Half-Life: Alyx

Half-Life: Alyx

Overcharge
FANTASTIC map!
This map is so good that it could've been in the main game. So much love and care has been put into the details, which is especially important for VR. Cabinets and drawers are filled with food paste, pots and pans, all the stuff you would expect. Resin and extra ammo are hidden away well, making me feel clever whenever I found them. The new hacking minigame was great, albiet a little awkward for my wrists. Cover felt smartly placed and purposeful.

I love when you dive into the xen foliage. The way you're facing when you go down has you looking at the wall, so when you turn around and see all the alien stuff, it's really impactful. I also love how the end of the level allows you to look down at the very beginning, giving a great sense of progress and achievement.

Ammo always felt scarce enough to keep me conservative with my shots, but I never hit a moment where I was stuck in an encounter with no ammo or grenades. That's an incredibly tough balancing act, but this mod achieves it really well.

The key serving as this mod's version of Gnome Chompski is a cool idea, but I feel like it needs a bit more visual flair to help it stick out. It's hard to lose Chompski because he has this bright red hat and blue shirt, which help him contrast against the environments. Meanwhile, the color of the key felt a little bit muted, and I found myself setting it down for a battle and then having to spend a good while looking for where it was.

The fact that this was made before the official modding tools were released is seriously impressive, and it's got me excited to see what you could do with the tools now that they're out. Awesome level!