A brand new ‘NoVR’ mod from the GB_2 Growth Crew helps you to play by Half-Life: Alyx with no VR headset… in case you actually wish to. 

Following earlier makes an attempt at No VR mods for Half-Life: Alyx, GB_2 Growth Crew’s free mod helps you to full the story with no VR headset. “That is our largest replace but, and we now have no plans of slowing down,” the group introduced, after initially launching this mod final month. “Your complete sport can now be performed from begin to end, with the Gravity Gloves absolutely applied together with mix fabricators offering weapon upgrades.” Nonetheless, GB_2 states “bugs should be current however a save reload will repair that,” and 9 out of 42 Steam Achievements can not presently be earned.

As you’ll be able to see within the video under (which incorporates main spoilers from the top of the marketing campaign), the mod seems to technically work, though the conversion of some VR-specific interactions leaves components of the sport feeling fairly lifeless.

Common UploadVR guests don’t must be advised that Half-Life: Alyx is extensively thought of one of many finest VR video games of all-time, so information of a No VR mod could seem sacrilege. It can’t be understated how integral VR performance is for Alyx, and lots of will understandably argue that eradicating VR dilutes the sport. In our personal Half-Life Alyx assessment again in 2020, we referred to as it “a triumphant return; a stunningly produced, meticulously refined capping off of the previous 4 years of VR learnings.”

Adapting Alyx right into a extra conventional FPS expertise is a tough ask, as the sport is designed across the physicality and presence granted by enjoying with a headset. The enemy design and assault patterns, for instance, have been made for the slower tempo of fight, guide reloading and aiming mechanics afforded by VR. Taken out of VR with automated reloading and the precision of mouse aiming, Alyx’s fight would in all probability be fairly boring.

It’s a sentiment shared by among the growth group too. In March 2020, Half-Life: Alyx venture lead Robin Walker (by way of Polygon) stated that whereas emotions diversified throughout the group, he wasn’t personally nervous about flatscreen mods:

“There are a set of individuals on the group which might be involved about that. Personally, I’m not involved about it in any respect. The reason being fairly easy: The sport simply wouldn’t be a lot enjoyable as a normal launch. It’s going to clearly display to individuals why we did this in VR … It is going to be a really crisp method of seeing all of the stuff we bought for the transfer into VR. If individuals play [a modded version on a standard display] and say that is simply nearly as good, that can educate me so much. I’ll notice I’m incorrect, and we didn’t get as a lot as we thought, and I like to know every time I’m incorrect.”

Past NoVR, there’s loads of Half-Life: Alyx mods value exploring. Between Monomyth, Return To Rapture, Half-Life: Incursion and extra, Alyx’s modding neighborhood continues including renewed longevity to Valve’s first-person shooter. To study extra, try our full interview from final April with CoreyLaddo and ANB_Seth, the place we mentioned their respective Levitation (additionally supported in NoVR) and Gunman Contracts mods.