DISCLAIMER: Played this with NoVR mod.

I've been waiting for 17 years to play another Half-Life game, and it was worth it.

Half-Life: Alyx is amazing. It looks like Half-Life but better, and it feels like Half-Life.

The graphics are amazing, and the level design is what you'd expect from a Half-Life game.
The levels are quite different, going from the empty streets and desolated buildings to strange underground rooms and caves.
Sure, there are differences from the previous games, but this only adds to the Half-Life universe.

The sound effects and soundtrack really feel like the old games and, being a VR game, there is a noticeable difference between speakers and a headset.

The gameplay is quite different, however. It's all about exploration, attention to detail, and puzzles. Ingenious puzzles, designed to make you feel like you are there. In fact, this is one of the main points where I did regret not having a VR set. And when I really wanted to buy one.

Having played without the VR set, however, it feels more like a normal FPS rather than an adventure game with occasional combat. But even so, the game is worth it. You can see the comparison on YouTube, and there are a few differences, especially when it comes to puzzles.

In terms of combat (still an FPS, though), it feels quite different from the previous games. The weapons are limited to three, the ammo is scarce, and the enemies are a little too bullet-spongy for my taste, making the game quite hard from time to time. The good thing is you'd usually find grenades lying around right before a combat sequence is about to start. But since the combat is less than 30% of the game, it's not a big deal.

The story is interesting, and the game ends in an unexpected way (there's also a post-credits scene), so I guess we'll see what's next.
But with Half-Life 2 RTX around the corner and all those hints and rumors about Half-Life 3, Half-Life: Alyx is really worth it. Preferably in VR, but still worth it nevertheless.

#halflife3confirmed