Fans of the Half-Life games and those eager to try them will be pleased to know that all Half-Life games are free to play on Steam through March 2020. This will give players a chance to catch up on the game's narrative in anticipation of Half-Life Alyx, the recently announced VR title in the franchise.
As this news comes ahead of the launch of Half-Life: 2 prequel, Half-Life Alyx, it seems like a pretty clear attempt to remind fans what to expect from the series. While many fans had lost hope that there would be another Half-Life game after no development had occurred in more than a decade, Valve recently announced that the new game was coming. In the majority of the Half-Life games, players take on the role of theoretical physicist Gordon Freeman as he faces down an alien invasion after an experiment gone wrong creates an interdimensional rift. The Half-Life series has received high praise for its superb puzzles and storytelling, as well as its smoothe headcrab-blasting gameplay. In Alyx, gamers take a break from Mr. Freeman and instead play as his ally Alyx Vance, the leader of the human resistance movement.
Polygon reports that the company is luring in new fans by enabling free play until the Half-Life Alyx's release. The company stated in an announcement on Steam that the "best way" to experience Half-Life: Alyx is to first play through the old ones, "especially Half-Life 2 and the episodes." To make that as simple as possible for consumers, the companydecided to allow people to play all of the games for free.
The games included in this promotion are the remastered version of the original Half-Life along with the expansions, Opposing Force, Blue Shift, and Source, as well a Half-Life 2 and both of the Episodes that followed. In total, this gives players around $60 in free gaming for a couple of months. It also allows them to catch up on the story just in case they want to strap on a VR headset and jump into the latest game.
While Alyx isn't the Half-Life 2 sequel fans have long been hoping for, this promotion allows them to relive the magic of what many consider to be one of the best game series of all time. Even though the intent is to promote the VR game, it is sure to generate a renewed demand for a true Half-Life 3. In the mean time, the original games and Alyx should provide gamers - those who enjoy virtual reality, in any case - with something to do as they await a true sequel.
The Half-Life games are available for free right now on PC via Steam.
Source: Polygon