Valve has unveiled the latest game in the long-dormant Half-Life series, a VR game Half-Life: Alyx, set for release in March 2020 for Windows PC via Steam.
Valve programmer David Speyrer confirmed to The Verge, that Half-Life: Alyx is a full game, as long as Half-Life 2.
“It’s not a side story, nor an episodic one – it’s the next part of the Half-Life story, in a game around the same length as Half-Life 2,” said Speyrer.
“While it does take place before the events of Half-Life 2, we actually recommend that you play through Half-Life 2: Episode 2 before you play Half-Life: Alyx, for reasons that will become clear as you progress.”
Geoff Keighley confirmed via Twitter the game took him over 15 hours and it’s “a full-blown half-Life experience, with a rich, vibrant world, immersive combat, great storytelling, and innovative game design”.
I’ve played through HL: Alyx (it took me over 15 hours) and seen it in multiple stages of development. This is a full-blown Half-Life experience, with a rich, vibrant world, immersive combat, great storytelling, and innovative game design. pic.twitter.com/FLKtXusyQc
— Geoff Keighley (@geoffkeighley) November 21, 2019
Half-Life: Alyx story is about an impossible fight against a vicious alien race known as the Combine, set between the events of Half-Life and Half-Life 2.
Playing as Alyx Vance, you are humanity’s only chance for survival. The Combine’s control of the planet since the Black Mesa incident has only strengthened as they corral the remaining population in cities. Among them are some of Earth’s greatest scientists: you and your father, Dr. Eli Vance.
As founders of resistance, you’ve continued your clandestine scientific activity – performing critical research and building invaluable tools for the few humans brave enough to defy the Combine. Every day, you learn more about your enemy, and every day you work toward finding a weakness.
Exclusive content for Index owners
Customers who have purchased Valve Index hardware by the end of 2019 will have access to unique bonuses starting early next year:
- Explore environments from Half-Life: Alyx in your SteamVR Home space
- Alternate gun skins to embellish Alyx’s arsenal
- Special Half-Life: Alyx-themed content for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
Community-built environments
A set of Source 2 tools for building new environments will ship with the game, enabling any player to build and contribute new environments for the community to enjoy. Hammer, Valve’s level authoring tool, has been updated with all of the game’s virtual reality gameplay tools and components.
Half-Life: Alyx will launch for Windows PC via Steam in March 2020.
