Half-Life 2 gets drop-dead gorgeous photorealistic remake
It's a work of art
Half-Life 2 fans have the chance to see the game born anew thanks to a stunning photorealistic remake.
This “genre-defining game” is already considered to be a beauty in terms of both its narrative and visuals.
Despite being released back in 2004, Half-Life 2 has an impressive 10 out of 10 score on Steam derived from over 100,000 reviews.
In short, it holds its own despite the ravages of time.
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Nevertheless, while no one would criticise this Valve game for its now dated graphics, that isn’t to say that fans aren’t eager to see a remake of the title.
Whether it’s to do with appealing to a new generation of gamers, or simply to improve on solid foundations, whatever the reasons, a remake is welcomed.
Here's the gameplay showcase for Half-Life 2 RTX
Such a remake is in the works, and received its first big showcase reveal at Gamescom 2024.
As part of a NVIDIA presentation, approximately 50 minutes of gameplay from Half-Life 2 RTX was seen for the first time.
This “community driven project” is being led by Orbifold Studios.
Over the course of this in-depth look at the project thus far, fans not only got to see the path tracing features close up, but they also saw the subtle changes to combat sequences.
Arguably, any Half-Life fan should check this out, even if you’re of the mindset that a remake isn’t necessary.
In addition to the ray tracing, it’s reported that Half-Life 2 RTX will support DLSS 3 Frame Generation.
By including this, the players using the RTX40 series will be able to further improve the game’s performance.
Understandably, the project is still a work in progress, with changes expected while the developers continue to prepare it for release.
That being said, initial feedback from the fandom is predominately positive.
“If only they could make the original Half-Life (not Black Mesa) look this good,” posted YouTube user HaraldQuake after watching the showcase.
“Fiiiiine, I'll play one of the best games ever made AGAIN,” joked MasteroChieftan.
As for the fans who still aren’t convinced, they mainly offered constructive criticism to ensure that the “greatest game ever released” isn’t tarnished in some way.
Without a release date mentioned, speculation estimates a 2025 launch. However, this might be a tad optimistic, so prepare for a longer wait than predicted.