But depending on how much Half-Life you've drilled into your head over the past two decades, some details may be easier to spot than others. So much of Half-Life's story is told in the background, delivered via little bits of information and details picked up here and there, and Half-Life: Alyx is no exception. That means there aren't exactly a ton of 'Easter eggs' in Half-Life: Alyx the way you typically see the phrase used nowadays-most of the little 'references' are just… things you'd expect to see in a Half-Life game. You'd expect the latest installation of a game that hasn't seen a new entry in 12 years to have a lot of fanservice, but in keeping with typical Valve fashion, the writing is tight, original, and faithful to what came before. In the grand scheme of the Half-Life universe, spanning two major games, two episodes, and the Portal series, a lot has happened before Half-Life: Alyx's adventure takes place and a lot happens after. Half-Life: Alyx is set between the first Half-Life and Half-Life 2.