HALF LIFE: ALYX In-Depth Review (2024) | My First VR Game Took My Breath Away! (Recap)

Channel:

Beyond Xen

Subscribers:

1,940

Published on September 29, 2024 1:00:23 PM ● Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAStTqQHse4

Game:

Half-Life 2 (2004)

Duration: 0:00

4,071 views

195

Presented from the perspective of a brand-new VR player, I hope you enjoy my in-depth review of Half Life: Alyx. I'm focusing more on the first experience and less about lore in this review. This is the first time I've ever made anything like this and it took me about two months. I'm thankful to have made Alyx my first VR experience - as it was more thrilling than I had ever imagined! Thank you to all of my community for your support and the many comments and advice. And thank you, Jeremy, for getting me into Portal and Half Life. Now we await Half Life 3.

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-- Sources

JEREMY SMITH PHOTOGRAPHY:
(This guy is the reason I like Half Life.)
   / @jeremysmithphotography  

"THE G MAN IS A VIRUS" Reddit article:
https://www.reddit.com/r/HalfLife/comments/fr0tr7/the_g_man_is_a_virus/

Half Life 3 logos used under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.

Half-Life 3 Logo PNG Vector:
https://seeklogo.com/vector-logo/324033/half-life-3

Ma7cu5 8 (14 March 2016):
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Half-Life-3_potential_logo_design.png

Official Half Life Alyx Soundtracks:
https://valvehl.bandcamp.com/album/half-life-alyx

Outro track is an unreleased electronic track by Beyond Xen (a.k.a. Brandon Burch Music). Current working title is "Regen".

Various Stock Footage pulled from Pexels and Pixabay. Sound Effects were a mix of resources I've gathered from Pixabay Sound and YouTube Creator Library, as well as many other various sources over the years.

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-- Gear

PC Gaming Rig: https://pcpartpicker.com/b/877TwP
Meta Quest 2 w/ link cable & active pack straps
Shot with a Sony A7IV.
I use a Sony 12-24 mm F4 G lens.

-- Follow Me

Guitar Channel:
My Music: https://brandonburch.bandcamp.com/

-- DONATE: https://cash.app/$beyondxen

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-- Linked below are my playthroughs of the Half Life titles referenced.

HALF LIFE ALYX:
   • Half Life: Alyx (First VR Game)  

HALF LIFE 2 VR:
   • Half Life 2 VR  

HALF LIFE 2 (Flatscreen):
   • Half Life 2 (Flatscreen)  

HALF LIFE 2: EPISODE ONE:
   • Half Life 2: Episode One  

HALF LIFE 2: EPISODE TWO:
   • Half Life 2: Episode Two  

BLACK MESA (No Flashlight Challenge):
   • Black Mesa: No Flashlight Challenge  

PORTAL RTX:
   • Portal RTX  

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-- Chapters

00:00 Who is Beyond Xen?
01:36 Immersion
02:35 Puzzles
03:37 My new VR perspective
04:26 Prelude to an Epilogue (G-Man)
08:17 Xen and the little details
09:23 Jeremy introduced me to Half Life
09:37 Quest 2: First VR experience
10:27 First Impressions
13:03 Eli & Alyx Vance and Russell
14:16 MOCAP (motion capture)
14:37 Climbing ladders (hand interactions)
15:33 Hike to Russell's Lab
16:17 Gravity Gloves & Pistol
17:05 Zombie Graphics & Health Stations
18:13 Xen Ecosystem & Zombie Sorrow
19:05 Combine Fabricator & Resin
19:33 First Vortiguant
20:21 The Shotgun & Wheel Puzzle
21:27 The Flashlight
22:17 Train station & Eli Vance
24:19 Grenades & Heavies (standing in VR)
25:47 Northern Star: Piano & Xen Habitation
27:30 The Lightning Dogs
29:01 Combine SMG (Pulse Gun)
29:40 Top of Substation & Next Landscapes
31:09 Jeff
34:20 Antlions & Zoo
35:59 Final substation taken down
36:53 More Antlion combat!
37:25 Move the box!
38:56 Antlion revelations
39:52 Taking down The Vault
41:03 The Strider
42:25 Inside The Vault
47:32 Supercharged Gravity Gloves
49:03 The Superweapon
50:28 G-Man & Alyx's Choice
54:33 Dear Valve
54:54 Post Credit Scene
57:20 Half Life Alyx and Half Life 3

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