Half-Life: Alyx is a VR only game developed and published by Valve, released on 23 March 2020 and set between Half-Life 1 and 2. It is known as one of the best VR games ever made and maybe even the best, but the real question is... it is worth playing in 2025? VR is quite different from traditional PC gaming, it evolves in its own direction, and while it is much more popular now than it was a few years ago, that does not necessarily mean developers are creating more great games that everyone recognizes and talks about the way they do with Half-Life Alyx. There are still many new decent titles coming out, but can they truly beat Half-Life Alyx in terms of quality and impact? Let’s take a closer look.

Before I say anything more, I need to mention that I was one of those unlucky people who had major issues with the game. It kept crashing my PC constantly, and it was completely unplayable. I spent a lot of time reading about it, and yeah, I found out that some other people had the same problem. It definitely wasn’t because my PC was weak or anything like that, hell no, some people with much worse PCs than mine and better headsets played without any issues at all. I tried so many things to fix the game, and I was really close to giving up, but in the end I finally managed to make it work! After spending countless hours trying to figure out why it kept crashing, I eventually found the solution. No more crashes and the game ran perfectly fine after that. Lowering the VR resolution in SteamVR was the fix, it didn’t change much in terms of how the game looked for me, but it stopped crashing and finally let me enjoy it the way it was meant to be played.

As I mentioned before, Half-Life: Alyx is set between the events of Half-Life and Half-Life 2, in a world where Earth has been taken over by an alien empire known as the Combine, but no worries. you don’t need to have played the previous games to enjoy this one. You play as Alyx Vance, who’s trying to uncover the secrets of a mysterious structure the Combine are keeping tightly locked down.

The first thing you notice when you start playing is the amazing visuals. The game truly looks incredible, there’s no doubt about that. When it comes to gameplay, you can pick up pretty much everything, from a random fork on the table to a bigger box. Obviously, you need two hands to lift the heavier stuff, there's no way you're picking up a box with one hand, right? That’s amazing and impressive and at this point, you can already tell the game is really well-made.  The first and best thing you get is the Gravity Gloves, also called the Russells. You flick your wrist and catch objects mid-air, and it’s amazing. like telekinesis! Especially when you need to grab ammo off the floor, instead of squatting down, you just flick your wrist. That’s seriously cool. I love it!

Right at the start you get the classic pistol, and no, you won’t find a huge variety of random guns or anything like that, only the basics: a pistol, a shotgun, and the Combine SMG and the cool part is that you have to reload all of them manually, there’s no magic. You need to find ammo, pick it up, and stash it in your backpack yourself and that's not even everything. Every weapon has an upgrade system. During the game you collect a special material called resin, and at some point you’ll come across machines that let you use that resin to upgrade your gear. So remember to explore, especially for more ammo, you really might need it.



When it comes to ammo, I have heard a lot of people complain there’s not enough of it. If you’re bad at conserving and aiming, that might be true, but honestly, there’s a lot of ammo hidden in lockers. Plus, you often don’t even need to shoot your target directly, there are special “bombs” you can shoot that explode and later on, you also get grenades. As long as you explore, take your time, and check every locker, I believe you’ll be fine and that’s really the whole point of this game, you’re supposed to explore! I was fine and still, this seems to be a major issue for many players, and personally, I think the game could really have some form of melee combat too.

It's probably still the best and most immersive VR game, so If you're up for a long and immersive adventure, Half-Life: Alyx is absolutely worth it. It’ll keep you engaged for hours with its deep storytelling, light jumpscares, and some clever puzzles. It also has a creepy, horror atmosphere. I wouldn’t necessarily call it “scary,” but it could definitely feel that way for some players. Don’t rush it and take your time, running out of ammo can be a big problem since there’s no melee combat, or maybe you just need to explore more....? 

System Requirements:

Minimum:

• Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
• OS: Windows 10
• Processor: Core i5-7500 / Ryzen 5 1600
• Memory: 12 GB RAM
• Graphics: GTX 1060 / RX 580 - 6GB VRAM
• VR Support: SteamVR