The 16-year wait ends tomorrow. Half-Life: Alyx, the long-awaited third installment in Valve's iconic Half-Life series, is finally being released. Today, video game magazine Edge has released the first review of Half-Life Alyx, and it was glowing.
Edge gave Half-Life Alyx a 9/10, a very high score. In the past, the Half-Life games have always done well at Edge, with each entry in the franchise receiving relatively high acclaim from the outlet. It gave the first Half-Life game 9/10, Half-Life 2 a 10/10, and Half-Life 2: Episode One an 8/10. This new high review puts Edge in agreement with Xbox Boss Phil Spencer, who recently called Half-Life: Alyx amazing.
Releasing Half-Life: Alyx as a VR exclusive was a somewhat controversial choice. A lot of gamers don't have access to VR technology, and there are still many factors preventing VR from breaking into the mainstream. However, Valve has spoken before about why it believes VR was necessary for Half-Life: Alyx, as the technology has opened up all sorts of new gameplay possibilities.
In its review of Half-Life: Alyx, Edge repeatedly praised the VR elements of the game. It noted that VR allowed for both incredibly tense moments, and fantastic FPS gameplay. However, Edge did note that it's reviewers played the game in a large open room, which allowed for far more movement than the average living room. While space is something that many gamers will have to take into consideration, considering that the Valve VR headset has already sold out once, it appears that many fans are willing to take on that challenge.
Some fans might have picked up the new Half-Life game just because it's a Half-Life game. The series is considered one of the greatest of all time, and fans have been calling for a new installment for over a decade now. However, now that the game has gotten a hugely positive review, those fans can be sure that the game will be great in its own right. And if the Edge review doesn't convince players to pick up the game, maybe the Half-Life: Alyx gameplay footage will.
Half-Life: Alyx releases March 23rd, 2020, on PC.
Source: Edge Magazine (via Gaming Bolt)