Valve Has Finally Unveiled the Half-Life: Alyx Trailer, the First New Half-Life Game in 12 Years

Well, when all was said and done, it only took 12 years. A bit more than a decade after the release of Half Life 2: Episode Two in freaking 2007, we finally have a new look at another entry in the legendary game series from Valve Corporation. After years and years of continuously pushing back release dates on Episode 3 and then eventually canceling it entirely, just the latest in a long string of instances of Valve failing to finish a game series, we have a new genesis point called Half-Life: Alyx. And wouldn’t you know it, this one also seems to be designed as a trilogy. Who is taking odds on whether Valve will finish this one?

Half-Life: Alyx, Valve’s first jump to the world of VR, released its first trailer Thursday afternoon, which you can view below. It was obviously designed for the company’s own Valve Index VR headset, and should be a powerful tool for selling them, as owners will apparently be able to play Half-Life: Alyx for free. It is intended as the first in a series of three VR games that Valve has promised, but at this point even a single game from Valve is big news.

Some fans are likely to be disappointed by the fact that the timeline here appears to be a prequel of sorts, taking place between the events of the original Half-Life and Gordon Freeman’s overthrow of the Citadel in Half-Life 2. The player will take on the role of fan-favorite Alyx Vance as she works with her father, scientist Eli Vance, to participate in a resistance against the totalitarian alien forces menacing the earth. Sadly, the project has been delayed for so long that one person who didn’t live to see its completion is actor Robert Guillaume, who provided the voice for Eli Vance.

In the trailer below, the player (as Alyx, although you only really see her hands) can be seen messing around with classic Half-Life staples, including avoiding headcrabs and cobbling together weaponry. It looks like a much more advanced form of shooter than anything we’ve seen in the VR realm before, making us wary of all the “man injures himself playing VR game” headlines that will surely be attached to its release. Regardless, this is likely a watershed moment in the history of VR gaming that will be remembered for a long time to come. Check out the full trailer below. Half-Life: Alyx isn’t too far away, and is scheduled to arrive in March of 2020.