Alyx Vance
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Alyx Vance is a fictional character from
Valve A valve is a device or natural object that regulates, directs or controls the flow of a fluid (gases, liquids, fluidized solids, or slurries) by opening, closing, or partially obstructing various passageways. Valves are technically fittings ...
's ''
Half-Life Half-life (symbol ) is the time required for a quantity (of substance) to reduce to half of its initial value. The term is commonly used in nuclear physics to describe how quickly unstable atoms undergo radioactive decay or how long stable ato ...
'' video game series. She is introduced as a non-playable, supporting character in '' Half-Life 2'' (2004), accompanying the player's character, Gordon Freeman, throughout much of the game. She subsequently appears in a similar capacity in '' Half-Life 2: Episode One'' (2006) and '' Episode Two'' (2007), and as the titular protagonist of the
VR game A virtual reality game or VR games is a video game played on virtual reality (VR) hardware. Most VR games are based on player immersion, typically through head-mounted display unit or headset with stereoscopic displays and one or more controll ...
'' Half-Life: Alyx'' (2020). Alyx is portrayed as a young woman in her mid-twenties of
Afro-Asian Afro-Asians, African Asians or simply Black Asians, often referred to as Blasians, are persons of mixed Asian and African ancestry. Historically, Afro-Asian populations have been marginalised as a result of human migration and social conflict ...
descent, and is a prominent figure in the human resistance against the rule of the alien empire called the Combine and their human representative, Dr. Wallace Breen. She is the daughter of resistance leader
Dr. Eli Vance This is a list of characters in the ''Half-Life'' video game series, which comprises ''Half-Life'', ''Half-Life 2'', ''Half-Life: Alyx'', and their respective expansion packs and episodes. Introduced in ''Half-Life'' and expansion packs This sec ...
, and becomes a close friend and ally of Gordon. She received highly positive reviews from critics.


Character design

Alyx's character uses a modified version of real-life actress Jamil Mullen's face, and her voice is performed by
Merle Dandridge Merle Dandridge (born May 31, 1975) is an American actress and singer. She is best known for performing in Broadway musicals such as ''Jesus Christ Superstar'', ''Spamalot'', ''Rent'', and ''Once on This Island'', as well as her video game roles ...
in ''Half-Life 2'' and its episodes, and
Ozioma Akagha Ozioma Akagha is an actress based in the United States. She voices Alyx Vance in the video game '' Half-Life: Alyx'' (2020) and Julianna in the video game ''Deathloop'' (2021). She also plays the role of Harper Omereoha in the television show ''De ...
in ''Half-Life: Alyx''. Alyx is the daughter of
Dr. Eli Vance This is a list of characters in the ''Half-Life'' video game series, which comprises ''Half-Life'', ''Half-Life 2'', ''Half-Life: Alyx'', and their respective expansion packs and episodes. Introduced in ''Half-Life'' and expansion packs This sec ...
. Her mother, Azian Vance, who is of Asian descent, can be seen in a family photograph appearing in the games, but is not part of the story. Azian died during the Black Mesa incident (the event depicted in the first ''Half-Life'' game). Alyx is a skilled hacker, adept at infiltrating Combine computer systems and reprogramming them. She also possesses a multi-purpose tool that uses an
electric charge Electric charge is the physical property of matter that causes charged matter to experience a force when placed in an electromagnetic field. Electric charge can be ''positive'' or ''negative'' (commonly carried by protons and electrons respe ...
in order to bypass
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s, open locked doors, and re-program rollermines and automated turrets to attack enemies. Alyx is proficient with firearms, in particular the automatic pistol she commonly carries. At certain points in the game, she also wields a shotgun and mans a stationary sniper rifle. In addition, she has some skill in unarmed combat and will occasionally wrestle off or kick headcrab zombies. Alyx is also very athletic, capable of effortlessly jumping down obstacles and climbing up the side of buildings. Alyx is a generally friendly person, usually making optimistic remarks in dire situations. Rarely does she become hostile towards others, with the exception of Judith Mossman who betrayed the Resistance. She also has a caring side, asking Gordon to be careful when he goes into dangerous areas and feeling sorry for a traincar filled with sleeping Stalkers. At times, Alyx shows a very fragile, scared side that she usually bottles up in order to maintain the situation. Alyx is also very educated, forming opinions on the Combine and the Resistance independently. She has also proven to be very calm yet stern during combat, helping out in any way she can. Alyx has proven to be skilled in shooting, climbing, hacking, and repairing machines and vehicles. She also has a sense of humor, as evidenced by the jokes she makes about the Combine or Gordon's silence.


Appearances

Alyx helps Gordon more frequently and directly than any other character in '' Half-Life 2''. In the first chapter (''Point Insertion''), Alyx saves Gordon from Civil Protection forces when he is unarmed and not yet wearing his protective
HEV suit Gordon Freeman is the silent protagonist of the ''Half-Life'' video game series, created by Gabe Newell and designed by Newell and Marc Laidlaw of Valve. His first appearance is in ''Half-Life''. Gordon Freeman is depicted as a bespectacled Cau ...
. Later, in ''Black Mesa East'', she gives Gordon the gravity gun and instructs Gordon in its use. During the chapter titled ''Entanglement'', she helps search Nova Prospekt for her captured father, Eli. She fights alongside Gordon through a section of City 17 during the armed uprising in ''Anticitizen One'', and provides indirect assistance to Gordon during the final confrontation with Dr. Breen in the final areas of the Citadel in ''Dark Energy''. In ''Black Mesa East'', Alyx argues heatedly with Dr. Judith Mossman. Alyx's hostility towards Mossman is seemingly justified: Gordon and Alyx learn in ''Entanglement'' that Mossman has betrayed the resistance and given away the location of their hidden facility. Nevertheless, in ''Dark Energy'', Dr. Mossman switches sides again and the two women finally make peace. In the ending scene of ''Half-Life 2'', Alyx is with Gordon at the time of the
dark energy In physical cosmology and astronomy, dark energy is an unknown form of energy that affects the universe on the largest scales. The first observational evidence for its existence came from measurements of supernovas, which showed that the univer ...
explosion. The G-Man stops time to rescue Gordon and put him back into stasis, but leaves Alyx to her fate. In '' Half-Life 2: Episode One'', before the explosion can kill her, Alyx is rescued by
Vortigaunt Vortigaunts or Alien Slaves are a fictional extra-dimensional species in the Half-Life (series), ''Half-Life'' series of video games by Valve Corporation, Valve. In ''Half-Life (video game), Half-Life'' and its three expansions, Vortigaunts are ...
s who also retrieve Gordon from the G-Man, leaving them both outside the Citadel. Together, they have to revisit the structure to slow the core's progression toward meltdown, delaying the explosion. Alyx and Gordon stick together for most of ''Episode One'', finally getting out of the zombie-infested underground station to the surface. They soon meet up with
Barney Calhoun This is a list of characters in the ''Half-Life'' video game series, which comprises ''Half-Life'', ''Half-Life 2'', ''Half-Life: Alyx'', and their respective expansion packs and episodes. Introduced in ''Half-Life'' and expansion packs This sec ...
and make a push for a different train station, saving the remaining rebel members. Gordon and Alyx leave Barney on a separate train and jump on the last train heading out of the City just as the Citadel explodes. In '' Half-Life 2: Episode Two'', Alyx and Gordon travel to the
White Forest Rocket Facility The ''Half-Life'' video game series features many locations set in a dystopian future stemming from the events of the first game, ''Half-Life''. These locations are used and referred to throughout the series. The locations, for the most part, ar ...
to deliver a crucial information packet stolen from the Citadel. Along the way, she is gravely wounded by a Combine Hunter. Healing her requires Gordon to make a dangerous trek through an Antlion colony to retrieve their "larval extract," an essential ingredient in the Vortigaunt healing process. As part of the healing process, her life is entwined with Gordon's. During this time, the G-Man appears to Gordon in a surreal "heart-to-heart" sequence and programs Alyx to tell her father to "prepare for unforeseen consequences." Once Alyx awakens, she and Gordon resume their quest toward White Forest. During their second encounter with Hunters, Alyx resolves not to run from them again. Aside from the Hunters, Alyx and Gordon fight numerous Combine soldiers, zombies, a Hunter-Chopper, and have a chance encounter with a Combine Advisor. Upon arriving at White Forest, Alyx is reunited with her father, who suggests that Alyx and Gordon should have children together. She delivers the Combine data to Dr. Kleiner, who manages to decrypt it and discover that Judith Mossman has found the legendary ''Borealis'', an icebreaker ship which has disappeared during teleportation experiments. As Kleiner argues with Eli about what to do with the ''Borealis'', the G-Man triggers her programming; she clearly retains no memory of it upon delivering the message. She arranges transport to the ''Borealis'' in the form of a vintage helicopter while Gordon fights off an invasion by Striders. After Kleiner and Magnusson successfully disable the Combine superportal, Alyx and Gordon prepare to board the helicopter. Just as they reach the hangar, however, two Advisors break in and restrain them along with Eli. One kills Eli while Alyx and Gordon remain helpless, but Dog arrives on the scene in time to save Alyx and Gordon. Alyx cries, embracing her father's body and whimpering "Please... don't leave me." The screen then fades to black and the credits roll, with her cries still audible for several seconds. Alyx was also featured in a series of promotional images released by
Valve A valve is a device or natural object that regulates, directs or controls the flow of a fluid (gases, liquids, fluidized solids, or slurries) by opening, closing, or partially obstructing various passageways. Valves are technically fittings ...
spoofing an
Apple Inc. Apple Inc. is an American multinational technology company headquartered in Cupertino, California, United States. Apple is the largest technology company by revenue (totaling in 2021) and, as of June 2022, is the world's biggest company b ...
commercial. Alyx is the titular playable protagonist of the 2020 virtual reality game '' Half-Life: Alyx'' developed by Valve. The game follows a 19-year-old Alyx's story in City 17 five years before the events of ''Half-Life 2''. Initially performing routine reconnaissance for the Resistance, Alyx is captured along with her father by the Combine after he discovers images relating to an apparent Combine superweapon called "the Vault." Russell, a Resistance mechanic, frees Alyx and sends her through the zombie-infested Quarantine Zone outside City 17 to rescue Eli. Along the way, Alyx meets an eccentric Vortigaunt who warns her of Eli's death in the future. Alyx manages to derail the train sending Eli to Nova Prospekt and with the help of the Vortigaunt narrowly rescues him before Eli sends her to find a way to disable the Vault. Through her journey they learn the Vault is not a superweapon but in fact a prison, which they infer based on the information they gather is made to contain Gordon Freeman. When Alyx reaches the Vault, however, she instead finds the G-Man, who in exchange for freeing him offers her a vision of the future: her father's death at White Forest. He grants her the power to kill the Advisor, thus saving Eli's life, but then reveals he was testing to prove her a worthy replacement for Gordon Freeman, who he has grown dissatisfied with for not following his directions. Against her pleas to let her go, he places her into stasis. These events lead to Eli's resurrection at White Forest five years later, but Alyx being removed from time.


Gameplay

Through parts of ''Half-Life 2'' and almost the entirety of its sequels, ''Episode One'' and ''Episode Two'', Alyx serves as an ally to the player, assisting in combat and allowing the player to progress by opening doors and removing other obstacles. Alyx's health quickly regenerates, allowing her to recover quickly and survive a fair amount of punishment. As long as the player does not deliberately avoid helping Alyx, it is difficult for her to be killed. Notably, while Gordon requires the use of the special HEV suit for protection, power, and other abilities, Alyx appears to need no such enhancement. In ''Episode One'', where Alyx's role as a companion is expanded upon, her
artificial intelligence Artificial intelligence (AI) is intelligence—perceiving, synthesizing, and inferring information—demonstrated by machines, as opposed to intelligence displayed by animals and humans. Example tasks in which this is done include speech re ...
(AI) was designed specifically for co-operative play to complement the player's abilities. The developers described Alyx's programming for ''Episode One'' as a "personality code" as opposed to an "AI code", emphasizing the attention they gave to create a unique and believable companion. In addition, she was specially programmed to avoid performing too many mechanical or repetitive actions, such as repeating lines of dialogue or performing certain routines in combat situations. Examples of this co-operative gameplay include combat in underground levels, where the player can use their flashlight to help Alyx spot and kill oncoming enemies, thereby conserving their own ammunition. Similarly, Alyx will often take up strategic positions and provide covering fire to keep the player safe while they travel to a certain area or perform certain actions. Alyx's primary weapon in the games is a unique automatic pistol resembling a machine pistol in operation and a Glock-series pistol in appearance. Alyx also wields a shotgun identical to the one available to the player in the later part of ''Episode One''. She also uses the mounted Overwatch sniper rifles at various points in both ''Episode One'' and ''Episode Two''. In ''Episode Two'' she can also fire while Gordon is driving a car if he is moving slowly enough.


Reception

Since she first appeared in '' Half-Life 2'', Alyx Vance has received positive reviews for both her intelligence and her beauty, among other factors.
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named Alyx "Miss 2004" in the article about the sexiest new characters of the decade, adding that giving her the award required no debate amongst the staff and describing her as brainy and strong-willed, as well as "relentlessly up-beat, funny, and friendly" in the face of peril.
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listed her at number five among top ten "gamer babes" in 2007. In 2008, ''
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'' magazine listed her as their favorite
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female character in their sixth "Girls of Gaming" special, calling her "the best partner Gordon Freeman could ask for," That same year, '' Chip'' ranked Alyx as the sixth top "girl of gaming". In its 2010 cover feature, ''
Game Informer ''Game Informer'' (''GI'', most often stylized ''gameinformer'' from the 2010s onward) is an American monthly video game magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of video games and associated consoles. It debuted in August 1991 w ...
'' named Alyx Vance one of 30 characters "who defined a decade," adding that "in a medium where female characters too often exist solely for their romantic relationship with a male protagonist, Alyx is strong, independent, and awesome without making a point out of it." That same year,
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listed her at number eight on the list of top "girls of gaming", stating that "there's just something about her that makes her unforgettable", noting her bond with the player and describing her as a "cute post-apocalyptic chick with short hair and a take-no-crap attitude, a rarity in this age of eye candy and cheeseball characterization." In 2013, she was ranked as the 31st greatest heroine in video game history by '' Complex'', who called her "still one of the best female characters in games, more than half a decade after the debut of ''Half-Life 2''." ''
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''s Darren Franich listed her as one of "15 Kick-Ass Women in Videogames", asserting that "The main character in ''Half-Life 2'' is actually Gordon Freeman, but considering he's as silent as a mahogany credenza (and with about as much personality), resistance-fighter Alyx Vance helps bring some much needed energy to the proceedings." In 2008,
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named her one of the 11 "most dignified videogame heroines", citing that while she was a secondary character she was still very prominent, though despite her strengths she fulfilled the cliche of a "summer movie heroine" That same year, GameDaily ranked her as 22nd among the "50 hottest game babes". In 2009, GamesRadar ranked her second in their list of the top seven tasteful game heroines, describing her as the "go-to girl for female leads", describing her as one of the most human female video game characters, as well listing her as one of the top 25 best new characters of the decade, again citing her head-strong attitude and pleasant personality, describing her as one of the first non-playable characters to deviate from the standard. In 2010, AfterEllen ranked her as the 18th "hottest" female video game character, while VideoGamer.com's Wesley Yin-Poole included her his 2010 list of top ten "video game crushes", stating: "The thing with ''Half-Life 2s Alyx was she was insanely realistic. So realistic, in fact, that as Gordon Freeman's relationship with her grew she became less like a video game companion and more like a real-life companion." In 2011, UGO.com ranked Alyx as the 33rd top "videogame hottie", stating that "Alyx has it all: brains, good looks, and a stinging personality that can keep the comers at bay." Multiple publications included her among the best
non-player character A non-player character (NPC), or non-playable character, is any character in a game that is not controlled by a player. The term originated in traditional tabletop role-playing games where it applies to characters controlled by the gamemaster o ...
s (NPCs) and sidekick type characters in video games. In 2008, Bit-tech ranked her as the number one PC game NPC of all time, commenting, "What makes Alyx such a popular supporting character is how believable she manages to be even in the utterly sci-fi world of ''Half-Life''. The brilliant animation of the character combines with the fabulous voice acting and witty script to create one of the most important characters in a computer game, ever." That same year, "brave, beautiful, loyal and a crack shot," Alyx topped ''
The Telegraph ''The Telegraph'', ''Daily Telegraph'', ''Sunday Telegraph'' and other variant names are popular names for newspapers. Newspapers with these titles include: Australia * ''The Telegraph'' (Adelaide), a newspaper in Adelaide, South Australia, publ ...
s list of the greatest sidekicks in gaming history, adding that "you'll find it hard not to fall in love with one of the best characters in gaming, who is more than a mere sidekick."Tom Hoggins
The greatest sidekicks in gaming history
, ''The Telegraph'', October 11, 2008.
In 2011,
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ranked her as the fourth best sidekick character in gaming, while '' Maximum PC'' also included "the sassy and fiery Alyx" on a similar list. That same year, Cheat Code Central ranked her as the second best video game sidekick, commenting that "Alyx isn't just an amazing sidekick, she's also a beautifully realized character." In 2013, Hanuman Welch of ''Complex'' ranked Alyx at sixth place on a list of video game sidekicks that deserve their own titles, stating that "video game characters have rarely felt as intuitive, brilliantly true-to-life and emotionally three-dimensional." In 2013's '' BioShock Infinite'', the player character's female companion Elizabeth was received extremely well, with the developers stating that "A.I. companions haven't been done well since ''Half-Life'' Alyx Vance," and sought to make Elizabeth as likable and supportive as Alyx was. In 2020, an Alyx-inspired
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was added to the massive multiplayer online
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battle royale game ''
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''.


See also

* List of female action heroes and villains


References


External links


Alyx Vance
on Combine OverWiki, an external wiki {{DEFAULTSORT:Vance, Alyx Black characters in video games Female characters in video games Fictional African-American people Fictional Asian-American people Fictional American people in video games Fictional revolutionaries Hackers in video games Half-Life characters Video game characters introduced in 2004 Video game protagonists First-person shooter characters