Half-Life Alyx launched to effectively universal acclaim in 2020. Its only arguable fault being that it was locked behind the substantial asking price of owning a VR headset. Modders have alleviated this problem since, and NoVR mod, in particular, stands out as a highlight with its Summer update.
Now, in 2024, VR headsets are cheaper and more capable than ever before, but the value of the Half-Life Alyx NoVR mod is still unquestionable. Certainly, Alyx is best played with a VR headset, and translating the experience to a “flat” gameplay mod means undercutting the experience it was developed as. But for those unconvinced, the new Summer 2024 update of Alyx NoVR is absolutely loaded with features, such as the improved support for Valve’s own Steam Deck handheld. That’s right: you can now play Half-Life Alyx perfectly well on the Steam Deck. How’s that for impressive?
It is now easier to play Half-Life Alyx on the Steam Deck than ever before
All cheekiness aside, the NoVR mod is the best way to experience Half-Life Alyx if you cannot afford or, heck, categorically refuse to purchase a VR headset. Its latest update delivers a whole smorgasbord of major upgrades, including:
- Locked 60 FPS on the Steam Deck, with gyro aiming enabled to “give the game that VR feel” in combat
- All Toner Puzzles are now playable and solvable
- All Steam Achievements are now obtainable through regular “flat” gameplay
- Improve locomotion thanks to map edits, viewmodel changes, and a few crucial boundary edits
- The new (classic Half-Life style) low-accuracy crosshair
- Improved third-party mod support
The team behind NoVR has also confirmed that there’s a bevy of further updates coming to the mod in 2024:
- A comprehensive animation overhaul (ranging from health syringe use to hat and mask animations)
- Orb Puzzle implementation
- Further locomotion refinements
And lots more. Now, to be fair, playing Half-Life Alyx in its NoVR iteration is only broadly equivalent to the experience of playing it in true VR. You are losing out on the nuances of its gameplay in doing so. Yet, if it’s the only way for you to play the game, it’s hard to argue against it. Either way, the Alyx NoVR team has done tremendous work here, and I’m very much looking forward to seeing what else comes of the project.
In other related news, there’s recently been a resurgence of rumors about – believe it or not – Half-Life 3 of all things. The mysterious Project White Sands is the current murmur of the town and while we’ve got precious little to go on at this time, everything points to it being something of interest to fans of Valve’s school of game design. We’ll see what comes of it in the end, but in the interim, at least we now know everyone can enjoy Half-Life Alyx, even if it might not be the way Valve envisioned it.
Published: Aug 12, 2024 11:00 am