Valve's latest release is now an award-winner, as Half-Life: Alyx has been honored in the VR Awards as virtual reality game of the year. Hosted by The Academy of International Extended Reality (or AIXR), the fourth annual VR Awards honored outstanding achievements in virtual reality in all fields. From efforts in marketing and healthcare to the VR hardware itself, the ceremony runs the gamut, and that includes games. In 2020, the ceremony moved from the real world to VRChat, allowing guests worldwide to attend the ceremony and a two-hour afterparty.
The game is the first new entry in the series since 2007's Half-Life 2: Episode Two, although it is not the Half-Life 3 that fans have been anticipating for almost two decades. Still, all the investment in an experience that can't be played outside of a headset is something only a company like Valve seems willing to do.
Valve was honored two times over during this year's VR Awards ceremony, picking up wins for both Half-Life: Alyx as VR Game of the Year and the Valve Index headset for VR Hardware of the Year. The game beat out a field of twelve nominees, including Boneworks from Stress Level Zero, Stormland from Insomniac Games, and The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners by Skydance Interactive. Valve developers appeared during the ceremony to thank AIXR for honoring their work. It was said during the acceptance speech that there was uncertainty in the company if Half-Life fans would take to Half-Life: Alyx being presented solely in VR, but the award made it all feel worth exploring the possibilities of the new technology.
The game is the first new entry in the series since 2007's Half-Life 2: Episode Two, although it is not the Half-Life 3 that fans have been anticipating for almost two decades. Still, all the investment in an experience that can't be played outside of a headset is something only a company like Valve seems willing to do.
Half-Life: Alyx is available now on PC.
Source: VR Awards, VR Awards/YouTube