Half Life Alyx

[Montag]

Scheduled to unlock on 12:21 for me. Gonna swap out some Corona for a head crab. And now it says 12:38 PM.

[Lordnine]

Ooo, I did not know this was today. I wasn't initially that excited about this but the preview clips that have been coming out definitely have my interest. Downloading now!

[Montag]

So the time kept changing until 1 PM EDT which was the official release time anyway. I do not know what the deal is, but it is acting like it will take 3 hours to install - even with the preload. I have it being installed on a Raid 5 setup, but I do not think that is the deal. Let me know your install times for comparison.

[Lordnine]

Mine took about 40 minutes to download and install.

[coopasonic]

If the Rift S is ever available at MSRP again I'll give this a look.

[gameoverman]

I don't have a VR setup but if I did I'd want to be able to throw sawblades like frisbees at enemies. I'd like some reason to have to go through Ravenholm again. I'd like to find the portal gun and have to jump through portals, if I had that room VR thingy. I'd like to be able to play Garry's Mod in VR. I'd like to be able to play back a Source Filmmaker scene or movie and watch it from the pov of any character in it. That's not too much is it?

[Lordnine]

Well, my first impressions are very strong. I'll admit upfront that I didn't care much for Half Life 2 but this takes me back to the feeling I got playing the original Half-Life. World building so far (little over an hour) is top notch. I don't remember the combine tech being this organic. I got to the first healing station and there is a little grub in it. When you activate it it gets smooshed and that is what heals you.

Little details like the fact that hats matter made my smile. Early on I found a hardhat and like all VR games, I tried putting it on. No surprise, they allow it, but I didn't think much more of it. Later on I encountered barnacles and just wanted to see how much damage they would do to me if I got caught, so I purposefully walked into one. Instead of grabbing me, it latched onto my hat that I had forgotten about and I was allowed to just walk through.

Also, I don't want to spoil anything for anyone else but the humor seems much more turned up, more in line with Portal, which I am definitely on board with.

[Jaymann]

$1k and an 8 week wait for VR? Not bloody likely. I will wait for the PC port or forget it.

[Alefroth]

I will wait for the PC port or forget it.

You mean console port?

[Jaymann]

I will wait for the PC port or forget it.

You mean console port?

Non-VR PC.

[Alefroth]

I will wait for the PC port or forget it.

You mean console port?

Non-VR PC.

Oh. Don't think that's happening.

[Lordnine]

I will wait for the PC port or forget it.

You mean console port?

Non-VR PC.

Oh. Don't think that's happening.

Yeah I don't think that will ever happen. The game makes use of VR more than any game I have played. A non VR version would basically have to be rebuilt from the ground up as a whole new experience.

[hitbyambulance]

this is supposed to be free for Index owners, right? i hooked up my Vive and Knuckles controllers - it's not in my account.

[Lordnine]

Definitely free for Index owners as that is what I have. I don't think the Vive was part of the promotion though.

[hitbyambulance]

supposedly, even having just the Knuckles controllers will trigger it, but they don't show up in the system report. i've written to Valve support to see if there's an answer here.

[hitbyambulance]

heard back from Valve - they just put this into my Steam library. installing now (it's 50GB)

[Sepiche]

Finally ordered an Index as we were going into lock down, and just got it this week. I just got done running through the first chapter of Alyx and am just amazed. I watched Bruce Greene play through it on Twitch, but it still doesn't prepare you for what it's like to actually be IN the game... it's like being in a super expensive, single person Disney ride... with guns.

It's pretty intense so I need to give my poor heart a break now and again, but looking forward to playing some more this afternoon.

Luckily I got my Index during the Steam sale, so I stocked up on some new VR games. I got Rick and Morty, Skyrim, Fallout 4, Gorn, Superhot, and Trover Saves the Universe, but any other recommendations for quality VR games before the sale ends?

[Lordnine]

Luckily I got my Index during the Steam sale, so I stocked up on some new VR games. I got Rick and Morty, Skyrim, Fallout 4, Gorn, Superhot, and Trover Saves the Universe, but any other recommendations for quality VR games before the sale ends?

By starting with Alyx you are kind of working back from the best VR game.

I’m always a little reluctant to recommend VR games because of how short most of them are. That said…

I Expect You to Die – This might be my personal favorite VR experience. It is basically a series of escape rooms with a comical tone.

Moss – A charming little platformer with an adorable mouse protagonist. Yes, you can pet the mouse.

Boneworks – I only just picked this one up myself but so far it feels like the closest approximation to the AAA experience that Alyx offers.

A Fisherman's Tale – This one might be a little too short for some as it can be beaten in just a couple hours but I really enjoyed my time with this reality bending puzzle game.

The Room VR: A Dark Matter – Again, this one is very short for the price at only a few hours long but it is really well made and offers some clever puzzles.

[Lordnine]

I finished playing this last night. There were a couple annoying sections, but I think Half-Life: Alyx does for VR what the original Half-Life did for first person shooters.

The only section I didn’t really enjoy was dealing with Jeff. I cant divulge too much about that without spoiling the encounter but I will say that once I understood his mechanics it wasn’t as bad but there is one section that is just poorly explained/thought-out.

Overall just an incredible experience and a must play if you have VR.

[coopasonic]

$1k and an 8 week wait for VR? Not bloody likely. I will wait for the PC port or forget it.

This plays just fine on a Quest and Amazon says you can have one in 2 weeks for $400 (64GB version, $500 for 128GB).

I just wanted to mention that as I haven't seen the Quest mentioned in this thread. As a VR experience, this game is exceptional. As a game... well it's fine. I'm only a few hours in (chapter 4 I think), but it's like the world's most basic shooter, but includes super easy puzzles and a story (and scouring the environment for resin and ammo).

[Lordnine]

As a VR experience, this game is exceptional. As a game... well it's fine. I'm only a few hours in (chapter 4 I think), but it's like the world's most basic shooter, but includes super easy puzzles and a story (and scouring the environment for resin and ammo).

I would actually say it’s more of a survival horror game in feel than a straight first-person shooter. Scouring the environment for ammo and health becomes super important later in the game.

In general, VR isn’t going to offer the same type of experience as a shooter because most people are not going to be able to handle it. Fast movement + VR is asking for motion sickness for 90% of the population. VR is about the immersion in the environment and making you feel like you are in the firefight, not playing as a godlike character. Although I will say once you get good at throwing grenades back at enemies, that feels godlike and awesome.

The puzzles I will agree on. I enjoyed them for the first couple hours of the game, but they got old near the end.

[coopasonic]

Yeah, survival horror does sound like a better descriptor and given that framing I like the game better.

[coopasonic]

The only section I didn’t really enjoy was dealing with Jeff. I cant divulge too much about that without spoiling the encounter but I will say that once I understood his mechanics it wasn’t as bad but there is one section that is just poorly explained/thought-out.

I really liked the Jeff chapter. I didn't really run into any issues figuring it out (once I smacked my forehead after trying to bend some rebar for a while).


I'm still going at it. I just got a big surprise which might tell you where I am.

[xwraith]

I hate it when you know you are going to be ambushed, but the question always is when is it going to trigger.

And that new variant of head crab is downright nasty.

[TheMix]

And that new variant of head crab is downright nasty.

I took a break and have been playing SkyrimVR.

But I just wanted to quote this for truth. F'in things.

[Blackhawk]

I started this a couple of days ago. Having played a few other VR games I have to say: they nailed it.

I'm not talking about the story, or the graphics, or the gameplay (all of which are top-notch.) I'm talking about the controls. They are spot-on when it comes to making the controls and interactions comfortable, intuitive, and usable. Everything you do in the game just feels right, from handling objects to throwing to reloading to handling inventory and menus. Their innovations need to be the standard for future VR games.

[TheMix]

Played a few more hours (or more) the last couple of nights. Took a few minutes to get back into things.

Public Announcement: Headcrabs still suck.

Also, skip the holo sights on the pistol and hold out for the laser sight. It's a game changer.

[Blackhawk]

Also, skip the holo sights on the pistol and hold out for the laser sight. It's a game changer.

No kidding. I installed the reflex sight last night and it's pure garbage. I can't hit a damned thing with it.

[TheMix]

Also, skip the holo sights on the pistol and hold out for the laser sight. It's a game changer.

No kidding. I installed the reflex sight last night and it's pure garbage. I can't hit a damned thing with it.

I went with the holo initially. Which shows you key spots to shoot. Like.... heads... or the glowing spots on the arms/legs. Geeee... Thanks! I'd never have thought of that.

Also, I'm kind of annoyed at how little shotgun ammo there is. I'd love to use it more, but I find myself saving it for emergencies.

[Lordnine]

Also, skip the holo sights on the pistol and hold out for the laser sight. It's a game changer.

No kidding. I installed the reflex sight last night and it's pure garbage. I can't hit a damned thing with it.

This might sound counterintuitive to playing in VR but I found my aim with that got infinitely better if I closed one eye when firing. Once you get the laser sight though you will never need to do that again.

[Blackhawk]

Nope. I spent too many years practicing not closing my eye to shoot. I do love that if you move your off hand near the gun it automatically grips the bottom of the grip/main hand. I always find myself jumping into a weaver stance in VR (banging my controller on my hand, usually), and this makes it feel better.

[Blackhawk]

I haven't finished it yet - it's been a crazy busy week - but I have seen that people have been releasing custom levels for it. Free content, once you separate the wheat from the chaff. One I read about yesterday really stood out:

BioShock has been rebuilt as a Half-Life: Alyx VR campaign.

[Blackhawk]

As for other free content for Alyx, I've found that this guy puts out good reviews.

[TheMix]

How come there are no arms in those? Does only the Valve Index version come with arms?

[Blackhawk]

How come there are no arms in those? Does only the Valve Index version come with arms?

*Checks videos of Alyx on Index*

Arms?

[TheMix]

Huh. I had to fire it up to check. No arms. Weird. I thought there were. Funny. I guess it just looks really different in those clips. Probably because they don't move with your hands. So it stands out. Plus the arms in SkyrimVR are probably throwing me off as well.

[Blackhawk]

Recorded videos often also have a bigger field of view than what you'd see in the headset, so they may be further out from the viewer than they are in-game.

As an aside, those maps aren't mods that require a lot of hassle to install. They're Steam Workshop items that are a single click. At least, the ones I've looked at have been (I have yet to play any.)