talk about it, even if everyone who got a Quest 3 got it for free.

[@Panzer_the_Merganser]

1:48 Do like the neck-straining Robocop set up here.

[@Caffin8tor]

If you haven't already tried No Man's Sky in VR lately, I would highly recommend it. The VR controls are very immersive and rather well done. It almost feels like a completely different game when you play it in VR.

[@lamsmiley1944]

I was so hopeful after the release of HL Alyx that it would be the beginning of triple A VR games. But that never happened, and it remains the only truly great VR game in my opinion (full length anyway).

[@benjaminbays5867]

Its prob been mentioned but the HL VR mods have been amazing.

[@NoahBrown-go1vk]

Ain’t no way this this doesn’t have at least 10k views

[@spaceacepl4636]

thanks youtube recommended, very cool

[@InspectorGamecat]

A few things, first off that's ace content, nice one. Second, if you still get a bit sick in VR do not play boneworks. If you have any prescription at all, get lenses for your headset. As you are describing headaches rather than motion sickness, it sounds more like eye strain. The focal length is about two metres, so imagine trying to focus on things two metres away without glasses if you need them, and the kind of headache that would give you. If it's actually motion sickness, it's about the disconnect between your brain seeing that you should be moving, but you aren't. Find a way to ground yourself in reality, like putting a small rug or patch of carpet under your feet, and standing over the edge of it so you can feel the ridge. This helps keep you oriented and stop you wanting to fall over. A fan blowing towards you can do this as well, people use both at the same time. Just a few subtle reminders to your body where you actually are. I was very lucky I think, I had knee surgery the day they announced Alyx and bought a quest 1 in a morphine daze! £399 entry not £1000. Because I still wasn't mobile, my early gaming on it was all seated which gave me time to adjust. Games like The Climb etc with no artificial locomotion. Then in the few months before release I moved onto boneworks and saints and sinners, when Alyx released I was well adjusted to VR although still unable to crouch in real life, it was ace! So so good. Since that Q1 I have had a Quest 2, 3, Pico4 and a PSVR2. Currently playing mostly PSVR2, RE Village and 4 Remake are the only things I have enjoyed on a level with Alyx/S&S/Into the Radius 👍

[@krounos1]

Just to clarify the time travel aspect. Alyx Vances younger self just Blacks put and then wakes up outside vault with no memory. Alyx Vance at the end of episode 2 vanishes. Gman uses Alyxes past self to give him permission to hire her current day self.

[@Kalsiem]

Super Long Head Canon Comment Dont open unless ur ready to read insane thoughts lol The time travel aspect of the story never really bothered me too much. From a traditional standpoint if you view the timeline as a single linear story that has to fold in on itself to make the time travel work then obviously you will run into the classic dilemmas with time travel. But when you realize just how powerful and cunning the Gman is then it really just makes sense. Obviously this is more of a head canon but it's what i feel makes sense. I believe that HL:A takes place in something of a mirrored timeline. GMan may not be able to control the flow of time (otherwise he would just reset things when they dont go his way) but I dont feel like for someone like him parrallel universe jumping is out of the question. This mirrored timeline theory could also help explain some of the more striking visual differences in the world such as the combine, alien life forms and the tech that they use. If you listen to the G-Mans speech at the end of the HL:A its clear that this is the gman FROM HL2: Episode 2. He claims his previous worker (gordon) is being "less than cooperative". Meaning Gordon went through the two episodes defying Gman as we know, Half Life: Alyx is Gmans response to Gordons defiance. Because he has lost control of Gordon he instead chooses to enlist the help of Alyx as she was clearly just as capable and resiliant as Gordon, but she also is a huge bargaining chip when it comes to dealing with Eli. Not to mention we see in Episode 2 that Gman has already established a link with Alyx as he speaks to her and even through her on multiple occasions. Rather than hiring "past Alyx" from this timeline, he actually enlists the help of the other Alyx. It stands to reason if he can manipulate the main timeline Alyx like we see him do, he can also manipulate her in whatever fucked up mirror universe he has either made or found his way into. This is sort of backed up by how Gman's capture seems to be a more recent event, almost as if he was captured around the same time that we the players "start the game". If that universe/timeline already had a Gman, why would he only now be caputred and why would he be waiting for Alyx? Why would he be talking about Gordon, at that time Gordon should be in stasis for several more years. Gman uses the fear of mirror Alyx to help change the events of the main timeline. He cant directly stop Eli from dying (the Gman rarely directly interferes) but he can get mirror Alyx to do it, and in doing so changes the event as they are happening. We as the players have seen the different outcomes, but for the characters, in the hangar at the end of Episode 2, Alyx was there one moment and gone the next and both Eli and Gordon know who is responsible since literal minutes prior to that moment, the Gman was manipulating Alyx after the rocekt launch. Did we wait 13 years to essentially progress the main story 2 minutes? Yes But like he says in the video, from a game making stand point this gives Valve alot more wiggle room.

[@robotequine]

4 years ago ...

[@avinotion]

0:49 *So* natural I don't know if they edited it this way, or you did.

[@PINPAL]

Borrowed a friends headset to play through this game just this year, the genuine terror I felt in those dark environments is truly something I miss from playing games, nowadays due to generally playing Multiplayer FPS games any story game with a gun just feels like a speedrun as I run around one tapping all the enemies or getting frustrated at the bullet sponge.

[@colevilleproductions]

I was on discord playing this through and made a joking comment when I was like an hour in that i’d lose all my weapons and get supercharged gravity gloves, and I was so unbelievably excited when that actually happened

[@Chips92]

super cool channel and very professional, looking forward to seeing more from you in the future :)

[@miksuwaaan7527]

Great video

[@yuancui4305]

The best VR experience and probably one of the most memorable gaming experience in my entire gaming history. However the problem is, after playing this thing, all other VR games or games in general aren't as much attractive any more... till this day I'm still waiting for a similar gaming experience like Alyx, and not feeling enough playing any other video game to be honest...

[@ablazedguy]

Using clips, using magazines, and directly feeding cartriges into your gun's barrel are 3 distinct uninterchangeable operations. Clips are pretty rare in modern setting videogames, HL:Alyx doesn't have any in the whole game, for example.

[@E1Bos]

investing in this channel at 1.98k subs, expecting it to skyrocket.

[@snipars2233]

The ending in HL:A isn't confusing because Alyx was taken right there and then, not taken before the events of HL2 so she was present during them. Eli references to this by saying how G-Man took her with his "unforseen consequences".

[@cepheus3d]

Btw, don't forget to check the HL: Alyx Workshop! I had hours of fun playing some really good community made maps!

[@daydream605]

It does not change the past, because Eli seems acutely aware that his daughter has gone missing and seems to have only recently experienced the grief and shock. On that theory, it suggests that the characters are aware of the timeline shift as Eli is driven for vengeance and feeling the guilt of her heroic actions.

[@FragEightyfive]

Look, Brother Burn. Ropes!

[@daniel-san836]

huge HL fan here.. played every game in the series multiple times, but i still haven't played ALYX in 2024 :(

[@francischambless5919]

in regards to your motion sickness, it really helps to have a PC/GPU that can run the frames per second to reach over 100(fps), as well as set your headset to 120hz. Even running at 90hz helps, but I've only messed around with the Valve Index. You also have to get your VR legs, which took a good week of immersion to eliminate most of what I got in game, and most of that was when I had to climb up stuff.

[@GoldSrc_]

It's always the smaller channels the ones that truly care about sound quality. You'll always see bigger channels from people who don't get a pop filter. I hope you maintain this quality, and your channel grows even more, because you have some good quality here.

[@SilentForest-yi9ql]

Clips don't exist in context with modern weaponry. What you mean is a magazine. What is meant by clip is actually called a loading strip or stripper clip. Those are very rare, don't exist for most weapons and they are an accessory that is used to quickly load either detachable or internal magazines. So the magazine is what contains ammunition and what you put into a gun. A stripper clip is used to load rounds into a magazine.

[@ips2124]

ok nerd

[@SilentForest-yi9ql]

@@ips2124 I found it important in times where people discuss a topic a lot that they also know what they are talking about. Especially when the lively hood of hundreds of thousands of people depends on it. Like people who live off of hunting. Imagine a world where all machine engineers don't even know what's a screw is. The whole system would break down because we need machines for everything. But we live in a world where people who make laws about guns don't only not know shit about guns but also mis and even disinform the puplic about it. I find that concerning, even tough I live in Europe. Maybe because the same is happening here. I actually enjoyed this video quite a lot, despite the minor mistake. Maybe because I am a bladesmith, a job where precision work is really everything, I tend to nitpick here and there. I hope I didn't offend you in any way with what I said. The bladesmith ING community constantly corrects its members about stuff that seems minor but if you make a sword, then 0.5 degrees Fahrenheit can make all the difference in the world.... Please try not to brood over it. And I sincerely wish you a really good rest of the day, whatever time it is where you live

[@spidermonkeynr1]

Half life alyx is still the very best in VR evennafter all these years. Its epic

[@Jan12700]

Also the Mods are very good. The Bioshock (recreation of the 1st Bioshock game) and the Leviathan Mod (a expansion of the Game with it's own Story) It's sadly only available on PC so PSVR Users can't play this. Valve didn't say something official about a new game, but they did release some hints in their Software with the Gmes Project Citadell and Standalone VR Headset the Deckard (it has also the Name Deck in it)

[@dashandtuch7183]

I bought my first headset in December and just started with half life alyx. And it's just amazing. I just wished it was the standard and not the rare diamond.

[@alana314]

Great review. I finally got to play this by streaming from the internet onto a quest 2 with plutosphere. More people should play this game.

[@ThommyofThenn]

9:06 please, I think we all know this is a tip of the hat from valve to Halo 2

[@TristanTormey]

I get vr sickness too. Its rough lol after about 20 min of play I start to feel it and it makes me sweat more than normal then it ruins the experience cause the screen fogs up constantly.

[@dan_loeb]

if you weren't getting nauseous just from alyx, i'd highly recommend boneworks. it's basically a full on new half life story campaign complete with incredible full physical simulation of the players entire body, came out a few months before alyx, and it's a peak into the kind of game valve would make if vr sickness wasn't a thing. my biggest problems with alyx is that's focused more on atmosphere and player comfort than player freedom and creativity. if there's a pipe on the wall in boneworks, you can grab it and climb up. if there's crates, you can stack them and go places you'd assume are out of bounds but instead find secrets and hidden stuff. if you have a crowbar in your hand, you can adjust the grip position closer to favor controllable swings. or you can move your grip point as low as possible to give max range but far less control. it's all physics driven.

[@Noobochok]

>a full on new half life story campaign You mean that tech demo with janky as all hell physics?

[@dan_loeb]

@@Noobochok if you're talking about bonelab, the sequel, I'd agree there. there's a well known leg bug glitch in that game that throws you into the floor when you walk on small debris, never been fixed. also the levels in bonelab feel like a series of short feature experiments instead of a campaign. boneworks on the other hand, is a fully featured 10 plus hour campaign where you're commiting industrial espionage inside a metaverse that is still under construction. it's easily the best singleplayer campaign vr has to offer in terms of player freedom.

[@baitposter]

VRchat ended up being the bigger incentive for me to save up for a Vive But hey, I got to play Alyx, too, now

[@foxgamer55_]

FREEMAN YOU FOOL

[@overkill1994]

Thank you