HL2VRU

Despite most Half-Life fans’ requests to receive some form of closure after Episode 2’s cliffhanger, Valve seems to release a sequel to their flagship title only when they know they are able to showcase a groundbreaking technological advancement, be it hardware or software.

This was further evidenced with the launch of Half-Life: Alyx, which, to this day, can be fully experienced through a VR headset. Those who have already exhausted the vast array of community-made mods can relive the original Half-Life 2 experience through HL2VRU.

Throughout the years, some of the most passionate fans with software development skills have been able to fill in the void left by the original game studio and supply the rest of the player base with upgrades that cater to their specific needs with mods that let you play HL: Alyx without a VR headset, for example.

On the flip side, the players that saw the outstanding potential behind the interaction methods powered by virtual reality controllers sought to bring the gameplay mechanics to legacy titles such as Half-Life 2 for increased depth and a fresh spin on a beloved series with a decent replayability rate.

The fork at hand combines the immersion powered by the virtual-reality environment with over-the-top, yet fun, optional additions meant to provide users with extra tools for switching their strategies and play-styles.

One example that stands out is the ability to perform melee attacks with any gun to clear out breakable obstacles without having to switch to the crowbar. Players’ jumps executed in real-life are translated to in-game jumps, thus giving you an extra button to remap to a different action.

Users can dual-wield the same or different sets of weapons, ultimately letting you catch zombies’ thrown projectiles with the gravity gun in one hand and instantly attacking them with the pistol in the other, which should lead to more exciting battles against enemies.

Despite Valve’s reluctance to finish the episodic trilogy, their choice to not only let the fan-base alter their titles’ gameplay through mods but also supply them with an SDK was an excellent choice that led to the creation of exquisite modifications the likes of Half-Life 2 VR Unleashed, or HL2VRU, for short.