Digital Foundry's YouTube channel has released an extensive, hour-long video that delves into a comparison between the original Half-Life 2 from 2004 and the highly anticipated Half-Life 2 RTX remaster, developed by Orbifold Studios using NVIDIA's cutting-edge tools. This team of seasoned modders is set to revolutionize the visual experience of the game with enhancements such as upgraded lighting, fresh assets, full ray tracing, and support for DLSS 4 technology. Excitingly, Half-Life 2 RTX will be available at no cost to those who already own the original on Steam, although an official release date has yet to be announced.
Starting March 18, players will have the opportunity to try out a free demo of Half-Life 2 RTX, which will feature two of the game's most memorable settings: the eerie, abandoned city of Ravenholm and the formidable Nova Prospekt prison. A recent trailer has already given fans a glimpse into the remaster's stunning ray tracing effects and the performance enhancements offered by DLSS 4, promising a smoother gameplay experience.
The detailed analysis video, which clocks in at a record-breaking 75 minutes, showcases gameplay footage from both Ravenholm and Nova Prospekt. Digital Foundry's experts meticulously dissect the visual upgrades, consistently comparing the remastered version to the original to underscore the substantial improvements made by Orbifold Studios.
Orbifold Studios is diligently working to integrate high-resolution textures, sophisticated lighting systems, ray tracing, and DLSS 4 into Half-Life 2 RTX. While Digital Foundry's experts have acknowledged minor frame rate drops in some areas, the overall transformation of the game is nothing short of spectacular, rejuvenating the iconic Half-Life 2 for a new generation of gamers.
