14 DAY TRIAL // As expected, Valve revealed the release date of its first Half-Life game in a lot of years, Alyx. The VR-exclusive game launches in March 2020 and the announcement comes with a short gameplay trailer that shows off the so-called “Gravity Gloves” that allows Alyx to manipulate gravity.
Half-Life: Alyx will cost $60, but those who purchase the Valve Index headset (or already did) will receive the game for free. But you don't have to own a Valve Index headset to be able to play the game, as long as you own one of the following: Vive, Oculus, and Windows MR.
Story-wise, Half-Life: Alyx is set between the first and the second game, as players will step into the shoes of Alyx Vance and try to establish some sort of secret resistance to fight the alien Combine.
“Everyone at Valve is excited to be returning to the world of Half-Life. VR has energized us. We've invested a lot of ourselves in the technology. But we're also game developers at heart, and to be devoting ourselves to a VR game this ambitious is just as exciting. For that to come in the form of Half-Life feels like the culmination of a lot of things we care a lot about: truly great games, cutting edge technology, and open platforms. We can't wait for people to experience this,” Valve founder Gabe Newell said.
According to Valve, players should expect similar gameplay mechanics as the previous titles, which are focusing equally on various aspects like puzzles, combat, story, and exploration.
It's a pity that the first Half-Life game in such a long time is a VR-exclusive, but it looks like Valve really wants to push the VR technology, and the only way it can do that is to offer appealing content that's not available on any other platform.
The good news is Valve has no intention of stopping with Half-Life: Alyx and will continue to tell stories in new ways. The Verge asked designer Davit Speyer if we could expect more Half-Life games, and he confirmed that Valve “would love to continue to push forward,” but that will depend on how well Alyx fares.