You can now play the Half-Life games for free on Steam. However, the offer stands for a limited time only. Essentially, Valve is offering the previous games in the series for free before the release of the next game in the series, titled Half-Life: Alyx.
Preparing for the Release of Half-Life: Alyx
Half-Life: Alyx, a virtual reality first-person shooter, is due to be released in March 2020. The game is set between the original Half-Life and Half-Life 2, as players take control of Alyx Vance as she fights Combine using gravity gloves similar to the gravity gun.
So, to prepare gamers for the subsequent release of Half-Life: Alyx, Valve is giving away the previous games in the series. Which means Half-Life, Half-Life 2, Half-Life 2: Episode 1 and 2, and Opposing Force and Blue Shift are all available to play for free.
How to Play Half-Life 1 and 2 for Free on Steam
In a surprise announcement on Steam, Valve says that “the Half-Life: Alyx team believes that the best way to enjoy the new game is to play through the old ones, especially Half-Life 2 and the episodes, so we want to make that as easy as possible.”
Half-Life: Alyx is coming in March, and we're celebrating early by making all past games in the Half-Life series free to play for Steam users, from now until the day Half-Life: Alyx launches! https://t.co/giz801AKfu pic.twitter.com/ndUpN8NDYs
— Valve (@valvesoftware) January 21, 2020
You can play the free Half-Life games for free by following the links on Valve’s list of Half-Life games. The eligible games have a “Play for free! Ends in 2 months” banner under them, along with “Play now” links. You will, however, need to have Steam installed.
The Perfect Time to Play the Half-Life Games
There’s a good chance you already own the Half-Life games. Because not only have they been around for a long time, Valve has also discounted them massively in the past. Still, if you have never played the Half-Life games, this is the perfect opportunity to do so.
If you’re a fan of virtual reality and are keen to play Half-Life: Alyx, here are the best free VR games for Oculus to keep you going. Meanwhile, if you’re wondering which digital games store is best, we have pitted Steam vs. the Epic Games Store to find out.
Read the full article: The Half-Life Games Are Now Free on Steam
