Half-Life: Alyx has become the closest thing to a killer app that virtual reality headsets can have, but with just one game offering this level of quality, justifying the hardware investment is very difficult. The next step for enthusiasts is to create a No-VR mod that transforms Alyx into a traditional FPS, and currently there are two highly advanced developments. The most interesting part? We can already try one of them.
The Story So Far…
(Editor's note: Spoilers ahead)
As we mentioned in our article dedicated to the real faces of Half-Life 2, the story of Half-Life: Alyx caused a retcon of the ending of Episode Two. Our young heroine and Gordon Freeman's companion has fallen into the interdimensional clutches of the G-Man, and we imagine that a good part of the hypothetical-and-very-awaited-but-unconfirmed third game will take care of covering her rescue.
That said, our attention returns to Alyx, and to the technical impossibility of playing it without a virtual headset. The title has been specially optimized for the use of that hardware, however, there are two modding initiatives that seek to adapt it to the rules of a conventional FPS. The process is slow and many details remain to be resolved, but their progress is excellent, and the best part is that we can already experiment with one of the mods.
HLA-NoVR by GB_2
GB_2, also known as Björn Feber on GitHub, is the mastermind behind HLA-NoVR, which received a new update in mid-April. Among its improvements are a new launcher, an optimized HUD, slight movements for displacement and weapons (weapon sway / view bob), more interactive elements in the world (furniture, doors, drawers, etc.), puzzles for the "toner" (in which you must follow the cable and restore its circuit), dialogues for the health station, and adjustments to the Combine elevators. Puzzles and viewmodel animations are a work in progress, but comments suggest that the game can already be completed. Download it here!
Half-Life: Alyx No VR Mod by SoMNst
After almost a year of absolute silence, SoMNst returns with a new update. This update focuses on restoring and repairing collision systems, defining new limits at the engine level, and by extension, preventing the player from getting trapped in certain places. Normal stairs also didn't work in NoVR mode, but that was fixed with the help of a script. The panoramic menu now works perfectly, and interactions using the mouse continue to multiply. As with HLA-NoVR, viewmodels are a pending subject, and the mod in general seems to be further down the calendar... but it looks great anyway.
