Half-Life: Alyx Leviathan, an upcoming fan-made mod for Valve’s acclaimed VR FPS, has received its first full gameplay reveal – giving us a glimpse into its ambitious scope and gunplay.
Revealed as part of PC game program (opens in new tab) following Xbox and Bethesda Showcase, the 7-minute clip follows Alyx as she explores what appears to be an abandoned skyscraper and mining facility. Of course, she is not alone, with many Combine soldiers and headcrab zombies attacking her.
Released as an expansion to Half-Life: Alyx rather than a total overhaul, Levitation will include all the basics from the original game – which we consider to be one of the best VR games on the market. You’ll be unloading magazines against Combine in cover-based firefights, dodging the pincers of bouncing headcrabs in more horror-focused level segments, and playing with the physics of your environment to get the upper hand in firefights.
It all feels pretty slick, mixing intricately planned open combat areas with suspenseful downtime moments. Production value alone sets Levitation apart from other mods, with its verticality and scope feeling right at home alongside Valve’s original. See for yourself in the gameplay trailer below.
Levitation ad trailer (opens in new tab) hinted that Russell will return, and G-Man can be seen in this latest gameplay reveal, silently watching over his actions. According to this first trailer, Levitation will send you on a hunt for two resistance fighters who went missing after investigating a mysterious floating building in Sector-X of City 17.
Half-Life: Alyx Levitation is being developed by animator Corey Laddo and level designer Shawn Snelling, who has contributed to numerous maps in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. The game will be four to five hours long and is expected to release in Q3 2023 – July, August, September – for free on Steam Workshop.
Levitation has already caused quite a stir in the Half-Life community, with many expecting it to be as impressive as Black Mesa – a third-party remake of the original Half-Life. That game eventually received Valve’s blessing and was released commercially to much fanfare in 2020. The creators of Levitation are likely hoping to achieve similar success.