A 10. Damn. I want this so bad but valve is taking so long with the next batch of indexes. I’ve already been waiting 13 years so another few months shouldn’t be too bad.
Played and finished in Oculus Quest, the experience was great man. I doubt Index will make all the difference. If you can't wait or afford Index, try doing Oculus Quest. It really does work well either via the Link cable or even wirelessly over 5G to Virtual Desktop.
Your closing statement about wanting to talk about it and having others to play and experience it, absolutely nails it. This game is something one has to have hands-on to fully understand what Valve has done here. Score well deserved.
Lee Griffiths I think you nailed it with “unfamiliarity with VR and excitement about a new game.” This is a baby step into a new era of Half-Life, though.
Some may be too young to remember that when half-life came out there were few people with a PC good enough to run it. It pushed PC gaming forward. I think that's what Valve is seeking to do with VR. Give it a few years and we will all have a decent VR set.
Every now and then I visit the Valve Time forums (or what's left of them) and go way back to release of HL2. People were buying new PCs for that game, and there were threads upon threads of people complaining about issues launching and activating the game, then a brief silence, then a flood of people absolutely in awe of what the game is capable of. It's been super fascinating to see it, and now we're reliving that with Alyx.
Just got my steam index in the mail today... hooked it up with one of my best friends... we played half life Alyx for HOURS... and were MIND BLOWN at nearly every aspect and how fluid it all works. It’s 3:30am as I type this... we’ll wake up tomorrow and continue all over again... this game is finally something brand new. And beyond anything I’ve ever expected. 10/10 (in progress) from me as well
@@Cipher_XoF Quest 2 in the end. The wireless PCVR capabilities, good controls and more than adequate resolution make it a no brainer for the price. Of course it's FB though...
I played+finished on Quest 2 and I can't recommend the headset. Alyx was still by far one of the best games I've ever played and definitely the best VR game I've played, but issues with controller tracking (especially when trying to grab something from backpack during a firefight) and visual distortion/warping that I could tell was being caused by the Oculus software made me feel I definitely would have had an even better experience with a better VR headset, probably Valve's Index itself..
I'm playing through the game now, and even though I use a lesser VR headset (WMR, Samsung Odyssey+), I would still agree with the score. Even if you play using hardware that can't fully accomplish what the game has available to it, since the Index is the only one with per-finger controls. Even though WMR uses inside out tracking (tracking sensors for controllers are in the HMD, instead of external boxes) which are sometimes a struggle. Half Life Alyx continues to overcome these issues, and becomes an experience unlike any other. If you're looking for an affordable way to experience the game, the Samsung Odyssey+ is often on sale for under $250. That, or wait a couple years until there is a superior, wireless headset when the technology gets more affordable.
I used a Rift S and I agree that the game is masterful, I didn't feel like I missed anything from not having an Index, aside from the Rift's small FoV which always bothered me. I didn't feel like not having finger tracking was a big deal, I could accomplish everything in the game, including pressing buttons with my index finger, and even playing the piano.
I had an Oculus Rift CV1 and upgraded to an Index for this game. Finger tracking adds absolutely nothing to the game whatsoever in terms of gameplay. Which is odd considering this game was made by Valve who were the people that developed the finger tracking on the index controllers. If they don’t put it to good use, who will? They just wanted it to be playable across all VR platforms and requiring finger tracking would eliminate probably around 90% of VR users and piss a lot of people off. So you aren’t missing much, it really has no use in the game.
This was a sleeper hit GOTY contender for me, at least until the reviews started pouring in. I didn't expect a HL spinoff/prequel game in a still-experimental technological barrier to be this good....but I underestimated Valve in 2020. I wouldn't be surprised if this takes home GOTY now, even amongst CyberPunk, FF7, Doom, TLOU2, etc.
I heard Ben's opinions on Frame Trap about this, and have one friend with a decent VR headset and I bought it for him, and I'm glad I did. It's definitely the best VR game I've ever played and the most exciting experience a Half Life game has been for me, and I love Half Life 2 and both of the following episodes. When it was announced I was ambivalent, and thought that I'd experienced everything I saw in the trailer with my PSVR and the games I have for it, but no, Blood and Truth or Arizona Sunshine are technically the closest to Alyx, but only share mechanical similarities, like manually reloading, or climbing a ladder by pulling yourself up each wrung. But Alyx incorporates these into a tense, survival horror with expert level design and an incredible story and atmosphere that feels so much like Half Life 2, it's surreal. I recommend that anyone who's interested buy at least Rift S or something if your PC is good enough to run it, because this game is worth the price of the headset.
I agree with the review mostly, except for the mini-games. I enjoy how Valve managed to make use of the depth perception in VR for these "puzzle spheres" and their different variations. In the one you showed in the video, you can avoid being detected by just letting go of the dot you're moving around. As long as you're not interacting with the dot, these red tracers will not trigger a failure. The "electric wiring puzzles" are neat little diversions and some of them include nice little touches like alarms to avoid etc. But, the most important thing that keeps them entertaining for me: None of them take long or are a pain to control, so they are just nice little diversions.
Great review. For anyone interested in getting the game I'd recommend playing with continuous movement rather than teleporting as its far more immersive and feels like the way the game was meant to be played. Teleporting also makes combat a bit too easy.
I dissagree. It is meant to played with Blink, that is the standard setting. If you can play full locomotion sure do that. But it's just as incredible and designed for blink. And no it doesn't make things too easy at all. It's meant to be your first VR game, if you got your sealegs then play it on hard.
I love the Loco. Sad there isn't a real jump. Guess they was trying to be too careful about motion sickness. Glad they patched in smooth rotation too, else I'd had to give the game a lower score~
@@AliG4life It's not. Neither of it is. The floating hands is way better than having arms because arms in VR isn't where your arm is all the time and that is actually immersion breaking. And teleporting is just the better option in every game until you get your VR sealegs, and kind of after that too tbh. Teleporting is weirdly way more natural feeling than using sticks. It doesn't look it in clips, but when you're in there I recommend going teleporting at least the first dozen or so hours you spend in VR. It's not too easy, and it's WAYY more natural than you'd ever think it would be.
Completely agree with the review! I loved this game. I've noticed some people complain about vr controls, but I feel this is a product of not only what vr headset you have, but also your setup. Having a proper setup definitely helps. Proper lighting, space, etc. I had next to zero issues with controls and I used a HTC Vive. This game isn't just good because it is vr, it is just a great game... period. As someone who is brand new to the half-life series I enjoyed it a lot. I watched a summary of the first two half-life games before playing this and it definitely gave me some perspective of the world before going in. If anyone is on the fence, I highly recommend playing this game! It's amazing, and I have a feeling the future of the series looks very bright.
I played it streaming wirelessly to my Quest and it worked honestly way better than it should. I am with Ben here. This is the best fucking video game I have ever played. It is a 10 defined. It is so good it makes everyone else look bad.
With the Index you don’t even need proper lighting! I always played completely in the dark. I obviously don’t need the lights on because I have a VR headset strapped to my face and can’t see anyway, and without any lights on I don’t get any light bleeding through that small nose gap VR headsets have. My tracking was still flawless. I think the Oculus Rift CV1 was the same way.
Alyx is literally the only VR game I've played where it really feels like the hardware is holding back the experience. Playing the game (especially a shootout) with a 1:1 movement environment (i.e. open warehouse with perfect wireless VR headset) would be amazingly fun, but I'm stuck in a small room using a joystick to move.
VR isn't expensive if you buy a used unit. Like... at all. Around me, you can find a used PSVR headset with two games and all the accessories for the price of a "special edition" of a single AAA game. I know you're saying PC, but you can find that for cheap as well.
@@JazGalaxy It's funny how people can talk casually about this when in other nations having a VR set is a luxury and are not around the corner like in other nations.
@@liandria Don't feel bad for not getting a running joke. The whole point of a running joke is that you have to know the reference to get it. You clearly didn't.
@@Ayoul @ダニエル Yeah, I've been a patron of EZA since day 1, but sometimes this community makes my eyes roll. My guess is that if UA-cam still showed down votes, all these "Jones joke" comments would have more downvotes than upvotes.
The movement reminds me of older PC Adventure games like Return to Zork and Myst (albeit in tinier, non-pre-rendereder increments). That's not a bad thing, in fact, I'd love to play a game like that that utilizes all this hand-waving technology. It could be a real Renaissance for the genre.
Not sure if you knew. But Myst is available for VR. And another recommendation you may not have heard of. Outer Wilds. (Not worlds. WIlds) If you haven't played it. Don't look it up. If you like Myst at all, that game is absolutely for you. Don't spoil any part of it.
I'm 100% for what you said in the end, since I've finished the game I've been so eager to get all my friends to play, which I definitely will as soon as the pandemic is over!
Having Ben ( who is know for being afraid of spiders ) playing a game which throws headcrabs at you in the most realistic way imaginable... and loving it...gives me hope that maybe I can do it. Geez, what am I talking about... I can't watch an Earth Defense Force Trailer without freaking out and screaming in fear.
Holy, Ben. I want to play this so badly. Hopefully I manage until the end of the year. Astonishing review. Writing on point and great editing language on it, Ian. L&R.
@@Crushenator500 I hope so too but in the meantime I'm gunna replay the old half life games. I have an overwhelming urge to control an army of antlions 😁
I haven’t played VR before. Is it usual that the walking mechanics is like Google Streetview where you aim at a location and then click to spawn over there? It doesn’t look like a fluid movement when walking around?
You have different options for movement. The one in the video was teleportation (like you described) but there is also free locomotion (fluid) that is more typical to traditional video games.
The VR game that makes all other VR experiences pale in comparison. Now everyone else has to step up their game. Also, most people can't afford this so who knows if this will be enough to make VR a thing. Especially with a recession on the way.
Interestingly, I've seen comparisons with Boneworks that make it seem like Alyx is in fact missing some features that could amplify the immersion. You can't just melee enemies or grab headcrabs from your face like you can in Boneworks. I think Alyx sets a standard for VR overall, but it's still not perfect it seems. PS: Obviously Boneworks also has its own shortcomings. My point is not that one is better than the other.
@@Ayoul Boneworks puts physics above gameplay, fun and comfort, while Valve had those 3 things as their upmost priority, which led them to scrap many mechanics like melee combat, two handed weapons, climbing, etc. Boneworks is very much physics above everything, even if it costs the gameplay. Something as simple as climbing a crate can be a clunky nightmare in Boneworks.
@@steel5897 That's well put. It could be argued they are both pushing the medium in different directions making advancements and tests in different ways. There's a middle ground that future games will find.
VR sales are increasing, they've been steadily increasing since they released, better games are coming, more sales are happening, which is pushing bigger better games. VR isn't reliant on this game, if this game didn't exist, vr would already be working it's way towards more widespread adoption, this is just another quality game to play in vr among many.
It’s not the deepest VR game in terms of gameplay. It just wraps it together in a nice package while moving forward the Half Life uní-I mean multiverse.
I was pretty disappointed in the lack of any melee options. Holding a bar and swinging it at the enemies and having it do nothing, was pretty sad. But there is still a lot of good there. As soon as I saw the wood planks across a door I was convinced I missed the crowbar pickup.
@@AscendantStoic don't forget, it's not just cost that's prohibitive. The tech itself needs space, I would guess around 2m square, a lot of places especially outside the US don't have that level of empty space without moving stuff. I certainly don't, and I'm not moving my flipping heavy coffee table outside whenever I fancy playing VR.
this honestly feels like a push forward for gaming. it's an experience so immersive that it feels almost like this is only way games were meant to be played. I think this is the beginning of something revolutionary and makes most other VR games feel like tech demos.
That's been the problem with VR since Day 1, and I'm a huge VR supporter. Developers are only "dipping their toe in" to VR which is unprecendented in the history of the industry. The tech industry USED to be full of "early adopters" and people who bought new technology just because it was new. That's why I bought into VR. If there is something new in the world of Tech, I want to experience it. But as the "games" industry has grown to be basically become the new television, gamers have become or been replaced by people who aren't interested in trying new things or risk. It's, again, unprecedented for the industry. So AAA developers don't want to risk trying new things. They would just rather do the same old same old and get predictable results because the investment/return on big brand AAA games remains consistently good. IN short, DudeBros was Call Of Duty year after year and the smart investment is to give it to them.
"this is only way games were meant to be played" Seriously??!! Whatever you r smoking..get off that. I d rather sit on my couch and play real games and not some overpriced overrated bullshit. or when somebody makes a mod that enable it the way it was meant to be played.FPS with mouse and keyboard.
Just finished it and maaan was it an amazing ride, even with its shortcomings, they pulled it off! I mean, seriously, it is the best VR experience available right now. Some other things might be a little flashier, but this one has the sense of presence unmatched imo.
I agree with everything you said except the mini-game puzzles. I found those to be entertaining, too. :D But yes, this game truly deserves a 10/10. It's truly outstanding on every level and Valve indeed delivered on expectations and surpassed them once more
Games that have received a perfect score include: Half-Life Alyx God of War Red Dead Redemption 2 Shadow of the Colossus PS4 Super Mario Odyssey Persona 5 The Last Guardian Uncharted 4
I feel like the teleport moving is immersion breaking and frankly jarring. Isn't VR touted as a hyper immersive experience? This just seems like a serious drawback that I keep seeing in so many VR titles.
I’m guessing you haven’t tried VR? The teleportation is common for a reason. If you’ve ever wondered how fast you can go from feeling great to barfing up a storm, continuous movement in VR will give you that answer. For me it was about 3 minutes (at first). Now it’s more like 15 or 20 minutes! So you can build up a tolerance, and the lucky few can deal with it immediately, but most people get sick very quickly.
There are 3 different movement options available in this game including continuous movement. Ben simply chose teleportation to prevent motion sickness which he mentioned he is prone to when it comes to VR.
@@Coreyahno i guess i'm one of the lucky few. barely any VR experience before HL:A but i could play 2 or 3 hours with continuous movement without any problems. while backtracking i sometimes used the jump to teleport through the levels and that didn't feel bad either (actually i played my first session with the teleport option since i misunderstood the settings and still had a great time and had no immersion problems)
I am glad that they arent putting out Half Lifes just for the story. Half life lives of its technological leaps. It sets new bars. Alyx going to be biggest milestone for VR gaming
@@BenterKoux The industry moved on without Half Life though. They could have continued with HL3 and still innovate on non-VR platforms. Half Life 2 feels severely dated in gameplay, storytelling and graphics compared to modern AAA games.
@@weaverquest Severely dated? I don't know if you've played it or not, but as someone has, and has been gaming for almost 3 decades, I've really never played anything like this before. Dated is the very last word I would use to describe this masterpiece, it's like nothing else out there right now. And yes, I've played Boneworks.
@@Crushenator500 No I was talking about Half-Life 2 on PC to argue how Valve could still make non-VR games and still innovate on them. I don't see VR as a replacement for "flat" gaming it is just a different kind of experience with its own possibilities and limitations.
After playing through this game I can confirm: this is the correct score. I'm just really sad you spoiled that Jeff exists. That is the single best chapter of this game, should never even be mentioned in any reviews, people should come in blind for this.
As somebody who wont be playing VR any time soon I don't mind being spoiled. I also listened to Kinda Funny's full spoiler review and learned all about Jeff, it's helpful to hear and see spoilers so that we on the outside can have a better idea what the fuss is all about.
@@charoleawood Agreed. I did the same. I look forward to playing this game maybe 5 years from now, but for now it is just impossible. So hearing detailed moments about why people think this is a 10 is helpful and interesting. Anyone who is capable of playing this game doesn't need a review to decide if they should get it, so I think a review for this serves a different purpose than telling you whether you should buy it or not.
It isn't hype guys. Half Life Alyx is the best fucking video game I have ever played. And the best thing about it, is that it makes me sure it isn't the best game I'll ever play. This is the future guys, and it is remarkable.
Shame about £2,000 paywall for people who dont own £500 vr headset or a £1500 high end pc. Hope it comes to ps vr, still haven't got one yet but its way more affordable than HTC
If F-Zero GX is a 10 and Half-Life in VR is a 10 - does that make F-Zero GX in VR a 20? (seriously if you have a VR headset go get Dolphin VR and load up FZ GX it’s So Frickin Good)
@@Leathal Wait. There are VR retro emulators? How have I not heard of this!? I have an inexplicable desire to play old polygonal games in VR. Looking at you Tomb Raider II.
@@rygar8bit2 All-time player peak for Half Life Alyx isn't even at 17k. Where are those millions you're speaking of? Team Fortress by the same company, by the way, adds 100k to that all-time peak. A game that is free to play and doesn't require any additional hardware for your PV. I think any comment regarding gate keeping is completely justified.
@@rygar8bit2 Euro Truck Simulator 2 has more players than Alyx, you twat. I never actually played ETS2, but if I had to guess I'd say that's a Single Player game.
I was joking. People make fun of the PlayStation Vita all the time by saying only three people have those, when in fact they sold at least 6 million units by the end of 2013, so I'm gonna make fun of the more expensive VR experiences. Not to mention that I'm rather annoyed that I bought a PSVR at launch and this game is probably never coming to it.
4 роки тому
That opening part of the review made it clear to me that it was going to be a 10.
Hey guys, where's the review for The Walking Dead Saints & Sinners? I'd be very interested to hear if you think Half Life is still the best VR game after playing TWD!
'Alyx, are we good?'
-10/10-
'Yep.'
A 10. Damn. I want this so bad but valve is taking so long with the next batch of indexes. I’ve already been waiting 13 years so another few months shouldn’t be too bad.
Hang in there brother 👍
Unless you have money to spare I'd say don't get an index. Of course, almost every headset is sold out at this point but still.
Provided you survive the pandemic. Stay safe brother. 🙏
Played and finished in Oculus Quest, the experience was great man. I doubt Index will make all the difference. If you can't wait or afford Index, try doing Oculus Quest. It really does work well either via the Link cable or even wirelessly over 5G to Virtual Desktop.
buy a different headset
Damn, a 10 is huge for EZA. Glad to hear that Half-Life is once again at the forefront of gaming history.
The only video game that’s ever made me rearrange my furniture.
Your closing statement about wanting to talk about it and having others to play and experience it, absolutely nails it. This game is something one has to have hands-on to fully understand what Valve has done here. Score well deserved.
Naren Varma There are other VR games like Boneworks that make Alyx feel dumbed down. Valve took the safe approach.
Lee Griffiths I think you nailed it with “unfamiliarity with VR and excitement about a new game.” This is a baby step into a new era of Half-Life, though.
Some may be too young to remember that when half-life came out there were few people with a PC good enough to run it. It pushed PC gaming forward. I think that's what Valve is seeking to do with VR. Give it a few years and we will all have a decent VR set.
Every now and then I visit the Valve Time forums (or what's left of them) and go way back to release of HL2. People were buying new PCs for that game, and there were threads upon threads of people complaining about issues launching and activating the game, then a brief silence, then a flood of people absolutely in awe of what the game is capable of. It's been super fascinating to see it, and now we're reliving that with Alyx.
Just got my steam index in the mail today... hooked it up with one of my best friends... we played half life Alyx for HOURS... and were MIND BLOWN at nearly every aspect and how fluid it all works. It’s 3:30am as I type this... we’ll wake up tomorrow and continue all over again... this game is finally something brand new. And beyond anything I’ve ever expected. 10/10 (in progress) from me as well
Ben Moore, the most expressive and effective reviewer on the Internet.
Finally purchased a VR headset this week after years of indecisiveness. Without a doubt this is the best gaming experience I have ever had.
Which Headset did you purchase? I'm looking to get one just for this game.
@@Cipher_XoF Quest 2 in the end. The wireless PCVR capabilities, good controls and more than adequate resolution make it a no brainer for the price. Of course it's FB though...
I played+finished on Quest 2 and I can't recommend the headset. Alyx was still by far one of the best games I've ever played and definitely the best VR game I've played, but issues with controller tracking (especially when trying to grab something from backpack during a firefight) and visual distortion/warping that I could tell was being caused by the Oculus software made me feel I definitely would have had an even better experience with a better VR headset, probably Valve's Index itself..
One of the most honest, and most accurate reviews of HLA on the internet, well done EZA and Ben Moore!
"consideration of resources is vital"
Says while shooting an antlion's leg with the shotgun
I'm playing through the game now, and even though I use a lesser VR headset (WMR, Samsung Odyssey+), I would still agree with the score. Even if you play using hardware that can't fully accomplish what the game has available to it, since the Index is the only one with per-finger controls. Even though WMR uses inside out tracking (tracking sensors for controllers are in the HMD, instead of external boxes) which are sometimes a struggle. Half Life Alyx continues to overcome these issues, and becomes an experience unlike any other.
If you're looking for an affordable way to experience the game, the Samsung Odyssey+ is often on sale for under $250. That, or wait a couple years until there is a superior, wireless headset when the technology gets more affordable.
im using same headset are you playing seated or standing because im having a few problems with it seated and a few tracking related issues.
I used a Rift S and I agree that the game is masterful, I didn't feel like I missed anything from not having an Index, aside from the Rift's small FoV which always bothered me. I didn't feel like not having finger tracking was a big deal, I could accomplish everything in the game, including pressing buttons with my index finger, and even playing the piano.
I had an Oculus Rift CV1 and upgraded to an Index for this game. Finger tracking adds absolutely nothing to the game whatsoever in terms of gameplay. Which is odd considering this game was made by Valve who were the people that developed the finger tracking on the index controllers. If they don’t put it to good use, who will? They just wanted it to be playable across all VR platforms and requiring finger tracking would eliminate probably around 90% of VR users and piss a lot of people off. So you aren’t missing much, it really has no use in the game.
This was a sleeper hit GOTY contender for me, at least until the reviews started pouring in. I didn't expect a HL spinoff/prequel game in a still-experimental technological barrier to be this good....but I underestimated Valve in 2020. I wouldn't be surprised if this takes home GOTY now, even amongst CyberPunk, FF7, Doom, TLOU2, etc.
I heard Ben's opinions on Frame Trap about this, and have one friend with a decent VR headset and I bought it for him, and I'm glad I did. It's definitely the best VR game I've ever played and the most exciting experience a Half Life game has been for me, and I love Half Life 2 and both of the following episodes. When it was announced I was ambivalent, and thought that I'd experienced everything I saw in the trailer with my PSVR and the games I have for it, but no, Blood and Truth or Arizona Sunshine are technically the closest to Alyx, but only share mechanical similarities, like manually reloading, or climbing a ladder by pulling yourself up each wrung. But Alyx incorporates these into a tense, survival horror with expert level design and an incredible story and atmosphere that feels so much like Half Life 2, it's surreal. I recommend that anyone who's interested buy at least Rift S or something if your PC is good enough to run it, because this game is worth the price of the headset.
My personal Goty. Love every single bit of it.
I agree with the review mostly, except for the mini-games.
I enjoy how Valve managed to make use of the depth perception in VR for these "puzzle spheres" and their different variations.
In the one you showed in the video, you can avoid being detected by just letting go of the dot you're moving around. As long as you're not interacting with the dot, these red tracers will not trigger a failure.
The "electric wiring puzzles" are neat little diversions and some of them include nice little touches like alarms to avoid etc.
But, the most important thing that keeps them entertaining for me: None of them take long or are a pain to control, so they are just nice little diversions.
Took me until I was about 3/4 of the way in to the game to realise this 😅
I like the wiring puzzles. And the trip wires. Its the cache box puzzles that sucked.
The waving at corpses made me smile.
You guys are cranking out these reviews. Well done! 🤙
Great review.
For anyone interested in getting the game I'd recommend playing with continuous movement rather than teleporting as its far more immersive and feels like the way the game was meant to be played. Teleporting also makes combat a bit too easy.
I dissagree. It is meant to played with Blink, that is the standard setting. If you can play full locomotion sure do that. But it's just as incredible and designed for blink. And no it doesn't make things too easy at all. It's meant to be your first VR game, if you got your sealegs then play it on hard.
Oh nice, yeah the teleporting looks kind of immersion-breaking (so do the floating hands).
I love the Loco. Sad there isn't a real jump. Guess they was trying to be too careful about motion sickness. Glad they patched in smooth rotation too, else I'd had to give the game a lower score~
@@KitoBallard There is a real jump. It's called jumping.
@@AliG4life It's not. Neither of it is. The floating hands is way better than having arms because arms in VR isn't where your arm is all the time and that is actually immersion breaking. And teleporting is just the better option in every game until you get your VR sealegs, and kind of after that too tbh. Teleporting is weirdly way more natural feeling than using sticks. It doesn't look it in clips, but when you're in there I recommend going teleporting at least the first dozen or so hours you spend in VR. It's not too easy, and it's WAYY more natural than you'd ever think it would be.
Great writing by Ben. Loved the intro of as we get older it is harder for our mind to take off. Brilliantly worded.
Excellently written review. You really nailed a lot of sentiments that I'm sure most players experienced or felt while playing the game.
Completely agree with the review! I loved this game. I've noticed some people complain about vr controls, but I feel this is a product of not only what vr headset you have, but also your setup. Having a proper setup definitely helps. Proper lighting, space, etc. I had next to zero issues with controls and I used a HTC Vive. This game isn't just good because it is vr, it is just a great game... period. As someone who is brand new to the half-life series I enjoyed it a lot. I watched a summary of the first two half-life games before playing this and it definitely gave me some perspective of the world before going in. If anyone is on the fence, I highly recommend playing this game! It's amazing, and I have a feeling the future of the series looks very bright.
I played it streaming wirelessly to my Quest and it worked honestly way better than it should. I am with Ben here. This is the best fucking video game I have ever played. It is a 10 defined. It is so good it makes everyone else look bad.
With the Index you don’t even need proper lighting! I always played completely in the dark. I obviously don’t need the lights on because I have a VR headset strapped to my face and can’t see anyway, and without any lights on I don’t get any light bleeding through that small nose gap VR headsets have. My tracking was still flawless. I think the Oculus Rift CV1 was the same way.
Alyx is literally the only VR game I've played where it really feels like the hardware is holding back the experience. Playing the game (especially a shootout) with a 1:1 movement environment (i.e. open warehouse with perfect wireless VR headset) would be amazingly fun, but I'm stuck in a small room using a joystick to move.
I can't wait to play this in 10 years with a decent PC and VR set when they will be cheaper at that time.
Highly doubt you will have to wait that long.
@@AscendantStoic Depends how the economy is going lol
Took the words out of my mouth.
VR isn't expensive if you buy a used unit. Like... at all. Around me, you can find a used PSVR headset with two games and all the accessories for the price of a "special edition" of a single AAA game.
I know you're saying PC, but you can find that for cheap as well.
@@JazGalaxy It's funny how people can talk casually about this when in other nations having a VR set is a luxury and are not around the corner like in other nations.
Personally, I wouldn't know where to begin describing this one. The opening lines of this review made me realize we're in good hands with Ben.
I don't know how Jones keeps doing so many reviews but I ain't complaining!
@@liandria He knows. It's a running joke in the community.
@@liandria Don't feel bad for not getting a running joke.
The whole point of a running joke is that you have to know the reference to get it. You clearly didn't.
Old joke..
@@Ayoul @ダニエル Yeah, I've been a patron of EZA since day 1, but sometimes this community makes my eyes roll. My guess is that if UA-cam still showed down votes, all these "Jones joke" comments would have more downvotes than upvotes.
Your teams reviews are always 10/10
The movement reminds me of older PC Adventure games like Return to Zork and Myst (albeit in tinier, non-pre-rendereder increments). That's not a bad thing, in fact, I'd love to play a game like that that utilizes all this hand-waving technology. It could be a real Renaissance for the genre.
Not sure if you knew. But Myst is available for VR. And another recommendation you may not have heard of. Outer Wilds. (Not worlds. WIlds) If you haven't played it. Don't look it up. If you like Myst at all, that game is absolutely for you. Don't spoil any part of it.
I'm 100% for what you said in the end, since I've finished the game I've been so eager to get all my friends to play, which I definitely will as soon as the pandemic is over!
Having Ben ( who is know for being afraid of spiders ) playing a game which throws headcrabs at you in the most realistic way imaginable... and loving it...gives me hope that maybe I can do it. Geez, what am I talking about... I can't watch an Earth Defense Force Trailer without freaking out and screaming in fear.
Ben is not scared of spiders, he is scared of tarantulas specifically.
Masterpiece. With story ending, probably the first 11.
Holy, Ben. I want to play this so badly. Hopefully I manage until the end of the year.
Astonishing review. Writing on point and great editing language on it, Ian. L&R.
WOAH Ben! man im sad i only have PSVR
Hopefully it will come to PSVR2, we can only hope.
I found my people...
Get a Quest. I got PSVR too and I bought a Quest to play Alyx, it is so fucking worth it. Geniuenly feels like the future.
@@HermanFalckHow
You still need a great PC with the Quest
Ten Moore gave this a Ben/Ben. Someday will play!
Very eloquently written review dudes! great job
6-8 weeks until my index should arrive... The, wait, is, killing, me!
Alyx is legit the only game I've ever considered a 10. Glad others do as well.
Holy poop a 10! I'm so jealous that some people get to experience such a masterpiece
As someone that's finished it, it's WELL deserving of that 10. I hope you get to try it for yourself sometime soon :)
@@Crushenator500 I hope so too but in the meantime I'm gunna replay the old half life games. I have an overwhelming urge to control an army of antlions 😁
I haven’t played VR before. Is it usual that the walking mechanics is like Google Streetview where you aim at a location and then click to spawn over there? It doesn’t look like a fluid movement when walking around?
You have different options for movement. The one in the video was teleportation (like you described) but there is also free locomotion (fluid) that is more typical to traditional video games.
Nice Ben, I'm so glad you weren't daunted and went for the bullseye. This, if anything, deserves it.
Game of the year for me.
Me too.
The VR game that makes all other VR experiences pale in comparison. Now everyone else has to step up their game.
Also, most people can't afford this so who knows if this will be enough to make VR a thing. Especially with a recession on the way.
Interestingly, I've seen comparisons with Boneworks that make it seem like Alyx is in fact missing some features that could amplify the immersion. You can't just melee enemies or grab headcrabs from your face like you can in Boneworks. I think Alyx sets a standard for VR overall, but it's still not perfect it seems.
PS: Obviously Boneworks also has its own shortcomings. My point is not that one is better than the other.
@@Ayoul Boneworks puts physics above gameplay, fun and comfort, while Valve had those 3 things as their upmost priority, which led them to scrap many mechanics like melee combat, two handed weapons, climbing, etc.
Boneworks is very much physics above everything, even if it costs the gameplay. Something as simple as climbing a crate can be a clunky nightmare in Boneworks.
@@steel5897 That's well put. It could be argued they are both pushing the medium in different directions making advancements and tests in different ways. There's a middle ground that future games will find.
VR sales are increasing, they've been steadily increasing since they released, better games are coming, more sales are happening, which is pushing bigger better games.
VR isn't reliant on this game, if this game didn't exist, vr would already be working it's way towards more widespread adoption, this is just another quality game to play in vr among many.
It’s not the deepest VR game in terms of gameplay. It just wraps it together in a nice package while moving forward the Half Life uní-I mean multiverse.
I was pretty disappointed in the lack of any melee options. Holding a bar and swinging it at the enemies and having it do nothing, was pretty sad. But there is still a lot of good there. As soon as I saw the wood planks across a door I was convinced I missed the crowbar pickup.
I was too until the end of the game. And then it all made sense. The wait for melee combat will be worth it.
The masterpiece almost none of us will ever play :\
I won't play it for many years but damn it, one day I will!
Too many overdramatic ppl, technology develops a lot faster than you think, an VR is getting cheaper by the day (the current crisis notwithstanding).
Would love to see it come to the PS5, that would allow lots of people to try it
@@AscendantStoic don't forget, it's not just cost that's prohibitive. The tech itself needs space, I would guess around 2m square, a lot of places especially outside the US don't have that level of empty space without moving stuff. I certainly don't, and I'm not moving my flipping heavy coffee table outside whenever I fancy playing VR.
@@kif1983 I played sitting down, works absolutely fantastic.
10/10 would buy for PSVR. Not looking to get another headset just for this, as tempting as it is.
this honestly feels like a push forward for gaming. it's an experience so immersive that it feels almost like this is only way games were meant to be played. I think this is the beginning of something revolutionary and makes most other VR games feel like tech demos.
That's been the problem with VR since Day 1, and I'm a huge VR supporter. Developers are only "dipping their toe in" to VR which is unprecendented in the history of the industry. The tech industry USED to be full of "early adopters" and people who bought new technology just because it was new. That's why I bought into VR. If there is something new in the world of Tech, I want to experience it. But as the "games" industry has grown to be basically become the new television, gamers have become or been replaced by people who aren't interested in trying new things or risk. It's, again, unprecedented for the industry. So AAA developers don't want to risk trying new things. They would just rather do the same old same old and get predictable results because the investment/return on big brand AAA games remains consistently good.
IN short, DudeBros was Call Of Duty year after year and the smart investment is to give it to them.
There are other VR games like Boneworks that make this game feel dumbed down.
"this is only way games were meant to be played"
Seriously??!!
Whatever you r smoking..get off that.
I d rather sit on my couch and play real games and not some overpriced overrated bullshit.
or when somebody makes a mod that enable it the way it was meant to be played.FPS with mouse and keyboard.
@@Daryl42 Boneworks is more accurate yes but Half Life Alyx is oveerall a better experience because of amazing art design and world building too.
Gramsci I agree. Just seems like a lot of people don’t know about Boneworks.
Just finished it and maaan was it an amazing ride, even with its shortcomings, they pulled it off! I mean, seriously, it is the best VR experience available right now. Some other things might be a little flashier, but this one has the sense of presence unmatched imo.
I agree with everything you said except the mini-game puzzles. I found those to be entertaining, too. :D But yes, this game truly deserves a 10/10. It's truly outstanding on every level and Valve indeed delivered on expectations and surpassed them once more
It should also be noted that you can turn off teleporting.
Its rare to see the big 10 today, but nice job ^^ !!! Still think 9.9 was still better that just me.
Holy shit its a 10 from EZA! Fantastic review as always.
It's truly is amazing.. I sat down for an hour just pondering what I just played when I beat it. 10/10 is understated.
Wow, is it Allies first 10? I can't remember any other..
There has been a few, such as God of War
Games that have received a perfect score include:
Half-Life Alyx
God of War
Red Dead Redemption 2
Shadow of the Colossus PS4
Super Mario Odyssey
Persona 5
The Last Guardian
Uncharted 4
@@Coreyahno Not too bad. 🙂
Been waiting for this! EZA is best in the biz, and Ben's reviews are always phenomenal!
Great review like always
Agree with the score. Was one of the best games I've played in quite a while.
I feel like the teleport moving is immersion breaking and frankly jarring. Isn't VR touted as a hyper immersive experience? This just seems like a serious drawback that I keep seeing in so many VR titles.
I’m guessing you haven’t tried VR? The teleportation is common for a reason. If you’ve ever wondered how fast you can go from feeling great to barfing up a storm, continuous movement in VR will give you that answer. For me it was about 3 minutes (at first). Now it’s more like 15 or 20 minutes!
So you can build up a tolerance, and the lucky few can deal with it immediately, but most people get sick very quickly.
It's immersive as fuck, no matter how you move.
There are 3 different movement options available in this game including continuous movement. Ben simply chose teleportation to prevent motion sickness which he mentioned he is prone to when it comes to VR.
@@Coreyahno i guess i'm one of the lucky few. barely any VR experience before HL:A but i could play 2 or 3 hours with continuous movement without any problems.
while backtracking i sometimes used the jump to teleport through the levels and that didn't feel bad either (actually i played my first session with the teleport option since i misunderstood the settings and still had a great time and had no immersion problems)
You don't have to tele in HL:A. But also, Tele is perfectly immersive.
Fantastic review
Great review, Ben. This game is HL3 in all but name. And Valve crushed it.
I can confirm. It's a 10 😎
Daaaamn. I dont care if that ending "Alyx are you good? .... Yup" is a little cheesy because its also dope as heck!
Whoa yeah I'm gonna try and get it for sure
One day I am going to experience this. One day.
The only review I trust
ACG is great too
who could have guessed that a half life game would be good
I am glad that they arent putting out Half Lifes just for the story. Half life lives of its technological leaps. It sets new bars. Alyx going to be biggest milestone for VR gaming
@@BenterKoux The industry moved on without Half Life though. They could have continued with HL3 and still innovate on non-VR platforms. Half Life 2 feels severely dated in gameplay, storytelling and graphics compared to modern AAA games.
Who could have guessed that a half life game would come out
@@weaverquest Severely dated? I don't know if you've played it or not, but as someone has, and has been gaming for almost 3 decades, I've really never played anything like this before. Dated is the very last word I would use to describe this masterpiece, it's like nothing else out there right now. And yes, I've played Boneworks.
@@Crushenator500 No I was talking about Half-Life 2 on PC to argue how Valve could still make non-VR games and still innovate on them. I don't see VR as a replacement for "flat" gaming it is just a different kind of experience with its own possibilities and limitations.
Great review Ben couldnt agree more.
I really thought Ben would review this game, anyway great job Jones!
The review was written by Ben
Well Jones has done 100% of all EZA reviews so I’m not sure why you expected this one to be any different!
After playing through this game I can confirm: this is the correct score. I'm just really sad you spoiled that Jeff exists. That is the single best chapter of this game, should never even be mentioned in any reviews, people should come in blind for this.
As somebody who wont be playing VR any time soon I don't mind being spoiled. I also listened to Kinda Funny's full spoiler review and learned all about Jeff, it's helpful to hear and see spoilers so that we on the outside can have a better idea what the fuss is all about.
@@charoleawood Agreed. I did the same. I look forward to playing this game maybe 5 years from now, but for now it is just impossible. So hearing detailed moments about why people think this is a 10 is helpful and interesting. Anyone who is capable of playing this game doesn't need a review to decide if they should get it, so I think a review for this serves a different purpose than telling you whether you should buy it or not.
I wonder if they could make this for psvr? I would buy one just to play
On PS5 maybe.
I HATED the fungus stuff. Like, it's one of my fears and omg it was horrible.
10/10 game, serious. Just won't go back through that fungus crap again
I'm a hardened atheist, and I am gd **praying** for this game to come to PSVR
It won't happen on PS4.
It isn't hype guys. Half Life Alyx is the best fucking video game I have ever played. And the best thing about it, is that it makes me sure it isn't the best game I'll ever play. This is the future guys, and it is remarkable.
A future. Not the future.
Shame about £2,000 paywall for people who dont own £500 vr headset or a £1500 high end pc. Hope it comes to ps vr, still haven't got one yet but its way more affordable than HTC
The game won't run on a PS4.
VR nor a PC is that expensive. Try half the amount you named. And thats in USD. Given the euro is more its less than half.
GOTY contender vs RE3 Remake and possibly FF7 Remake
Great review! Sad I only have PSVR!
A 10? So it's least as good as F-Zero GX ;).
you read my mind.
If F-Zero GX is a 10 and Half-Life in VR is a 10 - does that make F-Zero GX in VR a 20?
(seriously if you have a VR headset go get Dolphin VR and load up FZ GX it’s So Frickin Good)
@@Leathal Wait. There are VR retro emulators? How have I not heard of this!? I have an inexplicable desire to play old polygonal games in VR. Looking at you Tomb Raider II.
Jon What the fuck is this bullshit logic 😂😂.
It is only April and we already have the Game of the Year already...
I wish I had the money to afford a PC capable of playing this well, and the Valve Index VR headset.
You could rob a bank.
This is great, a 10/10 new Half-Life game, and less than a thousand gamers in this country can afford it!
Millions, but nice try.
@@rygar8bit2 All-time player peak for Half Life Alyx isn't even at 17k. Where are those millions you're speaking of?
Team Fortress by the same company, by the way, adds 100k to that all-time peak. A game that is free to play and doesn't require any additional hardware for your PV.
I think any comment regarding gate keeping is completely justified.
@@FeixMan A multiplayer game has more CONCURRENT (as in players on at the same time) Then a single player game? Whaaaaaaaaaat?
@@rygar8bit2 Euro Truck Simulator 2 has more players than Alyx, you twat. I never actually played ETS2, but if I had to guess I'd say that's a Single Player game.
I was joking. People make fun of the PlayStation Vita all the time by saying only three people have those, when in fact they sold at least 6 million units by the end of 2013, so I'm gonna make fun of the more expensive VR experiences.
Not to mention that I'm rather annoyed that I bought a PSVR at launch and this game is probably never coming to it.
That opening part of the review made it clear to me that it was going to be a 10.
Ben Moore is a poet
I wish I could play it.
"Picking up a tea cup and noticing a stain on the inside" *Footage shows Alyx clipping through the cup*
Hah, yeah. I was laughing at that too :D
Yes, the minigames are annoying but interacting with the holograms really excite me haha!
lol Ian had to edit the review
BEN MOOREEE
Now if only getting a good VR ready PC and headset wasn't so expensive
One of the few games that REALLY deserve the 10. It's definitely my favorite game that came out since Prey 2017.
I hope Ben can play some more VR games.. lone echo, saints and sinners, asguards wrath etc
Ben Moooooore, best in the biiiiizzzzz
BEN10!
It saddens me that I will probably never get to play this...
Why?
Man I heard you deep on the intro...getting old man
I hope I can play this within a few years... thanks Valve
Woowww does this tempt me to finally cave and get a VR headset, damn they're expensive though!
If you already have a gaming PC, you can get a VR headset for as little as $250.
Go for the rift s
Waiting for the PS5 PS VR2 version...
Nice 👍 reviews.
At least we know Valve still can make games when they want to.
Hey guys, where's the review for The Walking Dead Saints & Sinners? I'd be very interested to hear if you think Half Life is still the best VR game after playing TWD!
I absolutely love the game, but I have so much difficulty with the combat :(