
Half-Life: Alyx is an exceptional Action/Shooter that raises the bar for the genre.
96
Verdict
98%
Steam
93
IGDB
Verdict score based on confidence-adjusted Steam reviews?
Overwhelmingly Positive on Steam (98% positive from 103K reviews)
Critically acclaimed (93/100 critic average)
Compelling narrative and story
Outstanding soundtrack
No significant drawbacks reported
Half-Life: Alyx is a 2020 virtual reality (VR) first-person shooter game developed and published by Valve. It was released for Windows on March 23, 2020, and for Linux on May 15, with support for most PC-compatible VR headsets. Players control Alyx Vance on a mission to seize a superweapon belonging to the alien Combine before the events of Half-Life 2 (2004). Like previous Half-Life games, Alyx incorporates combat, puzzles and exploration. Players use VR to interact with the environment and fight enemies, using "gravity gloves" to snatch objects from a distance, similarly to the gravity gun from Half-Life 2.

Runs well on modern hardware.
Last updated 18d ago
Half-Life: Alyx is honestly one of those games that reminds you why you fell in love with gaming in the first place. From the very first minutes, you can tell this isn’t just another VR title—it’s a full, polished AAA experience built specifically for VR. The atmosphere is insane. Exploring City 17 feels incredibly real, and the level of detail is something I haven’t seen in any other VR game. You’re not just playing—you’re there. Opening drawers, reloading weapons manually, interacting with the environment… it all feels natural and immersive. The pacing is also perfect. It’s not just constant action—there are quiet moments, tension, exploration, and then suddenly intense combat. And yeah… those headcrabs? Still terrifying 😅 Story-wise, it absolutely delivers. Without spoiling anything, it’s a must-play if you’re into the Half-Life universe. The ending alone is worth it. Only downside: you’ll probably wish more games were this good after finishing it. 10/10 – This is what VR was meant to be.
Far and away the greatest game made for VR, it's not even close.
I really liked this game. I’m not even the biggest VR guy, but Half-Life: Alyx is something special. The world feels amazing, the atmosphere is classic Half-Life, and there are so many small details that make you just mess around with stuff instead of actually moving forward. Shooting feels good, puzzles are fun, and some moments genuinely made me stop and just look around. Honestly, if you have VR, you should play this. It’s easily one of the best VR games out there. Great game… now where the hell is Half-Life 3?
Reviews sourced from Steam. All reviews belong to their respective authors.
Data sourced from RAWG, Steam, IGDB, CheapShark, Wikipedia, HLTB, and GX Corner. Sources: rawg, steam, igdb, wikipedia.
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