The series' main divergence from that of the original is the introduction of original self-aware AI characters, who despite the name of the series, are performed by other improv actors. Half-Life VR but the AI is Self-Aware loosely follows the events of the original Half-Life, albeit with a much more humorous tone, with main character Gordon Freeman (played by series host WayneRadioTV) accidentally causing a Resonance Cascade and exploring Black Mesa to try to escape (and later undo his actions). On May 31, 2020, a sequel, AI Crushes All Banks was streamed as part of a charity drive, set in Payday 2, in which the main cast begins a bank robbing spree across the city of Washington DC. On May 12, 2020, a cast commentary series began being uploaded to the WayneRadioTV YouTube channel. The series was met with positive reception by critics. The series, live streamed to Twitch with highlights later uploaded to YouTube, follows Gordon Freeman accompanied by the Science Team (controlled by other improv actors) as they traverse (loosely) the events of the original Half-Life game. Half-Life VR but the AI is Self-Aware (often abbreviated as HLVR:AI) is a role-playing themed livestream and Machinima series staged within a virtual reality Garry's Mod recreation of the video game Half-Life.
