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Half-Life: Alyx
Released On: Mar 23, 2020
9.1
All Platforms
Metascore
Universal Acclaim Based on 69 Critic Reviews
93
97% Positive
67 Reviews
67 Reviews
3% Mixed
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Universal Acclaim Based on 69 Critic Reviews
93
97% Positive
67 Reviews
67 Reviews
3% Mixed
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
May 15, 2020
A special mention should be made of the game's dialog, mainly consisting of Alyx herself and Russel, a scientist who Alex remains in constant communication with throughout the game. Their relationship feels genuine, the conversations between them are enjoyable, and almost all of the intended comedic moments land perfectly, which is something most video games seem to have trouble with.
Mar 27, 2020
Half-life 3 this ain’t, then. But Alyx might actually be something better: an awe-inspiring amalgamation of atmospherics and immersion which does for VR gaming what its forebears did for the first person shooter genre all those years ago. And while it’s a shame the steep price of entry will prevent a significant number of fans from experiencing its majesty, those who do will likely emerge from this most sensational form of self-isolation with their view of the world altered forever.
User Score
Universal Acclaim Based on 2,953 User Ratings
9.1
91% Positive
2687 Ratings
2687 Ratings
3% Mixed
75 Ratings
75 Ratings
6% Negative
191 Ratings
191 Ratings
User Score
Universal Acclaim Based on 2,953 User Ratings
9.1
91% Positive
2687 Ratings
2687 Ratings
3% Mixed
75 Ratings
75 Ratings
6% Negative
191 Ratings
191 Ratings
Dec 4, 2025
VR essential. Stunning immersion, physics, and graphics. PURE masterpiece. Best game ever.
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PC Mar 28, 2020
Valve selects the best features of VR action games and takes them to another level. Half-Life: Alyx is not innovative in choosing what is needed for the perfect virtual reality experience – between interactivity of the environment, gestural use of firearms or environmental puzzles – but it is in putting together everything in the style of Half-Life. The kind of first person game that made the series famous, and forever changed the action adventure into a "before and after Gordon Freeman", returns to linear origins without genres contamination, becoming an immersive sim only for what falls within our view, or what we can physically accomplish in a crazy City 17. Masterful.
Mar 28, 2020
This is a triumph in almost every way. This is the most detailed, deepest and most elaborate VR game yet. No other VR game has so much variety and depth at the same time, combined with such a perfect tempo.
Apr 8, 2020
A truly triple-A game for VR that could very well exist on its own, without the immersion provided by virtual reality. This is a must-have title for everybody who owns a VR headset and a strong reason to buy one for everybody else.
Mar 23, 2020
This is hands-down the best virtual reality money can buy right now, and feels like a tantalizing promise of just what the big game studios could achieve if they were willing to put their time and money into creating a AAA experience for VR platforms.
Apr 1, 2020
Too often Half-Life: Alyx feels like baby's first VR shooter and for many — especially those who purchased VR hardware to play it — this isn't a dealbreaker. But trading off the Half-Life name for an introductory course to VR relegates HL: Alyx to spin-off territory when the characters involved and the story it tells could be so much more. Alyx Vance deserves better, and so too do VR gamers.
Sep 22, 2023
It's worth playing, and probably the highest quality VR title out there, but my experience playing on a Quest 2 was sub-par. I know it's not designed for that headset. 80% of the time the game would run great. The rest of the time it would crash or the framerate would tank (and not recovery until the game was restarted). Date Completed: 2023-09-22
Playtime: 11h
Enjoyment: 7/10
Recommendation: Worth playing
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PC May 17, 2021
No amount of polish can make a fundamentally flawed game good, this is the case with HL:A. No amount of stunning visuals can mask antiquated movement systems, utterly odd physics choices, obviously flawed AI, or simply strange inventory and weapons. There's a sprinkle of humor here and there, but the characters are mostly forgettable. Overall, there's a gimmicky feel that's baked into the core of the game that stays for the duration of the game. The only thing it's worth playing for is the "A gnome vault of my own" achievement which very few people seem to have, and you get the bragging rights that go along with it.
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PC Summary Half-Life: Alyx is Valve's VR return to the Half-Life series. It's the story of an impossible fight against a vicious alien race known as the Combine, set between the events of Half-Life and Half-Life 2. Playing as Alyx Vance, you are humanity's only chance for survival. The Combine's control of the planet since the Black Mesa incident h...
