Valve says that this new installment will not be a brief playable demonstration of a couple of hours, but the next great game in the series.
Half-Life: Alyx is already a reality. The saga is back, but it does so through a virtual reality delivery where players from the Valve saga will return to City 17 in an unexpected way. Not surprisingly, the American company has been responsible for clarifying that this is not a technical demo of a couple of hours: it is the new great installment of the series.
“It's the next part of the Half-Life story”
This is what the programmer David Speyrer wanted to clarify to The Verge, a meeting where he believes that the VR adventure of this episode can be extended as much as Half-Life: 2 in his day. “It is not a parallel story; it is not a first episode: it is the next part of the Half-Life story, in a game of approximately the same duration as Half-Life 2, ”he says.
It should be said that Half-Life 2, whose launch dates back to 2004 in its original episode on PC, lasted about 13-15 hours. Those that lasted much less were Episode 1 and Episode 2, which could be completed in about 4 or 5 hours.
This argument of Speyrer is reinforced by Geoff Keighley, a journalist and head of The Game Awards, which as usual is present in all new media. As indicated, he has already completed Half-Life: Alyx and has lasted about 15 hours, so that time estimate does not seem to go astray to see the final credits of this expected Valve video game.
I've played through HL: Alyx (it took me over 15 hours) and seen it in multiple stages of development. This is a full-blown Half-Life experience, with a rich, vibrant world, immersive combat, great storytelling, and innovative game design. pic.twitter.com/FLKtXusyQc
– Geoff Keighley (@geoffkeighley) November 21, 2019
David Speyrer adds that “although it takes place before the events in Half-Life 2, we really recommend playing Half-Life 2: Episode 2 before Half-Life: Alyx, for reasons that will be clarified as we play. In short, Valve wants everyone to be clear about one thing: it is not a technical demo, it is not necessarily a prequel, it is the new iteration of the series.
Half-Life: Alyx will go on sale on PC next March 2020 at a recommended price of 49.99 euros. It will be compatible with various virtual reality devices, from Valve Index through Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and Windows Mixed Reality.
