Valve has revealed the specs of Half-Life: Alyx, and it is quite demanding.
For instance, aside from asking you to buy a VR headset, you also need to upgrade your computer’s RAM. At the very least, you need 12 GB of memory in order to play Half-Life: Alyx. That is the minimum requirement. Valve has not said anything about the recommended memory, however.
According to the specs, your PC needs to be running Windows 10 with at least an Intel Core i-5-7500. Alternatively, you can also use an AMD Ryxen 5 1600. For graphics, you need a GTX 1060 or an RX 580 with 6 GB of VRAM.
That would be a problem as a significant number of PC gamers have those specs.
Fans were not really happy that the upcoming installment in the Half-Life franchise is only for VR. The last time something is released is a mod of Half-Life 2, and a standalone title was released in 2015. There is no word whether Half-Life: Alyx will also be available on non-VR platforms.
The original story starred Gordon Freeman, a theoretical physicist working at the Black Mesa Research Facility. He was one of the survivors of an experiment gone awry, which created dimensional rifts. Aliens from a fictional Xen entered through these seams and eating the survivors. But Freeman also has to contend with the government and the military, which has been ordered to kill everybody on sight.
In Half-Life 2, Gordon Freeman is awakened from suspended animation by the G-Man. Apparently, the Combine, a technologically superior race, entered the portal and conquered earth. The invasion lasted only seven hours. It is now up to Freeman to save the world.
The events of Half-Life: Alyx occurs between the two previous games. This time, the protagonist is Alyx Vance, who was first seen in Half-Life 2. She was one of the leaders of the Resistance against the Combine. She was also present during the Black Mesa incident, although she escaped with her father, Dr. Eli Vance.
In the VR game, the fate of the world rests on Alex’s shoulders. The Combine is tightening its grip on the earth. However, she is still using her brains to build weapons that can be used to fight the invaders.
Aside from building weapons, Alyx is also studying the enemy, looking for weaknesses the Resistance can exploit.
Half-Life: Alyx VR will have a release date of March 2020.
