Original Half-Life 2 vs. RTX: A Comparison

Digital Foundry's YouTube channel has released an extensive hour-long video, delving into a detailed comparison between the original Half-Life 2 from 2004 and the upcoming remaster, Half-Life 2 RTX. Developed by Orbifold Studios, a group of seasoned modders, this remaster leverages NVIDIA's advanced tools to deliver a visually stunning upgrade. The project promises enhanced lighting, new assets, ray tracing, and the integration of DLSS 4 technology. Excitingly, Half-Life 2 RTX will be available for free to those who already own the classic game on Steam, although a specific release date has yet to be announced.

Starting March 18, players can get a taste of the remaster with a free demo, which will feature two memorable locations from the game: the eerie, abandoned city of Ravenholm and the foreboding Nova Prospekt prison. A recently released trailer showcased the impressive ray tracing and DLSS 4 capabilities, highlighting the significant boost in FPS performance.

The video, clocking in at a record-breaking 75 minutes, features in-depth analysis of gameplay footage from both Ravenholm and Nova Prospekt. Digital Foundry's experts meticulously compare the remastered visuals with the original, pointing out the substantial enhancements brought by Orbifold Studios.

Orbifold Studios is diligently working on high-resolution textures, advanced lighting techniques, ray tracing, and DLSS 4 integration for 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. Nonetheless, the overall transformation is nothing short of remarkable, revitalizing the iconic game and offering fans a fresh experience.