Portal: Prelude RTX

Portal: Prelude RTX emerges as a significant evolution of a beloved fan creation, breathing new life into the Portal universe with cutting-edge graphics technology. Released on July 18, 2023, this title is a remaster of the popular 2008 mod, *Portal: Prelude*. The project was developed and published by the original mod's creators, Nicolas 'NykO18' Grevet and David 'Kralich' Driver-Gomm, in a notable collaboration with NVIDIA. This partnership facilitated the integration of advanced features that redefine the visual experience of the classic prequel story. The game is available as a free download on Steam for owners of the original *Portal*. The narrative of *Portal: Prelude RTX* serves as an unofficial prequel to the events of the original *Portal*, set in an era before the menacing GLaDOS came to power. Players step into the role of Abby, a test subject in the Aperture Science facilities, and navigate a series of nineteen challenging new test chambers. The story unfolds with fully voiced characters, a departure from the robotic voices of the original mod, offering a more immersive origin story for one of gaming's most iconic settings and antagonists. The campaign is estimated to provide between eight to ten hours of gameplay, featuring advanced mechanics that test the skills of even veteran *Portal* players. The most prominent feature of *Portal: Prelude RTX* is its comprehensive graphical overhaul, powered by NVIDIA's RTX Remix technology. This remaster introduces full ray tracing, also known as path tracing, which dramatically enhances the game's lighting and reflections to a level of realism that rivals modern AAA releases. To counteract the performance demands of such advanced rendering, the game implements NVIDIA's DLSS 3, an AI-powered upscaling technology designed to boost frame rates. A groundbreaking addition to this release is the debut of NVIDIA's RTX IO, a GPU-accelerated storage technology. RTX IO is engineered to significantly reduce texture load times and decrease CPU utilization by leveraging the power of the graphics card for data decompression. This results in a much smoother gameplay experience with faster loading between levels. Digital Foundry's analysis revealed that RTX IO could cut loading times by approximately 50%. The remaster also boasts hundreds of new and upgraded materials and assets, further enriching the visual fidelity of the Aperture Science laboratories. Despite its technological advancements, the reception for *Portal: Prelude RTX* has been mixed. While many have lauded the impressive visual upgrade and the ambition of the project, some players have encountered performance issues, even on high-end hardware. The difficulty of the puzzle design, a legacy of the original 2008 mod, has also been a point of contention for some players. Nevertheless, the release stands as a remarkable showcase of the potential of NVIDIA's RTX Remix tools, demonstrating how modders can breathe new life into classic titles. It serves as a testament to the enduring creativity of the modding community and its ability to push the boundaries of game preservation and enhancement.