Valve's upcoming VR-exclusive Half-Life: Alyx will mark the first time in thirteen years that an official Half-Life game will be released by the developer. The creators of the historic first-person shooter have been extremely cagey about the possibility of Half-Life 3, with the last Half-Life 2 writer on the Valve team's departure from the company in 2017 signaling that the fabled game may never come to be. But as the new game's release draws closer, a faint glimmer of hope for a third numbered entry in the series has returned.
Half-Life: Alyx will follow Alyx Vance, a major player in the Half-Life 2 games, as she and her father battle the alien Combine forces that have taken over Earth. While little is known about the game's story beyond that, players will be able to take control of Alyx using VR to shoot, smash, and solve their way through the familiar Half-Life physics mechanics. Although the game takes place in between Half-Lifes 1 and 2, the focus on Alyx and Eli in particular are enough to stir speculation.
How Half-Life: Alyx Can Tie in to the Future
Half-Life 2: Episode 2 ended with the now-infamous cliffhanger of Eli being attacked and seemingly killed by a Combine Advisor as Alyx weeps over his body. Besides building the hype for Half-Life 3, this cliffhanger left many questions regarding Eli's past wide open, particularly regarding his relationship with the mysterious G Man. Toward the end of Episode 2, Eli reveals to Gordon Freeman that he knows G Man (someone who it was previously assumed only Gordon could see) and that G Man had given him the sample that led to the cataclysmic Black Mesa incident. Before he can explain the rest to Gordon, however, he is killed. Now that players know that G Man will appear in Half-Life: Alyx, it can only be expected that his relationship with Eli will be explored further.
Eli and G Man notwithstanding, there's plenty of potential for Half-Life: Alyx to delve into other loose plot threads. The relationship between Black Mesa and Aperture Science, and the rival company's mysterious research vessel known as the Borealis could be further explained in the game. Not much is known right now regarding what will make up the entirety of the game's plot, but it's unlike Valve to retread old ground, so allusions to the series that may set up the long-awaited Half-Life 3 are well within the realm of possibility.
Of course, any plot points revealed during the story of Half-Life: Alyx may not be considered canon by some fans, considering the absence of the series' original writers. One former Half-Life writer has already revealed the original outline for Half-Life 3 that never came to be, after al. Despite the disappointing signs that the last few years have shown Half-Life fans, though, the new game has potential to sow the seeds that could foreshadow the arrival of the much-anticipated third entry.
Why Half-Life 3 is Possible
Valve has confirmed that Half-Life: Alyx will be a full-fledged game in the Half-Life series, as opposed to an episode or spin-off, stating that it's length will rival that of Half-Life 2. Considering the developer's insistence that the game will be its "flagship" VR project, a successful launch would spell good news for future Half-Life games. If Half-Life: Alyx sells well, there's the proof of continuing interest in the series, which could prompt the developer to work on future entries.
That being said, the developer has already shown major interest in continuing the Half-Life saga after Alyx, so it may not take much to convince Vave. Citing the importance of the Half-Life series to the team and the enjoyment that came with developing the new game, Valve's Robin Walker stated, "We absolutely see Half-Life: Alyx as our return to this world, not the end of it." The optimism for the series' future surrounding the team creating the new game is sure to be a good sign for players hoping that Half-Life: Alyx will lead to something even bigger for the beloved franchise.
Half-Life: Alyx releases March 23 on PC.