Before release Half-Life: Alyx, the first new game in the cult series of shooters in as many as 12 years, nothing remains. Recently, the VR blockbuster has got an exact launch date and a set of gameplay videos. A portal IGN published a lengthy preview in which the site editor Ryan Mackaffrey shared his impressions of the project, based on the first four hours of the gameplay. Below we provide basic information from the material.
- The journalist notes that until his acquaintance with Half-Life: Alyx was very worried about two things: whether the game feels like a full-fledged expensive project (rather than a VR attraction) and whether the developers will be able to maintain the unique spirit inherent in the Half-Life universe. As it turned out, the answer to both of these questions is unequivocally affirmative.
- Source 2.0 engine allows you to display a truly impressive picture. The dynamic lighting system sets the right tone for each individual location, which creates a very dense and authentic atmosphere.
- Valve carefully approached almost all the elements familiar from past games, from visual solutions to sound. Health recovery, of course, is accompanied by the familiar audio effect. Combine soldiers still carry on their eerie audio conversations, and the Barnacle monsters look as repulsive as possible. At the same time, it is noted that in the VR-headset, the sensations from all these aspects of the game are amplified an incredible number of times.
- Given that fundamentally Alyx is a VR title, the developers used certain solutions regarding the level design and the overall pace of the game. The new Valve development offers several options for moving at once: from jumps in locations to direct movement, the so-called “locomotion”. In this regard, unlike the previous parts, Alyx feels somewhat slower game. At the same time, locations contribute to this approach, since almost every one of them has something to look at and interact with, which in turn can result in some kind of additional reward, for example, a bundle of ammunition or a special resource necessary to improve your arsenal.
- Improvements themselves offer a certain tactical element. The resource mentioned above is not found too often, and the cost of each “upgrade” is calculated in high values, forcing you to make informed decisions. According to the IGN editor, this could have a positive effect on Alyx replayability – you will definitely want to try out all possible combinations of improvements.
- Due to the VR-orientation of the game, the combat system is felt in a completely new way. Even the most ordinary shootout can give a whole lot of emotions, because such a simple and banal mechanics as reloading a weapon turns into a whole separate mini-game: the guns need to be changed at the pistol by hand, and each individual cartridge must be driven into the shotgun by hand. By the way, in the case of shotgun, a system of improvements can come to your aid again, one of which allows you to automate the process of reloading it.
- Half-Life: Alyx and its incredible interactivity strongly encourage players to experiment. You will automatically resort to atypical tactics for first-person shooters, such as the ability to gently push a grenade under the machine in front of you. And the interaction with the environment in itself can give a variety of and unexpected emotions. The author of IGN gives a rather funny example: finding a construction helmet on a location, he accidentally placed it on his head. However, as it turned out, this is far from a useless trick, because if you accidentally stumble upon a barnacle hanging under the ceiling, it will naturally grab onto the helmet dangling on your head, which could potentially save Alix’s life.
- In the final paragraphs, IGN expresses absolute confidence in the game. The first four hours of the campaign left an incredibly strong impression, and according to the assurances of Valve itself, players can count on about 15-18 hours of gameplay.
“Half-Life: Alyx is a real masterpiece, and no less than the previous games in this series. Let it be in a slightly different format, for which no one had created such incredible projects before. This is a real antidote against open world games and procedural generation, which we are used to in other relevant shooters. Absolutely all gameplay situations were manually created by developers. Each scene has its own meaning. The game has a very accurate pace. In short: Valve wants you to literally be on the streets of City-17. And believe me, it’s worth it. Even despite the headcrabs and everything else, ”says IGN journalist.
Half-Life: Alyx will be released March 23 exclusively on PC. At launch, the project will support almost all relevant VR devices.
See also: Japanese February sales charts: Persona 5 Scramble on top, Pokemon Sword and Shield continue to amaze.
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