Ray-Tracing to Revamp Old Games

Ray-tracing may be all well and good for making games like Battlefield 5 look a little less boring. But its best application thus far is in revamping old games like Quake 2. Path tracing has been utilized to make the classic FPS look almost new. Quake 2 RTX also has over 3,000 Q2XP mod-pack textures, adds global illumination, real-time reflections, dynamic lighting and so on. However, the potential for ray-tracing to update games for a new generation (at least those with RTX cards) is immense.

Real-time ray tracing is coming to MachineGames’ Wolfenstein: Youngblood. It was recently confirmed that the first person shooter would support Nvidia’s RTX technology along with Adaptive Shading for improved fidelity. Check out the short gameplay trailer below, which features some fast-paced movement and combat (much like another recent trailer).

Wolfenstein: Youngblood takes place in the 1980s, with B.J. Blazkowicz having gone off on his own. His twin daughters, Jessica and Sophia, seek to find him, traveling to Paris to do s, where they will also assist the French Resistance in their war against the Nazis. This will be the first game in the franchise to support co-op.

However, it’s still possible to play entirely solo, as an AI partner will assist you on your journey should you wish to do so. The involvement of Arkane Studios of Dishonored fame also means more open-ended exploration and the ability to tackle various missions in any order. Wolfenstein: Youngblood is out on July 26th for Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch, and PC. Stay tuned for more updates and gameplay, especially with Bethesda’s E3 presser coming up.