Close
Search
Menu Menu

Valve announce Half-Life sequel for VR

By
London, UK
0 energy + Add Energy
What is energy?
Want to show your appreciation? Give an article “Energy” and it will help us know what you like.
0 comments
0 comments

Gamer nerds of the noughties rejoice, Half-Life is finally back… as a VR game.

If you’re a fan of the Half-Life series, we have some good and bad news to deliver in one fell swoop. A new Half-Life sequel is on the way after a 12-year-wait… but it’s a VR title.

Developers Valve confirmed recent rumours surrounding the series last night (19th Nov) and officially announced Half-Life: Alyx, a new VR experience they’re fittin’ to properly reveal on Thursday morning.

Fans had previously been nattering about a potential sequel to Part 2 on Reddit and Twitter after an interview transcript between Geoff Keighley and Valve devs leaked online. But word from Valve revealed a decade of hibernation hasn’t brought Half-Life 3 any closer to landing.

Beyond her name, we no diddly-squat of new protagonist Alyx and how she’ll slot into the Half-Life timeline, but you can bet Valve has crafted an exciting and immersive experience for their ‘flagship VR title’. Player agency and immersive storytelling (without cutscenes) is what Half-Life is all about, so realistically, going with VR was a no brainer, right?

The general consensus among the fanbase would suggest not. Though Half-Life is undoubtedly a beloved series, Valve has come under scrutiny for using the franchise’s name to push other tech endeavours in the past. Concerned fans are now harkening back to 2004, when Half-Life 2 forced gamers to use Valve’s digital distribution service Steam despite it being a buggy, inaccessible mess at the time.

Now, with Half-Life: Alyx being declared the flagship title of Valve’s own VR platform Vive, which dropped in 2016, people are wary their treasured series could be being used to boost Vive sales and are seemingly adamant the game won’t meet the lofty standards set by its predecessors.

It’s all speculation I know, but as gamers we’ve been burnt too many times to not be a little cynical. It just doesn’t bode well that in the last three years Vive’s game production is comprised of a handful of VR demos and mini experiences such as ‘Moondust’ and ‘The Lab’. Hardly next gen.

As of this morning, the phrase ‘Half-Life 3 confirmed’ has even become a meme for forlorn expectations on Twitter, with gamers lamenting Valve’s decision to limit the sequel to those with expensive VR equipment and high-end PCs.

We’ll see how the devs react in the coming days. All I’m saying is that gameplay on Thursday had better be pretty special or Half-Life: Alyx will become a source of mockery akin to the likes of The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct before it even hits the shelves… I mean Steam.

Tech Editor London, UK

I’m Jamie (He/Him), the Editor in Chief at Thred. Keeping up with gaming and revolutionary technology is my forte, but when away from my keyboard, you’ll probably find me wrapped around a large Tango ice blast at the latest mediocre horror flick. Follow me on Twitter, LinkedIn and drop me some ideas/feedback via email.

Popular

Keep up with thred by signing up to our planet-positive newsletter!

More from thred.

Has the PlayStation 5 Pro made the future of gaming inaccessible?
Credit: Thred
Gaming

Has the PlayStation 5 Pro made the future of gaming inaccessible?

Retailing for an eye-watering £700 at launch, the PlayStation 5 Pro has fans of console gaming concerned that next gen hardware will completely price us out. Has the market just been ruined? How do you appease lifelong PlayStation fans becoming disillusioned by a lack of exciting new IPs and exclusives? By releasing a mid-gen console for £700, apparently. The PlayStation 5 Pro is slated for release in early November. As its...

By London, UK
Cognify wants AI-simulated memories to help rehabilitate prisoners
Credit: Thred
Offbeat

Cognify wants AI-simulated memories to help rehabilitate prisoners

Hashem Al-Ghaili, a Berlin-based scientist and filmmaker, envisions a future where prisoners are rehabilitated using implanted synthetic memories created by AI. His MO is to instil a sense of empathy and cut lengthy sentences from years to a matter of minutes. Having cut his teeth in the realm of independent filmmaking, Hashem Al-Ghaili has certainly let his mind run wild with this controversial concept. Presumably after binging Black Mirror and the...

By London, UK
Are social media algorithms breeding misogyny and violence?
Credit: Thred
Social

Are social media algorithms breeding misogyny and violence?

Amid mounting evidence to suggest that men and boys are being pushed violent and misogynistic content online – without deliberately searching for or engaging with it – many fear that this unregulated far-right radicalisation is increasingly turning them against women and girls. On Monday, BBC Panorama released a new documentary. Titled ‘Can We Live Without Our Phones?’, it investigates what happens when children lose access to their mobile...

By London, UK
Accessibility