Original Half-Life 2 vs RTX: A Comparison

Digital Foundry's YouTube channel has released an extensive hour-long video that delves into a detailed comparison between the original Half-Life 2 from 2004 and the upcoming remaster, Half-Life 2 RTX. This remaster, developed by Orbifold Studios, a team of seasoned modders, aims to significantly enhance the visual experience of the classic game. Utilizing NVIDIA's advanced tools, the project promises to introduce enhanced lighting, new assets, ray tracing, and support for DLSS 4, offering players a visually stunning upgrade. Importantly, this remaster will be available for free to those who already own Half-Life 2 on Steam, although a specific release date has yet to be announced.

Starting March 18, players will have the opportunity to experience 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 recently released trailer has already given fans a glimpse of the game's impressive ray tracing capabilities and the performance-enhancing DLSS 4 technology.

The video from Digital Foundry, which runs for a record-breaking 75 minutes, provides an in-depth analysis of gameplay footage from both Ravenholm and Nova Prospekt. The experts at Digital Foundry meticulously compare the remastered visuals with those of the original game, showcasing the substantial improvements achieved by Orbifold Studios.

Orbifold Studios is diligently working on integrating high-resolution textures, advanced lighting techniques, ray tracing, and DLSS 4 into Half-Life 2 RTX. While Digital Foundry's experts have been impressed with the results, they have noted some occasional frame rate drops in specific areas. Nevertheless, the overall transformation of the game is considered remarkable, effectively revitalizing this iconic title for a new generation of gamers.