The work going into the Half-Life Alyx NoVR mod is quite amazing, and while it was already very playable the next major update coming in October is going to really expand it.
Even in the version available now, you can complete Half-Life: Alyx with it but it's still not quite the best experience. Well, the best experience is obviously with a VR kit but you know what I mean. It's going to get much better for those without.
Here's what to expect in the upcoming update:
- Alyx’s arms and hands fully modelled and animated.
- Weapon firing animations for all 3 weapons.
- Weapon idle animations for all 3 weapons.
- Reload & draw animations for all 3 weapons.
- Upgrades for all 3 weapons.
- Visually see each upgrade as you add each one.
- Updated HUD.
- Bug fixes and other updated game wide.
- Multi-tool (maybe…this may not make the cut for this update).
They also included a teaser of the animation update:
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Direct Link
Direct Link
No exact date other than October for the update but we can expect another update post and another trailer on it to come in the next few weeks.
Considering Alyx is one of my all-time favourite gaming experiences, I really can't wait for more people to be able to experience it like this. The mod team really has been putting in some serious effort to make it enjoyable for the masses of people who don't have or can't use VR.
See more on their Mod DB page. Half-Life: Alyx is available on Steam.
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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6 comments
Novimatrem Sep 5, 2023
Thanks for posting an update about this, been interested in a mod like this since the game came out, due to my mobility (or lackthereof) and enjoyment of the Half-Life series.
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Mandatory reminder: Not worth playing unless you experienced Half-Life: Alyx in VR first.
That being said, while the mod is bound to stay janky forever, it's impressive seeing that it is still being worked on.
Still, considering that both the base game and custom campaigns are designed for VR, I feel like s&box will supersede this game entirely as far as Source 2 map ports, or new custom campaigns for flat screen go.
That being said, while the mod is bound to stay janky forever, it's impressive seeing that it is still being worked on.
Still, considering that both the base game and custom campaigns are designed for VR, I feel like s&box will supersede this game entirely as far as Source 2 map ports, or new custom campaigns for flat screen go.
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TimeFreeze Sep 5, 2023
Quoting: artixbtwMandatory reminder: Not worth playing unless you experienced Half-Life: Alyx in VR first.
That being said, while the mod is bound to stay janky forever, it's impressive seeing that it is still being worked on.
Still, considering that both the base game and custom campaigns are designed for VR, I feel like s&box will supersede this game entirely as far as Source 2 map ports, or new custom campaigns for flat screen go.
Hard disagree. The only VR game which interests me is Alyx. And i refuse to purchase a VR headset just for that game. And thanks to the mod i have already experienced the game and its glorious. When the next update comes out its time for a replay.
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Quoting: TimeFreezeAnd thanks to the mod i have already experienced the game and its glorious.
At the risk of repeating all the arguments from the first article on this, I think the argument here is that if you've only played this mod, then you really haven't "experienced" it. You're missing the panic of not being to reload your gun as a zombie slowly shuffles towards you. Or the terror when the lights go out and only your torch can light up the attacking spiders, but it's attached to your gun and your hands are shaking, making it impossible to aim. Or the sheer physical presence of Jeff.
Everything is so much more manageable when it's not VR.
But, yep, it's a great story, with some great moments, even if you miss out on the visceral nature of experiencing them in VR.
Cos, your right, it's a CRAZY amount of money to spend if you're not completely blown away by the idea of it.
Last edited by scaine on 5 September 2023 at 8:42 pm UTC
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Quoting: artixbtwMandatory reminder: Not worth playing unless you experienced Half-Life: Alyx in VR first.I don't think such a complete stance is really helpful though. Tons of reasons why someone can't / won't get a VR kit. From price to accessibility, mobility issues etc.
Quoting: artixbtwThat being said, while the mod is bound to stay janky forever, it's impressive seeing that it is still being worked on.I disagree here as well really. There's actually nothing in the game mechanically, that they can't move over to some form of KB/M control and still have it work well overall.
The atmosphere will never be the same, but making the story more accessible is great for everyone.
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Quoting: Liam DaweIt is true, but the game is all about a great first experience and deeply tied into VR mechanics. Water it down with standard controls, and you get a short and pretty campaign, but the "wow" factor is not there, and getting to invest in VR after the fact and replaying the game wouldn't give the same "wow" effect as playing it for the first time.Quoting: artixbtwMandatory reminder: Not worth playing unless you experienced Half-Life: Alyx in VR first.I don't think such a complete stance is really helpful though. Tons of reasons why someone can't / won't get a VR kit. From price to accessibility, mobility issues etc.
My sole point is that if I were to go back in time and played the no-VR mod, I would deeply regret wasting my first experience with an inferior experience that wasn't at all accounted for during development.
To add to that, just by briefly going through reviews and opinions, I found that playing outside of VR generally shattered players' expectations.
However, as for accessibility and mobility issues, if even playing in seated mode isn't a possibility, then I agree, the mod is probably the only way some could experience the game, disregarding money and space constraints.
Quoting: Liam DaweWhile it is theoretically possible to re-create all mechanics to work fluently, only time will tell how that will go. I agree with you though, it was my gut feeling speaking.Quoting: artixbtwThat being said, while the mod is bound to stay janky forever, it's impressive seeing that it is still being worked on.I disagree here as well really. There's actually nothing in the game mechanically, that they can't move over to some form of KB/M control and still have it work well overall.
The atmosphere will never be the same, but making the story more accessible is great for everyone.
Spoiler, click me
The story only really continued at the very end, all the rest of the game is about environments, scripted scenes and VR mechanics. While I am certain that Half-Life fans would love to know what happened at the very end, in my opinion, there isn't enough story to justify playing it for the story.
Again, the game was solely created to poke the "wow" effect of playing in VR as much as possible and, initially, wasn't even meant to have a story.
Last edited by artixbtw on 6 September 2023 at 6:15 pm UTC
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