To recap - late last year, NVIDIA announced a RTX Remix modding tool, which when complete, aimed to provide universal modding capability, to any game running Direct X 8/9. More than that, it also aimed to offer real time raytracing, texture scaling and other shiny bells and whistles for modders to explore. Since then, we've seen Portal with RTX, and the critically acclaimed Portal: Prelude mod release - giving us a glimpse at what RTX is capable of when applied to classic games.
Today at Gamescom, alongside a whole host of DLSS 3.5 and other tech improvements, one in particular caught our eye, which was the formation of an all-star modding team - to take on Half-Life 2 RTX. Given this is a graphical overhaul, lets get straight to the comparision pictures.
The project is being worked on by 4 former modding teams, who combined are calling themselves Orbifold Studios. They include:
- Project 17 - a mod recreating the first chapter of Half-Life 2 in VR, while also bringing the visual quality up to current-generation standard.
- Half-Life 2 Remade Assets - a project setting out to recreate assets used across Half-Life 2 with high fidelity graphics and physically accurate properties.
- Half-Life 2 VR - a mod that allows players to experience Valve's 2004 PC gaming classic in virtual reality.
- Raising the Bar: Redux - a cut-content total conversion mod for Half-Life 2, bringing old-school ideas to life with a fresh art style and revitalised combat.
If these early screenshots are anything to go by, we cannot wait to see what the final product is, and jump back into Black Mesa. Finally, lets finish with a video from the announce.
If you are interested to learn more, head to the official HL2RTX site. It's worth mentioning Orbifold Studios is looking to recruit talented artists and modders from the community to work on this ambitious community remaster.
We're curious to ask, but are others from the modding community started considering RTX Remix for your future projects?
We don't need that RTX remix Nvidia sponsored sh*t .
It will just run terribly with Nvidia GPUs and will almost not be playable with Non Nvidia ones.
Just port HL2 to the new Source 2 engine ( maps + new assets ), and get similar or same visual quality with far more better compatibility and performances, showcasing the beauty of a fresh, brilliant, and evolved engine, instead of a poorly made RTX makeup layer.
Period.
Agreed. Its being more of a gimmick to try and bait people to get Nvidia cards (which are ridiculous overpriced thanks to scalpers and Nvidia not taking any action, heck they encourage it just like Intel releases overpriced CPUs with very little changes) and as you said, will likely run terribly. Furthermore, RTX remix doesn't even seem legal in some cases. What if someone uses this tool to mod a game that the company deems forbidden or if they are planning on making a remaster and someone uses this tool to release their own. Seems like it can lead to legal issues with certain game publishers who dont want their games tampered with.
Edit:
There is someone working on a Steam release to port Half Life 2 to Counter Strike Global Offensive's engine (same person who made Half Life 2 Update), which would run far better than this RTX version and make modding easier because you wont need an Nvidia RTX card. Which is why most of us are here for, modding.
There's nothing illegal about RTX Remix.
Did you not read my comment about the remaster part, or even at all. Some games consider certain parts of their games to be "trade secrets" or their own secrets in making successful games. Since RTX Remix exposes parts of the game that weren't meant to be modded, this could be considered illegal if the company deems.
You have no idea what you're talking about.
RTX Remix loads on top of the original game as another renderer, it doesn't modify any existing game assets.
Only time will tell. Many claim what Nvidia pitches to be far-fetched. You cant just magically make a 32-bit game turn 64-bit without modifying it in some way.
It doesn't make 32bit games 64bit. It's literally just a new graphical layer, it doesn't touch any files or assets.
"NVIDIA RTX Remix: Create & Share #RTXON Mods For Classic Games ... converting 32-bit/x86 code to modern x64 code, to insert ray tracing"
Nvidia.com
Seems you don't know what you're talking about.
You need to learn how to read. That doesn't say Remix converts the game to 64 bit.
The custom Vulkan renderer that loads on top is 64bit. Which is external, it doesn't modify any game files.
"And if you wish to add true ray tracing (instead of screen space mods), there are several insurmountable barriers: classic games are 32-bit and don’t support ray tracing; 32-bit programs can only use a max of 3GB of RAM, which isn’t enough for the high-res, enhanced assets needed to take full advantage of ray tracing; ray tracing APIs don’t exist for older iterations of DirectX; converting 32-bit/x86 code to modern x64 code, to insert ray tracing support, requires incalculable amounts of time without source code"
This is one of the main features of RTX Remix, to add real ray-tracing. So how do you propose it does all this, I see what your saying but you dont provide any links.
Portal with RTX, an RTX Remix project which was released last year on Steam, does not run on 64bit, you can check yourself by running it and finding the exe (hl2.exe) in the task manager. It will say 86x instead of 64x.
Github.com
"This repo contains the NVIDIA RTX Remix Bridge client and server components required for enabling a 32-bit game to interact with the 64-bit Remix Runtime dll."
"converting 32-bit/x86 code to modern x64 code, to insert ray tracing support, requires incalculable amounts of time without source code" Which is why they are not doing that. Just take the L man
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The devs have said they'll be releasing all the new assets made for the RTX version for free along side its release.
Thats not what Im talking about. Its the fact the RTX Remix gives access to modify games in a way that the developers didn't intend to happen.
Huh? You're replying to the wrong comment. That one wasn't directed at you.
No, I'm responding back.
Edit:
You changed your message and now it makes sense.
But you said
"Thats not what Im talking about."
Implying I was responding to you.
The initial comment was always directed at G0rdon.
The way moddb lays out comments can make it confusing.
My mistake, couldn't tell based on how the comments are structured.
Ray tracing is cool, but why the hell there a puddle in the middle of the room?
I blame Lamarr
impressive results with rtx! can my geforce 1650 handle the rtx graphics?
only works on rtx cards :(
What will be with game FPS with all the changes?
Will you remaster the Episodes, too?
An advertising gimmick.
See how careful they were not to mention *any* of the work they've done besides the ray-tracing?
NVIDIA desperately want us to think that this is all the work of the one gaming feature they beat AMD on, which can simply be switched on and off to completely transform the look of games,
instead of focusing on the frankly insulting prices on their newest 4000 series lineup.
At least for this generation, go AMD and skip NVIDIA's bulls***.
The 6800 XT blows away anything NVIDIA has from a value proposition.
Need more people to mention information like this. Nvidia themselves have become just like Intel and the scalpers.
GPU prices in general are asinine anymore, I'm still using a 970 and aside from a few triple A showboat games it still runs everything fine at 1080p. I'm done with PC upgrades until the prices are reasonable, and if they never are then I'm done with PC gaming.
Luckily, most newer games aren't good and are cash grabs so I dont need to upgrade my GPU anytime soon either. Old games that I have modded benefit more from faster CPUs.
Are there also new textures? Because it looks like that. I wonder how the comparisons are with the same textures.
For people that are confused about this tool it's basically like reshade
ReShade + new textures/models. No need for an RTX card. **** Nvidia with their insane prices.
Raytracing is a great thing. For shadows, light, glass, liquids etc... but the power costs. My RTX draws 180-200 watts per second. I can't afford that in Germany. Were the AKW's shut down and the price goes steadily higher.
Otherwise, I would deal with RTX Games and mods for a long time.
With in combination HL Xash RTX, Doom RTX, Quake 2.
I've complained a few time to Nvidia. Ripp of merchants. Using Remix to re sell games. Not updating shaders for free.