Valve Software has just officially confirmed the next Half-Life title, called Half-Life: Alyx, and they’re unveiling it this Thursday, November 21st. Everyone who said the sources were weak that we reported yesterday, feel free to capitulate in the comments, we’ll wait.
As exciting as the next version of Half-Life is, some are somehow already disappointed. As highlighted in the leaked audio of yesterday’s article, it does seem as though this will be primarily a VR title, although audio has shown that to be met with mixed reaction among the developers themselves.
Yet Valve has a history of doing the bold with new technology, showing studios what could be done, and this is a prime time for them to flex their creative muscles with VR continuing to creep up in terms of market share, as more companies get into it.
Little else is known about the title, aside from the fact that Valve is adamant that it is Half-Life: Alyx and not Half-Life 3; Twitter seems to find themselves uncaring, as the title means very little to long-time fans of the franchise.
Perhaps Valve just finds themselves shying away from the 3 title after so much hype for so long. Regardless, Half-Life is getting another title to notch in its belt, and gamers couldn’t be happier, VR technology or not.
From the audio leaks that we can now look at as factual, being that they even nailed the name properly, we know that users will find themselves fighting off some form of the undead with weaponry. If we have the zombies again, we know that canonically we must have the headcrabs, those feisty little buggers that latch onto a victim’s skull like a parasite.
Beyond that, enemies are an unknown factor, although the game seems to have moments of absolute terror, magnified by the fact that it’s a VR experience. Imagine a barnacle tendon attaching to your shoulder, slowly sucking you towards the ceiling while you frantically attempt to reload.
If the audio leaks continue to be correct, we can expect Half-Life: Alyx to be released in March 2020, which gives the rest of us just five months to get a room big enough to set up the VR experience, and become familiar with the controls, odd sense of dysmorphia, and dizziness.
The best news is this: now everyone knows what they want for Christmas; hopefully Valve is expecting a rush for their VR station, the Valve Index.
