Thanks for checking out our mod! It’s not complete but we have been working with the community based on their feedback to shape the mod! Try it out and give us feedback and help us perfect it! We just started in mid-March so we are just getting started. 😊
@@theblasphemouspickle8181 our mod is already out with our animation update weeks away. We already beat him to the punch, not that it is a competition but...
@@frosti8787 It is expensive when you consider that you will only use it for a singular game. So far Half-Life Alyx is the only AAA game out there that was built from the ground up with love and care put into it for VR. I bought the HTC Vive when it first came out in 2016. And I had been so excited since people had been praising VR for years with development kits. But then when I got it, there were only a few games for VR, and all of them just felt like demos to show off VR capabilities. I'm not one to spend hundreds of hours in games like Beat Sabers or VRChat, and I bet most people are in the same boat. And as if this wasn't enough of a reason to not get VR, you also need a powerful system, and a lot of people can't afford both that and a good VR headset. Or even have the room to move around with VR without bumping into things. I had to sell my headset after around 4 years since I felt like I wasn't getting the value or entertainment out of it, and it was just a hassle to use with all the settings and constantly tripping over cables etc.
@@Drakey_Fenix yeah these are fair points. if you're only looking to play this one game it's a huge investment, though there are other great experiences (boneworks, lone echo etc.) that won't leave you regretting purchasing a hmd. i'd say if you already have a decent build (even a 1060 ran this perfectly fine for me!) and are willing to try new things outside of alyx then it's worth considering, only remaining issue being physical space and zuck. as for cables and setup it's pretty smooth nowadays with inside out, usually just a single cable, or none at all if you're running good wifi
I think the only proper way to bring HLA to the flat screen is to recreate the mechanics from the Receiver game. Instead of simply pressing "R" and reloading you'd have to perform a few actions: pull the magazine out, take out a new one, insert it, and pull the slide. And then only after aiming you'll be able to fire. It will bring back the tension when you fail to reload during combat.
@@Lusc1nt well, it is necessary in vr. These mechanics add more depth to the gameplay. Without them, the game becomes much more casual, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it's not the way it was designed by Valve. It's kinda like if in HL2 instead of manually staking boxes on top of each other to climb out the window, we just pressed one button and boxes staked all by themselves like in a Lego game.
@@Lusc1nt yeah i don't think it's that intuitive on a flatscreen. In VR, you have depth perception and your surrounding is basically your controller. Reaching out to your gun magazine and reloading it manually don't sound that fun on flatscreen mode, but it is manageable in VR.
The 2 non-vr HLA mods I know of one being this one is a good way for basically 95% of the potential userbase to finally experience it. Obviously the game is geared for VR (slower moving gameplay, AI is a bit dumbed down, etc) So it shouldn't be taken for granted, but at least it makes it available.
"The 2 non-vr HLA mods I know of one being this one is a good way for basically 95% of the potential userbase to finally experience it." - I would argue that a large percentage of those people could play HLA with a VR headset, if they would just buy one.
I'm gonna give my two cents as someone who played NoVR before playing VR Alyx: Is it a rough port? Yes. Does the story and level design get affected by it? Nope. I'm glad I was able to experience Alyx in game instead of via Twitch or RUclips. And I can't wait to see how well Alyx plays in VR when I can finally afford a VR headset!
I can't afford a VR headset or have the space available for VR so this mod makes it infinitely easier for me to be able to experience this gem of a game.
honestly I would just recommend saving for a budget vr headset, the game is definitely a gem but only when youre playing it in vr, without vr its not even half as impactful as it should be
I'm not a fan of VR, so this mod was a game changer (literally haha). I finally completed HL Alyx and had a blast! However I hope that HL3 won't be in VR. For me Half-life is about fast-paced FPS, not a slow shooting range which HL Alyx mostly was.
@@stormhought they didnt say that. They only said that its most likely. And valve has a tendency to do whatever they want, so i hope they make a vr game
maybe installing a harder difficulty mod could help with it being so easy? There is also another mod in development by SoMNst on youtube that is not playable yet, but looks much more polished
I think for those who are dying to experience the game, its a great mod. If you're able to play it in VR then you should. Either way, playing Alyx is a high reccomend.
I would say skip this MOD. Play the game how its meant to be played. It's like watching end game on a phone screen on cam quality vs watching it in the big screen. Sure you get the story but the experience is ruined. For those that already have a good gaming PC a Quest2 is only $300. Adding VR to your gaming PC is a great value. More than just Half Life Alyx. Alot of good VR games out there as well.
@@JubbLaRacing If you live in China or other places. But In the US they hardly sell those. Also Wireless is the way to go. Airlink looks pretty good to me already. Can't wait to see how much better it looks with Quest 3 with Wifi 6e Support and the better Processor to decode higher quality video.
@@JubbLaRacing Looks pretty good to me running airlink at 200mbps. I'm hoping with wifi 6e and the new processor of the quest 3 you should be able to double it.
@@chan13153 I disagree. Plenty of games allow you to play them in a way that wasn't intended. Like playing Resident Evil on Easy and gunning everything down.
I’ve been a huge Half-Life fan since 1998. I’ve waited 14 years for a new, official entry into the series. When Alyx was announced as a VR game, it was crushing to know that I’d likely never get to experience it. I’m a grown man, I have kids, I can’t be spending a ton of money on a VR setup let alone a PC powerful enough to run it. So despite the fact that I am FULLY aware that Alyx will lose a MAJOR part of its experience by translating it to standard FPS controls, I still want to play it. I want to experience its story first hand, not through RUclips. I want to interact with that world again. I’m more than willing to accept a subpar experience, as long as it means I get to have the experience at all.
I have what's considered a low end gaming PC nowadays with a CV1 Oculus and I was able to get the full HL:A experience on day 1. VR gaming is no more inaccessible than standard gaming is honestly, especially if you plan to get a lot of mileage out of it. Now especially is a good time to get into it because it's falling out of trendiness and people are starting to not care about it at all, meaning you can get used headsets and other parts pretty cheap. Come 5 to 10 years and VR hardware/software will join the quagmire that is absolutely fucking overpriced retro gaming collecting where once best selling and VERY common games from the past are price gouged to hundreds of dollars for no reason, so you kinda have to get in now while it lasts.
might wanna check out SoMNst's noVR mod, its alot more polished and has been worked on since hla's release, although its not playable it still looks incredible!
@@bat_mobile7545 actually the project has been halted a few times because of personal problems from the developer, but recently we got multiple updates in a shorter timespan so perhaps the somnst managed to dedicate more time on the mod
I played it in vr and i player a bit in non vr, i dont have a vr headset anymore so its cool to be able to still play hl alyx albeit in a lesser experience.
As someone who definitely falls in the "Don't care for VR enough to spend $1000 on something I'm likely to use only once" category, I appreciate such mod even if it won't be perfect. I think it might be a viable way for those who simply want to get through the story themselves and don't mind having simplified gameplay for that matter.
Absolutely. VR is the way to play. Our mod is intended for those who can’t use VR for many reasons. Whether it is health related or cost etc. There is no debate VR is the best way to go!
@@Half-LifeAlyxNoVRAnyway is cool to have the option to play in PC. I am not spending 300 dolars in an specialized equipment just to play one game. Thanks so much for giving us the option to at least experience some more Half Life
Decent VR headsets where I live are basicaly the price of a new PC. I'm 100% on the side of mods that let's the game be played without VR. If you have money to buy one, do it. If you don't want to "ruin" the experience by playing it without VR, don't. But the option for the people who wants to play it anyway is very good.
It's a great project and important as well. While it is a different experience, it offers a way to experience this game to people who are incapable of playing it via VR (whether it's due to the cost, phobias or disabilities). I see it as an accessibility option.
Already said this on LambdaGen, but I'll post here too; I've been in support for this mod for a while now. I've not played the latest version; the one I tried out still had the HL2 HUD and you couldn't upgrade weapons. Even in that state I found the game fun to play. The game is better in VR, but some folks can't use VR and this is a good alternative. Also it's really useful for me when I don't want to use my VR headset, and just want to get screencaps or video. Not sure why the saves aren't showing up for you though, that is strange.
Well, it's a masterpiece itself. Even in NoVR it is enjoyable, especially for HL funs. And, if you ask me, if a VR game is still good as a non-VR - that's a really treasure
I've played through Alyx quite a few times in VR now, and it's one of the greatest gaming experiences I've ever had. However, my headset is packed away at the moment as I no longer have the space to really enjoy it, and to be honest, everything else VR since Alyx seems to just fall flat for me. I'm really impressed with what the NoVr team have achieved with Alyx so far, and in such a short amount of time too, and I'm really excited to try out a completed version of this NoVR mod in the future, particularly on my Steam Deck, especially if they take advantage of it's features like the Gyro! If GB_2 manage to get the puzzle elements, interactivity and weapons handling working right, then everyone, whether playing flat or in VR should be in for a great time! It's certainly not a game to be missed, and GB_2 should be commended for their efforts in making Half-Life: Alyx more accessible for everyone! I wish them every success with this!
If you want a very good VR experience (still playable seated too) that's as fleshed out in mechanics and story on the same levle as Alyx, give Into The Radius a go. A lot of mechanics from the game actually inspired mechanics in HL:Alyx itself, some of the same ideas were inspired from ITR since it came out before.
I finished first in VR last year and I need to get back into this game, but now I have a little human moving everywhere in my home so I really like this mod for that.
What I m mostly looking forward to with this mod is when it's finished is the custom campaigns some people will eventually make for it. And I believe that some moders are also waiting for a non-VR foundation for source 2 to build upon.
We can play games however we want to. Half-Life Alyx is still good, even without VR if you're unable to play VR whether due to budgetary and hardware limitations(I'm not even gonna spend $300 for an Oculus let alone $1000 for an Index) or if you are prone to motion sickness or have sensitive eyes that prevent you from using a VR headset then playing Half-Life Alyx without VR is the way to go.
yeah even if it'll be better in vr i'm still not gonna be able to get that for a long long while, so i'll wait until this mod gets a little better and then try it. it's a great thing i even have this opportunity, honestly.
Beside this team, there is another developer by the name of SoMNst, is also in progress of revamping and polishing gameplay mechanics and environment interactions of HL:A for PC players, you can check out from their channel: www.youtube.com/@somnst6406
I am 100% i never gonna have a VR so, knowing how this game works, gonna enjoy it like a kid as well. this mod is god. I remember the first nonVR mod that was pretty awful
@@cloacky4409there are many awesome vr games too. "Meta's bullshit" is not than complicated, you just need meta account (which is completely separate) for updating and other stuff. Then you can use it just like every other pcvr headset, with steam and etc.
@@knight_ki11er bc in my country 1 US$ is 500 AR$. And meanwhile we keep having corrupt government, our payment never match the inflation. Sad story is I have a decent payment job for my needs... but I have to eat y'know hahahaha
There's another mod called the drivers no vr mod. its been out since 2020 and Ive used that one a lot. I want to point out that mod actually brings you a lot closer to the real experience due to the fact that it still requires you to use the vr hands to do everything. Its also worth mentioning that you will have to rebind everything with that mod the default ones expect you to have 4 arms and the first few times you play it will be more frustrating in some area's until you get the hang of it. But once you do it actually is really fun and is the most comparable to playing it in vr still. But in order to get into it you have to have a lot of patience so it still wont be for everyone.
I'm just one of the people that have access to VR, but want to play the game again with normal movements, without getting nausea. Also it's pretty draining to play VR for extended periods of time, this mod is great!
Is this really the most inaccessible half life game? Yes, it's expensive but u can play with no VR mod. Meanwhile, a free HL game called Codename Gordon is easy to get, but requires knowledge of it and is very unknown.
The fact that the game feels so slow and empty without VR just proves that it's the VR gimmick that made the game interesting to begin with. Not the virtues of its actual gameplay
The thing I don’t like about VR is that it will never look as crystal clear as a flat screen and the slight blurriness no matter what I change still bothers me while I play in VR. Trust me, I have tried, it’s just a hang-up I cannot get over.
We’ve only been working since mid-March so a few months. While the other has been in development for 3+ years. We also are releasing and building the mod with the community. Opposite to that mod. So we are doing things a bit differently through an early access/development method.
@@FaceBack18 Yeah and Half-Life 2 wasn't even that great. In many ways it was a step down from Half-Life 1, it didn't do anything better than the first game other than Valve circle jerking havok physics. Half-Life Alyx as an entry level VR game is exceptional, though. But play without it and it's basically a worse half-life 2.
@@queuedjar4578 If Half Life 2 wasn’t great, it wouldn’t have such a long-lasting fanbase to this day. You think Counter Strike, Garry's Mod and TF2 are standalones? They're all Half Life 2 mods (or started as one). The community is literally recreating Half Life 1 and 2 using the new Source 2 engine.
I have VR Hardware, and i want to replay this game, i just really don't want to deal with the hours of discomfort that VR brings, having a stupid box strapped to my face, with a wire that i keep stepping on, dealing with constant technical issues when steamVR decides to ignore my headset again, having to redecorate my room every time i want to play, it just makes the whole experience suck. To me the decision to make HL:A vr just really killed any replayability, i found the game less fun than previous titles, the story was cool but the fact that it messes with the existing timeline is still difficult to grasp and understand, this mod is perfect.
As someone who've been a fan of HL for over 12 years, this mod is what will allow me to experience a new official HL game. I get the game in mosue&keyboard is nothing the same as experience it in VR, but which is better? To never play this game simply because I can't afford a VR? Or find other means to have my hands on it and explore the world by myself? Those who says "Do not ever play it in M&K" are just asking the impossible. Not all of us can NOR care to buy a VR for a single game.
Half Life Alyx NoVR is really a good mod and worth it too really because not a lot of people could afford a VR headset and would like something that would be great to play Half Life Alyx without VR including the custom campaign's for Half-Life Alyx too
Guys I have an affordable way to play it, first if you have a vr ready pc great, second buy a quest two, third air link or steam link your oculus and then play it. If you have a steam deck just keep saving or get the no vr mod
Played a VR headset at my sister's place for the first time and among the games I tried, Alyx was one of them, the game itself is of the high quality other Valve games have released but the VR system itself, while cool and immersive, I sure as shit wouldn't spend the money and would go back to mouse n' keyboard given a choice, especially since I wear glasses and had some trouble adjusting the focus. My god, though do your sweat like a pig in those things, like around my eyes was soaked in sweat.
You gotta really tweak the settings of some games for them to run good. Steam Decks aren't really meant to be super high powered computers but more like medium spec ones. So tweak your games accordingly.
Of course it should be experienced in VR, but spending 1000$ on VR alone is crazy! Before someone says there are cheaper version of VR, yea I know that, but the game is supposed to be played using Valve index 🤷🏼♂️ then you also need to have a beefy PC to be able to run the game in all its glory.
I think this mod would be pretty great with more viewmodel animations, something akin to Firewatch with lots of little interactions to fit with the slower pace of Alyx compared to the rest of the series. Obviously that would be a lot of work, but I think it would help replace some of the immersion that was lost from removing the VR elements
i really hope with the next half life game has both vr and pc support so if you wanna play on vr and then switch over to pc cause your to tired you can just do that, also hope they integrate some type of player physics engine into the game cause it was super disappointing not being able to see the full playermodel, and the only real competition is games like bonelab where you have a full playermodel and you can use your body to do certain things like climbing and ramming into enemies
'Half-Life: Alyx non-VR mod (driver)' or 'fake vr mod' might be the closest way of playing it to VR. Cumbersome, but closest. (I haven't tried.) That said, playing this without VR id just boring. The magic is completely lost.
NoVR mod should be paired with difficulty mods or more spawns, not many enemies or hard enough for flatscreen, in vr i was panicking when more than 5 antlios were approaching me plus combines shooting, but flatscreen would be just few shots and funs over
That wasn't actually much of an issue for me! The pistol is always decently stocked. You might need to be a bit more conservative with your shotgun ammo though.
@@LambdaGeneration not just shotgun ammo, but the ammo for the Combine SMG also needs to be conserved unless you actually look around for it and loot the corpse every Combine Soldier that you take down.
I just started replaying the franchise using Black Mesa and Black Mesa: Blue Shift mods and will move on to HL2 and it´s episodes soon... This mod is wonderful news because I was planning to skip HL:A entirely due to being unable to afford a VR Headset, despite not being the most optimal way to experience the game for the first time, it definitely beats being unable to play at all until VR becomes affordable in who knows how many years.
Playing Half-Life Alyx with mouse and keyboard its like playing Dance Dance Revolution with a gamepad instead of a mat and your feet. Technically you can, but wouldn't you be missing the point of the game?
Ive been playing it on Steam Deck via a dock and it looks great im really enjoying it. I want to play it in VR but i dont have a PC thats VR compatible, im hoping it comes to PSVR 2 as that'll be way i can play it then
Does anybody know how to speed up the mouse, it is to slow for my likings and I have my speed maxed out in control panel, also my sprint does not work, does anybody know if it should.
I love HLA in VR but I wish I had an option to play it "normally" - preferably with the experience being as close as possible to the VR version. The intended way of playing it is awesome but VR is just not really good for relaxing for obvious reasons. Add having to move some furniture around and it's just not something I'm super eager to do. I've played HLA about 3 times. If it wasn't VR though that number would have been 10+. With that said I don't like the idea of people playing it with a mod and judging it based on that. If you haven't tried it in VR then you don't get it. You think you do but you don't.
Ive not tried the mod yet but I'd like to try it out. Is it possible to run the mod for Steam Deck then restore it to normal so I can play it in VR mode via my Quest2 again?
The main problem is, a lot of people think VR games are just normal games, but in 3D and locked behind a hardware paywall. They're gonna play this game in a way it wasn't intended to be played, and come to opinion that it sucks (i.e too slow, the levels are too short, the combat is too brief etc) and figure all those excellent reviews for the VR version must have been paid for. All without realizing that all their complaints stem from the fact it wasn't designed to be played outside of VR.
![[TF2] Would Source 2 Even Help?](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/SYMZMEKr5nA/mqdefault.jpg)
![[TF2] Would Source 2 Even Help?](/img/tr.png)
Thanks for checking out our mod!
It’s not complete but we have been working with the community based on their feedback to shape the mod!
Try it out and give us feedback and help us perfect it! We just started in mid-March so we are just getting started. 😊
I wish someone would make a tutorial video how to install or update the game
@@christianforgione8905 Did you not watch the video... it's literally in it.
Somnst is gonna beat you to the punch.
@@theblasphemouspickle8181 our mod is already out with our animation update weeks away. We already beat him to the punch, not that it is a competition but...
@@Half-LifeAlyxNoVR Gah damn, but what about simulated bullet spread?
I'm just gonna wait 15 years for VR to be somewhat affordable then play it.
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I mean, as far as modern tech goes, $300-400 for a Quest 2 (a great headset) isn't completely ridiculous/inaccessible
@@frosti8787 It is expensive when you consider that you will only use it for a singular game. So far Half-Life Alyx is the only AAA game out there that was built from the ground up with love and care put into it for VR. I bought the HTC Vive when it first came out in 2016. And I had been so excited since people had been praising VR for years with development kits. But then when I got it, there were only a few games for VR, and all of them just felt like demos to show off VR capabilities. I'm not one to spend hundreds of hours in games like Beat Sabers or VRChat, and I bet most people are in the same boat. And as if this wasn't enough of a reason to not get VR, you also need a powerful system, and a lot of people can't afford both that and a good VR headset. Or even have the room to move around with VR without bumping into things. I had to sell my headset after around 4 years since I felt like I wasn't getting the value or entertainment out of it, and it was just a hassle to use with all the settings and constantly tripping over cables etc.
@@frosti8787 Nice try Zuckerberg I'm still not buying one.
@@Drakey_Fenix yeah these are fair points. if you're only looking to play this one game it's a huge investment, though there are other great experiences (boneworks, lone echo etc.) that won't leave you regretting purchasing a hmd. i'd say if you already have a decent build (even a 1060 ran this perfectly fine for me!) and are willing to try new things outside of alyx then it's worth considering, only remaining issue being physical space and zuck. as for cables and setup it's pretty smooth nowadays with inside out, usually just a single cable, or none at all if you're running good wifi
I think the only proper way to bring HLA to the flat screen is to recreate the mechanics from the Receiver game. Instead of simply pressing "R" and reloading you'd have to perform a few actions: pull the magazine out, take out a new one, insert it, and pull the slide. And then only after aiming you'll be able to fire. It will bring back the tension when you fail to reload during combat.
Ah yes. Receiver: alyx
This is why I want to play it without vr. All that shit you mentioned is annoying and unnecessary
@@Lusc1nt well, it is necessary in vr. These mechanics add more depth to the gameplay. Without them, the game becomes much more casual, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it's not the way it was designed by Valve. It's kinda like if in HL2 instead of manually staking boxes on top of each other to climb out the window, we just pressed one button and boxes staked all by themselves like in a Lego game.
Nah, at that point, just get VR and play it how it was meant to be played
@@Lusc1nt yeah i don't think it's that intuitive on a flatscreen. In VR, you have depth perception and your surrounding is basically your controller. Reaching out to your gun magazine and reloading it manually don't sound that fun on flatscreen mode, but it is manageable in VR.
The 2 non-vr HLA mods I know of one being this one is a good way for basically 95% of the potential userbase to finally experience it. Obviously the game is geared for VR (slower moving gameplay, AI is a bit dumbed down, etc) So it shouldn't be taken for granted, but at least it makes it available.
whats the other one?
@@mercury5003 The one SoMNst is working on
@@addmen96 i believe his mod really will be the best mod for this game... whenever it releases. Feels like it will take another one eternity.
"The 2 non-vr HLA mods I know of one being this one is a good way for basically 95% of the potential userbase to finally experience it." - I would argue that a large percentage of those people could play HLA with a VR headset, if they would just buy one.
I'm gonna give my two cents as someone who played NoVR before playing VR Alyx:
Is it a rough port? Yes.
Does the story and level design get affected by it? Nope.
I'm glad I was able to experience Alyx in game instead of via Twitch or RUclips. And I can't wait to see how well Alyx plays in VR when I can finally afford a VR headset!
This mod was the reason I bought the game lol. It is worth it fo sho unless you want THE experience but for anything else it is worth it.
I can't afford a VR headset or have the space available for VR so this mod makes it infinitely easier for me to be able to experience this gem of a game.
Once the Deckard comes out, look out for used Indexes. Also I play in a tiny room. Most of my play space is above my bed lol.
honestly I would just recommend saving for a budget vr headset, the game is definitely a gem but only when youre playing it in vr, without vr its not even half as impactful as it should be
@@kinghashbrown7998Uhh no shit? Let people play how they want, most people who play Half-Life is only interested in story and characters.
I'm not a fan of VR, so this mod was a game changer (literally haha). I finally completed HL Alyx and had a blast!
However I hope that HL3 won't be in VR. For me Half-life is about fast-paced FPS, not a slow shooting range which HL Alyx mostly was.
half life was always about immersion
@@AmelpsXett that's why I said "for me". And immersion matters too, indeed, but it's not everything
valve have said Gordon stories will always be flat screened fps games
@@stormhought really? I never knew about that! That's good news for me ^^
@@stormhought they didnt say that. They only said that its most likely. And valve has a tendency to do whatever they want, so i hope they make a vr game
maybe installing a harder difficulty mod could help with it being so easy? There is also another mod in development by SoMNst on youtube that is not playable yet, but looks much more polished
I'm really looking forward to SoMNst's mod too!
The higher difficulty mods do work! We have a full list of supported mods by the amazing community that we made scripts for!
I think for those who are dying to experience the game, its a great mod. If you're able to play it in VR then you should. Either way, playing Alyx is a high reccomend.
I would say skip this MOD. Play the game how its meant to be played. It's like watching end game on a phone screen on cam quality vs watching it in the big screen. Sure you get the story but the experience is ruined. For those that already have a good gaming PC a Quest2 is only $300. Adding VR to your gaming PC is a great value. More than just Half Life Alyx. Alot of good VR games out there as well.
@@JubbLaRacing If you live in China or other places. But In the US they hardly sell those. Also Wireless is the way to go. Airlink looks pretty good to me already. Can't wait to see how much better it looks with Quest 3 with Wifi 6e Support and the better Processor to decode higher quality video.
@@JubbLaRacing Looks pretty good to me running airlink at 200mbps. I'm hoping with wifi 6e and the new processor of the quest 3 you should be able to double it.
@@chan13153
I disagree. Plenty of games allow you to play them in a way that wasn't intended. Like playing Resident Evil on Easy and gunning everything down.
@@ninochaosdrache3189 not half life alyx. If you play this in flat screen you Are ruining the experience. It’s a masterpiece in VR. Play it in VR
I’ve been a huge Half-Life fan since 1998. I’ve waited 14 years for a new, official entry into the series. When Alyx was announced as a VR game, it was crushing to know that I’d likely never get to experience it. I’m a grown man, I have kids, I can’t be spending a ton of money on a VR setup let alone a PC powerful enough to run it.
So despite the fact that I am FULLY aware that Alyx will lose a MAJOR part of its experience by translating it to standard FPS controls, I still want to play it. I want to experience its story first hand, not through RUclips. I want to interact with that world again.
I’m more than willing to accept a subpar experience, as long as it means I get to have the experience at all.
I have what's considered a low end gaming PC nowadays with a CV1 Oculus and I was able to get the full HL:A experience on day 1. VR gaming is no more inaccessible than standard gaming is honestly, especially if you plan to get a lot of mileage out of it. Now especially is a good time to get into it because it's falling out of trendiness and people are starting to not care about it at all, meaning you can get used headsets and other parts pretty cheap. Come 5 to 10 years and VR hardware/software will join the quagmire that is absolutely fucking overpriced retro gaming collecting where once best selling and VERY common games from the past are price gouged to hundreds of dollars for no reason, so you kinda have to get in now while it lasts.
might wanna check out SoMNst's noVR mod, its alot more polished and has been worked on since hla's release, although its not playable it still looks incredible!
the best part is they took years of patience to polish the mechanics, it's really admirable, I hope having a chance to play their mod one day.
@@bat_mobile7545 actually the project has been halted a few times because of personal problems from the developer, but recently we got multiple updates in a shorter timespan so perhaps the somnst managed to dedicate more time on the mod
I played it in vr and i player a bit in non vr, i dont have a vr headset anymore so its cool to be able to still play hl alyx albeit in a lesser experience.
It IS worth to play in non-vr. I will complete the game using that mod, and someday, when I'll get an opportunity - I will do it again in VR.
As someone who definitely falls in the "Don't care for VR enough to spend $1000 on something I'm likely to use only once" category, I appreciate such mod even if it won't be perfect. I think it might be a viable way for those who simply want to get through the story themselves and don't mind having simplified gameplay for that matter.
“It will clearly demonstrate to people why we did this in VR”- Robin Walker
Absolutely. VR is the way to play. Our mod is intended for those who can’t use VR for many reasons. Whether it is health related or cost etc.
There is no debate VR is the best way to go!
@@Half-LifeAlyxNoVRAnyway is cool to have the option to play in PC. I am not spending 300 dolars in an specialized equipment just to play one game. Thanks so much for giving us the option to at least experience some more Half Life
Is it because the game is boring without the vr gimmick
@@evdestroy5304 it's more because the experience will be closer to that of a normal fps shooter
@@charlotte80389 so exactly what I just said
Decent VR headsets where I live are basicaly the price of a new PC. I'm 100% on the side of mods that let's the game be played without VR. If you have money to buy one, do it. If you don't want to "ruin" the experience by playing it without VR, don't. But the option for the people who wants to play it anyway is very good.
the mod is super cool
but i think it needs more animations
We are on it!
It's a great project and important as well. While it is a different experience, it offers a way to experience this game to people who are incapable of playing it via VR (whether it's due to the cost, phobias or disabilities). I see it as an accessibility option.
that's video i need'ed at 0:45 AM
Already said this on LambdaGen, but I'll post here too;
I've been in support for this mod for a while now. I've not played the latest version; the one I tried out still had the HL2 HUD and you couldn't upgrade weapons. Even in that state I found the game fun to play. The game is better in VR, but some folks can't use VR and this is a good alternative.
Also it's really useful for me when I don't want to use my VR headset, and just want to get screencaps or video.
Not sure why the saves aren't showing up for you though, that is strange.
Half-Life: Alyx is a masterpiece in VR
yeah, and no one who has experienced the first 10-15 minutes, or even just the first minute... would ever attempt to play it on a flat screen.
Well, it's a masterpiece itself. Even in NoVR it is enjoyable, especially for HL funs.
And, if you ask me, if a VR game is still good as a non-VR - that's a really treasure
I've played through Alyx quite a few times in VR now, and it's one of the greatest gaming experiences I've ever had. However, my headset is packed away at the moment as I no longer have the space to really enjoy it, and to be honest, everything else VR since Alyx seems to just fall flat for me.
I'm really impressed with what the NoVr team have achieved with Alyx so far, and in such a short amount of time too, and I'm really excited to try out a completed version of this NoVR mod in the future, particularly on my Steam Deck, especially if they take advantage of it's features like the Gyro! If GB_2 manage to get the puzzle elements, interactivity and weapons handling working right, then everyone, whether playing flat or in VR should be in for a great time!
It's certainly not a game to be missed, and GB_2 should be commended for their efforts in making Half-Life: Alyx more accessible for everyone! I wish them every success with this!
If you want a very good VR experience (still playable seated too) that's as fleshed out in mechanics and story on the same levle as Alyx, give Into The Radius a go. A lot of mechanics from the game actually inspired mechanics in HL:Alyx itself, some of the same ideas were inspired from ITR since it came out before.
I finished first in VR last year and I need to get back into this game, but now I have a little human moving everywhere in my home so I really like this mod for that.
What I m mostly looking forward to with this mod is when it's finished is the custom campaigns some people will eventually make for it. And I believe that some moders are also waiting for a non-VR foundation for source 2 to build upon.
We can play games however we want to.
Half-Life Alyx is still good, even without VR if you're unable to play VR whether due to budgetary and hardware limitations(I'm not even gonna spend $300 for an Oculus let alone $1000 for an Index) or if you are prone to motion sickness or have sensitive eyes that prevent you from using a VR headset then playing Half-Life Alyx without VR is the way to go.
the fact that they resolved the episode 2 cliffhanger (even if only by a wee tiny bit) in a game that's not very easily accessible kinda sucks.
yeah even if it'll be better in vr i'm still not gonna be able to get that for a long long while, so i'll wait until this mod gets a little better and then try it. it's a great thing i even have this opportunity, honestly.
Regardless I'm not going to pay money for a headset to play 1 game. The non vr mod will have to do.
there are a lot of good vr games that are just not popular because of this mindset
Novr is a great survival horror-y experience
Beside this team, there is another developer by the name of SoMNst, is also in progress of revamping and polishing gameplay mechanics and environment interactions of HL:A for PC players, you can check out from their channel:
www.youtube.com/@somnst6406
i would like to play half life alyx in flat screen
When you play Half Life Alyx but with Iconic FPS Way than VR looking not great FPS Way
I am 100% i never gonna have a VR so, knowing how this game works, gonna enjoy it like a kid as well. this mod is god. I remember the first nonVR mod that was pretty awful
Why though? Quest 2 price is only 300$ and it's more than enough to get full experience.
@@knight_ki11er Paying 300$ to play a singular game while having to deal with Meta's bullshit isn't enough.
@@cloacky4409there are many awesome vr games too. "Meta's bullshit" is not than complicated, you just need meta account (which is completely separate) for updating and other stuff. Then you can use it just like every other pcvr headset, with steam and etc.
@@knight_ki11er bc in my country 1 US$ is 500 AR$. And meanwhile we keep having corrupt government, our payment never match the inflation. Sad story is I have a decent payment job for my needs... but I have to eat y'know hahahaha
@@knight_ki11er depends on which country you live in
There's another mod called the drivers no vr mod. its been out since 2020 and Ive used that one a lot. I want to point out that mod actually brings you a lot closer to the real experience due to the fact that it still requires you to use the vr hands to do everything. Its also worth mentioning that you will have to rebind everything with that mod the default ones expect you to have 4 arms and the first few times you play it will be more frustrating in some area's until you get the hang of it. But once you do it actually is really fun and is the most comparable to playing it in vr still. But in order to get into it you have to have a lot of patience so it still wont be for everyone.
I played most of hl:a on pc with wii controllers. Greatest gaming experience ever made.
have you played? Yes, no VR mod, first few rooms, got outside on roof ledge and got bored.
luckily there is a much more promising mod in the works that looks super polished.
Everyone who can afford a gaming PC can also afford a Quest2 to play it in VR.
I'm just one of the people that have access to VR, but want to play the game again with normal movements, without getting nausea. Also it's pretty draining to play VR for extended periods of time, this mod is great!
It's not just that you need a VR set to play the game you also need an ultra expensive gaming PC as well.
Is this really the most inaccessible half life game? Yes, it's expensive but u can play with no VR mod. Meanwhile, a free HL game called Codename Gordon is easy to get, but requires knowledge of it and is very unknown.
You forgot to mention the Westeh Meets winners
Holy crap I’m so dumb I asked this on the site yesterday what a coincidence
I had hl:A siding in my steam library for two years before I finally got a VR headset and could play it.
The fact that the game feels so slow and empty without VR just proves that it's the VR gimmick that made the game interesting to begin with. Not the virtues of its actual gameplay
The thing I don’t like about VR is that it will never look as crystal clear as a flat screen and the slight blurriness no matter what I change still bothers me while I play in VR. Trust me, I have tried, it’s just a hang-up I cannot get over.
Theres actually a different no vr mod being worked on that looks way better
What's it called?
@@Guymanbot97No VR (with a space in between) by somnst. Take a look at their recent videos, its much better looking.
We’ve only been working since mid-March so a few months. While the other has been in development for 3+ years. We also are releasing and building the mod with the community. Opposite to that mod. So we are doing things a bit differently through an early access/development method.
I've vr but looking at what a HL game would look like in flatscreen with source2 is an experience
SoMNst's version of the mod looks more feature complete
I just hope Valve won't make HL3 vr exclusive or shift entirely to vr and leave PC players empty handed
Valve should make a none vr option in the future actually it be cool just saying
Valve should hve make the game a normal game and not a VR game
Yes, it is worth it !
It's practically a whole other game without VR.
It plays like a very mediocre shooter from like 2005 essentially.
@@queuedjar4578You're aware this game IS a followup of a 2005 shooter, right?
@@FaceBack18 Yeah and Half-Life 2 wasn't even that great. In many ways it was a step down from Half-Life 1, it didn't do anything better than the first game other than Valve circle jerking havok physics. Half-Life Alyx as an entry level VR game is exceptional, though. But play without it and it's basically a worse half-life 2.
@@queuedjar4578 If Half Life 2 wasn’t great, it wouldn’t have such a long-lasting fanbase to this day. You think Counter Strike, Garry's Mod and TF2 are standalones? They're all Half Life 2 mods (or started as one). The community is literally recreating Half Life 1 and 2 using the new Source 2 engine.
I have VR Hardware, and i want to replay this game, i just really don't want to deal with the hours of discomfort that VR brings, having a stupid box strapped to my face, with a wire that i keep stepping on, dealing with constant technical issues when steamVR decides to ignore my headset again, having to redecorate my room every time i want to play, it just makes the whole experience suck. To me the decision to make HL:A vr just really killed any replayability, i found the game less fun than previous titles, the story was cool but the fact that it messes with the existing timeline is still difficult to grasp and understand, this mod is perfect.
Also saving and loading not working seems odd. Has not been a reported bug yet. We will look into it!
VR doesnt woo me, just make another game like HL2 and ill be like ''freakin sweet lois nyehehehe''
As someone who've been a fan of HL for over 12 years, this mod is what will allow me to experience a new official HL game.
I get the game in mosue&keyboard is nothing the same as experience it in VR, but which is better? To never play this game simply because I can't afford a VR? Or find other means to have my hands on it and explore the world by myself?
Those who says "Do not ever play it in M&K" are just asking the impossible. Not all of us can NOR care to buy a VR for a single game.
who said "single game"? By now there are a lot of good vr games that are just not popular because of this mindset
@@AmelpsXett I never said VR only has one game. I simply meant that we won't do it to play one game if nothing else interest us.
Half Life Alyx NoVR is really a good mod and worth it too really because not a lot of people could afford a VR headset and would like something that would be great to play Half Life Alyx without VR including the custom campaign's for Half-Life Alyx too
I refuse to get VR, but I just bought the game on sale knowing this mod exists and is supposed to be completed next month.
The mod is buggy, but is still felt amazing to play. I'd rather do this than spent hundreds of dollars on a VR set that I'll use only once.
Guys I have an affordable way to play it, first if you have a vr ready pc great, second buy a quest two, third air link or steam link your oculus and then play it. If you have a steam deck just keep saving or get the no vr mod
Omg this is great news for me.
Vr is a gimmick like the wii a fad that will go away hopefully valve sticks to pc for future games.
finally after 2 years, I can play half life
i dont have a hand and im blind from an eye. vr was never meant for people with disabilities or motion sickness and so on
Played a VR headset at my sister's place for the first time and among the games I tried, Alyx was one of them, the game itself is of the high quality other Valve games have released but the VR system itself, while cool and immersive, I sure as shit wouldn't spend the money and would go back to mouse n' keyboard given a choice, especially since I wear glasses and had some trouble adjusting the focus.
My god, though do your sweat like a pig in those things, like around my eyes was soaked in sweat.
“Playable on the steam deck” idk if it’s just me but my steam deck can’t even play doom😭
what settings? Steam deck runs doom eternal on medium pretty ok
You gotta really tweak the settings of some games for them to run good. Steam Decks aren't really meant to be super high powered computers but more like medium spec ones. So tweak your games accordingly.
@@AmelpsXett I was talking about Doom 1
@@Michael37476 then you have a very rare issue
there's another rtx portal game
it's called: Portal Prelude RTX
Of course it should be experienced in VR, but spending 1000$ on VR alone is crazy! Before someone says there are cheaper version of VR, yea I know that, but the game is supposed to be played using Valve index 🤷🏼♂️ then you also need to have a beefy PC to be able to run the game in all its glory.
I think this mod would be pretty great with more viewmodel animations, something akin to Firewatch with lots of little interactions to fit with the slower pace of Alyx compared to the rest of the series. Obviously that would be a lot of work, but I think it would help replace some of the immersion that was lost from removing the VR elements
I won't let you tell me how to play video games, but I sure will let my wallet.
you have a good school
I'm just hoping for a mod that enhances the VR interactions, like actually having to draw weapons and equipment from your body mainly.
Is it worth playing half life Alyx no vr… yes. Half life Alyx is amazing
i really hope with the next half life game has both vr and pc support so if you wanna play on vr and then switch over to pc cause your to tired you can just do that, also hope they integrate some type of player physics engine into the game cause it was super disappointing not being able to see the full playermodel, and the only real competition is games like bonelab where you have a full playermodel and you can use your body to do certain things like climbing and ramming into enemies
When i tried to add the directory "C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Half-Life Alyx" it doesn't work, it says the path doesn't exist
'Half-Life: Alyx non-VR mod (driver)' or 'fake vr mod' might be the closest way of playing it to VR. Cumbersome, but closest. (I haven't tried.)
That said, playing this without VR id just boring. The magic is completely lost.
NoVR mod should be paired with difficulty mods or more spawns, not many enemies or hard enough for flatscreen, in vr i was panicking when more than 5 antlios were approaching me plus combines shooting, but flatscreen would be just few shots and funs over
I would LOVE to play it with vr but I'm poor af
Half-Life: Alyx VR was fun but I literally can't play Half-Life: Alyx NoVR, I'm probally just not as conservative of ammo as I am in VR LOL
That wasn't actually much of an issue for me! The pistol is always decently stocked. You might need to be a bit more conservative with your shotgun ammo though.
@@LambdaGeneration not just shotgun ammo, but the ammo for the Combine SMG also needs to be conserved unless you actually look around for it and loot the corpse every Combine Soldier that you take down.
Is the "Dark Life" mod finished yet? I wanna play that so bad.
where do I find the settings that you mentioned?
just curious as I have no idea how lua files work or where they are.
I just started replaying the franchise using Black Mesa and Black Mesa: Blue Shift mods and will move on to HL2 and it´s episodes soon... This mod is wonderful news because I was planning to skip HL:A entirely due to being unable to afford a VR Headset, despite not being the most optimal way to experience the game for the first time, it definitely beats being unable to play at all until VR becomes affordable in who knows how many years.
Playing Half-Life Alyx with mouse and keyboard its like playing Dance Dance Revolution with a gamepad instead of a mat and your feet. Technically you can, but wouldn't you be missing the point of the game?
I want to play but I don't have enough disk space
I’ll just stick to the half life 2 vr mod cuz I don’t have the money for half life alyx
Ive been playing it on Steam Deck via a dock and it looks great im really enjoying it. I want to play it in VR but i dont have a PC thats VR compatible, im hoping it comes to PSVR 2 as that'll be way i can play it then
when i launch no vr i install it and i click play and steam asks me to plug in a vr headset. do i click Ok??
heres my two cents: Make.👏 Games. 👏Accessible👏
Does anybody know how to speed up the mouse, it is to slow for my likings and I have my speed maxed out in control panel, also my sprint does not work, does anybody know if it should.
I love HLA in VR but I wish I had an option to play it "normally" - preferably with the experience being as close as possible to the VR version. The intended way of playing it is awesome but VR is just not really good for relaxing for obvious reasons. Add having to move some furniture around and it's just not something I'm super eager to do. I've played HLA about 3 times. If it wasn't VR though that number would have been 10+.
With that said I don't like the idea of people playing it with a mod and judging it based on that. If you haven't tried it in VR then you don't get it. You think you do but you don't.
You said a few moments ITS MORE THAM 5 hours
Ive not tried the mod yet but I'd like to try it out. Is it possible to run the mod for Steam Deck then restore it to normal so I can play it in VR mode via my Quest2 again?
Worse case you can just redownload the game or make a copy of it in like an External SSD or something.
I am not buying vr for only one game, but i am still not sure if nonvr experience worth it.
So idk.
Hope SoMNst mod will be published soon...
I played it in VR.
The most worst thing to me on why I can't play half life alyx is that it's literally so expensive I mean I can understand that but like man
The main problem is, a lot of people think VR games are just normal games, but in 3D and locked behind a hardware paywall. They're gonna play this game in a way it wasn't intended to be played, and come to opinion that it sucks (i.e too slow, the levels are too short, the combat is too brief etc) and figure all those excellent reviews for the VR version must have been paid for. All without realizing that all their complaints stem from the fact it wasn't designed to be played outside of VR.