How Long Is Half-Life: Alyx?

When Half-Life: Alyx was first announced, Valve billed it as a “full-length entry in the Half-Life series.” Half-Life games, not including the shorter episodes, have usually been around 12-15 hours long. So is Half-Life: Alyx really a full-length Half-Life game? And how long does it take to beat?

Half-Life: Alyx Game Length – How Long It Takes To Beat

Based on GameSpot editors Chloi Rad and Michael Higham’s hands-on time with playing (and finishing) the game, Half-Life: Alyx takes about 15 hours to beat, set across 11 chapters.

This was only tested on Normal difficulty. Half-Life: Alyx also offers Story Mode, Easy, and Hard, which may make your time with the game significantly longer or shorter. Story and Easy mode are meant to lighten the combat so players can enjoy the story, while Hard makes enemies a bigger threat. There are also a number of puzzles and challenging combat sections in the game that will likely affect overall playthrough time depending on your ability. Regardless of difficulty level and individual skill level though, you can expect to spend roughly 15 hours in Half-Life: Alyx.

Because it’s a VR game, we don’t recommend playing Half-Life: Alyx for more than a couple of hours at a time. Take breaks frequently and be mindful of your real-life surroundings when swinging things around!

If you’re about to dive into the game for the first time, check out our list of Half-Life: Alyx tips for beginners, weapon upgrades guide, and a breakdown of Half-Life: Alyx’s accessibility options. Don’t forget to read our review of Half-Life: Alyx, which calls it “a tremendous VR experience that captures and elevates what makes the series special.”