Valve shocked the gaming world when it finally announced a new Half-Life game over a decade since the release of Half-Life 2: Episode Two. Half-Life: Alyx is a virtual reality game set between the first two Half-Life games, and it focuses on the popular character Alyx Vance. Since the announcement of Half-Life: Alyx, details have continued to flow about the game, including the revelation that it has recast some major characters.
In fact, the title character of Alyx Vance is even being recast for Half-Life: Alyx. Merle Dandridge is being replaced by Ozioma Akagha, who has done voice work in games like Mirror's Edge: Catalyst and Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus. Akagha was cast due to the time gap between Half-Life 2: Episode Two and Half-Life: Alyx, as the game developers felt that she would be a better fit for a younger version of the character.
Alyx's father Eli Vance has also been recast for Half-Life: Alyx, with the character now being played by James Moses Black, known for his role in This Is Us. Eli Vance's original voice actor, Robert Guillaume, passed away a couple of years ago, so the developers had no choice but to recast the character in this instance.
Some fans may be disappointed to learn that some of the characters in Half-Life: Alyx have been recast, though there will be some returning actors as well. Mike Shapiro is once again playing the mysterious G-Man, spotted at the end of the first Half-Life: Alyx trailer, and Tony Todd will be returning as The Vortigaunts.
Half-Life: Alyx will feature a number of returning characters from past Half-Life games, but it will also introduce some new characters as well. For example, we know that Rhys Darby of Flight of the Conchords fame will be playing a new character in the game, though they have remained unnamed up to this point.
We should learn the identity of Rhys Darby's character as we get closer to Half-Life: Alyx's release in March of 2020, along with many other details about the game.
Half-Life: Alyx will launch in March of 2020 for PC-powered VR headsets, including HTC Vive, Valve Index, and Oculus Rift.
Source: PC Gamer