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COVID affected all of us differently, but mod developer InspectorXyto has turned the years-long pain of the global pandemic into a new slice of virtual art. Created for Valve’s VR spin-off Half-Life: Alyx, the new Half-Life: Austria mod transports players into a virtual recreation of the country for fans to escape into.
Half-Life: Austria released
Released in “pre-super-early-alpha” on Steam Workshop, this new mod aims to “enhance the campaign of Half-Life: Alyx with a dose of Austrian humor and countless Easter Eggs”. While simple, at least for now, players are encouraged to experience a little bit of culture as they replay Alyx.
For example, many signs, posters and magazines in the game has been translated into the Viennese language. Additionally, players will be able to discover a host of Austrian groceries and food items inspired by “shopping during the first lockdown”.
Pandemic-era memes and other goodies have also been introduced including “the infamous Ibiza video or Kicki’s notorious corona worm treatment”. Finally, the game’s Combine enemies have also “taken a crash course in Viennese dialect” to offer a new experience. “Whether that improves their efficiency is up for debate,” the modder explained.
So far, the community has taken well to the Half-Life: Austria mod with many calling it a “good laugh”. While it’s currently in very early stages, it’s a fun new culture to explore for those who want it. After all, what else is there to do while we wait endlessly for Half-Life 3 to release.
Of course, there’s also a host of other mods that have been created for Valve’s brilliant VR game. The Gunman Contracts series of mods essentially bring an entirely new game to players and some talented modders have even recreated BioShock within the VR title. Of course, there’s also a swathe of Halo mods bringing classic weapons and armour to the game.
For more content on VideoGamer, check out our interview with Elder Scrolls creator Ted Peterson or read about the future of Baldur’s Gate 3 modding.
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