HomeNewsHalf-Life: Alyx
Half-Life: Alyx gets proper mod tools and Steam Workshop supportHammer something out
Hammer something out
Half-Lifeand modding are basically synonymous. Whether it’s painstakingly remaking the original inBlack Mesaor spawning entirely new multiplayer genres inCounter-Strike, Gordon Freeman’s misadventures are as much a platform for new works as they are solid shooters in their own rights. This weekend, Valve broughtHalf-Life: Alyxback into that lineage with Steam Workshop support and the beta release of HL:A’s editing tools.
Given it’s just come out, theHalf-Life Alyx workshopis pretty thin right now. Rough early maps sharing shelf-space with combat encounters, firing ranges, and the sort of meme-y garbage that unfortunately floods the Workshop ecosystem across Steam. But then you’ve got horde modes likeXen Thug, the mandatoryVR lightsaber trainer(pictured above), or a simple small room from which topractice the piano.
Many of these mods were developed before official tools launched, using awkward hacks and workarounds. But going forwards, modders now have access to a full suite of bespoke editor tools to make their own City 17 adventures.
I’m actually proper excited to get my hands on Hammer 2. I’ve been messing inHalf-Life 2map-making for over a decade - and while the new editor’s been available viaDota 2for yonks, it’s not quite the same if you’re not making first-person murder corridors out of big grey blocks. With Half-Life: Alyx being VR and all, you’ll still need a headset to make the most of the modding kit. A debug-only VR-free mode exists for testing, but it’s awfully barebones.
To get you started, Valve have included a few sample maps to demonstrate the basics - how they compose enemy encounters, or how to use new tools like tile meshes and texture hotspots. You can also load up any Alyx level to dig under the hood of any particular setpiece from the main game.
Dominic Tarason ran down some ofthe best Half-Life 2 modsin his Modder Superior column last year. Hopefully, it’s not too long before we see Alyx creators blow those out of the water.
