Play all of Half-Life: Alyx without VR thanks to this mod

pcgamer.com:

Half-Life: Alyx(opens in new tab) might be one of the best VR games in existence, but that doesn't mean much to those for whom virtual reality is still out of reach. Ever since Valve's VR masterpiece launched back in March 2020, there have been people clamouring to experience this intermediary Half-Life chapter without the VR requirement.

Step forward Half-Life: Alyx No VR(opens in new tab), a functionally titled project to convert Alyx into a more traditional flatscreen experience. The mod has been in development for a while, receiving an Early Access launch in late March. But creators GB_2 Development Team reached a significant milestone over the Easter weekend. The mod now lets you play the entire game without VR.

«This is our biggest update yet, and we have no plans of slowing down,» the dev team announced in a post(opens in new tab) on ModDB. «As the titles state [sic] the entire game can now be played from start to finish, with the Gravity Gloves fully implemented along with combine fabricators providing weapon upgrades.»

Note that this doesn't mean the mod itself is finished. Rather, the game is completable on a conventional PC without players needing to implement cheats or noclip to bypass impassable sections. In the mod's changelog, GB_2 states «bugs may still be present but a save reload will fix that».

The changelog also provides insight as to how GB_2 approached converting Alyx to flatscreen. The main hurdle is how Half-Life: Alyx controls. The acute simulation of hand movements and interactions is a world away from a traditional keyboard and mouse setup. Hence, much of the mod's work has been in distilling these interactions into straightforward button presses. This latest version comes with «updated gravity