We present a report dedicated to the profile, history and characteristics of Alyx Vance, co-star of the Half-Life saga with Gordon Freeman.
Due to the imminent arrival of Half-Life: Alyx, the virtual reality title that Valve has developed to revitalize the saga that made them famous, it is the ideal time to remember the history and characteristics of its protagonist: Alyx Vance. Prominent figure in the battle between the Resistance and the Alliance, it was he who produced the beginning of The Uprising with Gordon Freeman. We first met her in Half-Life in 1998 and since then she has become one of the most important female characters in the history of the medium. Hacker, mechanic and very skillful in the use of different weapons in addition to the ingenuity provided by his developed mind, Alyx is a key piece in the puzzle that Valve built for the Half-Life saga.
This report belongs to the category of “Hunters of Lore” and therefore contains spoilers for the games in the Half-Life saga
Biography and the Black Mesa Incident
The line of work of Alyx's parents, Eli and Azian, greatly influenced his youth. As both scientists, the little girl was born and raised in the Black Mesa research facility, located in New Mexico (USA). The construction of this self-sufficient complex dates back to 1950 and since then its function has been devoted to the investigation of practically any conceivable scientific discipline. He stayed on his feet until the arrival of the terrible "Black Mesa Incident". This event was detonated due to an experiment with anomalous materials that was carried out without knowing the circumstances that it could unleash.
The experiment went haywire and triggered a "Resonance Cascade" that allowed large numbers of very dangerous alien creatures to transport themselves to the facility and wreak havoc and kill their personnel. The resulting conflict between the responding United States military forces and the aliens led to the complete destruction of the Black Mesa facility and the death of almost all of its employees, including Alyz's mother, Azian, whom we did not meet. in games beyond seeing her appear in old photos. Furthermore, the Black Mesa Incident would eventually lead to the invasion of Earth by "The Alliance" (empire that traverses dimensions to enslave races from various planets) and the beginning of the Seven Hour War.
Alyx managed to escape the facilities without losing his life thanks to the mysterious G-Man, who trusted the capabilities of a little girl that many saw as someone expendable. Little is known about the figure of this strange man, but there are various indications that indicate that he was the cause of the change of plans that ended up triggering the Black Mesa Incident.
Eli, father of Alyx, managed to reunite with his daughter and together they began a new life on a planet Earth plunged in chaos and control by the Alliance. Specifically, they set up their home in a clandestine laboratory called "Black Mesa Este" on the outskirts of Ciudad 17 to help the Resistance, who began to develop a plan to end the Alliance. From that time until years later, when Freeman met the Vance family, Alyx developed her mechanical skills just as her father taught her, who built a robot named Dog to protect her from any danger (and they were going to face many throughout of his adventures).
The Uprising, a fight with Gordon Freeman
As an adult, Alyx Vance stands out for her dark complexion, her green eyes and for having her short curly hair tied up thanks to a green bandana, something that helps her keep her face clear at all times. Originally, it was suggested that she be a redhead, a detail that can be seen in the subtle red streaks that populate her trimmed hair. Dress in a distressed outfit comprised of a brown leather jacket, blue jeans, work boots, a gray Black Mesa logo sweatshirt, and fingerless gloves. The most important detail of her clothing, even so, is the pendant that she always wears around her neck. It is a memory that his mother left him (something that we can find out by looking at the old photographs that Eli treasures). In addition, Alyx has a birthmark on his neck and will add a series of scars to the collection throughout the adventure.
Design of Alyx Vance discarded, in which we see her redhead
Despite the fact that the protagonist of most Half-Life games is Gordon Freeman, Alyx is his adventure partner without whom he could not have started his way in City 17. In the first chapter, Vance saves him from the units of Civil Protection who have intercepted it. He knocks them out using his melee skills and proves that he will not end the lives of his enemies unless he is forced to. Even so, throughout the games he brings out his cold blood on more than one occasion and the fact that he does not hesitate twice to pull the trigger if he follows his own convictions and helps someone innocent.
Alyx's initial plan is to bring Gordon along with his father in order to explain the plans they have in the Resistance to face the massive control of the Alliance. Even so, the teleportation system fails and they separate, so Freeman must advance alone until he manages to get back together with his partner. She hands him the gravitational pistol (a mythical weapon from the Half-Life saga) and soon they both go to Nova Prospekt, a former prison, with the aim of saving their father, Eli, from enemy control. There they discover that Judith Mossman, whom they believed to be an ally of the Vance family and their cause, is actually a traitor. In the scene in which this data is revealed, Alyx is hard on her, something that clashes with her usual kind and understanding behavior.
Later Alyx accompanies Freeman to City 17 during the armed uprising, at which time he brings out his hacking skills more than ever, with which he manipulates enemy turrets, and makes use of his useful EMP tool. Despite her display of skills, she ends up being kidnapped by enemy soldiers as she tries to escape from the City. Both protagonists meet again in the Citadel, where the final confrontation against Doctor Breen takes place in the residual energy reactor. The place ends up exploding and with the help of G-Man and the Vortigaunts (peaceful aliens with a humanoid aspect that had the first human contact with Eli Vance), Freeman and Alyx escape safely.
The Outer Lands
In a fast-paced flight fraught with action and danger, the protagonists manage to escape from City 17 and get on the last car of a Resistance train that leaves the city at the same time that The Citadel explodes. In such extreme situations, Alyx remains calm and manages to help Gordon get out from under the rubble of the crashed train (yes, the vehicle ends up crashed due to the big explosion), thanks to the anti-gravity gun.
However, this heroic act costs the young woman to be attacked by a dangerous Raptor, something that makes her on the verge of death. A series of votigaunts keep her alive, while Freeman goes for the extract they need to save her. When they succeed, after overcoming large numbers of enraged guard ants, Alyx brushes aside the pain he feels and helps his companion advance from a distance, with a sniper rifle. With this, it shows an adaptability to any necessary situation, especially in the hostile world that they have had to live. Despite the fact that he has just returned from limbo between life and death, Alyx does not hesitate to continue moving forward, always with a half smile on his face and his sense of humor intact (something that we can see thanks to the various jokes he makes during adventures, in order to relax the environment).
Thanks to this perseverance and her driving and shooting skills, both she and Freeman manage to reach the White Forest safely, where Eli Vance and other allies such as Kleiner and Magnusson find themselves. In spite of everything, the Resistance is still active and thanks to the data that the leading couple managed to collect from the Citadel (in addition to the portal that Alyx was carrying), they can continue with their plan to stop the superportal that the Alliance is preparing.
However, they do not succeed without paying a price. When they launch the rocket that will close the superportal built by their enemies, a counselor appears to trap Eli in the rubble. Alyx is immobilized next to Gordon by another adviser, so she cannot do more than observe how her father's life escapes. Still, Dog the Robot ultimately appears to save both protagonists, something he fails to do with Alyx's father. The only thing left for him to do is mourn him (and leave the players for more than a decade with his words stuck in his heart: "Dad … don't leave me").
As much as they have managed to achieve, Vance feels that the price to pay has been too high and he has lost the person that mattered most to him. Despite the pain she has experienced, Alyx is not one to give up. As soon as she manages to overcome the goodbye that she has been forced to pronounce, she will set out for her next mission, to make sure that the entire journey has not been in vain and in order to procure a future for humanity.
A promising future in Half-Life: Alyx
It comes as no surprise to anyone to remember how fans of the Half-Life saga have waited for years to see the story continue. After leaving us with one of the toughest cliffhangers in video game history, years passed in which Valve only silently answered constant requests from fans of the franchise. We wanted Half-Life 3 to come true but for now what we have on the near horizon is Half-Life: Alyx, a virtual reality experience that all users who have the necessary technology to move the game will be able to enjoy.
We still don't know much about the history of the game, but we do know that the action will be between the events of Half-Life and Half-Life 2. The fact of carrying “Alyx” in the title invites us to think that for once Gordon He will give up his starring role to Vance. Despite the fact that we are not going to be able to see it too much due to being a first-person experience, the material of the game that we have been able to see suggests that there will be storyline and playable surprises.
Playing as Alyx Vance, you are humanity's only chance of survival. The Alliance's control over the planet since the Black Mesa incident has only been strengthened as they corner the remaining inhabitants of the cities. Among them are some of the best scientists on Earth: you and your father, Dr. Eli Vance. As founders of a fledgling Resistance, you have continued your clandestine scientific activity, conducting critical research and building invaluable tools for the few humans brave enough to challenge the Alliance. Every day, you learn more about your enemy, and every day you work to find their weak point ”, quotes the official description of the game.
Starting on March 23, we will be able to discover the role that Alyx has to play in the future of the Half-Life saga, from which he seems to have taken the reins. While we are patiently waiting for the story to continue and offer us the ending that we all deserve, Valve invites us to take a walk in virtual reality through a story that moved many players years ago and of which there are surely many secrets to reveal.
Half-Life Episode 2 Ending
Half-Life 2 – Dr. Mossman Betrays the Resistance
Steam: Half-Life: Alyx
Half-Life: Alyx Gameplay
