10 Secrets You Didn't Know About Half-Life: Alyx
3. The Many Valve References
From a big old scoop of
exposition to Easter eggs.
Like Nintendo, Valve love hiding references to their previous games. Left 4 Dead 2 did this with Half-Life’s Gnome Chompski. Portal 2 also did it with a huge reveal of the Borealis, leading to us to understand that it shares a universe with Half-Life.
Now, there’s no brain-busting references in Alyx, however, there are handfuls of Easter eggs scattered throughout the world you might have missed.
Firstly, in the room you found the Snark, there’s a photo of Dog as a puppy. He’s adorable and looks similar to the sketches on the desk below. These diagrams show prototypes or a potential evolution for Dog, as well as other creations such as that worm-dog from The Lab.
In Russell’s hideout, on his computer, there are hints at his work on the Gravity Gloves. There are also Black Mesa screensavers on certain monitors and a Scout figurine, from Team Fortress 2, nestled in a shelf.
A bit later in the game, just before meeting the first Vortigaunt, you come across several murals. We see a depiction of the Vortigaunts’ history, including images of The Freeman, Xen and a representation of the Nihilanth's enslavement before Gordon saved them.
Finally, there is a sly, very meta nod to the G-Man’s covert presence throughout previous Half-Life games. As seen in the image above.