One thing I want to stop and emphasize: this is, more than anything, a horror game. Alyx (the character) isn’t some hardened veteran, but someone thrown into a desperate situation and quickly adapts. More than once, I took a deep breath before entering an area sure to be teeming with enemies, whether grotesque horrors or soldiers, because of how quickly my heart was likely to start racing. It’s a slower paced game, where you’re expected to patiently and methodically comb through each area, and where combat is equal parts intimidating and thrilling. The headcrab is scary again, and this is, in microcosm, why Alyx works. You aim the gun, take a deep breath, and pull the trigger-except you forgot to pull back on the slide, and now the gun is useless. You add the clip to your gun, and turn to face the head crab. You press a button to drop the empty clip from your gun, and reach around to your back-literally-to grab another one. Your heart pounds, and it’s time to reload the gun. You will frantically try to move to another part of the room, while it scampers along the ground. When you miss, that second to prepare will expire, and it will jump. More than once, I tried to close an eye, thinking it would help my ability to precisely aim. You will line up a shot at a head crab-and miss. You will panic, because Alyx expects you to.
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March 2023
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