Published , by David Craddock
Published , by David Craddock
How often do you root through boxes or crates and flip them over to scrutinize their undersides in real life? My answer: Never. How often do I do those things in Half-Life: Alyx? Far more than I should.
Valve's return to the Half-Life universe checks all the boxes fans expect from installments of the franchise: A dirty dystopia, weapons with heft, environmental storytelling, and scalable tech. All of that coalesces to present a world that feels lived in, and that you live in. Hallways are adorned with paintings, photographs, debris, and all sorts of objects to tinker with--and without feeling recycled.
Grab a box, turn it around, and note its unique textures. Pick up a bottle and shake it to note the way the liquid inside sloshes around. That's a testament to Half-Life: Alyx's physics, sure, but as any fan of Half-Life 2 will tell you, physics goes hand-in-hand with visuals to inject (literal and figurative) virtual worlds with verisimilitude.
I don't even feel encouraged to poke my eyes into every nook and cranny. I just want to. The visuals make exploring feel natural, especially when hunting for ammo and resin with which to upgrade my weapons. It feels like a real place, and while I'd never want to live in City 17, I always enjoy visiting.
Check out the other winners from The Shacknews Awards 2020 in our Year of the Games: 2020 article.