Half-Life: Alyx released just over a week ago, and it has received positive reviews across the board. It has been 13 years since a new Half-Life game has been released, and fans have been begging Valve to continue the series ever since Half-Life 2’s cliffhanger ending.
Apparently fans even hurt their feelings saying they “don’t make games anymore.”
With Half-Life: Alyx hot off the presses, though, Valve has shown that they do indeed remember how to make video games, and superb ones at that.
Before diving back into the world of Half-Life, make sure you are up to speed on what the game is like and what to expect while playing it. Here are a few tips and tricks to get you started.
If You Can, Invest In The Valve Index
Valve surprised fans everywhere with the announcement of Half-Life: Alyx a few months ago. They were also surprised to learn that the game was a VR exclusive. This meant that the game was a no-go for anyone who hadn’t shelled out for a VR headset (unless you use this workaround).
The good news is Half-Life: Alyx is supported on nearly every VR system, including Oculus Rift and Windows Mixed Reality. That meant players new to VR could still play the game with a cheaper $400 headset.
However, for the ultimate experience of the game, we recommend getting the Valve Index if you can. Valve’s own VR headset has a few unique features the game takes advantage of, and it makes a tangible difference while playing the game. The most significant of these is the 144hz refresh rate functionality for individual fingers.
The individual finger control is especially cool, as it improves the way you can interact with the game’s world. Players can play the piano and even crush cans they pick up in-game.
Here’s a further breakdown of what you will need to play the game:
It is a costly investment, but if you’re looking for the best of Half-Life: Alyx and future games that support it, the Valve Index is a must-have.
Look For Doors With Handles, Especially Red Ones
This tip is Game Design 101, but it is important to note for VR games. Half-Life: Alyx is larger than practically every VR game to date, and navigating a full 3D environment can be disorienting (and a bit nauseating) at first.
Valve has taken steps to make sure you know where to go and can easily navigate and move through the world, particularly through visual cues.
It’s simple, really. If a door or cabinet doesn’t have a handle, it doesn’t go anywhere so just leave it alone. Instead, focus on anything with a handle. You will especially want to keep your eye out for red handles, as they lead the way to important items and progress you through the game.
Solving Spatial Puzzles
Half-Life: Alyx has puzzles all throughout. One of the most common ones are the new spatial puzzles. Using the game’s multi-tool (an item that has multiple uses, as the name suggests), players take control of a holographic sphere and must connect blue nodes without crossing paths with a red one.
The puzzles start off simple enough, but quickly ramp up in difficulty as the red nodes begin moving and leaving trails. It can be pretty infuriating to continually fail and start over.
The best trick is to just disengage the multi-tool. Doing so doesn’t quit the puzzle, and red nodes can safely hover over the node you're moving without failing the puzzle.
If you’re in a bind, just let go.
Stealth Is Your Friend
The gunplay in Half-Life: Alyx is really unique, especially since all the weapons are one-handed. That gives you a free hand to do literally anything else while blasting away enemies.
However, the run-and-gun approach isn’t always necessary in the game, and it isn’t always recommended. You can easily avoid Combine soldiers and headcrabs with a little patience and hiding behind cover.
This approach is a great way to conserve ammunition and health. The game has pretty advanced audio and visual cues, so you will want to take advantage of them to determine when it is best to move.
Get The Reflex Sights Early On
All of Half-Life: Alyx’s weapons can be upgraded. Each of the three weapons has four upgrades that improve and change combat in exciting ways. You can obtain these upgrades with Resin, an in-game currency you find exploring the world.
Early on, you will want to make sure you get the reflex sights for the pistol and SMG. The reflex sight adds a yellow reticle that highlights enemy weak points and makes them easier to hit in the dark. This upgrade will greatly improve your aim and save precious ammo.