The wait for Half-Life 3 is a meme, a lifestyle, and the tragedy of multiple gaming generations.
Will it ever happen?
No one knows, and any mention of it is immediately relegated to myth which becomes legend which falls into the depths of the internet only to be gurgled up again when Valve either fails or succeeds at anything else. So, as you can imagine, the idea of Half-Life: Alyx just never even factored into any of this and most people thought it was nothing more than the flash of a fever dream.
But then Valve started talking about VR in a really serious way and one thing led to another which means that, before anyone really knew what was happening, we had a new Half-Life game on our hands. And now we have a firm Half-Life: Alyx release date: March 23, 2020.
This is according to multiple reports and leaked marketing information related to the launch of the game. Expected to be one of the largest releases in VR ever, Half-Life: Alyx could also be a game-changer for this segment in that it is a triple-A game and brings in a fanbase that is desperate for anything in its universe.
Of course, this could all turn into a massive test of the size and potency of Half-Life’s fandom. After all, it isn’t like the second game was released yesterday. As amazing as it was, modern audiences might not be that compelled by the game.
This is where Valve’s classic ability to execute on gameplay and mechanics could win at the end of the day regardless of whether or not modern audiences have a thing for Half-Life. Given that the release date is soon means we won’t have to wait long to see how this all turns out, but most signs right now point to this being absolutely huge – possibly one of the biggest releases of the year.
For those not familiar with Half-Life, the game takes place in a post-apocalyptic world that becomes so after an incident at Black Mesa Research Facility that involves intergalactic alien forces and a taciturn everyman protagonist. Notable for introducing an immersive storytelling format and platforming to the first-person shooter genre, Half-Life combines multiple styles and gameplay mechanics in a seamless, organic way that is considered a masterclass in game design even today.
Its sequel was basically everything about the first game – except for perfect now – with the addition of an intriguing physics system. The devs used this physics system to incorporate interesting puzzles and in-game environmental obstacles which would require manipulation via a Gravity Gun.
If the VR installment of Half-Life does well, we could be looking at a renaissance for Half-Life and maybe even motivate Valve to finally put out the third chapter in the game. Following the exploits of Alyx, the VR game takes place in between the first and second game and is expected to be both immersive as well as incorporating fan favorite mechanics in a new way through VR.
LINK:
https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2020/02/half-life-alyx-receives-firm-release-date-march-23/
