The Half-Life series may have finally made an official return with the recently-released Half-Life: Alyx, but one fan modder isn’t quite finished with Half-Life 2 yet.
Just days after the release of Half-Life: Alyx, the opening scene of Half-Life 2 has been recreated in Alyx’s engine, Source 2. Considering the first Source engine, and Half-Life 2, dates back to 2004, this new modded version features some major upgrades–though it’s currently incomplete.
Modder Vect0R has effectively recreated the City 17 courtyard that Gordon Freeman walks out into at the beginning of Half-Life 2, and this time it’s built for VR in the style of Alyx. Wallace Breen’s face has yet to be implemented, so the courtyard itself is empty save a couple of wandering Combine, but naturally, the area’s lighting is much-improved from its 2004 predecessor. Those who try out this Half-Life 2 adaptation will also be using a different set of controls since the mod utilizes Alyx’s VR control scheme and weapons.
Vect0R began his work just a day after Alyx’s release on March 24, though apparently he’s been planning it since January. As such, right now the modder is just showing off the work he’s done thus far as an example; the mod isn’t available for public use quite yet. Despite the fact that his project is still in progress, however, it’s already an impressive start.
The new Source 2 engine is clearly capable of giving older Half-Life games a total makeover, so Vect0R– and other dedicated modders– have plenty to work with. Given some time and energy, perhaps an entirely fan-made remake of Half-Life 2 could be possible in the future.
Half-Life: Alyx is available now for PC.
