Half-life 2: Episodes 1 & 2 VR (Mod)

One of the best VR experiences you can have is the VR mod for Half-Life 2 which I wrote a post about last year. The way the VR functionality was incorporated into the game was impressive, but what was even more impressive was how a game from 2004 translated so perfectly into VR. And now, following the Half-Life 2 release, we now have full VR mods of the two Episodes.

I always felt Episode 1 was the weaker of the two, at least in terms of content, and I still feel that way now after playing them both again in VR. I do think I enjoyed Episode 1 more in VR though. The fight through the old hospital was always the highlight in Episode 1 and it’s even better in VR.

Episode 2, whilst superior in terms of content, is a more mixed experience in VR, mostly because a large part of the content is spent in a vehicle. There are several additional comfort options for how you want to play the vehicle section, but like the vehicle stuff in Half-Life 2, this is the one aspect of the game that doesn’t translate quite as well to VR.

It’s a shame, because up to that point Episode 2 is a real blast in VR. All the stuff in the mines, fighting antlion hordes and venturing into a nest is great. There’s one fantastic moment when you’re climbing a ladder and you look up to see a Vortigaunt peering down at you and it works so well in VR you really start to feel like you’re playing a game designed for VR – not just a mod.

But then you hit that vehicle section and things can feel a little awkward and annoying. It’s not so bad once you get used to it and, like I said, there is an impressive range of choices with regards to how you play it, but none of it is really ideal for VR. It’s the one aspect of these games that just doesn’t quite work.

Overall, like Half-Life 2 VR before it, these Episodes are a must play if you own a VR platform. Vehicle stuff aside, they translate brilliantly into VR, even to the point that you might forget they’re nearly 20 years old and never designed for it.

That’s a testament not only to the fantastic job the modders have done putting together these VR versions, but also to just how well designed these games were at release and how well they hold up today in terms of visuals, animations, combat, pacing and level design. If you’ve got a VR set, be sure to give them a spin, I guarantee they’ll offer you a better VR experience than a lot of actual VR releases.