Original Half-Life 2 vs. RTX: A Comparison

Digital Foundry's YouTube channel has released an extensive hour-long video that delves into the visual comparison between the iconic 2004 game, Half-Life 2, and its upcoming remaster, Half-Life 2 RTX. Developed by Orbifold Studios, a team renowned for their modding expertise, this remaster leverages NVIDIA's advanced technologies to deliver a visually stunning upgrade. Key enhancements include refined lighting, newly crafted assets, state-of-the-art ray tracing, and the integration of DLSS 4, which significantly boosts frame rates. Excitingly, this remaster will be available at no extra cost to those who own the original 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 offers access to two memorable settings from the game: the eerie, abandoned city of Ravenholm and the formidable Nova Prospekt prison. A recently released trailer has already given fans a glimpse of the remaster's impressive ray tracing and DLSS 4 capabilities, promising a smoother and more visually engaging experience.

The detailed 75-minute video from Digital Foundry provides an in-depth look at gameplay footage from both Ravenholm and Nova Prospekt, offering side-by-side comparisons that showcase the remarkable visual leap made by Orbifold Studios. The team's efforts on high-resolution textures, advanced lighting, ray tracing, and DLSS 4 integration have not gone unnoticed, with Digital Foundry's experts praising the overall transformation despite noting some minor frame rate issues in specific sections.

This remaster is poised to breathe new life into the legendary Half-Life 2, offering fans an opportunity to relive the game with cutting-edge graphics and performance enhancements.