Resident Evil 2 Remake looks even more horrifying with raytracing
A work in progress mod overhauls lighting and shadows to brilliant effect.
If you thought Resident Evil 2 Remake needed to be a little spookier, then you should keep an eye on a new work-in-progress raytracing mod, which overhauls lighting and shadows to give the game a much darker feel.
You can watch a side-by-side comparison between the base game and the modded version above, courtesy of Massihancer, who has also made a raytracing mod for Doom 2016. The film grain effect won't be for everyone, but I love how light sources cast less of a glow, leaving more of the room in darkness, and how the new shaders seem to pick out environmental details more clearly. It's most obvious at 1:57, when Leon casts a torch over a ravaged zombie's face.
To achieve it, Massihancer adopted a "double contrast" technique using a combination of global illumination shaders, filmic effects and enhanced reflections. That includes using RT Shaders, the work of another modder, Pascal Gilcher. Massihancer also utilized ambient occlusion to add new shadows, including for Leon's hair and body.
There's no word yet on when the mod will be out—Massihancer is waiting for the final release of Gilcher's shaders first, which are currently in beta.
As a reminder, Resident Evil 3 Remake is out next week. Here's everything you need to know.
Thanks, PCGamesN.
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Samuel Horti is a long-time freelance writer for PC Gamer based in the UK, who loves RPGs and making long lists of games he'll never have time to play.