Half-Life 2 VR Is Better Than Half-Life: Alyx (sort of) (i'll explain)

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NOTES:
-I talk about the importance of accessibility in the video and how the industry should work to find solutions for motion sickness and whatnot, but I wanted to be clear that I’m speaking in generalities. I’m not saying it’s easy or that small teams, like the Half-Life 2 VR modding team, should or even can work on difficult solutions.
-I want to preempt a few possible critiques of this vid:
1) I don’t think you can use Half-Life’s lore to excuse Alyx’s simplified design. By this I mean: Gordon’s hazard suit gave him abilities (like sprinting) that Alyx doesn't have because she is not wearing a hazard suit. But I’m sure there could’ve been ways to write around this and make Alyx play faster and closer to Half-Life 2.
2) I ask, at the end, what Alyx would look like if it were more robust of a game. Boneworks, by Stress Level Zero, is a more robust VR game, but that doesn’t mean that a hypothetical “more complex” Alyx would play or look like Boneworks. Boneworks is an experimental physics sandbox. Its single player is a ton of fun, but it’s not meant to be a game as much as it is to show off crazy VR physics and silliness. There is a place for that, but there is also a place for more refined, curated experiences that are less about experimentation and emergent gameplay.
-When I went back and watched my original video about Alyx, I was surprised how positive my initial reaction was. My opinion must have soured on Alyx over the years somewhat or (and I believe this is the case) at the time I wasn't skilled enough to better articulate my mixed opinion. I also wanted to get that video out relatively close to when the game was released, so that probably added to it as well. Either way, I don't think anything I've said contradicts the things that I said in my first video.

#halflife2 #halflifealyx #vr

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[gamejoker]

Note on the importance of accessibility. My mother is a 63 year old stroke victim, only has use of her left arm, and can't stand for extended periods of time. The only games she would normally play are puzzles on her tablet. Yet, she has over 200 hours in Half-life Alyx. Because of the one handed mode and consideration for players that need or want to sit through the game, she is able to play the entirety of Alyx to completion and has done so multiple times. She talks about how much she loves the art and world of the game, she enjoys getting stress out by shooting "those f#4%s" as she aptly calls every enemy, and considering her disability this is a great way for her to get exercise for a few hours each time.

As much as this game feels like a compromise with a lot of restriction, it's been an eye opening experience for my ma, who now always talks about vr and how much fun she has playing Half-life everytime we go see family. The fact that someone like her, someone wheelchair bound is able to shoot up city 17 with one hand the same as me, should be a testament for accessibility in games. So for now, we both are exited for what our favorite series, and vr has to offer going forward. Knowing we both will be able to enjoy it just as much as one another.

[jamtero]

The graphics and smooth UI of alyx allowed a much better feeling of presence in the world over what they did with the mod. Loving playing hl2 in VR, but for me it's not on the same level as alyx imo

[tiang]

I’m currently playing HL2: VR for the first time and I haven’t played HL: Alyx. Yesterday when I booted it up, the canal scene loaded with the menu and I was actually able to physically sit down cross legged and look at the scene around me. I’ll never forget that moment. Amazing mod

[TheGamingDiscourse]

NOTES & UPDATE (2/19/23)
-The mod team has added teleportation! I have not tried it out myself, but the team said in a recent update they consider it experimental. Regardless, it's impressive work.
---Original Text:
-I talk about the importance of accessibility in the video and how the industry should work to find solutions for motion sickness and whatnot, but I wanted to be clear that I’m speaking in generalities. I’m not saying it’s easy or that small teams, like the Half-Life 2 VR modding team, should or even can work on difficult solutions.
-I want to preempt a few possible critiques of this vid:
1)I don’t think you can use Half-Life’s lore to excuse Alyx’s simplified design. By this I mean: Gordon’s hazard suit gave him abilities (like sprinting) that Alyx doesn't have because she is not wearing a hazard suit. But I’m sure there could’ve been ways to write around this and make Alyx play faster and closer to Half-Life 2.
2)I ask, at the end, what Alyx would look like if it were more robust of a game. Boneworks, by Stress Level Zero, is a more robust VR game, but that doesn’t mean that a hypothetical “more complex” Alyx would play or look like Boneworks. Boneworks is an experimental physics sandbox. Its single player is a ton of fun, but it’s not meant to be a game as much as it is to show off crazy VR physics and silliness. There is a place for that, but there is also a place for more refined, curated experiences that are less about experimentation and emergent gameplay.
-When I went back and watched my original video about Alyx, I was surprised how positive my initial reaction was. My opinion must have soured on Alyx over the years somewhat or (and I believe this is the case) at the time I wasn't skilled enough to better articulate my mixed opinion. I also wanted to get that video out relatively close to when the game was released, so that probably added to it as well. Either way, I don't think anything I've said contradicts the things that I said in my first video.

[jubbydubby]

I couldn't agree more, after just having finished Half Life 2 in VR it's so wild just how action packed everything has felt compared to any other VR game I've played, the pacing is much preferable for me.

[Jaydogg]

Mods have been some of the best stuff I have seen in VR currently. Alien Isolation, Firewatch, Subnautica etc, are all stunning in VR and give us that AAA feel that VR has been lacking in Gaming. Really looking forward to Praydog's universal Unreal Engine 4 VR injector to come out. 100's of games will be VR playable soon. Also Team Beef are my heroes...

[PixelShade]

I disagree with most things being said. Personally I find HL: Alyx combat incredibly engaging. I don't feel like sprinting through vast spaces in super sonic speed is something that you logically do in a immersive medium. You should be worried about your limited health/life.... Crouching, covering and scurrying between advantage points. This is a very natural and immersive gameplay loop in VR... I think HL: Alyx does this beautifully, and as your VR legs grow, you can find more difficult experiences with mods. I recently played "Cornered"... and when the combine breaks in the door of your apartment, and they are like 20 of them. and later a shutgun guy blows up a wall creating two entrances to the apartment, my blood was pumping. Eventually they cornered me and I died. only to try again, with new strategies, winning and continuing escaping the building (which was also brutal).... Same can be said with the mod "incursion", as well as the "hardcore difficulty mod".

Personally I couldn't handle more than what Valve threw at me when I was new to HL: Alyx, but I wish their difficulty settings wasn't as bullet spongy, but rather that enemies had better strategies, fewer "alert" animations before attacking (like headcrabs and antlions). This is the only lesson I can find from HL: Alyx. But other than that I consider HL: Alyx to be a bigger leap in gaming than HL2.

Personally I find HL2VR (although great in its own right) rather problematic in VR. Like the difficulty of handling two-handed weapons, the insane amounts of weapons, which is next to impossible to shift between in mid-battle, the incorrect scale of things, the vomit inducing vehicle rides, and the massive ground to cover by foot. Personally I am much more for the closer perspective, slower pace and more granular detail of HL Alyx. And I would argue that HL2 doesn't lend itself perfectly to VR, but rather that it lends itself "surprisingly well" considering it was never designed for VR in the first place. With that being said. HL2 has a quick and high octane gameplay loop that feels more like a boomer shooter, and that's hard to justify as it is also immersion breaking... HL2VR for me is very much an old-school experience translated to VR. While HL: Alyx is an actual VR game.

Personally I will rave about HL: Alyx even 10 years down the line. It's an incredible game.

[johnnycritical]

It didn’t seem possible to me. But I just started half life 2 and it’s unbelievable. I’m having more fun than I did with Alyx. Crazy.

[leojwolfhouse]

As a HL fan since the previous century, I adopted VR solely for HL:A. It was AMAZING, but I didn’t buy the argument that things needed to be slowed down and dumbed down for VR. After playing HL2VR, I felt vindicated for feeling this way, as the mod team proved that you can make a full-fledged, unabridged half life game in VR, even for VR newbies like me. Obviously HL:A has stunning visuals, interactions, and Polish, and HL2 is nearly 20 years old, but I truly don’t know which VR experience is better. I usually play HL:A on hard with merciless, and must admit that the more “realistic” gameplay can be thrilling - meaning that you can get pinned down behind cover, and the slightest damage count instantly kill you…it gets your heart racing, and you feel like a boss when you can clear whole areas without taking a scratch. I would love a game that is halfway between HL:A and HL2VR - and maybe it will come

[diegostalder]

i agree. just finished half life 2 vr mod. and bottom line is: i had more fun than with alyx. it's mostly the story and diversity of the game as well as the "speed", as you pointed that out. its truly a masterpiece !

[DjJDtech]

Have you tried HL2 Episode 1? I think its even better, feels like a native VR game, so much more than HL2"

[Nedddo]

alyx is way to hesitant, and people who act like it should be standard for the medium do not understand the medium. The game is scared to take advantage of the medium, so you end up with a slow paced, barely replayable game. It does so much right, but it only gives you 3 weapons (any more will put new players off somehow), zero complexity, not even two handing and repetitive firefights, that have the DNA of good combat but is too scared to go all the way. It's so polished but it does fuck all, and I'm scared valve won't take advantage of the medium in future titles. I would hate to live in a world where hl3 is a disappointment to me.

[FICTiVETRUiSM]

Great video! Modders constantly impress me with the hard work they put in.
It would be great to see something new along the lines of HL2 for VR. Unfortunately I feel like it would be too expensive and too much of a risk for developers.
I think it would have been nice if the Alyx devs added a mode or DLC thing where the combat pace and environment design was closer to HL2's.

[CluelessDadGamer]

half life 2 vr now has teleportation and it works really well.

[dylanv.]

I think you're coming at this from the bias of someone that has strong vr legs. And for the record i also had a lot more fun with HL2 VR. But the reason Alyx is the Half Life 2 of VR is because it's such an accessible well polished VR game. The problem with games like HL2 VR and Boneworks is they discount a large majority of VR players who just can't play them comfortably. I've even seen experienced VR content creators like Upisnotjump struggle with parts of HL2 VR comfort wise.

It's the same reason Half Life 2 when it released had pretty by the numbers gunplay and enemy design, just very well polished. In fact one of the biggest criticisms i still see for Half Life 2 is that it's gunplay and combat is lackluster and why mods like MMOD have become so popular. But that "lackluster" design made Half Life 2 a shooter anyone could pick up and enjoy for it's myriad of other things no other game had done at the time.

[NinToby]

Slower pace works much better for immersion in VR. The faster you move in vr without moving your body IRL the more the illusion is broken from my personal experience. they probably realized that when designing the game which is why the game is so much slower paced than HL2

[dhollsynthmusic]

I agree that HL2 VR combat is superior to HL:Alyx. I played both on Hard, with full-immersion and deactivated aim-assists. HL:Alyx is missing a few things: sprint, proper jump, clever fast enemy.

It's also missing spectacular environments....the final HL:Alyx level was incredible, but it seems we only saw a glimpse of the Citadel, whereas in HL2 VR, via the pod rides, we see a lot more.

More than two years after release, there's still no sign of a HL3:VR...we can be thankful to the modders for giving us the legacy games in VR!

[mustard]

I'm basically a newbie to VR and I've been finding Alyx challenging, but I've also been quickly improving at it, and although I've died more to falling than anything else (I don't think an enemy's killed me directly, but a poison headcrab did knock me off of something once) because I watch and manage my health carefully, the hardest part for me has just been getting used to moving around and aiming. The game's really great for building up basic VR skills.

[Mr.Bonuts]

Half life alyx is like what half life uplink was to half life, a fun demo that uses the same engine and has the same feeling. Only difference is that HL:A has no bigger counterpart so it feels like you just played a demo and now want to have more, the demo worked. But it wasn't a demo.

[jamesvictor]

Great video. Nailed it. I came here expecting to find this answer to be honest, but very well explained