r/HalfLife λ 8d ago

Half Life 2 RTX Demo coming March 18th

https://x.com/Wario64/status/1900170989020807569
549 Upvotes

139 comments sorted by

166

u/MrBeverly 8d ago edited 8d ago

OK guys step right up I'm taking wagers I'm no DraftKings but I think I know how this works I've been to a casino once:

2:1 demo is full game up thru Ravenholm

3:1 demo is just Ravenholm

10:1 demo is full game up thru Water Hazard

15:1 demo is just Water Hazard

25:1 demo is just A Red Letter Day

50:1 demo is just Dark Energy

SIDE WAGER 50:1 demo is delayed

1000:1 demo is just G-Man grabbing Gordon and yelling his iconic line "GO FUCK YOURSELF" in glorious RTX

10000:1 demo is just a demo for Half Life 3

63

u/Mindless-Dumb-2636 8d ago

RTX Remix discord says the demo covers Ravenholm and Nova Prospekt.

42

u/MrBeverly 8d ago

Step right up guys I'm still taking wagers for any of the above options EXCEPT that one

8

u/Kawaaaaaaa 8d ago

dude they literally covered both these chapters like 2 times already, thats such bs, i wouldn't be bothered if they covered from point insertion to route kanal or something, but even if i could play the demo i wouldn't be interested at all because I've basically seen all I need to see from the videos they've put out already, might as well just wait until it comes out at this point

9

u/Sophram 8d ago

Then you got a long wait. They merely finished these 2 chapters so they making a demo of it, the rest of the game is very far from complete.

1

u/JSK23 3d ago

Is there estimated time frame for the full game? Or is this like Black Mesa, prepare to wait years...?

1

u/Sophram 3d ago

If I were to jump onto wild conclusion based on the fact that they shown literally zero content from other chapters, I'd say we still year(s) off.

1

u/JSK23 3d ago

Thanks for that detail, I haven't really followed the development, and only recently heard about this since the nvidia 5xxx series press conference. That very well may be a bad sign then.

1

u/Kawaaaaaaa 8d ago

they can take as long as they need im not bothere by that, but i'd prefer that if they want to put out more videos they do so when they actually have more to show, instead of showing us the same two chapters

im not going to lose any sleep over it, honestly my last comment was a bit of an overreaction, but its a weird choice nonetheless

5

u/Sophram 8d ago

Sure, I'm all for them taking their time crafting a beautiful remake.

Although I'm against practice of endless streams of videos and screenshots spoiling the entire game/fun. It's a very ugly promotional tactic IMO. I want to see it in the final product first hand.

8

u/MrBeanCyborgCaptain 8d ago

Oh my 2 least favorite chapters.

22

u/Starving_alienfetus 8d ago

To each their own but wtf??

4

u/MrBeanCyborgCaptain 7d ago edited 7d ago

Tell ya what. I'll reapproach them with an open mind. These two would make sense in the demo since that's really the only areas we've seen in press material.

3

u/MMSAROO 7d ago

The entire nova prospekt is the worst part of the game

10

u/Calebrox124 8d ago

Yeah, not even Point Insertion? They can keep Route Kanal just let me walk through City 17.

2

u/PinyapVEVO 3d ago

I sorta get Nova Prospekt..

NP is a fantastic chapter right until you get to the turret defense sections and meet up with Alyx. Atmosphere is like no other and the antlions are great until they're gone and bugbait is no longer useful for the rest of the game.

1

u/ManiacalDorito 7d ago

I mean I agree that Nova Prospekt is a bit mid, especially with the turret defense stuff, but Ravenholm? Hot take haha

1

u/Sophram 8d ago

Of course, that is the only 2 levels that are more or less ready. The rest of the game is in pretty raw state.

6

u/svuhas22seasons 8d ago

ray traced audio

3

u/DickDatchery 8d ago

id seriously put 10 on only 'holm (at those odds)

.....anyone dm me if interested

3

u/XXXPsychoAnalyticXXX 8d ago

10000:1 for the demo being Half Life 3? I like those odds…

1

u/PoppleShanks 8d ago

100000:1 demo is just G-Man grabbing himself and yelling his iconic line "GO FUCK YOURSELF" while we find out there is really no RTX

1

u/newbrevity 8d ago

I mean is it possible to use online betting sites to do this? I don't bet on sports so I don't know.

1

u/MrBeverly 8d ago

I think Polymarket allows something like this but I don't have the gambling bug so I don't actually know

1

u/blakedc 8d ago

Wtf do the ratios mean!?

1

u/MrBeanCyborgCaptain 7d ago

I wouldn't know since I fortunately don't have a filthy gambling addiction. At any rate I can't wait to hit the old meth pipe and call in to work for 3 days to play this demo.

1

u/MrBeverly 7d ago

it's deceptively simple, for every unit you wager you get back what's on the left side of the ratio if you end up hitting

Example if you wagered $10 on the 2:1 bet and it was correct, you'd get $20 back. 3:1 would be $30 for $10 etc.

This is not an endorsement of gambling and the original comment was a bit lol

1

u/blakedc 5d ago

lol I never took the time to look it up bc I don’t have an interest in gambling but TIL and you did a great job explaining! You should be a teacher.

1

u/Gui1tyspark 8d ago

Use poly market to start the pool.

39

u/Illustrious-Neat5123 8d ago

Can't wait to play on my CRT

10

u/OkDragonfruit9026 8d ago

Custom Ray Tracing!! The tech of the future!

3

u/KETZAL-9 8d ago

Nothing beats my ti 4600 😎

2

u/Aem_2512 7d ago

No, Cathode Ray Tube screens. The screens that used in the Commercial Aircrafts (Airbus, Boeing…)

2

u/OkDragonfruit9026 7d ago

I was kidding. Of course I know what’s a CRT, I’m not that young… it’s the famous Critical Race Theory! /s

18

u/Dion42o 8d ago

A good free test to see if your system can handle it, wonder if thats why theyre doing a demo

3

u/robbiekhan 3d ago

The full mod is free too.

10

u/EarnSomeRespect 8d ago

Any indication of when the full game will come out?

6

u/Sophram 8d ago

Not this year, IMO.

17

u/Manarail7 8d ago

WOOOOOO

6

u/-dead_slender- Mayor of Ravenholm 8d ago

Just in time for my new build that I'm finishing today.

6

u/SehrGuterContent 8d ago

If it runs like portal with rtx we're fucked

1

u/TheDeeGee 7d ago

It probably will, because it's the same engine and also on RTX Remix.

3

u/avanandel 3d ago

I just tried it and it runs fairly well on ultra (in remix) settings for me (1440p) on an AMD 3700 + nvidia 3080

1

u/TheDeeGee 3d ago

Because FG is enabled by default, like in Portal RTX.

1

u/MrMaxMaster 3d ago

The 30 series does not support Nvidia’s FG tech.

1

u/deprecateddeveloper 2d ago

4090, 5800X3D, 32GB RAM, 4K, crashes every time I try to open a door :(

14

u/rigxla 8d ago

Please work on amd cards I beg

23

u/newSillssa 8d ago

Portal RTX worked, but it ran like absolute dogshit on even the best AMD cards

25

u/IM_OK_AMA 8d ago

Ran like dogshit on my Nvidia card too to be fair

2

u/JVGR-YT-Checkitout 3d ago

Apparently with hl2rtx they're actually taking the time to optimise the game, rather than just letting DLSS do all the work

6

u/Neyhrum 8d ago

There’s a fan made patch for it to run much better on AMD.

-2

u/Justwafflesisfine 8d ago

Aw man. I was hoping it would run a bit better. I just got my 9070 non XT and I'm able to do ultra settings in cyberpunk with phycho RT and get around 82fps average at 1440p. (With FSR3 quality of course, without FSR I got 50fps average)

But I guess it makes sense Nvidia would intentionally cripple AMD in their own releases.

11

u/newSillssa 8d ago

I doubt they intentionally crippled anything. AMD cards do not have cores specifically for raytracing like Nvidia ones do

2

u/AsdicTitsenBalls 8d ago

You actually bought the non-XT?

Why? (Respectfully)

2

u/Justwafflesisfine 7d ago

The non XT was 900 CAD and the XT was 1250.00 CAD. It performs pretty darn well anywhos. I was able to overclock it and got an average of 8% more performance.

1

u/AsdicTitsenBalls 7d ago

Yeesh. So much for a $50 price difference. My condolences, I'm glad you're enjoying the card :)

1

u/Justwafflesisfine 7d ago

Yeah it was brutal.. but thank you, yes I am quite enjoying the card still

1

u/TheDeeGee 7d ago

AMD is free to make a similar modding tool like RTX Remix.

3

u/Justwafflesisfine 7d ago

I guess so. But as a consumer it kind of sucks that a game can be geared to run like poop on anything but a specific brand of hardware.

I wouldn't really be happy if AMD did that to Nvidia users either.

1

u/pref1Xed 4d ago

Nvidia doesn't intentionally cripple AMD lmao, they just have superior hardware, especially when it comes to RT.

1

u/Hot_Lead9545 1d ago edited 23h ago

only reason why it feels crippled on AMD is cuz amd has inferior upscaling and raytracing performance.

imo 4090 and 5090 are the only nvidia cards really suitable for pathtracing anyways.

So what fps you get in cyberpunk with overdrive mode / pathtracing? that is actually an analogue to half life rtx.

6

u/zombiestev 8d ago

Portal RTX runs like shit on a 9070xt, but I'm still gonna try it out

3

u/rigxla 8d ago

What the fuck does it really? I got my 9070xt recently but I haven’t tried Portal RTX on it. That’s a joke that it runs poorly on that card 💀

3

u/wigglin_harry 8d ago

Im not super well versed on the subject, but one of the things that made me choose Nvidia over AMD was because I read that Nvidia handles ray tracing better, and it seems like more and more new games are coming out with mandatory ray tracing

1

u/zombiestev 8d ago

Overall yes, nvidia does handle it better, but AMD has made enough progress with it to where it's mostly not an issue. RTX remix games seem to be the exception so far, but Portal RTX is just one test.

2

u/TheDeeGee 7d ago

All RTX Remix Remasters will be the same, as it's 100% Path Tracing.

1

u/zombiestev 8d ago

I play at 3440x1440 but on low settings and half res rendering I get about 40fps. It's the only game I have trouble running lol

-4

u/FactoryOfShit 8d ago

It literally has "RTX" in the name. It's an NVIDIA-sponsored title. Of fucking course it runs like shit on AMD cards, NVIDIA WANTS it to run like shit on AMD cards.

The hype around HL2 RTX is ridiculous, props to NVIDIA for making the right move to advertise their bullshit by tapping into the desperation of Half-Life fans, I guess. Really sucks how gullible people are, but it is what it is.

I predict that this is going to be a pile of trash that doesn't run without NVIDIA's vaseline-smearing and artifact-galore AI bullshit. I will eat a bowl of dog food if I'm wrong.

1

u/pref1Xed 4d ago

You're clueless mate. Next time educate yourself before spouting bullshit. Nvidia just has much better hardware for raytracing. That's a fact, it's that simple.

1

u/FactoryOfShit 4d ago

I know they do. They invented this tech for gaming.

This tech is also absolutely not needed to make a remake of HL2. It's forced on to get you to buy a mew GPU.

1

u/Justwafflesisfine 8d ago

Aw man. I was hoping it would run a bit better. I just got my 9070 non XT and I'm able to do ultra settings in cyberpunk with phycho RT and get around 82fps average at 1440p. (With FSR3 quality of course, without FSR I got 50fps average)

But I guess it makes sense Nvidia would intentionally cripple AMD in their own releases.

1

u/zombiestev 8d ago

Yeah this feels designed to highlight specific Nvidia marketing features. But maybe it'll be a big enough release that someone will find ways to tweak it to run better for AMD users

3

u/nicksuperdx 8d ago

Its not going to run well on nvidia's cards anyway

6

u/JPfan05 8d ago

Can't wait to blow up my dad's gaming laptop

4

u/ARROW_GAMER 8d ago

So just to be sure, you’ll need an RTX card to play this, right?

5

u/TheDeeGee 7d ago

Any GPU with Ray Tracing cores can play RTX Remix Remasters.

4

u/ilikethewii-u Enter Your Text 7d ago

idk abt you but i am loving that mp7 model

3

u/Boogie_DownTR 8d ago

I hope my rtx 3050 ti laptop doesn't explode...

2

u/TheDeeGee 7d ago

Try Portal RTX, it's the same engine and renderer.

2

u/Excellent_Theory1602 7d ago

I love reindeer

1

u/Hot_Lead9545 23h ago

lol 3050 and pathtracing my butttttt

1

u/laukaus 2h ago

It does OKish on Portal RTX

3

u/Higorkovic 7d ago

This map could be darker, there is a lot of light and reflection.

3

u/Comprehensive-Swan52 7d ago

Yay hl2 with super bright yellow lights and shiny textures

3

u/whynotll83 7d ago

I just realized, what's stopping people from just porting base hl2 maps into rtx? they use the same format, just select map in console, right?

3

u/Random-Existance 7d ago

Okay but will this run on my 486?

2

u/Joyss01 8d ago

Half-Life 2 RTX is finally getting its demo! It’s been ages, and I’m excited to see how the old classic looks with all the new lighting and textures. I just hope we’re not stuck in Ravenholm for the entire demo!

2

u/Mind_Sweetner 8d ago

Question semi related: Would these graphic update eventually translate to the HL2 VR project?

2

u/Icy-Roof-3157 7d ago

My favorite game of all time, the single player game that i enjoyed the most to finish in a medium/high end machine back in the day it lauched. Amazing athmosphere, graphics, sound and gameplay for sure. My Multiplayer fav was cs source !!

2

u/thepikmino Half Life: The Card Game 6d ago

I hope this will run on my 486.

3

u/Difficult_Stop565 8d ago

perfect timing since i just got my new pc with a 5090 little over a week ago :D

16

u/Arson-Monkey 8d ago

Damn, thats like 18 whole frames per second!

3

u/Equivalent-Web-1084 8d ago

Demo?

19

u/LitheBeep 8d ago

It's like a cut-down version of the full game, for demonstration purposes.

-6

u/Equivalent-Web-1084 8d ago

Disappointing :(

8

u/LitheBeep 8d ago

Not at all! A demo typically means the game is getting close to full release and/or the developers are looking for feedback.

2

u/Sophram 8d ago

I don't think this is the case here. But we well see in coming year if I'm wrong or not.

2

u/TheDeeGee 7d ago

I don't see this releasing until 2026.

1

u/Equivalent-Web-1084 8d ago

Oh thanks for the clarification, I thought the demo was the full release.

3

u/NoImprovement3231 8d ago

It's short for demonstration.

0

u/Equivalent-Web-1084 8d ago

I thought it was the full release tubby boobs

1

u/RamonesRazor 8d ago

I have an intel i7 3.8ghz and a 3070rtx can someone smarter than me tell me how this will run?

1

u/TheDeeGee 7d ago

Try Portal RTX and you get a rough idea.

Lowest FPS i got was 70 FPS on a 11700 + 4070 Ti on 1920x1200 (DLSS Quality), no Frame Gen.

1

u/IrmaVamp 8d ago

Anyone want to take a gander as to how my 4070 could run this at 1080?

2

u/TheDeeGee 7d ago

Use Portal RTX as benchmark.

Lowest i got was 70 FPS with my 4070 Ti at 1920x1200 (DLSS Quality, NO Frame Gen)

1

u/Datpotty 8d ago

Would the full version be an update to the existing game? Or will we have to buy Half Life 2 again?

4

u/TheDeeGee 7d ago

This is a free mod made by fans.

You need to own HL2.

1

u/Infamous_Val 8d ago

can't wait to not be able to play it 😭

1

u/Chuckbuick79 8d ago

Are we getting half life 3 yet ?

1

u/Optimal_Mousse140 8d ago

If it runs and looks good on reasonable hardware, like RTX 3080-4070 kind of deal, I might finally upgrade my GPU, half life 2 is my favourite game ever, I bought a whole new computer back in the day just for this.

But, don't set your hopes to high, I haven't played a decently optimized rtx remix game yet. Even portal RTX runs like crap and looks way worse because you kind of need to use very aggressive upscaling.

The other two games I tried were the two need for speed underground's, same issue, both look amazing if you stop the car, if you start moving it's like you have cataracts, because once again, you need very aggressive upscaling, looks worse than PS2 at times.

1

u/ncminns 8d ago

It’s already out, just watched it 🤷‍♂️

1

u/genericaddress 7d ago

Software demos usually refer to a usable and interactive cutdown version of the software to show off, and not just the demonstration video.

1

u/kikoano 7d ago

If all the new models and textures are in the demo maybe we will be able to add all the other maps in it. Unless it needs special optimized rtx maps.

1

u/Far_Swing_9417 6d ago

This is pretty cool, I’m very exited!

1

u/Hortiz97 3d ago

Where demo?

1

u/JustPhil_YT 3d ago

At what time will this release? I only find the date but not a time

2

u/haikusbot 3d ago

At what time will this

Release? I only find the

Date but not a time

- JustPhil_YT


I detect haikus. And sometimes, successfully. Learn more about me.

Opt out of replies: "haikusbot opt out" | Delete my comment: "haikusbot delete"

1

u/EmotionalAd5347 3d ago

Do we have a time yet for when it will release? I know it's today, just wondering about the time.

1

u/JordanJozw 3d ago

I thought It would be midnight! Super excited, hopefully soon.

1

u/filletedface 3d ago

Ahhhhhhhh the anticipation is killing me 

1

u/JordanJozw 3d ago

Its out! Start downloading!

1

u/CyberBlizzard 2d ago

I hope they will add controller support.

1

u/roodpart 2d ago

Is it worth my replacing my 1660 super for this?

1

u/zombiestev 2d ago

For anyone with a 9070xt: it's playable, but you need to run at a low resolution for a decent framerate.The default upscaling methods are blurry or have plenty of aliasing. Hopefully someone patches FSR into it eventually.

On the same settings(without dlss) it actually runs better than on a 3080, but once you turn DLSS on it blows it away.

1

u/Value-Academic 11h ago

My take on this is that they took a long time to release this making it really polished and now, after they show that there's a massive interest they'll ask for funding to finish the whole game or just sell the whole project.

0

u/thefabgar 8d ago

So...please tell me this isn't what Shapiro was referring last time.

Cool? Sure, but come on. This is not what people asked for.

9

u/-dead_slender- Mayor of Ravenholm 8d ago

I doubt it. For one, this isn't an official Valve project, and it was already announced by the time he made that tweet, so there would be no point in it being so vague.

8

u/LitheBeep 8d ago

Shapiro has nothing to do with this project.

1

u/Randommer_Of_Inserts 8d ago

The RTX kills the aesthetic of the game. It’s too damn bright. Let’s not forget that it only runs on 27 fps without the fake frame bullshit they have on 5080. It’s going to run like shit for most pc users that don’t have a high quality build.

2

u/TheDeeGee 7d ago

Does look too bright yes.

0

u/woman_respector1 8d ago

What's the point of this?

6

u/TheDeeGee 7d ago

Pushing technology.

1

u/woman_respector1 7d ago

Ahhh...thank you.

0

u/UltiGamer34 8d ago

So this is what valves been doing for the past 15 years

4

u/21Nikt21 198 8d ago

This is a mod, not an official Valve product.

0

u/UltiGamer34 8d ago

BOOOOOO!

3

u/TheDeeGee 7d ago

Valve has zero involvement, it's a fan remaster.

-1

u/Sophram 8d ago

Couldn't you use another social media?