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Gaming

23rd Nov 2019

WATCH: After 12 long years, we finally have our first look at the new Half-Life game

Rory Cashin

half life alyx

Fans don’t have long to wait before they get to play Half-Life: Alyx.

The Half-Life franchise is widely regarded as one of the greatest series in gaming history.

Controlling Gordon Freeman as he morphs from scientist nerd caught in a situation he can’t possibly understand, to becoming a sort of rebellion leader against an alien horde looking to take over the planet, the franchise blew everyone away when it first arrived in 1998.

The subsequent sequels kept the standard just as high in 2004, 2006, and 2007, when Half-Life 2: Episode Two left players dangling on a critical story cliffhanger, and then… nothing.

For over 12 years, we’ve had no idea how things have turned out for Gordon and rest of the surviving members of mankind, but this week, Valve released the announcement that Half-Life: Alyx is on the way, and better yet, will be arriving very soon.

However, there are pros and cons to this announcement.

On the con side, the story takes place between the events of Half-Life and Half-Life 2, so anyone hoping for some kind of resolution to Episode Two will still be left hanging.

Plus, the new game is VR-only, playable with all PC-compatible virtual reality headsets, including the Valve Index, HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Oculus Quest, and Windows Mixed Reality.

You’ll be controlling Alyx Vance (remember her?) as she and her father Eli (remember him?) fight the Combine as they begin their build their stronghold on the planet.

The game is set for release in March 2020, while people who buy the Valve Index VR headset will receive the game free of charge if they buy the headset before the end of 2019.

Check out the announcement trailer right here:

Clip via Valve