Gordon Freeman Returns, Again: Half-Life 2 VR Mod Review

Virtual reality (VR) has had a bumpy ride over the last few years, with various VR platforms and content types aiming to gain the attention of consumers. One kind of content has been the VR modifications of older 2D video game titles, converting flat screen gameplay into immersive experiences. One of the best VR mods was officially released on Steam last September, the mod for the hit 2004 title Half-Life 2 that was made by the Source VR Mod Team.

Before going into more detail about this mod, I should be up front about my experience with the Half-Life game franchise. Until I played this mod, I didn't have any. None. Zero. Zip. I had heard about the games--even the recent 2020 entry Alyx, which was made specifically for VR--but I didn't pick up any of the Half-Life games because unless I have access to cheat codes, I suck at first-person shooter games. Thankfully, the easy setting in Half-Life 2 ably accommodated my limited shooter skill set and I was able to finish the game. 

If your experience with the Half-Life games is the same as mine, don't worry. You can complete Half-Life 2 without knowing a thing about the first game and not feel lost. In fact, there's a complete wiki devoted to the Half-Life series if you want to familiarize yourself with the franchise's characters, locations, and weapons.

Unlike Alien: Isolation, which was developed from the beginning with a possible VR expansion, the Source VR Mod Team had to find ways to incorporate VR gameplay into a game that was originally developed without VR in mind. Fortunately, Half-Life 2 lends itself well to becoming a VR experience, so Source's additions successfully enhance the feeling of immersion within the Half-Life universe. Source added a pair of hands that players use through their VR controllers, and the hands can manipulate objects, reload weapons, and climb ladders. Furthermore, the Source Team smoothly incorporated the VR controllers into the levels centered around vehicles. 

If anything, the VR mod highlights how well-made Half-Life 2 is. It remains a satisfying gaming experience, and the level designs still look great inside of a VR headset. Interestingly, I was surprised at how good the graphics overall look and move in VR. Sure, they are not photo-realistic, but they won't give you a headache either. 

Yet for as good as the VR mod for Half-Life 2 is, it also emphasizes the differences between making a game for 2D and making an immersive 3D experience for VR. In my experience, memorable VR titles are those that emphasize interaction with the environment itself: puzzles to solve, clues to examine, locations to explore, and materials to manipulate. Since Half-Life 2 has always been a first-person shooter game, players don't get to do much other than shoot and throw explosives at enemies. Not that there's anything wrong with this, but this does get a bit repetitive in VR. Furthermore, for as impressive as Half-Life 2 still looks 18 years after its release, most of its environments consist of similar-looking buildings, tunnels, and streets.

Personally, I'm hoping to see more VR mods to 2D video games in the future. With the recent announcement of the Universal Unreal Engine VR Injector Mod, we will probably see more VR mods of older non-VR games appear in the near future. If the new mods are as good as the one made for Half-Life 2, VR fans will have plenty of classic games to play in immersive 3D. However, for as much as this VR mod injects additional entertainment value into Half-Life 2, mods such as this are only a small part of what VR has to offer as an entertainment medium.