Original Half-Life 2 vs. RTX: A Visual Comparison

Digital Foundry’s YouTube channel has released an extensive hour-long video that dives deep into the visual comparison between the original Half-Life 2 from 2004 and the upcoming remaster, Half-Life 2 RTX. Developed by Orbifold Studios, a seasoned team of modders, this project aims to significantly enhance the game's visuals with cutting-edge technology from NVIDIA. The remaster boasts improved lighting, new assets, ray tracing, and support for DLSS 4, promising a visually stunning experience for fans. Importantly, Half-Life 2 RTX will be available for free to those who own the original game on Steam, though an exact release date has yet to be announced.

Starting March 18, players can get a taste of what's to come with a free demo. This demo will let you explore two iconic settings: the eerie, abandoned city of Ravenholm and the formidable Nova Prospekt prison. A recently released trailer has already given a glimpse into the game's advanced ray tracing and DLSS 4 technology, showcasing significant boosts in FPS performance.

The video from Digital Foundry runs for a record-breaking 75 minutes, featuring detailed analyses of gameplay footage from both Ravenholm and Nova Prospekt. The experts meticulously compare the remastered visuals to the original, underlining the dramatic enhancements brought by Orbifold Studios.

Orbifold Studios is meticulously crafting Half-Life 2 RTX with high-resolution textures, advanced lighting, ray tracing, and DLSS 4 integration. While Digital Foundry’s experts were impressed by the transformation, they did note occasional frame rate drops in certain areas. Nevertheless, the overall impact on Half-Life 2 is nothing short of remarkable, revitalizing the iconic game for a new generation of players.