Half-Life: Alyx: Nifty physics added to the mix 'Vodka Bottles'

Bottles in Half-Life: Alyx

For many of us who have played Half-Life: Alyx, we appreciate the time and effort that’s gone into the fantastic graphics, with high fidelity visuals and textures. In update 1.4, Valve introduced some nifty physics into the mix and added liquid to the bottles, further adding to the realism of the game… as if the game wasn’t brilliant enough!

There are many types of bottles scattered throughout the game. I guess this is down to the excessive use of alcohol by the residents of City 17 - after all, living under the rule of the Combine is enough to turn anyone to the bottle! Vodka being the popular choice because of the large derelict distillery, the home of Jeff; a blind freakish zombie with an acute hearing ability.

Chapter 7 ‘Jeff’

Distracting Jeff

The Vodka bottles play a crucial part in the game - not really a weapon as such, but a tool used for distracting the formidable enemy ‘Jeff’ and preventing him from tearing your face off. Jeff can hear every move and every footstep you make, so it won’t be long before he’s in your face. That’s where the bottles come in! You toss them far away from you to distract him, in order to complete various tasks. "Have a smashing time!"

You may also like 'How to beat Jeff' a step-by-step walkthrough guide on how to defeat Jeff.

There's a plentiful amount of Vodka bottles around, easily picked-up using the ‘Russells’ (gravity gloves). You can even store bottles in your wrist pockets and use them when you feel it’s necessary.

Vodka for Russell

The funny side to the Vodka distillery is that the NPC, Russell, expects you to carry a bottle of Vodka through entire maps just to satisfy his need for a tipple the next time you meet up. It’s a lot of work, and it handicaps your carrying capacity, only to have them zapped away along with all your other weapons and worldly possessions later on when you enter the Vault. Disappointing, although there is some sense of achievement if you actually manage to do it, but no reward I’m afraid.

Read the full review of the game here: Half-Life: Alyx Review

Have any comments about Jeff or just plain Vodka for that matter? We’d love to hear them. Leave your comments in the box below...