Digital Foundry's YouTube channel has released an extensive hour-long video that delves into a detailed comparison between the original Half-Life 2 from 2004 and the upcoming Half-Life 2 RTX remaster. This project, spearheaded by Orbifold Studios, a team of seasoned modders, aims to revolutionize the visual experience of the classic game. They are leveraging NVIDIA's advanced tools to introduce significant enhancements such as improved lighting, new assets, ray tracing, and DLSS 4 support. Excitingly, this remaster will be available for free to those who already own Half-Life 2 on Steam, although a specific release date has yet to be announced.
Starting March 18, players can get a taste of what's to come with a free demo that will allow them to explore two iconic settings: the eerie, abandoned city of Ravenholm and the formidable Nova Prospekt prison. A recently released trailer has already given fans a glimpse of the game's impressive ray tracing capabilities and the performance-enhancing DLSS 4 technology.
The video, which clocks in at a record-breaking 75 minutes, features experts from Digital Foundry who meticulously analyze gameplay footage from both Ravenholm and Nova Prospekt. They provide side-by-side comparisons of the remastered visuals against the original, showcasing the dramatic visual upgrades achieved by Orbifold Studios.
Orbifold Studios is diligently working on integrating high-resolution textures, advanced lighting techniques, ray tracing, and DLSS 4 into Half-Life 2 RTX. While Digital Foundry's experts were impressed with the results, they did note some occasional frame rate drops in specific areas. Nevertheless, the overall transformation is nothing short of remarkable, effectively breathing new life into this legendary game.
