We’re nicely into an age of remasters, remakes and remake-quels, some value ready for (Silent Hill 2 involves thoughts), some not a lot (GTA: The Trilogy nonetheless hurts). However there are nonetheless many basic video games caught in limbo which might be awaiting the right touch-up they deserve, and Nvidia Remix is right here to try to fill that void.
Nvidia’s modding platform is now out within the wild, permitting modders to make use of Workforce Inexperienced’s RTX know-how to remaster basic PC video games utilizing DirectX 8 and 9. Principally, these outdated titles that struck a chord that we would like to return to, now with a visible overhaul becoming for contemporary graphics.
Now, it is not so simple as pushing a button in RTX Remix so as to add ray tracing, DLSS 4 and hyper-realistic graphics, as there’s nonetheless loads of work that goes into giving older PC video games a glow-up. But it surely does make the method of constructing a remaster for a bunch of favorites simpler.
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We have already seen the Half-Life 2 RTX demo in motion (and what a haunting visible improve that delivers), however what else is in retailer? Effectively, I wished to place this RTX 5080-equipped Acer Predator Orion 7000 gaming PC to work, and began attempting to find RTX Remix video games over on Steam — however you will not discover many there.
As an alternative, modders have been displaying off their wonderful RTX Remix remasters over on ModDB, letting avid gamers take a look at out their work on a few of my favourite classics: Star Wars: Republic Commando, Max Payne, Bioshock and lots extra.
These aren’t full-fledged releases, and it could be some time earlier than we see any of those titles come to be simply downloadable on Steam, even when they’re simply demos. However after seeing what RTX Remix can do firsthand, I can not wait to see these titles acquire a second life.
Head over to ModDB to search out RTX Remix video games presently accessible to check out, that are a part of an RTX Remix Mod Contest. However be warned: these require you to obtain and extract recordsdata in PC video games you personal, they usually will not all the time work. Via trial and tribulation, I solely managed to check out one sport, regardless of following set up directions from modders. These are nonetheless a piece in progress, however are constantly up to date. In case you’re used to placing mods in video games, strive these out!
Star Wars: Republic Commando RTX
(Picture credit score: Future / Tom’s Information)
That is the one (and solely) sport I used to be in a position to get operating, however I used to be glad to play all of it the identical. Star Wars: Republic Commandos unbelievably simply hit its twentieth anniversary, and regardless of its brief size, it is nonetheless my favourite Star Wars sport, nicely, ever (it helps that I am an FPS diehard).
From creator Chaos007, this RTX Remix mod for Star Wars: Republic Commando began out as a fast experiment to see what the tactical first-person shooter would seem like underneath all these RTX enhancements. However the demo is catching steam, and it actually brings out the shine that I keep in mind the sport having when it first launched.
Proper from the opening cinematic, I might clearly see the absolutely ray-traced lighting shining off the clones’ helmets and armor, solely to be additional impressed by the up to date droid fashions I used to be capturing down with the DC 17 Rifle, blasting beams of sunshine.
The panorama of the primary stage additionally obtained texture upgrades, making it look far brighter and dropping that uninteresting, unsaturated “brownness” we acquired loads of again when it was booming in lots of 2000s video games.
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(Picture credit score: Future / Tom’s Information)(Picture credit score: Future / Tom’s Information)(Picture credit score: Future / Tom’s Information)
It is not good, neither is it meant to be, since it is a challenge nonetheless being labored on. There have been patches of sunshine that did not add up, and a few of the visually old-looking explosions from droids did not mesh too nicely with the remainder of the upgraded textures. Plus, it solely works with the Tactical Visor Mode turned on, so no common helmet view right here.
However seeing the potential RTX visible overhaul Star Wars: Republic Commandos can get, it could fortunately return to steer my staff of weapons — I imply, commandos.
Max Payne Remix
Replaying Max Payne is sort of like a practice to me (even going by way of that dastardly Nightmare Maze). Falling in sluggish movement with its iconic Bullet Time and firing off rounds whereas wielding twin handguns by no means will get outdated. So, getting a glimpse of its RTX enhancements simply makes me extra excited for my near-annual replays.
This Max Payne RTX remaster comes from creator Noodle, with the mod being in full present in the course of the sport’s opening act. Together with RTX lighting giving the sport a extra trendy shine, there are up to date hand-crafted PBR (Bodily-Primarily based Rendering) supplies, basically bodily correct objects, together with a newly modeled and textured practice.
However bringing path-traced lighting into the fold provides Max Payne a extra reasonable glint. It does increase the general brightness of ranges, particularly the practice station, which can appear at odds with the sport’s total “darkish noir” vibe. However truly, it deepens the immersion, making these lifeless, illuminating lights all through the practice station appear extra dreary moderately than upbeat.
It continues to be labored on, with extra PBR supplies and the like deliberate to reach.
Want for Velocity: Underground RTX
Want for Velocity Underground RTX (Remix Mod Contest) – YouTube
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The work being performed on this Want For Velocity: Underground RTX mod is kind of merely unbelievable. I imply, it is the sport as I keep in mind it being, although the unique has not one of the extremely polished textures, natural-looking reflections beaming off the automobiles as they rev by way of a night-lit metropolis and total visible smoothness.
Regardless that it is over 20 years outdated (it was launched in 2003), creator alessandro893 has made it into a contemporary PC title that I’d be impressed by in as we speak’s requirements (not fairly the extent of Forza Horizon, however you catch my drift). The ray-traced visuals convey an extra component of realism to the sport, and racing by way of the streets is the modern-day nostalgia journey I crave.
To date, you will discover a utterly overhauled Chinatown to drive by way of, over 500 new PBR textures and 30 new extremely textured 3D fashions, like buildings and timber.
Portal 2 RTX
(Picture credit score: ModDB / skurtyyskirts)
I think about Portal 2 to be the proper sport, and even as we speak, I am nonetheless impressed by the visuals it gives regardless of it popping out in 2011. However I am all for up to date textures and ray tracing, and that is what this Portal 2 RTX remaster from creator skurtyyskirts goals to attain.
All the pieces will get the complete RTX therapy right here, with full path-traced lighting for bodily correct lighting and shadows all through all of the lethal Aperture Science testing labs. Nearly each asset will get a PBR materials overhaul and objects are utterly remastered with hand-crafted (just about crafted?) with AI upscaling.
There’s even high-fidelity, redesigned portal partitions to get enthusiastic about. I suppose what I am most enthusiastic about, although, is seeing a extremely textured GLaDOS imbued potato on the finish of my portal gun.
Bioshock RTX
(Picture credit score: ModDB / skurtyyskirts)
That opening shot of Rapture in Bioshock is iconic, and the identical creator of the Portal 2 RTX remaster, skurtyyskirts, together with watbulb, appears to offer that very same stage of awe with this Bioshock RTX remaster. But it surely additionally needs to make a extra stable-performing sport on PCs total.
It is nonetheless within the early phases, and there is not a lot to take a look at, however the duo goals to supply the identical full real-time path tracing with an entire PBR asset overhaul by using RTX Remix. So, as a substitute of utilizing an AI upscaler, the mod will use recreated property to supply a extra trendy tackle the sport. To date, that features the “grand halls of the Kashmir Restaurant to the smallest items of particles on the ocean flooring.”
Impressively, the mod additionally makes efficiency enhancements, unlocking the sport’s Havok physics engine, which has been locked at 15 FPS, and pushes it as much as 90 FPS. Plus, as acknowledged by the creators, the body charges have been pushed additional in areas of the demo, which attain as much as 350 FPS on an RTX 5080 at 1080p decision.
If these RTX Remix-enhanced PC video games break cowl and see a full launch on Steam, I will be throughout them. In case you can, strive them out and provides them some consideration, and hopefully, we’ll see much more titles get the RTX Remix therapy.
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