While there might’ve been some skepticism over Nvidia RTX Remix, there’s merit in this project yet. Though it’s still a work in progress, the astonishingly good-looking Need for Speed: Underground RTX mod shows just how potent RTX Remix can be. And you can start playing it right now, to boot.
I’m not one to bemoan the current state of the Need for Speed franchise, as I genuinely feel that Unbound is on to something special. At the same time, though, there’s no denying that Underground, Underground 2, and Most Wanted were the heyday for the series, and it’s a real shame that there’s no official remaster or remake in tow. That’s where Alessandro893’s RTX Remix version of the original 2003 NFS: Underground comes into the picture. Don’t believe me? The neon speaks for itself, I feel.
Play the unofficial NFS: Underground RTX remaster today (version 0.3, though)
I’ll happily admit to being awestruck upon seeing NFS: Underground RTX Remix in action. This wonderful mod is already available for download and testing via ModDB, though it’s obviously unfinished and somewhat unstable. Setting it up isn’t the simplest thing in the world, either, but look at the featured gameplay video and tell me you’re not intrigued.
Crucially, Alessandro893’s RTX Remix of NFS: Underground isn’t just a new visual layer plastered on top of the original game’s old codebase. To begin with, you’re getting a fully ray-traced global illumination setup with ray reconstruction supported. All the textures have been tastefully upscaled, too, and the entire roster of in-game materials has been updated for pixel-based rendering (PBR). Combine all of this, and you get a game that could conceivably trade blows with some much newer titles. It’s not entirely photorealistic, but it sure as heck looks convincing in motion.
The creator also added over 1,000 additional light sources to Underground’s urban race tracks, fixed a bunch of bugs with the base game, and introduced DLSS support for those with lower-end rigs. I’d also recommend giving DLAA a shot if you want to toss pesky aliasing issues straight into the sun. To say nothing of the various high-poly meshes that have been added to the game. Or HDR support if you’ve got the hardware to display it.
Again, this is a relatively early iteration of the mod. Certain aspects of NFS: Underground are yet to be updated for the new render setup. Car headlights, for example, don’t currently cast shadows, which can stick out in certain scenes.
Regardless, I cannot recommend this mod enough. If you’re a fan of classic Need for Speed, you’re going to want to check it out even if you’re not keen on trying out something that’s still rather early in development. If this project ends up being successful, it’s only a matter of time before someone does something similar for Underground 2. And hey, if you’re into RTX Remix projects, don’t forget to look into mods for Unreal and Portal 2, both of which are trucking along as well.
Published: Jan 10, 2025 09:34 am