For the longest time, Half-Life fans had begrudgingly accepted the fact that their beloved series would not be witnessing a new installment anytime soon, with the series pretty much at a standstill after the events of Half-Life 2: Episode Two. So, it was a surprise to many people when Valve actually bit the bullet and announced Half-Life: Alyx — an announcement that definitely titillated fans of the franchise to no end.
The idea of roaming around the world of Half-Life once more — that too in the shoes of a voiced protagonist, no less — was definitely an alluring prospect, with the act of buying an expensive VR headset being the only barrier to enjoy an otherwise stellar game. However, players who wanted more from this could use mods to alleviate the experience as well, with the following mods being the best of the bunch.
Updated on October 6, 2021, by Ritwik Mitra: Half-Life Alyx is more than just a showcase of what VR is capable of when used correctly. It's a brilliant chapter in the lore of Half-Life that expands on the story of one of the franchise's most beloved characters and finally gave fans of the series something to cheer after what felt like ages.
This game becomes even more enjoyable when people use the power of mods to full effect, with the following integrations being the cream of the crop in this regard.
15 Handheld Combine Shield
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The VR controls of Half-Life Alyx are truly revolutionary, with mods making this experience even better. Players need only look at the Handheld Combine Shield in action to find out just how impactful these mods really are.
Now, instead of playing it safe, players can use the shield to block gunfire and get up close and personal with their enemies as they blast them into smithereens. It makes for a fresh way to enjoy the game by using a bold strategy.
How To Install This Mod:
- Simply subscribe to the mod on Steam.
14 Energetic Hands
Players who want to become a modern spellcaster in the world of Half-Life: Alyx can certainly do the same with the Energetic Hands mod. It allows players to use a few fancy hand gestures to turn Alyx Vance into a destructive energy caster.
Players can summon the powers of Vortigaunt energy for a limited time, unleash a beam of pure destruction, or unleash energy grenades that can absolutely obliterate enemies. It adds a whole new level of depth to Half-Life: Alyx's gameplay... although it isn't really all that balanced for obvious reasons.
How To Install This Mod:
- Simply subscribe to the mod on Steam.
13 Gordon's Crowbar
Players who wanted to enjoy a classic Half-Life experience might've been saddened to find out that the iconic crowbar is missing from this title. Thankfully, modders came to the rescue here.
Gordon's Crowbar is a great weapon mod for Half-Life: Alyx that allows players to smash most enemies' faces with this crowbar. It might not be the safest weapon, but swinging this weapon in VR is extremely satisfying regardless.
How To Install This Mod:
- Simply subscribe to the mod on Steam.
12 Belomorskaya Station
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This map is extremely short and most players will probably get through this level in less than an hour. However, it's the atmosphere of Belomorskaya Station that makes it an excellent fan-made level that any fan of Half-Life: Alyx will find to be right up their alley.
Survival horror becomes the most important aspect of this level, with ammo and other supplies in extremely short supply. All in all, this mod is a must-have for people who want a VR experience that is both fear-inducing and extremely challenging to boot.
How To Install This Mod:
- Simply subscribe to the mod on Steam.
11 Brewery Break-In
Players looking for a simple yet enjoyable custom level to play through can definitely check out Brewery Break-In. It's a great mod that allows players to comb through a meticulously crafted player and uncover its secrets too.
Brewery Break-In puts players in the shoes of a young Alyx as she's forced into an area without her weapons. Armed only with a flashlight for the initial stretch of this level, Alyx must be wary and brave the dangers of this hostile area.
How To Install This Mod:
- Simply subscribe to the mod on Steam.
10 Half-Life: Alyx FakeVR Mod
Most people who are fans of the Half-Life series might not have the money required to purchase a VR headset required to access Half-Life: Alyx, which is quite a shame indeed. However, players who want to experience the story of Half-Life: Alyx without having to buy said VR headset can opt for this mod instead, which allows players to go through the entirety of the game without any VR tools whatsoever.
It's a monumental achievement that goes to show just how much fans truly love the Half-Life IP and don't want to miss out on any new game in the series because of financial restrictions.
How To Install This Mod:
- Download the .exe file from Nexus Mods.
- Run the .exe file and choose the location of Half-Life: Alyx's installation folder.
- Wait for setup to finish.
9 Lethal Combat Rebalance
Players who want more of a challenge with Half-Life: Alyx's combat would certainly benefit from the Lethal Combat Rebalance mod, which ensures that any player who's seeking out a hardcore experience won't be denied this opportunity.
In fact, this mod takes things one step further with its Hard Mode, which downs Alyx the moment she receives even the slightest bit of damage. It's a mode that caters only to the most masochistic of gamers.
How To Install This Mod:
- Head to the file path Steam\steamapps\common\Half-Life Alyx\game\hlvr\cfg.
- Backup the files skill_hlvr, skill_hlvr0, skill_hlvr1, and skill_hlvr3.
- Extract the Lethal Combat Rebalance.zip and overwrite these four files.
8 bHaptics TactSuit - Half-Life: Alyx Integration
The bHaptics TactSuit is easily one of the most advanced full-body haptic suits around, with the sheer level of immersion afforded by this suit being nothing short of brilliant. However, a lot of VR games don't support this TactSuit... including Half-Life: Alyx.
Thankfully, with this mod, players who own this TactSuit can make their playthrough of Half-Life: Alyx all the more immersive and nerve-wracking, with every shot and hit resonating on their body through this haptic suit.
How To Install This Mod:
- Add the -condebug extension in Steam's launch options.
- Download the bHaptics Tactsuit Integration Tool and install it in Half-Life: Alyx's game folder.
- Download the new scripts present and extract them inside Steam\steamapps\common\Half-Life Alyx.
7 Campaign+: Campaign Overhaul
Half-Life: Alyx might not have a New Game + mode that could allow fans to experience the magic of this classic once again, but players can still enjoy this title's campaign once again with this mod instead.
The Campaign+ mod ends up starting off the player with each and every weapon in the game... but also alters the encounters scattered across the title to make the experience feel completely fresh, unique, and an excellent way to revisit the game as well for players who wanted to experience more of Half-Life: Alyx's stellar gameplay.
How To Install This Mod:
- Simply subscribe to the mod on Steam.
6 Auto Pickup
One of the most annoying mechanics in Half-Life: Alyx is the fact that players need to throw ammo boxes over their shoulder in order to store them — a mechanic that instantly loses its novelty after the first few instances when the player does the same.
Thankfully, with the Auto Pickup mod, ammo will instantly go to Alyx's inventory after just picking it up and then dropping it, which prevents players from getting stiff joints, dislocated shoulders, or any other medical inconvenience.
How To Install This Mod:
- Simply subscribe to the mod on Steam.
5 Overcharge
There are a vast number of new campaigns and add-ons that dedicated fans have made for Half-Life: Alyx since the tools for this game were released to the public. However, Overcharge end up stepping into a class of its own since this mod was made... before said tools were released by Valve.
Offering up an hour of gameplay, Overcharge is a fun distraction that serves as a testament to just how much people love the Half-Life series.
How To Install This Mod:
- Simply subscribe to the mod on Steam.
4 C17YSCAPE
However, when one talks about the best fan-made add-on for Half-Life: Alyx, it's only a matter of time before the brilliant C17YSCAPE is mentioned in this conversation. Taking place between the events of Half-Life: Alyx and Half-Life 2, C17YSCAPE is an amazing display of what modding tools can enable.
The entire adventure feels more like a survival-horror experience, with both ammo and health present in extremely limited quantities. This forces the player to be more conservative about their ammunition and attain a greater sense of awareness when it comes to their own health, which can be quite hard to replenish.
How To Install This Mod:
- Simply subscribe to the mod on Steam.
3 Return to Rapture 1
Easily one of the most mind-blowing mods on this list, Return to Rapture 1 takes the engine of Half-Life: Alyx and the levels and locales of BioShock into it.
Roaming around Rapture in VR and taking care of the enemies that lie within is certainly an awe-inspiring experience, and makes people wonder about the potential that an official VR BioShock game could have.
How To Install This Mod:
- Simply subscribe to the mod on Steam.
2 Recurve Bow - Campaign Addon
It goes without saying that any shooting game — especially a VR shooter — would benefit from a bow that would allow players to maximize the potential of the VR kit in a combat situation.
Half-Life: Alyx is no exception to this rule, and players can download a Recurve Bow mod that can prove to be a highly valuable and entertaining weapon to use in the game once players get a hang of it.
How To Install This Mod:
- Simply subscribe to the mod on Steam.
1 Glorious Gloves
It was only a given that a mod that allows players to utilize the powers of the iconic Gravity Gun through Alyx's Gravity Gloves would take the top spot on this list.
The Glorious Gloves mod improves the powers of the Gravity Gloves and allows them to manipulate massive objects in the game world to be used as projectiles against most enemies. In fact, skilled players can use these powered-up gloves to finish the entire game without the use of guns.
How To Install This Mod:
- Simply subscribe to the mod on Steam.
Half-Life: Alyx was released on March 23, 2020, and is available on PC only.