Three new gameplay videos give us our first look at several jaw-dropping mechanics.
With just three weeks to go until the release of Half-Life: Alyx, Valve today released a handful of raw gameplay videos showing off the various enemies, environments, and weapons PC VR players can expect to encounter.
Each of the three videos showcases different elements of the core Half-Life: Alyx experience, from combat and puzzle-solving to exploration and scavenging. Though it’s not stated explicitly, each of the three videos appears to take place during different portions of the games’ main campaign.
The first of the videos gives us a better look at HL:A’s weapons upgrade system. In it, the player places a standard pistol into some sort of futuristic crafting table and cycles through various upgrades, such as a scope and laser sight.
The player then proceeds to mow down a handful of head crab zombies scattered throughout a decrepit subway station, using the crumbling support columns as cover as exploding barrels send shrapnel flying through the air. At one point the player heals themself by inserting a vial containing a tiny alien lifeform into a medical machine, which then crushes the alien into what I can only imagine is some type of new-age detox juice?
In another video. we catch a glimpse at one of the games’ puzzle-solving mechanics. Using a special hacking tool, the player engages in a high-tech minigame that involves connecting a series of holographic nodes to a set of corresponding positions.
Later on, the video shows off a new type of alien grenade that, once triggered, emits a powerful green explosion. Whereas the first video showed the player navigating the environment using teleportation, Gameplay Video 2 shows the player moving naturally throughout the map via smooth locomotion.
The final video features a balls-to-the-walls gunfight taking place outside some sort of industrial park. The player can be seen moving from cover to cover as they take shots a handful of Combine soldiers. Much like the original Half-Life games, ammo and supplies can be found in the most unlikely of places, even the bathroom.
At one point in the third video, the player takes cover inside a rundown Port-a-John. While there, they lift the toilet seat—a questionable decision in most other circumstances —to discover sort of healing item. In this final video, the player navigates the environment in a quick sprint, sort of a combination between teleportation and smooth locomotion.
Half-Life: Alyx will be available March 23rd for $59.99 on all SteamVR-compatible headsets.
Image Credit: Valve Corporation
