This classic retro zombie game just got a glossy Nvidia RTX makeover

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Left 4 Dead 2's No Mercy looks... shiny.

Valve's 2009 first-person shooter Left 4 Dead 2 remains a classic of the zombie genre despite initial controversy over its release so soon after the original game. If you're in the mood for some nostalgia, now you can relive one of the most iconic parts of the game with modern graphics thanks to a fan-made mod using NVIDIA's RTX Remix.

Developed by Nostalgia Drive Team, the mod focuses on the No Mercy campaign, revamping the visuals with more realistic lighting and high-resolution PBR materials powered by a custom RTX Remix build by Xorxor4d (see our guides to game development software and the best laptops for game development if you're getting started yourself).

Nostalgia Dream Team sees the release as a first step toward a full RTX Remix remaster of Left 4 Dead 2. Since RTX Remix can't capture in-game lights, all lighting for the remix was recreated manually. The result is a dark, atmospheric look intended to preserve the essence of the original campaign.

Open-sourced last year, Nvidia's RTX Remix allows modders to create modern remasters of classic games with advanced graphics technologies like full ray tracing, DLSS, and AI-powered tools.

Users can capture game assets, enhance textures with generative AI, relight scenes with path tracing, and update models with physically based rendering. Other projects include the Half-Life 2 RTX remake and BioShock.

The Left 4 Dead 2 has generated mix responses so far. Some love the glossy new look while others think the textures look too smooth, and some suggest older games are better candidates for RTX Remix. What do you think?

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Joe Foley
Joe Foley
Freelance journalist and editor

Joe is a regular freelance journalist and editor at Creative Bloq. He writes news, features and buying guides and keeps track of the best equipment and software for creatives, from video editing programs to monitors and accessories. A veteran news writer and photographer, he now works as a project manager at the London and Buenos Aires-based design, production and branding agency Hermana Creatives. There he manages a team of designers, photographers and video editors who specialise in producing visual content and design assets for the hospitality sector. He also dances Argentine tango.

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