Half-Life 2 is looking positively gorgeous with a new path-tracing mod that allows the legacy shooter to reach the visual heights of current-gen titles.
The mod was designed by Igor Zdrowowicz with Nvidia RTX Remix which allows modders to add path tracing to older PC titles which can result in some serious visual flair. Nvidia RTX Remix runs on Valve’s Source Engine, much like Half-Life 2 which makes it extremely compatible with the game. Zdrowowicz shared comparison photos of Half-Life 2 with path tracing on and off and the difference is staggering.
The modder is regularly updating his Twitter account with stunning images of Half-Life 2 with RTX Remix applied and has even posted a full gameplay that shows how it deviates and adapts to various surroundings and locations. Some of the character models are a little rough around the edges, but the lighting, textures, and finer details on weapons have all received a massive visual overhaul.
The results of RTX were first displayed in another classic Valve title, Portal, which completely reimagined and upscaled the game in a free update. Zdrowowicz used Portal with RTX as a jumping-off point for his own Half-Life 2 mod but Nvidia has recently released the RTX runtime as open source on GitHub to make the process more accessible.
The mod is still very much a work in progress with Zdrowowicz posting regular updates to his YouTube channel, given how good the game looks in its early state, there’s no telling how much of an upgrade Half-Life 2 receives when it officially releases. RTX Remix Creator is entering an early access period soon which could mean more high-quality overhauls of classic PC titles are on the horizon.
What do you think of the Half-Life 2 Path Tracing Mod?
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