Video game speedruns are nothing new, as players have been measuring how quickly they can beat games for as long as they've been around. However, VR speedruns are an emerging subsection of the art, and with how much the technology requires players to move around, it can work up quite a sweat, as one Half-Life Alyx player has demonstrated.
As any Beat Saber player knows, VR can raise a heartbeat even under normal circumstances. However, speeding up that gameplay and adding in crouching, crawling, and the occasional dash around the room is a surefire way to get the blood pumping, all while setting new speedrunning records. There are few games better at demonstrating that than Half-Life Alyx, Valve's newest VR game.
Recently, speedrunner Buffet Time did a Half-Life Alyx run as part of Games Done Quick, an event where speedrunners show off their best runs to help raise money for charity. The run utilizes the tricks typically found to help shorten down speedrun times, but the introduction of the physical element makes it unlike any other game featured in the offering.
Buffet Time has to transition between crouching and crawling with gusto and at precise times to finish the run, a special feat considering video games' typical association with being a "lazy" activity. Luckily, there are quite a few relatively calm moments scattered throughout the game, so are a few breaks in there. All said and done, Buffet Time manages to finish their run at right around 31 minutes, an impressive feat considering Half-Life Alyx takes about 14 hours to beat.
Almost more impressive than the run itself is how well Buffet Time manages to deal with the motion in the VR headset itself. For many, moving rapidly in VR can cause motion sickness, one of the most persistent issues with the technology. Even while teleporting along straight stretches, though, Buffet Time manages to take the entire experience in stride.
Half-Life Alyx is a unique video game, as it's found numerous applications in the real-world, including being used to teach. Speedrunning, however, ranges from a variation of regular gaming to a grueling competition, and seeing it translate to VR is an interesting shift. Blending that with other forms of workout, like cardio or speed training, could open up an entire new avenue for games to go, and titles like Ring Fit Adventure prove that exercise games can be popular. Adding VR to the mix may enhance just a bit more.
Half-Life Alyx is available now on PC.