In 1998, there was Half-Life. In 2004, Half-Life 2 was released to the public, as well as the resilient and versatile Source engine, still powering some of the most popular games in the industry to this day. In 2020, Valve broke their long silence, and released what I believe to be, in everything but name, Half-Life 3. It is absolutely as much of a generational leap as it's full length siblings, while providing new context and mysteries for the inevitable followup to pursue. Virtual reality adds a new dimension to the Half-Life formula, making what might typically be mundane encounters suddenly become visceral, tense battles, in which you can manipulate the objects around you. Doing so with the Gravity Gloves is one of the most satisfying and instantly rewarding videogame mechanics I've played with in the past decade and it's just one of many new mechanics that serve to wholly enhance your immersion into the Half-Life universe.

This game is a triumph across all possible fields. The latest iteration of Source Engine is extremely impressive, and holds up even to the severe scrutiny that Virtual Reality allows. The overall presentation remains faithful to the classics while showing new sides of City 17 in superb realism. Half-Life's typical gameplay loop is served exceptionally well by VR and it's enhanced immersion, and it is a marquee title for the technology and for Valve as a whole. Many years may have passed since Episode 2, but the magic hasn't gone anywhere.

In 1998, there was Half-Life. In 2004, Half-Life 2 was released to the public, as well as the resilient and versatile Source engine, still powering some of the most popular games in the industry to this day. In 2020, Valve broke their long silence, and released what I believe to be, in everything but name, Half-Life 3. It is absolutely as much of a generational leap as it's full length siblings, while providing new context and mysteries for the inevitable followup to pursue. Virtual reality adds a new dimension to the Half-Life formula, making what might typically be mundane encounters suddenly become visceral, tense battles, in which you can manipulate the objects around you. Doing so with the Gravity Gloves is one of the most satisfying and instantly rewarding videogame mechanics I've played with in the past decade and it's just one of many new mechanics that serve to wholly enhance your immersion into the Half-Life universe. This game is a triumph across all possible fields. The latest iteration of Source Engine is extremely impressive, and holds up even to the severe scrutiny that Virtual Reality allows. The overall presentation remains faithful to the classics while showing new sides of City 17 in superb realism. Half-Life's typical gameplay loop is served exceptionally well by VR and it's enhanced immersion, and it is a marquee title for the technology and for Valve as a whole. Many years may have passed since Episode 2, but the magic hasn't gone anywhere.