VR Blogs

Half-Life: Alyx - Pistol

There are only three guns you’ll come across in Half-Life; Alyx, the Pistol, Shotgun and Small Machine Gun (SMG), all of which can be upgraded at the Combine Fabricator. There are also two types of grenades at your disposal - the standard grenade and the Xen grenade.

Alyx's Pistol

The pistol  - your very first weapon; a modified M1911 with the default clip storing a maximum of 10 bullets - it’s the standard weapon. You acquire the pistol in the chapter ‘Entanglement’, shortly after you obtain the gravity gloves (‘Russells’). Alyx (you) are given the pistol by Russell... well, thrown to you from the top window of his secret hideout. The pistol is automatic, so fires rapidly, ideal for taking out Zombies, Headcrabs, and Combine soldiers from almost any distance. The pistol isn’t as powerful as the shotgun by any means, but holds more bullets and is more manageable - in that it’s quicker to load.

Loading the pistol

Reloading the pistol is a doddle. Gun in hand, retrieve a new magazine by reaching and grabbing over your shoulder with your non-dominant hand. Then physically load it into the butt of the gun. You then need to engage the magazine or it won't fire. You do this by simply pressing the button on your controller (usually the top one). To eject an empty magazine press the opposite button (usually the bottom one).

As with all guns, the pistol can be upgraded. Upgrades vary and are dependent on how much resin you’ve collected. The chart below show the various costs in ‘resin currency’ and what each upgrade provides.

Note: You'll need to locate a Combine Fabricator to upgrade your weapons... after you've solved the holographic puzzle that is!

Reflex sight: Enemies vunerable areas are highlighted in orange when you look down through the sight, such as the head of a Combine soldier. This feature is especially useful in the dark, especially when you encounter a headcrab.

Burst Fire: Double-tap the top button (B) on your weapon hand, to automatically fire off 3 bullets in quick succession. Just make sure you’re on target or you’ll be wasting 3 bullets!

Bullet Reservoir: Tired of running out of bullets and fumbling around reloading? The Bullet Reservoir allows you to store a second clip of 10 bullets (20 shots in total) inside your pistol without having to reload. Simply load 2 magazines as opposed to one. So, load the first clip and press the top button (B) to engage it, then eject the empty clip, then load your second clip.

Laser Sight: The laser sight increases accuracy, helping you track enemy targets without having to focus too much on manually aiming. It’s especially useful for taking out confined groups of enemies quickly. It's an expensive upgrade, but cruitial as you move further in to the game and the combat becomes more challenging.

Tip: I wouldn't upgrade to the Reflex Sight straight away, although this will probably be the only upgrade you can afford at the time. The Reflex Sight doesn't give you much more of an advantage - the only benefit is that it highlights enemies in the dark and their weak spots, a nice touch, but not essential. You’re better off just aiming down the normal barrel sight and wait until you have enough resin for the Laser Sight or Bullet Reservoir. It's a tough decision - The Laser Sight is great for accurately targeting the enemy and definitely assists in saving ammo, however, the Bullet Reservoir allows you to store more ammo, so less fumbling around when loading. The Bullet Reservoir was my choice.