Half-Life is just a brand at this point. If Valve wants to promote VR and attract more people to it, this seems like a decent solution. Die hard fans might buy VR as well for it. In past, Valve developed "Lab" and other sandboxes for VR players to mess in. This time, Valve wants to create something more.

Hard pass. What a disappointment. Instead of long waited Half Life 3, we get this. This is a dirty attempt by Valve to cash in on VR, and push their Steam VR. Unless this game will be super revolutionary in terms of what it offers, I predict it will flop.

People have been waiting for first party VR content from Valve for a while. Oculus are funding tons of relatively high quality games (and now with Asgard's Wrath, one with a good length) and those I know with VR headsets (me included) have been complaining about the lack of high quality games with more than a few hours of gameplay. This and whatever the other 2 games they have in the pipeline could renew SteamVR users' enthusiasm. Or they could be mediocre and flop, only time will tell. I'm cautiously optimistic considering how Valve got rid of all of the talent that worked on their previous games

cryohellinc:

Unless this game will be super revolutionary in terms of what it offers

This is why we don't have HL3. What suppose to be revolutionary by today standards? HL1 brought solid game engine and pushed boundaries of gaming experience. HL2 brought physics. HL3 ? What HL3 has to offer to be revolutionary? I think it suppose to be VR, however it is no where near what everyone desires. That probably why Valve went half-cocked with it.

It is surprising a proper HL3 has been so neglected for so long. VR though, alongside RT, are obviously going to get bigger in the future - if you place any value of immersion and gfx advancement ! - and anything that seeks to push this is always a good step in that evolution. Pricing, though, is a wee bit problematic and does itself no favours in pushing this tech faster. That's up to manufacturers to have more faith in lower price points, something the current 'system' seems set against. In the longer term tech will filter down, as it generally does.

sverek:

This is why we don't have HL3. What suppose to be revolutionary by today standards? HL1 brought solid game engine and pushed boundaries of gaming experience. HL2 brought physics. HL3 ? What HL3 has to offer to be revolutionary? I think it suppose to be VR, however it is no where near what everyone desires. That probably why Valve went half-cocked with it.

There is plenty of tech out there which can be used to pioneer the market. From the most recent stuff we have Ray Tracking. Add on top of it modern graphics, models, textures, a brand-new physics engine (and physics alone has a long way to go in the modern gaming), audio and all that toppled with a solid Story and gameplay. We could have had a truly outstanding product. Instead, they are focusing on "revolutionary" VR tech which current has like 1% of steam market. The barrier of entry for this game will be expensive by itself. Not only you will need a headset, you will need a rig to power it. We are looking at min 400 EUR to 1000+ EUR investment for a VR game. Ok, even if this half life game will be fantastic in every way imaginable - what else is out there in VR market that is decent? 2-3 other games tops? Whole thing is a gimmick. It's cool to use for a bit, but it gets old fast. Tried it myself at friends place. It didn't tick me at all. Not something I would spend a hefty sum on.

HL3 is what gamers imagine. Like Kanye West releasing a blank tape, fans will listen - Genius, it's there, you must imagine it, it soo good

VR... nah, pass.

cryohellinc:

There is plenty of tech out there which can be used to pioneer the market. From the most recent stuff we have Ray Tracking. Add on top of it modern graphics, models, textures, a brand-new physics engine (and physics alone has a long way to go in the modern gaming), audio and all that toppled with a solid Story and gameplay. We could have had a truly outstanding product.

I don't think it will work. What you described is your typical AAA game. Battlefield, Tomb Raider, Metro Exodus, etc... By adding more eye-candies to the game, doesn't make it "revolutionary". As you might of noticed, Valve doesn't really work like that. Valve doesn't really care for eye-candies and story-line at all. It is never realized and revealed.

sverek:

I don't think it will work. What you described is your typical AAA game. Battlefield, Crysis, Witcher, etc... By adding more eye-candies to the game, doesn't make it "revolutionary". As you might of noticed, Valve doesn't really work like that.

While I 100% agree with what you say, VR isn't exactly pioneer's work either, since there's quite some games and adaptions of "normal" games into VR around already. That said, I have no idea how they work or if they are done well, since I don't own a VR headset, nor thing that the tech is handy enough to attract my interest.

sverek:

I don't think it will work. What you described is your typical AAA game. Battlefield, Tomb Raider, Metro Exodus, etc... By adding more eye-candies to the game, doesn't make it "revolutionary". As you might of noticed, Valve doesn't really work like that. Valve doesn't really care for eye-candies and story.

All of those games you mentioned are shallow at best. Valve could and still can produce a hit by dedicating a proper team - story telling and interesting gameplay was always at the core of their games. If gaming to you is all about graphics, then I will pass on that. For me it's a mix of everything, graphics being on the bottom of the list meanwhile gameplay on the absolute top. VR can hardly compete with compelling storytelling.

fantaskarsef:

While I 100% agree with what you say, VR isn't exactly pioneer's work either, since there's quite some games and adaptions of "normal" games into VR around already. That said, I have no idea how they work or if they are done well, since I don't own a VR headset, nor thing that the tech is handy enough to attract my interest.

By all means, I am not supporting VR. I am just saying that it is the ONLY thing that might be "revolutionary" in the future.

Is it April already?

cryohellinc:

All of those games you mentioned are shallow at best. Valve could and still can produce a hit by dedicating a proper team - story telling and interesting gameplay was always at the core of their games. If gaming to you is all about graphics, then I will pass on that. For me it's a mix of everything, graphics being on the bottom of the list meanwhile gameplay on the absolute top.

And? What you expect of Valve with what you wrote? Mock a source 3 engine, put latest shiny tech in it, write a story and push a game? What is "revolutionary" about it? The stakes are too high with HL3.

sverek:

And? What you expect of Valve with what you wrote? Mock a source 3 engine, put latest shiny tech in it, write a story and push a game? What is "revolutionary" about it? The stakes are too high with HL3.

and what is revolutionary in VR? We will get yet another "throw a ball into the can" type of experience.

if it's anywhere near the lab I'll take it for my HTC Vive yes we get revolutionary depth and immersion especially with character interactions in VR, you "feel" the presence of someone, a regular monitor doesn't give you that I honestly dislike all those shooting games, what I enjoyed the most where (small) games like Arkham VR or escape rooms, I don't get people who play and want free movement it completely destroys immersion and depth and makes VR "just a giant circular 360° monitor, which then yes becomes "just throw a ball" experience..on crappy monitors too, seated games like spaceship simulators work too, for me as soon as your body doesn't move accordingly to what's happening I'd rather play on a regular monitor it's not "VR" anymore my ratings of "adapted to vr games" is usually "1/5 avoid at all cost" fallout 4 skyrim are complete garbage, it's like going from keyboard+mouse to something worse than console gamepad it's not vr..not for me, real vr for me means full hand integration with realistic objects interactions like the hot dogs gun shooting range simulator, where if you flick an open revolver the cylinder goes back into place and if you open it and shake it the shells fall on the floor, when your brain is fooled enough to believe it's somewhat real (like feeling the thrill of avoiding and yes btw VR is a super niche market just check how many peoples are playing on steam https://vrlfg.net/Players keep in mind VR also has another problem, it's hot it's tiring and/or sickening so well people don't play long sessions of it

This is like that new Mustang Mach-E crossover, electric car. It's actually looking like a fine vehicle in it's own right, but calling an SUV a "Mustang" seems like blasphemy.

0blivious:

but calling an SUV a "Mustang" seems like blasphemy.

Yeah the thing looks better with a Hyundai logo...

Hopefully, depending on how many people play it and how long the game actually is, this will bring to light the health problems associated with prolonged use of VR. I hope people are careful. But every time you mention it (I'm not going to go into detail here, if you're interested do some research yourself - but basically it affects hand-eye coordination among other things ) people simply scoff and dismiss any concerns as tin-foil hat nonsense. VR is a big no no for me

There's been multiple presence improving updates to The Lab, everything feels ultra polished and you can lose yourself in it just seeing how objects behave and react with each other. I'm pretty sure the only people not excited for this are people who haven't tried VR, or haven't tried an actually good experience in VR. I have an Index and recently it's what I spend most my time in, nothing played via traditional methods compares to the physics based combat of Blade & Sorcery, and the upcoming Boneworks looks like it'll be good enough to tide me over until this releases. I'm glad it's VR only. I feel if it were a normal FPS it wouldn't reach anywhere near people's expectations, there would be compromises to the VR side of things if they had to make it work for m+kb as well, and if anything is going to push VR adoption, it'll be a massive game like this. Were you all opposed to us moving from sprites to polygons too? :P