4K Desktop Backgrounds and new loading screens!

Teeth · 04-09-20, 11:28

So I recently upgraded to a 4K TV and well, what better game to test it out than Tomb Raider II with Arsunt's upgrades?

I decided to take a screenshot from every level to use as desktop wallpaper, and I'm very satisfied with the results:

See the full album here

To download them all for your personal use, go to the three vertical dots in the top right corner and select "Download all"

But quite late into this project I realised these could come in handy for something else - while I adore that Arsunt added the PS1 loading screens back into the game, I don't think the upscaling really works as well for them as it does for other images. I also wanted a widescreen option. So I knocked these together:

New loading screens preview

The intention was to preserve the resolution of the original loading images, so these are 1080p only. You can download the lot (with and without text) here:

New loading screens zip file

These are free to use and edit however you please.

And yes, of course I will be taking screenshots from the Golden Mask levels next, what do you take me for?

tlr online · 04-09-20, 11:29

Thank you for posting Teeth.

Arsunt · 04-09-20, 11:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by Teeth

I don't think the upscaling really works as well for them as it does for other images

Other pictures were improved manually (some of them remade from scratch). Loading screens are improved with AI and some of my manual work. Don't forget that there are no high quality versions of these images, so it's difficult to upscale them recreating all the details. You can download all of them with TR2Main from here (see subfolders in the PIX folder).

Also loading screens presented in 3:2 aspect ratio only, so for 16:9 there are four strategies are possible

Stretch them wide, making Lara and everything on the picture fat and ugly.
Crop them top and bottom, losing important part of scene.
Letterbox them, adding black areas left and right (default TR2Main strategy).
Remaster them properly, wasting several months.

Strategy 4 is the best, but it's too time-consuming.

Teeth · 04-09-20, 12:51

Of course Arsunt, I was aware of everything you mention here and I didn't mean to disparage your efforts at all. I just thought this experiment might be a nice alternative to upscaling.

Kapu · 04-09-20, 16:12

Great screenshots! I'm in need of new desktop wallpapers and will definitely be using these.

And I like your take on the loading screens.

Teeth · 18-09-20, 20:20

Wallpapers from TR2 Gold are now live.

I absolutely adore the Golden Mask. I really wanted to take screenshots that showed off this expansion's colourful and unique skyboxes, but sadly Fool's Gold was the only level in which I could find a photogenic spot for this.

laracroftswest · 18-09-20, 21:48

Really nice work

SrDanielPonces · 20-09-20, 00:43

you are such a queen! wow

04-09-20, 11:28	#1
Teeth Archaeologist Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Bournemouth, Dorset, UK Posts: 1,969	4K Desktop Backgrounds and new loading screens! So I recently upgraded to a 4K TV and well, what better game to test it out than Tomb Raider II with Arsunt's upgrades? I decided to take a screenshot from every level to use as desktop wallpaper, and I'm very satisfied with the results: See the full album here To download them all for your personal use, go to the three vertical dots in the top right corner and select "Download all" But quite late into this project I realised these could come in handy for something else - while I adore that Arsunt added the PS1 loading screens back into the game, I don't think the upscaling really works as well for them as it does for other images. I also wanted a widescreen option. So I knocked these together: New loading screens preview The intention was to preserve the resolution of the original loading images, so these are 1080p only. You can download the lot (with and without text) here: New loading screens zip file These are free to use and edit however you please. And yes, of course I will be taking screenshots from the Golden Mask levels next, what do you take me for?

18-09-20, 20:20	#6
Teeth Archaeologist Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Bournemouth, Dorset, UK Posts: 1,969	Wallpapers from TR2 Gold are now live. I absolutely adore the Golden Mask. I really wanted to take screenshots that showed off this expansion's colourful and unique skyboxes, but sadly Fool's Gold was the only level in which I could find a photogenic spot for this. Last edited by Teeth; 19-09-20 at 11:28.

18-09-20, 21:48	#7
laracroftswest Professor Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Sunnydale Posts: 4,543	Really nice work __________________ Like a moth to a flame burned by the fire...

04-09-20, 11:29	#2
tlr online Administrator Join Date: Jun 2000 Posts: 58,820	Thank you for posting Teeth.

04-09-20, 12:51	#4
Teeth Archaeologist Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Bournemouth, Dorset, UK Posts: 1,969	Of course Arsunt, I was aware of everything you mention here and I didn't mean to disparage your efforts at all. I just thought this experiment might be a nice alternative to upscaling.

04-09-20, 16:12	#5
Kapu Professor Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Northwoods of Wisconsin Posts: 3,700	Great screenshots! I'm in need of new desktop wallpapers and will definitely be using these. And I like your take on the loading screens.

20-09-20, 00:43	#8
SrDanielPonces Relic Hunter Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Portugal Posts: 9,515	you are such a queen! wow