Comparing Original Half-Life 2 to RTX Version

Digital Foundry's YouTube channel recently unveiled a comprehensive, hour-long video comparing Valve's 2004 classic, Half-Life 2, with Half-Life 2 RTX, an ambitious remaster spearheaded by Orbifold Studios. This team of seasoned modders, leveraging NVIDIA's powerful tools, promises a stunning visual overhaul. Expect significantly enhanced lighting, entirely new assets, breathtaking ray tracing, and a performance boost courtesy of DLSS 4 support. Best of all? This remaster will be free for existing Steam owners of the original Half-Life 2, though a release date is yet to be announced.

A free demo, launching March 18th, will offer players a taste of the enhanced experience, featuring two beloved locations: the eerie, abandoned city of Ravenholm and the imposing Nova Prospekt prison. A previous trailer showcased the impressive ray tracing and DLSS 4 technology, promising smoother frame rates.

Digital Foundry's in-depth, 75-minute video meticulously dissects gameplay footage from both Ravenholm and Nova Prospekt, providing a detailed side-by-side comparison of the original and remastered visuals. The dramatic improvements achieved by Orbifold Studios are readily apparent.

Orbifold Studios' dedication to high-resolution textures, advanced lighting techniques, ray tracing, and DLSS 4 integration is evident. While Digital Foundry's experts praised the remarkable transformation, they did note some minor frame rate inconsistencies in specific areas. However, the overall visual upgrade is undeniably impressive, breathing new life into this legendary title.