If you’ve still got that VR headset gathering dust because you "finished" the campaign in 2020, you’re missing the point. Seriously. Valve gave us a masterpiece, sure, but the community basically turned it into an infinite content machine. People think the Half-Life Alyx mod scene is just about weird skins or turning Combine soldiers into Teletubbies.
It’s not. It’s way deeper.
We’re talking full-blown sequels, total conversions that turn City 17 into Rapture from BioShock, and tactical shooters that feel more like John Wick than a horror game. You don't need a PhD in Source 2 to get these running either. Most of it is a single click in the Steam Workshop.
Why you're sleeping on Levitation
Let’s talk about the big one first. If you haven't played Levitation, have you even played Alyx?
This thing is basically the "Episode One" we never got. Created by Shawn Snelling (FMPONE, the guy who made the Cache map in CS:GO) and animator Corey Laddo, it’s a three-to-four-hour campaign that picks up right after the main game’s ending. It’s got custom voice acting. It’s got a floating building in "Sector X" that looks absolutely terrifying in VR.
Most importantly? It feels like Valve made it.
The pacing is tight. One minute you're scavenging for resin in a subway, and the next, you're in a massive firefight around a giant earth-moving machine. It captures that specific "Half-Life" vibe—that mixture of lonely exploration and sudden, frantic panic when a Manhack starts buzzing in your ear. Honestly, it’s better than some paid DLC I’ve seen for other games.
The weird and wonderful total conversions
You ever wonder what BioShock would look like with modern VR physics? You don’t have to wonder.
Return to Rapture is a massive mod by Wim Buytaert that imports the literal assets from the original BioShock into the Alyx engine. It’s wild. You’re using plasmids to zap Combine soldiers while Andrew Ryan’s voice echoes through the soggy halls of an underwater city.
It isn't just a map swap.
There are two full chapters. Chapter Two alone has over 15 hours of gameplay. That’s longer than the actual Half-Life: Alyx campaign! It’s got a custom soundtrack, new weapons, and even dismemberment mechanics that make the combat feel way more visceral than the base game. It’s a bit buggy on Meta Quest headsets if you don't lower your texture settings, but if you've got the PC horsepower, it's a trip.
Gunman Contracts: Not your father's Half-Life
If you’re tired of the slow, methodical pace of the base game, you need Gunman Contracts. This is a Half-Life Alyx mod that throws the "survival" part of survival-horror out the window.
- The Premise: You're a hitman.
- The Gameplay: One-shot headshots, two-shot body kills.
- The Vibe: Pure action movie.
You aren't fumbling with ammo clips while a zombie slowly shuffles toward you. You’re clearing rooms like a pro. The developer, ANB_Seth, did such a good job with these mods (Chapter 1 and 2) that he’s actually making a standalone game now. It’s the closest thing we have to a proper John Wick VR experience.
Quality of life stuff nobody mentions
Look, we all love the immersion, but some things in Alyx are just... tedious.
- Auto Pickup: This is a literal godsend. Instead of having to physically toss every single pistol clip over your shoulder, you just grab it and let go. Your hand remembers where your backpack is. Your real-life shoulder will thank you after a three-hour session.
- Glorious Gloves: Ever miss the Gravity Gun from Half-Life 2? This mod brings it back. You can pull heavy objects from across the room and—this is the best part—punch things with a closed fist to send them flying.
- Campaign+: If you want to replay the story but find it too easy now that you’ve got your "VR legs," this overhaul changes everything. It adds Combine Medics who heal their buddies and Shield Squads that require actual strategy to take down. It’s stressful. It’s great.
How to actually get these working (The simple way)
Don't overcomplicate this.
Go to the Steam Workshop for Half-Life: Alyx. Hit "Subscribe" on the mods you want. Wait for the download. When you launch the game, go to the "Addons" menu and make sure they're toggled to "On."
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If it's a campaign mod like Levitation, you go to "New Game," select the "Custom Game" tab, and pick the map from the list. If it’s a gameplay mod like Glorious Gloves, you just start a regular campaign and make sure you select "Start Game with Addons."
Don't fall for the "modding is dead" trap
There’s this weird rumor that the community slowed down after 2022. It’s flat-out wrong.
People are still pushing the Source 2 engine to its limits. We’re seeing more "Map Packs" and experimental physics mods than ever. Sure, the "mega-projects" take a long time to build, but that's because these creators are basically building AAA games for free in their spare time.
The Half-Life Alyx mod ecosystem is what keeps VR gaming relevant while we wait for Valve to remember how to count to three. Whether you want to be a 007-style spy in the GoldenEye Alyx maps or just want a better way to hold your shotgun, the Workshop has you covered.
Your next move:
- Open Steam and search for the Levitation collection in the Workshop.
- Subscribe to all five parts.
- Clear out a 2x2 meter space in your living room because you're going to be in there for a while.
- If you're on a Quest, remember to set your textures to "Medium" or "Low" for the bigger mods to avoid the dreaded "Out of Memory" crash.
Enjoy City 17. It’s much bigger than you remember.