I, for one, have been a late bloomer into the half-life universe. I'm old enough to remember as a young teen the release of Counter Strike, the game that I think in a large way popularized Half-Life to begin with. Although, it wasn't until the release of Half-Life 2 around 2005 that CSGO was my real first regular foray into the game. Ironically, never went back to play the Half-Life campaign.
Similarly, when it comes to virtual reality, my only real former experiences were in 1994+1995 right around the time of the release Lawnmower Man [film, 1992], public VR being demo'd in Boulder, CO, and later at Epcott Center, FL. Right around this same time, Nintendo's Virtual Boy - which caused headache and underscore: seizures in some. Let's just say we're a long way from the wireframes of yesteryear. The following year or so later, brought us Nintendo's 64 along with Mario 64, which changed gaming forever.
When it comes to virtual reality (or VR, as it is referred to), while some of you that are close to my age group share similar experiences/sentiment, for others I'm sure the first thing that comes to mind is watching VR from the third-person perspective (watching someone else play) looking idiotic, uninspired and cringe-worthy. However, there is a clear disconnect. The disconnect is a matter of divorce perspective, which can only be remedied by putting on a headset, first-hand, yourself. Unfortunately, watching others play through VR 3D to 2D mirroring simply doesn't offer this technology any due justice.
The first time I put on a headset more than a few minutes and actually took the time to play a well polished game, like that of Half-Life: Alyx, I began to understand what all this hype was truly about. The way that every object picks up the light, the way it dances and glistens on objects, and shines to the grit in Alyx's fingernails (and hands, as I control them!) only adds to the realism of the current technology. Ray tracing offers more than obvious advantages for as immersive of a technology as it VR, in the present day. Pair that along with the Meta Quest 2 (or newer), paired with Side Quest (streaming Half-Life: Alyx) from PC to your Meta Quest 2, paired along with Valve's magic sauce and you are afforded a hyper-realistic experience.
As far as story: the game places you in the shoes of protagonist, Alyx Vance, as the combine occupies City 17 and has setup a quarantine zone. You are offered precious little time to track down your father, Eli Vance (yes, the scientist, THAT Eli Vance), reconnect with him and make sense of the purpose of a foreboding structure, known as "The Vault" as it precariously hovers over the city. Towards the later part of the game, "The Vault" becomes your ultimate target and final destination, all based on the idea that it was setup by the Combine forces to imprison Gordon Freeman, and the crew becomes hell bent on tearing it down to save him. Suffice to say, the game ends on a surprising cliff-hanger and one you won't soon forget.
As far as gameplay: the game is a combination of three parts exploration/puzzle, and one part gun-play. The pacing can be a little slow at a times and I sometimes wish there were more enemy engagements and chances at active combat. However, for the times that you are fighting off Combine/Xen forces, a stocked up cache of ammunition on your person can go surprisingly quick. Regardless, I am sure this sentiment is mirrored by other fans. Later this year, slated for Q3 2022, an unofficial mod/sequel is set to be released. Half-Life: Alyx LEVITATION offers an opportunity at an action-hero level of gunplay that from the this trailer, looks oddly satisfying. Although the level of difficulty demonstrated appears concerning.
aetheryl.net gives Half-Life: Alyx, 10/10 for graphics, gameplay and story. While this is a game that will only take around 20-30 hours to complete (if you take the time to appreciate your surroundings), the experience is an immersive escapism, the likes of which I have never experienced before. You can imagine with the seven, or so surgeries this year, right after my sixth (last major surgery), this was a welcome title to get lost in. It also contains Valve's irreverent/cheeky style/humor peppered throughout, mostly coming from Russell, but some of it actually coming from Alyx, herself. Moreover, the voice acting is top-notch and some of the best/most believable I've experienced in a game before.