It was only yesterday that leaks of a Valve VR game called Half-Life: Alyx garnered media attention. It looks like the company has confirmed it on twitter, with a relatively new Twitter account at that. The company plans to reveal more details on Thursday, 21 November 2019.
Beyond that, the company has not revealed anything new about the upcoming VR title. That being said, this is still the first Half-Life game in over 12 years, with the last being Half-Life 2: Episode 2, featuring Alyx Vance. From its title, the game will presumably have her as the the protagonist. It will also be a prequel of sorts, sitting in between the first Half-Life and Half-Life 2. As of yet, there’s no indication of series main man Gordon Freeman making a return.
Considering Valve announced the Index VR headset earlier in the year, it’s likely that Half-Life: Alyx is meant to push for the adoption of VR. According to Ars Technica, the game will have support for both the Index’s Knuckles controllers and traditional VR wands. Nearly every object in the game is designed to be manipulable by hand, with realistic physics. The former will also have an inherent advantage when experiencing all the game has to offer.
We’re excited to unveil Half-Life: Alyx, our flagship VR game, this Thursday at 10am Pacific Time.
Can’t wait to share it with all of you! pic.twitter.com/BupFCxSrTw
— Valve (@valvesoftware) November 18, 2019
The game will be making use of Valve’s Source 2 engine, which reportedly features a control system called the “Grabbity Gloves”. Think Gravity Gun from Half-Life 2, but in a form factor that fits the Valve Index Knuckles controllers. But on the flop side, chances are the iconic crowbar will not be making a return.
In the end, there’ s still nothing about half-Life: Alyx that has been confirmed so far. For what it’s worth, Valve will be announcing more details very soon. But considering everyone has been waiting for over 12 years, two more days is either a blink of an eye or an eternity.
(Source: Valve / Twitter, Ars Technica)
