Was looking into how the mod works to play this without VR. Turns out the first release of this game Valve had a feature in it to play it without a VR setup but forgot to remove it. HMMM The mod uses this and enables it. My guess is Valve has nerfed that option and I'm not about to buy it to find out.
However, Half-Life: Alyx most certainly is an exception for many reasons. Having played and loved all Half-Life games, growing up with them, and having an interest in VR games, “Half-Life: Alyx” was simply a MUST HAVE. After playing the game from beginning to end, more than once, I can only say that this is the new gold standard for VR gaming. MORE FROM VR GAMES: Half-Life: Alyx Mod Lets Players Explore the Iconic P.T Corridors From the time it was launched, a lot of modders started to develop their desired Virtual Reality experience in Half-Life 2 and the episodes, as mentioned, are the only games you would need to play to fully understand Alyx. Half-Life 1 not needed unless you want to know more context for Gordon's full history. Alyx is a great game but it is a Half-Life game so if you go in without knowing the story beforehand, I don't personally think you will enjoy it as