If you're a fan of Half-Life 2, you're in for a treat. Digital Foundry recently released an extensive hour-long video comparing the original 2004 classic with Half-Life 2 RTX, a highly anticipated remaster crafted using NVIDIA’s cutting-edge tools. Led by Orbifold Studios—a group of seasoned modders—the project promises jaw-dropping visual upgrades, such as enhanced lighting, brand-new assets, ray tracing, and support for DLSS 4. The best part? It'll be free for those who already own the original game on Steam, though an exact release date remains under wraps.

Mark your calendars for March 18, as a free demo will drop that day, letting you dive into two iconic locales: the eerie, abandoned city of Ravenholm and the grim Nova Prospekt prison. A recent trailer highlighted the game's impressive ray tracing capabilities and DLSS 4 technology, which dramatically improves frame rates.

The video itself clocks in at a staggering 75 minutes, with experts diving deep into gameplay footage from both Ravenholm and Nova Prospekt. They meticulously contrast the remastered visuals with the originals, showcasing the incredible enhancements achieved by the modding team.

Orbifold Studios is hard at work refining high-resolution textures, advanced lighting, ray tracing, and seamless DLSS 4 integration. While the experts at Digital Foundry were thoroughly impressed, they did note occasional frame rate dips in select areas. Nevertheless, the overall transformation is nothing short of extraordinary, reviving one of gaming's most beloved titles.