Half-Life fans will dust off the crowbar to embark on a new adventure with more realistic reflections. The 1998 classic has received a new mod that brings real-time ray tracing to the game.
Last year, modder sultim_t (Sultim Tsyrendashiev) unveiled the project, which is now available to download from GitHub and install to run with the original Half-Life on Steam.
Though Half-Life received a remake in the form of Black Mesa, sultim_’s initiative is more of a remaster like his other projects, adding ray tracing to other classics like the original Doom, Quake, and Serious Sam.
The ray-traced version of Half-Life still has elements that will remind you of a game from the 90s, but that gain an extra charm with the advanced reflections and detailed lighting.
For example, the laboratories within the Black Mesa facility have been given new life with brighter lighting. In addition, some rooms offer interesting scares, now with new elements thanks to energy shots.
To use the full version of the MOD with impeccable lighting, you need a more powerful PC. Even though Half-Life is an old game, to run the title with Ray Tracing in 4K resolution one of the requirements is the RTX 4090.
Even though we’re living in the age of remakes and remasters of classics, it’s always nice to see an unofficial project trying to inject new life into an acclaimed title like Half-Life.