People expect every sequel to be better, but their "better" is a subjective one. And when you build an almost perfect game, what is better? Better becomes for many something else entirely, that is a new and completely different game, related only by name and characters to the original. And I don`t think this is right. Valve sure thinks this is right and that they should reinvent the wheel every time they release something. But they forget the main drive in HL was storytelling. Sure, the physics, graphics, AI completed the experience, but nobody plays a single player game just for that. I have over 200 hours playing Witcher 3, still not bored, doing basically, the same hack`n slash all RPGs have. It`s just storytelling and carefully detailed environment, animations, styles of combat that make it special. And that`s why I don`t get Alyx. I mean more that 10 years later and you make a game for like, I dunno, 5% of gamers who own VR, just to say it`s special? So you have revolutionized VR? Who cares? But do you have a great story, detailed environment and you can replicate that organic feeling that was present in all HLs? Then just make another FPS, this would be the minimum requirement for any HL, if it were to become another iconic game.