My Initial Thoughts on Half-Life: Alyx
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 22 พ.ย. 2019
- My thoughts on the trailer, what the game aims to achieve, the narrative's implications, and whether or not this is enough for a Half-Life fan that survived a decade of silence.
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#HalfLife #HalfLifeAlyx #LiamTriforce #HLVR - เกม
May 2019: "I'll never forget what you did, Valve. Even if you DO release another Half-Life in the future.."
November 2019: " *I bought the game 4 minutes after the trailer went live* "
Thatscientist who is we?
CC Music no one but him
@@aquelecientista4491 Speak for thyself.
He mentioned it couple of times that he was still disappointed in Valve for their silence about Half Life though
I know I am kind of off topic but do anybody know a good place to watch newly released movies online?
I would watch my Father play the Original Half-Life game as a child sitting in his lap. Then he started playing Half-Life 2 and I was so mesmerized by the improved graphics, (especially Headcrabs because as a kid they interested me so much) I'd draw scenes from the game which even got me in trouble in Kindergarten. Now I'm 20 years old, about to turn 21 and my father has lost all interest in Half-Life. I have a VR and I'm going to let him play as much as he wants while I watch for memories' sake because I waited 12 years to see him play the New Half-Life game.
And I will make sure he plays when it releases in March.
Yeah I started watching my dad and brother play Half-Life when I was like 5 or something, and started playing it myself around 10. Having grown up with these games, they have become my passion, and when Episode 3 didn't come along a year, two years, three years after Episode 2, I held out hope; playing through the entire series 3 to 4 times a year. Then the 10 year mark hit and I realized I had waited half my life for Half-Life 3. At that point my hopes were crushed. I haven't played a Half-Life game besides Black Mesa in a year or two.
Then I saw the trailer for HL:A while I was at work and could barely keep it together. I've waited so long that I hardly care that this isn't HL3. All that matters to me right now is that it's a Half-Life game, and damn I can't wait to experience it in VR.
what headset?
Im 15 and i "grew up" with hl (started at like 13 i think before that never heard of it and also the thime i frist heard about halo xd and i played the halo 1 and 2 but no halo 3 for pc :C also i bet my pc would be too weak for it anyways -.-) and im so fucking sad that my pc sucks and im too poor to buy a headset -.-
Half-Life, which was newly introduced to me by my own father, (though I have not played long) saddens me that it's such a good game, but is clearly not being continued. HL:A is not a continued Half Life, from what we've gathered so far. Where tf is Episode 3? Where is Half Life 3? VALVE COUNT TO 3 FFS. It makes me genuinely upset that this such good franchise is seemingly being abandoned.
You can side load half-life 1 on the oculus quest
"Is it really that time again...?"
If the game begins with a similar line or something referencing it I'd probably die.
It seems as you only just arrived (continue plz)
"No it isn't"
Not that I wish, to imply that you... have been slee-ping... on... the, job.....
Yeah man
imagine if the ending is just you saving gordon's ass from the metrocops in the opening chapter of hl2
That would be kind of sick though, now I kind of want them to do that.
Lol yeah
dude i swear i thought about it just before i saw your comment
ok, first and foremost, that would be _badass,_ but i really feel like there is too big of a time gap between the two games, we can clearly tell in this game because the citadel is still under heavy construction, while the citadel in the original half life 2 is fully built. Maybe some weird timey-wimey stuff will be included in the end part of the game where you're able to do that, but i honestly doubt it.
"Doctor Freeman, i presume?"
Valve is calling this a "return to the franchise" and have indicated that this game was meant to "test the waters" and "re-introduce people to the franchise". These are all signs they intend to continue work on Half-Life beyond Alyx.
But I view HL:A as a thank you to all the fans who never gave up on Valve. To the people who like Valve enough to buy the Index (which is why we're getting the game for free).
@TheUltimateGamer245 I gave up on Valve, and Epistle 3 cemented that up until November 21, 2019. I still have my doubts, but I'm willing to give them a chance.
If I see it again, I'll put it here, but Valve has confirmed this is just the beginning of their return to Half-Life.
Logλn L like valve enough to buy the index?
So broke peeps don’t count as fans eh
@@MisterPogman " I didn't say zat!"
Dude i cant even buy the index. :((
Fun fact: The developer of Minerva actually joined Valve about 10 years ago, and posted on his blog that yes, he's still there and is working on Half Life: Alyx.
His signature "levels wrapping around themselves" thing (which is not exclusive to him, of course) is everywhere in Alyx, I was immediately thought it would be him!
Something to note is that David Speyrer, who was the project lead on HL2 and EP2, said this about the game:
“It’s not a side story, nor an episodic one - it’s the next part of the Half-Life story, in a game around the same length as Half-Life 2. While it does take place before the events of Half-Life 2, we actually recommend that you play through Half-Life 2: Episode 2 before you play Half-Life: Alyx, for reasons that will become clear as you progress.”
my thoughts are that a vortigaunt or some other combine alien will tell alyx how the story of half life ends
@@TheKiddingStar I think it's going to start as a prequel and then Gman is going to step in and change everything, possibly even dropping Alyx into HL2 or further. As seen in Epistle 3 and somewhat hinted in the games he has taken in interest in Alyx and is getting tired of Gordon's shit, especially being taken out of stasis by the vortigaunts.
The G Man is really a timetraveling freeman
i think Eli's death will be undone
I had a theory that it actually IS a sequel, and time travel mumbo jumbo by G-Man makes a lot of sense. Damn, that could be so amazing.
It's a miracle that Valve is just making another game in general
They never stopped making games (CSGO, DOTA2, Artifact, ect.). Just because they don't regurgitate half-assed beta BR trash every month doesn't mean they stopped making games. Good games are made with time and passion (and money), which Valve has the most of, compared to any studio.
It took 4,5 years to make it, 5 years when it's going to be released. They were busy making it and being quiet. People don't understand how hard it is to make a very good game...
EVOLICIOUS CSGO and dota2 aren’t new
DMINATOR you don’t get it their last single player game was made in 2011 which was portal 2 and then they started making a game only after 5 years! And left us just like that
For five years and don’t tell us anything after they started HLA Plus they weren’t working on anything for pc while working on HLA they just would make updates for their multiplayer games
@@MisterPogman So ? I bet they made a bunch of games during that time, including HL2 E3, but they didn't tell us about it, because people would get hyped too much about it. The bottom line is. that bunch of games didn't make it to the quality level of Valve and they were scrapped. I would've done the same if I were on their place.
4:40 We *HAVE* to know if you can catch a jumping headcrab in an bucket.
Someone has to test that!
You most likely can according to the AMA. Hoorah!
UpIsNotJump, I SUMMON YOU!!!!
Yes, yes we can, it's very hard though
12:58 But Half Life: Alyx _is_ a traditional thing for Valve, and you outlined exactly why at 3:53
I think I would be heavily disappointed with any new Half Life game if it didn't push some new technology. Half Life: Alyx is not what I wanted in terms of a story, I wasn't waiting 12 fucking years for a prequel and that kinda was the strand of hair in the 5 star soup I'm seeing here, but it's _precisely_ what I wanted out of the _gameplay_ of a new half life game. Something new, something innovative. Something experimental in mechanics. In historical context, this is why we remember half life as fervently as we do, because it kinda did that with HL1 and 2, it did new things, or existing things in an interesting way.
An underlying context about valve being "re-energized by VR" I don't see a lot of people talking about is that lately, in the modern video game industry, graphics have improved, but physical fidelity has been inching ever backwards. Crowbcat's video "Gears 5 lacks weight and intensity" is a perfect example of what I mean when I say this.
We have beautiful looking games now that feel like museums, where you look, but can't _touch._ Models look better, worlds look better, textures sometimes look better, but fewer and fewer have a sense of place or weight if you ever deviate from a linear path the devs expect you to take or try to interact with the world. Some will even outright punish you for trying to do something non traditional, either with instant death states or in rockstar's case "Mission failed: You didn't do X thing", which is something that is better explained by NakeyJakey's "Rockstar's Game Design is Outdated." Part of the reason people love Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild so much is that it has this physicality I'm talking about where you can do conventional things in unconventional ways and the world will respond to it.
This is why something as simple as depicting a bucket being moved is so meaningful to me, because in a lot of games, even ones with AAA budgets, that bucket will probably be a static pre-baked object into the map. This is partly the reason that I'm glad the new game is a VR venture, it'll show people what we've been slowly losing right under our noses over the span of many years now.
This. I really don't understand why he'd say "Valve you once knew isn't going to be in the foreseeable future," when HL Alyx is the Valve I once knew more than anything else they could've done.
@Slobodan Stevic I suppose I was specifically referring to what people consider "traditional" experiences from Valve. They're innovators, and they'd likely want to move forward with virtual reality more than anything else, so I didn't want anyone to get their hopes up for any more mouse-and-keyboard games from them. This is why I also said that VR will most likely usher in a silver age for Valve games if they succeed here. You're right - their creativity and ingenuity in game design is shining through here. This is more like the Valve we know. The circumstances are just a little different than they were before VR.
@@LiamTriforce I see, thanks for replying! I don't think they're entirely done with nonVR games yet, but if Alyx is successful I can certainly see VR receiving their full focus - which would be awesome, I've been rooting for that for years. We just need the hardware to keep up in order to make VR more affordable, and things will go great from there.
@@LiamTriforce Yeah the circumstances are definitely different. After Artifact and a few other more minor blunders from valve I'm having my fingers crossed that HL:A will be great. Even if it simply lives up to the standard of "Half Life 2 length AAA game for VR" I'll be happy, but I hope I'll feel something similar to when I played Portal or HL2 for the first time.
Thank you for saving me the time of typing that whole comment myself
i started playing these games when i was 8 years old. i can't communicate just how tremendous of an impact they've had on me and my life. i'm 20 now. it's been a little over 10 years of cold hard silence, waiting for something, and so much in my life has changed in the meantime. the announcement of a new half-life honestly feels like my life has come to a screeching halt for it and i couldn't be happier. the cynicism, the low expectations, the apathy, the acceptance, it's gone away, and although the time these clouds spend apart may be short (god knows everything else going on in the world can put me right back), it's nice to feel so truly excited and exhilarated by something.
sorry if none of this makes sense
jim This makes a lot of sense actually. I was 14 when I played HL2 and I’m 27 now. You’ve put into words exactly how I feel.
I started playing Half-Life games when I was 7 or 8 years old too. I'm 27 now. I think I first played it in 1999 or 2000. I can't remember where, but I had downloaded the demo and I was hooked. I remember playing it on Windows ME (so maybe it was 2000). I was amazed and had every installment up until its hiatus. I feel you on this.
Lemme smash
I was 7 or 8 when I first played the half-life games. It honestly set the bar for gaming for me and the new release has given me hope for a continuation.
I remember first time playing half life 2 when I was 4 and having a blast shooting walls and playing around with props. Good times
Half Life 1: Episode 1
Half Life 2: Episode Z
@@jayfolk Half Life 2: Episode -1
Half life 2: Episode 2: Episode 1
Half life : kleiner
Full life 1
This was an excellent breakdown of the trailer and the game's context. Great work as always Liam!
Thanks Hamish!
7:18 I kinda want an hidden achievement where there a small % that the gun would hit and kill Alyx.
Call "Kleiner!!!!"
I mean, I could see that being an achievement is you physically moved your body to shift your character into the car cabin when it fires, as oppose to an arbitrary percentage.
Adrian Shepard still waiting in stasis
If I remember right
Half life 2: green resistance
He was detained.... you see that in the Half Life Echoes ending... it says" Subject 1(Alyx): Extracted
Subject 2(Gordon): Hired
Subject 3(Shepard): Detained
But that’s a mod isn’t it?
@@giuli999 echoes isn't canon
edit: and yeah Shepard is in stasis
4:00 , Well, at least the glove parts do...
For the love of god i can't wait for someone to put garry's mod in source 2. That would be like the good old days all over again.
I believe the creators of Garry's mod said the next installment would be in VR in a new source engine
Evil You From The Future I am buying a gaming computer and VR headset now.
@@evilyoufromthefuture6659 they wont put it in source engine. iirc it was unreal or smth
@@Chappie432 nope, they are currently making a sequel, that is not based in source 2
@@Chappie432 learn to use google. sandbox.facepunch.com
I do feel like HL:Alix, is a bridge to HL:3.
They had to put something out after Boneworks and Nostos where announced. To bad Nostos said Psyche again. Hope it is still coming out.
Hopefully we get a Fujii 2 and it is longer than 2hrs. But best 2hrs of gaming out right now.
If HL Alyx succeed, HL3 will be worked on, just to provide something to gamers without VR.
Don’t get your hopes up...
@@mineguy98 For once, this is the time to have hope.
There's a missing space on the website,
Seeing the gman appear in front of you in an empty void in VR is sure to scare the shit out of people
Can’t wait for Hunt down the Freeman VR
It sucks that people dont do research and think that is is a tech demo with the half life logo slapped on.
Half Life 3 will come when the technology is ready.
The next logical step after conventional VR is a fully immersive simulation at the brain-level.
Ever since I finished HL2: EP2 and had a brief exposure to the potential of VR, I have been SHITTING MY FUCKING PANTS about Valve waiting until they could do a full-body immersion HL3 to keep pioneering video games as they always have. Of course, it's doubtful, but I will always hope.
Yeah, I think that would be smart when to introduce half life 3, when brain computer interfaces are finally ready. 2030 here we come I guess lol.
no it isn't...
anything that requires extra gimmicks will not get into the mainstream
@@viermidebutura gimmicks? fully immersive virtual reality is a gimmick to you? possibly the end stage of immersive technology, the holy grail of experience, is a gimmick.
@@bilbo_gamers6417 yea yea everyone knows what VR has to offer and a lot know is not something to do for hours and hours to relax
It will have it's market for sure but just because some ppl creamed their pants over a new game don't expect to be on par with PC or consoles
I actually got goosebumps when Triage at Dawn started playing during this video. great work
triage at Dawn is my favourite soundtrack ever
HL was in the making : everyone was like "A Shooter with a Story? Noone will buy that" ... Bam Topseller
HL2 was close : And people cryed "You can only play this with a launcher installed? WTF??" ... Bam everyone uses Steam now
HL:Alyx comes : "Noone has a VR or even wanna play on!" ... Bam Everyone has a VR and googles are sold out.
Everytime Valve throwes out a new Halflife it sets new Standards for PC Gaming.
it took 12 years becaus of VR wasnt ready until now.
But 2020 will become the year of VR for sure
I do understand where you're coming from, but I think it's important to understand, HL and HL2 did not come with an entrance fee (with exception of the PC hardware.)
HLA is VR ONLY, and while I am fine with that, many are not. Many people do not have any interest investing in VR even after this announcement. Many people literally CAN NOT afford a VR headset. I hope I'm wrong and that HLA is tremendous with the sales to match.
On a lighter note, I hope GabeN has a opening line in the developer commentary so I can hear that classic "And have fun!"
shooters had stories. have you not played Goldeneye?
HL2 Orange Box doesn't need Steam.
VR.......well. It's a nice gimmick, but I don't really think it is the HUGE HUGE future you're saying. I doubt it will replace all current gaming on TV or handheld as we know it.
@@troywright359 I also dont think it will replace old Flat gaming, but all in all its much more fun and its a good workout ^^
@@sven2win498 This is exactly the same situation as when hardware graphics processors strated to become a thing. People were really resistant against GPUs, now modern software flat out does not function without one.
I don't have a VR, wont ever get one, either. It's not just something I like to put on my head. I'll pass this one up.
I feel like they are adding to the build up of the story so they can finally give us a proper continuation. valve's got their steam for HL again (pun intended)
badum tis
The game looks incredible, and they no doubt have a good product . My main gripe is the £900 I have to spend in order to experience it.
The game works with multiple VR headsets and most of them aren't that pricey. Some say you can get a decent VR equipment with 200 dollars or so.
It's not just a VR headset you need it's most likely for the majority of steam users that you need to upgrade your PC for the best experience. The new half life will be a demanding game.
@@GG-ou7it I think I heard somewhere that 50% of steam users have PC's that are capable of VR. VR is an incredible technology and it's probably the best piece of tech I've bought in over a decade. Can't even go back to 2D gaming anymore since I got my Rift 3 years ago... There are so many good games that have come out already on Rift and Steam. Plus we have a few AAA games coming in the next few months. Things are look good for VR!
@@matthewlake182 "Capable of VR" does not translate into a good experience or the best experience possible.
you will have to wait for benchmarks to see how well the game runs for people to risk £300 upwards on a headset.
@@GG-ou7it How is this any different to envelope pushing games in the past? Doom did it in 1993 where you'd to spend at least a grand just to get decent performance, and then you'd Quake, Half Life, Doom 3, Crysis etc etc. Each needed substantial upgrades just to run them.
you need to see half life alyx's ending, HALF LIFE 3 IS CONFIRMED BRO
That looming shot of the tower being build was amazing.
The valve staff have said something along the lines of "if Half-Life Alyx does well we'd like to contiune working on Half-Life 3" so we might get a proper sequel after all.
It will probably be a quite a while (in valve time too) since they already have 2 more vr games in the pipeline (one of them rumoured to be left 4 Dead).
Actually they've implied something along the lines of "If Half-Life Alyx doesn't do well we probably won't continue working on Half-Life"
@@sintes88 Which imo is understandable from their point of view. I mean if they release Alyx and the public who plays it doesn't like it why should you continue in that specific direction. It makes perfect sense that they would take an artistic break (in valve time so 10+ years unfortunately for us) in this specific case. And as far as I know valve as a company is fully invested in vr now so I doubt that they are going to release any conventional any time soon (again valve time so probably 10+ years).
Lol! They won’t, they’ve made it abundantly clear they have neither the will nor the story necessary to create HL3. It’s repeatedly been considered and abandoned dozens of times before being jettisoned for good. They didn’t even have it in them to finish part 3 of a story, let alone a full fledged follow up.
If you think that there is anything else in the pipeline other than HLA, you don’t know valve at all. They make all the promises in the world and follow through on almost none of them. This is it.
@@Pit_Lord heh... no
12 years whatever. They must have had their reasons. This is really exciting. And im glad its all new stuff too. They were on it all along, just as we suspected. I only feel bad for those who "grew up" and moved away from gaming, because i get the feeling this will be one of those landmark moments in gaming history, where everything changes from here on. once again courtesy of valve. And for anyone who isnt amused by it being VR, i know what you feel. I felt the same thing when PS one was launched, "i dont need that/i dont want that"
I bet they've got a bunch of other VR projects for us after HL:Alyx, but first they need a game like this to create a market for it and change the gaming world
maybe alyx is told that eli will die and assumes it will be because he captured and killed but prevents his death then and assumes the vortigaunts where wrong not anticipating the events in half life 2 ep 2
kinda like neo in the matrix thinking he'd subverted the choice to sacrifice his own life in exchange for Morpheus's in the first movie
Your half way there
You are just there
I still tear up every time I think about the fact that Half-Life: Alyx is real, and I will play it one day. It will continue to feel unreal to me all the way up to the moment I start playing. Hell, It'll probably still feel unreal then, maybe even after I finish. This is the sort of story I'll one day bore my kids with, if I ever have any.
I’m I the only one that would be comfortable with a VR only Half-Life 3?
I'd be totally fine with it
No ..but not that its bad ..but some people like me get bad headache and sick from vr ..or that they make a non vr version a side or later on
I think a version that allows for both VR and traditional would be best.
@@gordonfreeman8109 That's not how VR works. You wouldn't be able to search through the shelve with mouse + keyboard / a controller, like we saw in the trailer. You can't just tick a box in the menu and every feature turns into a "flat screen experience".
That is what they are experimenting with here....
Apparently a bunch of know nothing children flamed the shit out of the developers a while back so they said.... screw trying to make cool games if that is how we get treated.
Let's make out voices heard from the Quiet, Mature and Reasonable camp..
If they are reading this? (even though I DO NOT have any VR gear and will most likely end up with PSVR)
I WOULD TOTALLY SUPPORT HL3 IN VR ONLY (if the Alyx game is as excellent as I KNOW it will be)
"i am not going to get emotional''
*PlaysTriage at Dawn in the background*
oh shit, here we go ._.
I just finished your portal vid and was interested to see your thoughts on this game. Your vids are awesome man keep it up🤙
Is it bad that the g-man looks a lot like my dad...
Rise and shine dr freeman, rise and shine because its time to go to school.
@@upartas7738 thats hilarious
I will give credit to Valve and this new title pushing VR in the right direction, but lets not forget boneworks, in fact i wouldn't doubt that boneworks early demos is what spurred Valve to finally do something.
Nope, that is wrong info from VNN (never believe anything that liar says). Boneworks was literally made in inspiration of an early playtest that Brandon got of what would become HLA. Brandon has talked about this numerous time son his videos, podcasts, reddit AMAs and more.
I cant wait for him to see the ending to half life alyx. (No spoilers here.)
Just 3 hours ago I knew next to 0 about Half-Life but, after you're HL retrospective and this I'm actually crying just because of the sheer excitement. You're so passionate about this game that I can feel it.
Keep it up, man. You have a new follower. Can't wait for Alyx to be released and for your take on it.
I haven't watched the whole video yet but i want to say before I watch that VR makes sense for a new half life because half life has always been about expanding and innovation like the large set peaces of half life 2 or improved gun mechanics of half life
I bet they haven't announced hl3 and have revealed this to retcon elis death so that way there's much more for them to go off of instead of the bleak cliffhanger in episode 2.
I think it will be neat to explore Alyx's side of the story before she met gordon, maybe seeing how eli lost his leg etc...
2019 Fnaf VR
2020 HL Alyx
The future is now, old man.
i cant wait to play this game, there must be so many things to explore and find all around the maps
I think the reason VR never took off to this scale before, was because nobody wants to stand up and move around to play a game. We want to sit down in our chair and be a lazy fuck.
"We've been quite busy in your absence Valve."
Boneworks kicked them in the pants. Watch some Boneworks plays on TH-cam.
@@MrRourk No, not really.
edit: actually, not at all. While I do agree, that Boneworks looks like a great game, it doesn't compare to HL:A.
@@juulh6870 What's bone works?
@@redacted90 It's a game made by "Stress Level Zero", probably one of the best (released) VR games at the moment.
It's a pretty good game, and if you have VR you should probably check it out, but I'm quite sure Half-Life: Alyx will be better, in terms of story writing, gameplay, etc. since Valve is more experienced and bigger.
No hate to Boneworks though, I still think it's a great game aswell.
A guy at valve who did an interview said that you should play hl2 episode 2 before playing this game for "reasons that will become apparent"
SON OF A BITCH AND HIS UNFORESEEN CONSEQUENCES
one thing i'd like to point out is that im really glad they decided bring back various elements from Viktor antonov's Concept art for the HL2 beta, This game gives off a more dystopic vibe that, while not as oppressive as the HL2 beta, is much darker then what we got in HL2.
Job very well done Liam, I enjoyed watching all your content. I share your passion for Half Life!!! Thank You :)
I'm just happy we might finally see some progress on the VR front.
its about time, the best vr game right now was just made by 1 guy imagine what valve is capable of. the problem with vr isnt the tech its the lack of innovation from devs
@@UraDrider What VR game are you calling the best?
@@Artamentous Pavlov is definitely a ton of fun, one of my favorites easily. I'd put beat saber above it as far as 'best' simply because of polish and whatnot.
@@Artamentous There's very few good VR games but the good ones are soooo good
Even though I am a bit disappointed on the game being on vr I do want it to be popular enough where vr is sold everywhere and is common to get like with computers and laptops nowadays.
Half-life period of 12 years. Very radioactive! XD
Resident Evil 7 VR, Astrobot, Blood and Truth, The Persistence Skyrim, Borderlands2, Golem, Farpoint, The Solus Project...These are are all fully realized games that are VR games...just because they aren’t on your preferred platform or a part of your preferred franchise it doesn’t make them spontaneously disappear.
I was 7 years old when I've played Half life, I don't consider it to be the greatest game, but since I've finished episode 2 in 2009, I've been looking at leaks and news, I've written two novels directed a play, and gone through deaths and lost and shifting in careers many time, I'm almost 27 now, and when I think about it, half life was one of the thing that made me who am I, lately I'm trying to make my way through designing games believing that games are the next evolution in story telling, for that thanks Valve and kojima and team Ico, I'm lucky to have these experiences in my life, even if sometimes they've broke my heart
I thought the world end before another HL game.
Covid -19* joins server
Actually cried thought I’d die before a new half life.. I have no friends or family that knows about half life, valve etc I’m really happy this game is coming out time to get into PC gaming 🤷🏻♂️
I did too as one of the people who experienced Half-Life releasing first hand and remembering the wait that was way too long after episode 2
Been waiting for this video right after the trailer release and i cant wait for a retrospective of HLA
I just hope the game is promising..
I know about half life for as long as i am able to walk on 2 legs. my father was a big fan of the series and that's how i got introduced to it. i've always cherished it and whevever i play it it always gives me warm fuzzy memories from my life. HL Alyx might not be the conclusion we all been waiting for, heck i can't even play it because VR is expensive. but nonetheless i am very happy that we are getting something new. and i hope it will open the door for future of the series, or well, it's final chapter.
i've just finished a maraphon of all of HL games and their expansions and gotta say, some games just never get boring.
I think you are wrong. I think valve is going to start coming out stronger than ever. They are a smart company.
I'm sure they realize that if they just remain a distribution network and if they don't release games, earth shattering games again, they will just fade away.
I think valve has been waiting and biding their time, who knows what they have developed in that decade of silence? This probably took quite some time to make, so sure, a decade of silence, but a decade of silence with what being done in that silence? Who knows.
Time will tell. Hopefully valve returns to what we once knew.
Development with VR and experiments with games I presume. As well as working on all their multiplayer games. Really excited, they probably realise how much of a boom this is going to be.
@@CutePuppy351 Exactly. Valve is probably the smartest company in the gaming industry, they have always been one step ahead for as long as they've been around, and I don't expect now to be any different.
I have to say, I am and have been annoyed at how long it has taken them to make anything, but they are not going to even hint that they have something in the works until it is almost finished. They don't want to announce something, and then for some unexpected reason want to back out or whatever, and then have to explain to us why they "lied" or made a false promise.
No, they don't tell us anything at all. Not until it's ready. It can be hard for us consumers, but I think it's the best strategy for them to produce the best quality games.
"Valve doesn't do 3's" people often will say, but I believe they are about to be corrected over the next few years. I can almost guarantee that we will get, at the very least, a left for dead 3. Imagine that shit. Left for dead in VR. It would be absolute insanity, probably would end up being the best horror multiplayer VR game ever to be released, if they do indeed go down that route.
We will have to see how half life: Alyx is, and from there we make some good educated guesses as to if we are going to see more valve games.
I want to care but just really, really can't. Its been too long, too many "almosts". I can't afford a headset and the new rig to make the most of it, and I don't have the desire any more to lust after one. For me its too late. Soldier on my younger, more financially secure and hopeful young friends.
I bought a used vive set for like 390€. Thats fairly cheap. Unless you meant you cant afford the new 1000€ one.
Mmania 6 390 isn’t cheap to begin with, not to mention pc upgrades.
Just wait until Orange Box 2 in 10 years with all of them included for PS5 and VR included.
You can get into high-end VR for under $700 total. VR is cheaper to get into than console gaming, lol.
@@evolicious Not including a computer that can run it. People live paycheck to paycheck ya know.
You can always tell who has never worn a headset before... Because anyone who has experienced VR, and I mean properly, knows it the future of literally all entertainment. People say that it will eventually die, not realizing that other industries are using it every day, meaning the technology will continue to evolve and headset will continue to get cheaper. Inside out tracking is a perfect example, you no longer need a huge room and multiple expensive lighthouses to play. One headset and two controllers is all I use, and that's WITHOUT cords. Is it expensive? Yes, but no more then a brand new console and it's still much cheaper then a new phone... I was gonna get the new iPhone but instead got a headset and I don't regret it.
FailedGraphics people who have never tried VR love to shit on it. Their loss. Not ours. I’m so stoked this game is in VR. Valve still knows what’s up. They know what need to happen to push the industry forward and they absolutely made the right move here. As a long time half life fan, I’m thrilled with this release
Theres a good chance that this game might lead up to how The Alyx uses the borealis with The Freeman to save Eli.
o.0
Thoughts on the FireWatch team bought by Valve shortly after their Valley of the Kings reveal trailer?
I assumed it was because of the close resemblance to Valve's style, they like what were producing and bought the developers.
Only negative side I've heard of Firewatch was the little Pewdiepie debacle.
@@norXmal So you haven't played it and experienced how mind numbingly boring it was?
I'm torn. On one hand, this game looks like a great first step into VR, not to mention it's visually stunning and a welcome edition to the Half-Life franchise; but on the other hand, a VR-exclusive title is going to be unavailable to a number of players for a number of reasons, and yet, hypothetically stripping the game of its VR capabilities kind of defeats the purpose of it being a step forward like the entries before it.
I don't know. Maybe the world just isn't as ready for VR as a whole yet, because I shouldn't be sitting here worrying about whether or not I'm even going to be able to play the next Half-Life game
The world won't be ready for VR if the only 2 well known games are Beatsaber and VR Chat. The medium needs to expand in what it offers, then players will follow.
The Wii U didn't have the game and people didn't follow. VR is a revolutionary new medium that has many systems and is getting cheaper and cheaper.
@@haruhirogrimgar6047 That's not the biggest problem, the problem is that it is impossible to convey even remotely what VR is actually like since presence is a subconscious feeling. VR marketing needs to kick into high gear and start demoing experiences. I've seen first hand almost everyone that demos VR, either buys it then and there or does what they can to eventually afford it.
@@evolicious They demo Oculus at Best-Buys in the u.s. But more trials would be incredibly costly. Labour, training, actual devices, the games on the devices, etc. What would help more as well is just having more games that people talk about how unique they are.
My friend wants VR for VR Chat since it is an experience you can't get anywhere else. I want it to play Hellblade in a new way and to try Sprint Vector. Two things that are unique in VR. My Mom and Sister want to try it for Beatsaber since it is pretty unique.
Until this Half-Life game got announced I had not heard of any other games people were excited for. And mine were niche to begin with. More unique games that take full advantage of the medium will draw more interest and more communities in. The marketing of the games will trickle into suggesting buying VR. Meanwhile the technology gets cheaper and easier to access. Games and eventually story-telling will inherently make VR more popular over time. VR is a new market that ties to PC. There is not many exclusives like Xbox or PS, the library will grow more and more and become more appealing.
Hopefully, VR titles like this will make VR more accessible. The biggest hurdle, price, will decrease as more units are sold and companies can invest in improving production pipeline and engineering.
Emotional and touching performance with the video , thank you and keep up the good work
Hype is real for me, glad I got my VR legs a year and a half ago and glad I got deep into VR haha this will definitely be the second thing to throw VR in the gaming map and keep it there, the first being boneworks but also guess you haven’t played espire one and stormlands yet or kill floor incursion
Are you going to talk about Black mesa or project borealis?
Yes.
@@LiamTriforce Sweet... Nice to know you will be doing that...
Project borealis is out?
@@haruhisuzumiya6650 No, it's not out yet. I don't know when it will be out. But I am more hyped for Metroid prime 4
@@Euclidiuss we need a new mod and my plans for source 2 are on ice till I have played HLVR alyx.
Personally I want operation black mesa
I want at least one mission that takes place some time after episode 2.
then go play HL ep 1 and 2 which both take place after HL2, dumbass, lol.
@@evolicious Hey genius, I said after EPISODE 2.
Please tell me you have seen the ending of hl/a
@@dannyg1003 Yeah I saw it. I can't wait for more news on a sequel but I'm fully prepared to wait another decade.
This legit could be the way that Half life makes a come back (unlikely but hopeful) as it would be new way of experiancing gaming especially with VR being the future of gaming...
They say they've found new ways of story telling with VR, this may well be the case.
Joshua Mitchell why unlikely? Valve has stated this is just the start and they’re planning on continuing the Half Life franchise.
Excellent video - it makes me even more excited to get my hands on HLVR!
"designed around teleportation based movement"... that doesnt sound.. great.. hopefullly the free locomotion feels right then. i hate teleportation.
Rise and shine Half-Life gamers, rise and shine!
Volvo started the genre of story based games for pc, volvo started the genre of story based for vr bruh, they basically went back to their roots
Half-Life is one of, if not, one of the most influential games to me. Hell, it’s the main reason I’ve spend hundreds of hours on Gmod, and the reason why I started this channel. I’ve know about Half-Life and it’s impact ever since I was 7. I am now almost 15. Ever since then I waited and waited for something to come of Valve. Back when Artifact was announced, I thought it was all over. Valve would never be the same again.
Then the rumors began. At first I thought it was just a red herring, but the constant reference to a “HLVR” kept me intrigued: could Valve be making another game? I, of course, was skeptical and kept my hopes low.
Then it happened.
I can’t even describe how happy I am that one of my favorite game companies has returned better than ever. Half-Life:Alyx is going to be what sells me VR, and just the idea of Source 2 introduces so many new ideas; I would even take a Gmod 2 using the engine, considering the great memories I have with the game.
Of course, I realize this isn’t the game I wanted, but I now realize this is the game we need.
I doubt they will but I really hope they'll get around to having the index available here in Australia, because as of right now, I still cannot buy it.
It's probably going to be another year before I can finally buy the index along with Half-life: Alyx for free to play it.
Until then, I have to be ready to shut my ears off the moment this game releases, because I doubt the index will be available down here before the game is available everywhere else.
And I'm pretty sure it's all because my country pressured valve with the refund policy and other things.
I just hope I won't have to plug my ears for too long.
Just get a quest or a rift s
It's still not available in Australia? They finally brought it to Canada after they announced HL:A
@@buffalino8357 Inferior and doesn't come with the game for free, as I have already stated in my comment.
@@pingeee Nope, and I fear that it may be like that for quite some time even after the game goes live... I'm gonna miss out and have to plug my ears and cover my eyes for quite some time to avoid spoilers... But this is a behemoth of the game in terms of popularity, it's gonna be very difficult to avoid.
@@dragonv0942 Idk Australia's pretty big for them to ignore like that, they might bring it in a couple months
I was excited when i knew about the game.
Then..I realized it was VR!
And got really disappointed!
Did you expect different? Where else were they supposed to make major strides in the series, HL brought good story mixed with FPS, HL2 brought a stunning physics engine, HL3? What are they supposed to do then?
@@evilyoufromthefuture6659 Yes, i did, its a major game that i cant play because its locked in VR, thats why i got disappointed. The game isnt bad for this..Its just sad..
And its laughable they claim game will be "accessible to as many people as possible" when its VR only. NOBODY asked for or wanted this, we wanted an actual game, not a glorified tech demo that so few people can play its basically a rounding error.
I have VR, and I'm not excited for this at all. I want an actual game, not a marketing gimick designed to sell over-priced VR hardware to sheep.
Mikey C Alright, make it your damn self, they tried their hardest with a new source engine, with as long as we waited, we might as well keep on waiting because the longer we wait the bigger expectations we have that are way to unachievable, this is valve saying 'oh, don't worry, we haven't forgotten about you', they could have easily just not released another game and said 'screw you'?
Zeiccia and don't say you didn't expect it, valve has been wanting to do a VR title for a while, ever since 'the lab'. A new source engine! Once that thing gets released, do you know how much progress VR games are going to make? Plenty
I'm not going to hold my breath for a conclusion to the Half-Life story. Still, this is a step in the right direction. In hindsight, it would be just like Valve to wait a decade for new technology like VR to establish itself and then aspire to create the best version of it possible. Maybe the mountain of money they made through Steam could give them the resources they need. I just wonder if they've still got the people and the vision to make an excellent game, not just an expensive one. Though I get the feeling that if we are ever see Half-Life 3, it's going to be announced by Gabe Newell when he's uploaded his consciousness to the supercomputer GaBOS that also governs Earth and all of its interdimensional colonies.
"I doubt it will resolve [the ending to Episode 2]"
Well, you were right, but....
... What the fuck are you talking about? O_o It TOTALLY resolved the Episode 2 ending! The status quo was made radically different with an obvious path forward now! 🤷
Your reaction surprises me given the cost of entry.
Cost of entry is very low. You can get a WMR kit for $130. VR hasn't been expensive for over 3 years now.
Hey nice vid what is the music playing n the background plz?
I honestly just hope that this will be good. I was never into halflife, so why? because it is just great to see such an influencial series making a comeback in an appearently fleshed out take on vr no less. hope you guy have fun 👼👍
Half-life 3 will come out in 2030 mark my words
Unless gaben fucking dies
HL3 will never happen, get over it.
*half-life Alyx trailer comes out*
"a surprise to be sure, but a welcome one"
I really hope there's a sequence where you fall unconscious and you wake up and there's a community around you, patching you up, healing you and then someone says "thank goodness we got you back to Ravenholm".
Since we’re beyond the point of spoilers, I’m sure you’ll be happy to know that the development manager of the game said he wanted to do more half life in an interview. I’m sure we all know what that means.
HL games never were "traditional". Why would anyone expect a "traditional" HL game today? I don't get it.
Of course they were. What set them apart, really the only thing now, is the story. Take that away and they're just another shooter with gimicks added in. Kind of like this VR nonsense. Now portal WAS different, but HL, not so much.
@@zybch Ok, zoomer.
I think he meant non-VR by "traditional"
I doubt something like this will happen, but if Half-Life: Alyx ends up being successful, Valve should make a game titled Half-Life 2: Episode 3, on the Source 2 engine, exclusively for the PC, with the same gameplay mechanics of Half-Life 2 and its episodes, following the story of Epistle 3, with around the same length as Episode 2. Then, they would make Half-Life 3, exclusively for VR. This game would be completely different from Hl2, the same way Hl2 was different from Hl1.
That would be a really neat idea. I doubt they would do so, but it would definitely be a nice thank you to the fans.
@@Viperzka A big elitist, fuck you to all non vr owning fans
@@johan13135 Why so angry dude?
I think there is today far more hope for Half-Life 3 title than for the last ten years (not counting to twelve because for a couple of years fans were realistically expecting episode 3). What I am about to write might be just wishful thinking, naïve or unpopular, but when I saw this trailer and the fact they were going for a prequel, this idea crossed my mind. Please bear with me.
Let's try to look at things from a narrative perspective. If Valve ever tries to conclude the main story and if by any chance they take the narrative in the same direction described to us by Marc Laidlaw's blog post "Epistle 3", then it makes sense for us to see a prequel focusing on Alyx, and how she developed as an unique character. She's currently the only character we know that grew in a Combine dominated world, as she was just a child at the time of Black Mesa incident, it's the only reality she knows, she's the only character to have a close parent next to her, her father Eli. And the last thing we fans saw in the Half-Life series was the murdering of Aly'x role model.
Now, if we consider Epistle 3 to still be a legitimate guideline for a future Half-Life title, Alyx will develop immensely as a character. She'll become more bitter and cold which in turn will lead her to make harsh decisions, like murdering Judith or wanting to leave Breen in a state of perpetual suffering. But most importantly, in Epistle 3 we learn that Alyx will actively become G-Man's pawn (she already was in a way, but now she'll actually go with him, the same way Gordon went at the end of Half-Life 1). And Gordon Freeman will once again be saved by the Vortigaunts.
If we analyze this for a moment, it might mean that, at the end of Epistle 3, Gordon is free from G-Man's influence, which happened once between the beginning of Episode 1, when the Vortigaunts saved him and Alyx, and the end of Episode 2's chapter "This Vortal Coil". During this period, the Vortigaunts "trap" the G-Man in a a sort of "force field", which he manages to "escape" only when the Vortigaunts are focusing on healing Alyx. And if you notice, between that period, G-Man never makes a cameo, because he's trapped. Only after his appeance in "This Vortal Coil", we get to spot him again at certain locations. He's regained control once more. By the end of Epistle 3, it would seem to be implied that Gordon is free from the G-Man once again, perhaps forever. Gordon might have accomplished his purpose and now Alyx is G-Man's main pawn.
If the main story took this direction, it would put Alyx in a even more relevant place, narratively speaking. So it's not so strange we get to see a game focused on Alyx's past and her relation with her father and the world if, in the future, she'll be in the center of the narrative.
Not only that, but if Valve wants to bring the Half-Life series back to life, this is a very smart way to do it. By making it a prequel, setting between the two main games, Valve can take a narrative approach without compromising or commiting to anything. They have a proper context, Black Mesa's disaster, the Seven Hour War and the construction of City 17, and they know they can only go so far with Alyx, because we know where she will end up. They can safely explore a nostalgic place without the risk of promising a future Half-Life title if they want to avoid future pressure from the fans. And since VR is still a niche market, it would be a bad move on Valve's part to release the next Half-Life title on a platform only available to a small percentage of the fans, myself not included.
Now, letting my skepticism speaking a little louder, I feel the same way you do, and most of us do. Nothing justifies the silent treatment Valve gave to all os us. And when I saw the trailer, a part of me felt this whole VR game would ultimately be just a test of sorts of the potential of VR technology. I don't mean that negatively I think it's looking to be a very fun and interesting game.
But if this was really just a test, would Valve go to such extent to present a trailer that hugely implies more story development? I mean, they could've gone for a more simple direction, like putting the player in the shoes of a regular City 17 citizen, trying to fight back the Combine, right? But they chose Alyx to be that main character, they show a young Eli and G-Man, we hear a Vortigaunt speaking of future events. For us Half-Life fans, there's more here than just a powerful VR experience.
And maybe I'm just delusional, but I would be lying if I didn't admit that it's been a long time since I've been this hopeful regarding the Half-Life series. This year in particular has been interesting when it comes to sequels we never thought would come out, like Shenmue 3 or Kingdom Hearts 3. Regardless of how those games were received, they were still released, they saw the light of day, even when some fans had given up hope. So why not be hopeful for a future Half-Life title, specially after being presented with a trailer of that franchise?
Thanks for reading. Sorry for the long comment.
I don't want to sound negative by saying this but i wll. While this is amazing,that doesn't immediately excuse all the years of silence we've been through. We forgive,but never forget.
Valve is back at game development... And they still can't count to 3
1... 2... 2,1.... 2,2, ..... loooong pause....... Alyx?
valve never stopped making games.......
"Games like this have usually included VR as an OPTION, rather then build the game around VR"
*Heh, yeah and I wish they still DID.*
Because people and developers have found that games that have VR and pancake do not work and are overall shit experiences. Good VR games are games that are built from the ground up to be in VR, which is exactly what all three Valve flagship VR games will be, one of which , HalfLife:Alyx certainly is.
I don't want to have such hope only to be waiting with a cliffhanger until 2030 for another Valve game.
When I told my brother about Half-LIfe Alyx. He was surprised, but at the same time the feelings weren't the same as it used to back in 2007 when I was just 10 years old, I remembered the days when my brother used to played Half-Life 1, Half-life 2 until Episode 2 and Portal. But now in 2019, I'm 22, and my brother is already married, has 1 daughter, and now living with his wife, but I'm still living with my parents, and kinda felt sad that I wont be seeing my brother playing Half-Life beside his young brother (me) anymore like it used to, because my brother will be busy taking care of his family.
What I'm saying is that, times changed, maybe someday our hobbies or interest will change too, the gap between HL1 and HL2 was small, but the gap for the Half-Life Alyx and the return of Half-Life is far too long, I hoped that they will continue making a new Half-Life in 2021 and onward T_T. Because right now I'm about to finish my Diploma, and next 2 years of Degree, and also have girlfriend.
I'm worried that if Valve takes their time too long again, maybe I myself might change too, because my hobby right now is more to Photography, I'm worried that someday in the future I might not come back to gaming and get even more busy towards real-life things :(
i have no sult, i am fully hype and happy its VR.
half life on M&K will simple be a better graphical half life 2...truly i am bored of gaming. this is a new real step in game design...happy there is a new half life, happy that its in VR, and i am happy there will be mod support.
I'm sorry, I wanted to like your video. It was fantastic up until the emotional never forgetting the ten years of silence stuff. pretty dramatic man. Those guys have, since inception, been evolving the gaming industry. I'd say, give them a break. They did spend the last 4.5 on HLA, and I'm sure longer in the general IP trying to work towards HL3 in some way. They have been raising the bar and freaking moving mountains man. Yeah, people die waiting for things... you can't stop that from happening but these guys aren't ignoring them. They just aren't able to accommodate everyone. If they constantly update us on their progress imagine how arresting that would be to their creativity. That kind of pressure is why sequels get pumped out and it's the same game 4 times in a row. Valve time is just a way of saying they take their time, which I totally appreciate.
looking at the game in the trailer it indicates that it was being developed for years, my initial thought is that they were developing HL:A for a long time but didnt wanna release it till it was just perfect, and didnt wanna release it till the VR experience was outstanding. Valve is known for really putting in effort in games, like with half life 1 and 2, both of those games were a evolution in gaming, and look at HL:A now, its gonna be a evolutionary game AGAIN! this just shows how valve is really amazing
12:04 to tell the truth . i don't want half life series to end when we get episode 3 but also i don't want them to release the game yearly for seek of releasing a game .
I am mildly curious about HL: Alyx, but honestly I'm not excited or particularly interested. I think much less of Valve than I did ten years ago. They aren't game creators anymore. Not really. They've demonstrated that they do not care about their own stories, there own art, or the fans of those works. I've made peace with the fact that we will most likely never see a Half-Life 3.
Will you review Black Mesa? It's finally completed, and Xen look AMAZING. Also, you just got new subscriber, keep on good work!
you know, its funny and interesting to see differing perspectives on things.
I had never played the Half Life games during their hay day (I was a console gamer at that time, only getting into pc gaming in the past 8 years or so). I got into vr about 2 years ago out of pure interest, and got the Index when it came out because turns out that VR is fricken amazing (devs really havent tapped into the full potential as far as I'm concerned). The reveal of HL:A prompted me to go back and play the originals.
As a result, I dont have nearly the level of resentment towards Valve that you displayed in the HL series retrospective (though you seem to have warmed up in this one). To me the whole "WHERES HALF LIFE 3!!!!!" stuff was pure meme. I get it now, but it still doesnt really bother me. If an artist isnt feeling it, I think its totally fair for them to not continuing making it. Making it just for the sake of making it... I dont think it would have been as good as anyone would have hoped, especially because:
I also thought hl2ep1 and hl2ep2 MADE the series, yet in your retrospective you mention ep1 wasnt as well received (and tbf I absolutely hated that escort mission at the end... could have done with 2 less groups at least). For all the awesomeness of allowing you to approach hl1 and 2 the way you chose, I actually felt like none of the story was really ever explained beyond surface level in the moment happenings until the episodes as a result. It felt like slowing down to take everything in would ruin the pace of the game - especially in hl2 - because everything all the time was "gotta go here, gotta go there, oh cool you made it to a safe haven JUST KIDDING SAFE HAVEN UNDER ATTACK GTFO". Slowing down to find lore dump vortigaunts that are hidden away just... doesnt feel like it matches the pace.
I had heard that it was amazingly revolutionary for its story telling, but my first experience with the games were: 80% action, 10% puzzles, 10% story. I still enjoyed them as action games, but eh. I was expecting far more of a narrative driven experience given that was the talking point everyone I know was hyping it up over. I did get that narrative in ep1 and ep2, and while I havent completed HLA yet (I already dont do well with horror, vr turns everything up to 11, the atmosphere is so tense I have to take breaks not due to motion sickness but because its mentally exhausting to deal with) I'm enjoying it better than any of the others. It leans a LOT more into the narrative, and yes the interactions made possible by vr are amazing. As someone who doesnt have rose tinted glasses over the series, HLA is by far the best in the series. I know it would piss people off because vr adoption is still low*, but I wouldnt mind if Valve only made vr games from here on. Its that damn good.
*(though I hate how people complain about the cost; I'm completely fine with admitting that yes it IS an added expense on top of needing a pc, but the people who complain about the cost usually take it to the hyperbolic extreme. You can play many vr games with 970, a gpu that is about to be 3 generations old and not even the top of its generation, and vr headsets have come down in cost a LOT since the Vive launched. You can get into pc vr for around 800 USD total - pc and vr kit. It is still pricey, just not as much as some say when they mention needing a 2k+ pc AND the 1k Index. That would be like me saying that you shouldnt buy a controller simply because the xbox elite series 2 is nearly 200 dollars, and then ignoring all the 30 dollar 3rd party controllers on the market. There are budget vr options available. They are still pricey, but they exist.)
Yeah, I'm waiting for the VR stuff in the new Source engine. GMod VR etc ...
Great video! I can’t wait, I actually went out and bought a VR kit on Black Friday because of HLA
Lol hope you got a Quest 1! The Rift S was dropped faster than a hot potato. 🤷