The long-awaited follow up to Half-Life 2 is nearly here. While there’s already plenty of interest behind Half-Life: Alyx, the VR-exclusive prequel, Valve has decided to generate a little more hype by making every game in the franchise playable for free until March. It’s a great way for both new and old fans to catch up on the series before Alyx’s debut.
The bundle comprises Half-Life, Half-Life 2, Half-Life 2: Episode One, and Half-Life 2: Episode Two. It’s still unclear whether fans will ever get a true sequel (i.e., Half-Life 3), but Half-Life: Alyx will continue the story somewhat by filling in the narrative gap before Half-Life 2 and its two episodes.
Half-Life: Alyx will only be playable on a compatible VR system, such as the HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, and Valve’s very own Index. Unfortunately, the latter is completely sold out on the Steam store, which isn’t too surprising due to the franchise’s popularity.
When questioned as to whether Half-Life: Alyx would ever get a standard, non-VR version, Valve’s response was negative. The developer defended the prequel’s VR exclusivity by explaining that some of its mechanics could only be performed in virtual reality, and with specialized hardware.