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Horizon Forbidden West - Digital Foundry Tech Review - A PS5 Graphics Masterclass

Heisenberg007

Gold Journalism
The amount of different environments is really impressive and other devs should take notes here. Compare this to something like Halo: Infinite and the amount of work put into HZ really stands out.
mSAmr2B.jpg
 

Heisenberg007

Gold Journalism
But still no water physic with deformable geometry when Aloy walk/ swim in it ? Only ubisoft knows to do properly this kind of water!!! I hate shaders based ripples so much!!!!!
Watch the video. There is plenty of water physic -- water ripple effects when Aloy is in, stream of water being different than water in an ocean, dynamic foam creation, water hitting rocks, etc. John dedicated a big chunk of the video to just talk about water physics, and it's excellent.
 

BadBurger

Many “Whelps”! Handle It!
I don't know what you did read, but this is what DF writes about:
However, curiously, similar to Forza Horizon 5, the choice between gaming at 30fps and 60fps may not be as straightforward as it sounds. While 60fps may seem like the obvious choice bearing in mind the 2160p vs 1800p checkerboard difference, it's actually the case that the graphical quality is far richer in the 30fps mode. Both myself and Rich Leadbetter (who also played the game) opted to play at 30fps. Double the frame-rate is nice, but you're missing out on a decently-sized chunk of the next-gen (current-gen?) experience. Whichever way you choose to play, however, we highly recommend that you buy this game.

I would be really happy if it was just lower res, but unless they are lying (on a thing that would be visible by others and that would harm their image), it's like I reported. They even say that's "far" richer, so it doesn't even look a negligible thing.
I'm sure it will be a looker anyway even at 60 fps, tough.

I watched their entire video on my new 32" 4K computer monitor at my desk so I could compare things up close (rather than seven or eight feet away on my living room TV) - and the quality mode was very noticeable. The level of detail in objects drop drastically as distance grows, the shadows are worse even up close, and overall things just look slightly (slightly) washed out in comparison.

So count me as one who will probably be exploring in quality mode, then switching over to performance when it's get busy time.
 

luca_29_bg

Member
Watch the video. There is plenty of water physic -- water ripple effects when Aloy is in, stream of water being different than water in an ocean, dynamic foam creation, water hitting rocks, etc. John dedicated a big chunk of the video to just talk about water physics, and it's excellent.

I watched it and it doesn't look like it has deformable geometric ripple when Aloy walk in it, like assassin's creed odyssey, for example, am i wrong ? o_O
 
“I don’t like thing.”


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I think the issue here is that the main criticism was that the game is to colorful and not the opposite. Some people even said they gave it a colorful art style because it makes rendering easier. Something that I don’t really understand after seeing the results. In my opinion it’s even more colorful than the first game.

Which is why I didn’t really understand your argument unless you wanted the game to look like something like Windwaker.

video games ww GIF
 

Bo_Hazem

Banned
People who were disappointed that GOW and HFW are not full next gen ( now current gen) game, after seeing this, how much you have changed your opinion?

Personally I never cared that much and most probably full current gen game will not look that better at this time anyway due to less production time. Maybe by 2024 or 2025 we will have games that will push Series X and PS5 to its full potential.

The games look crazy good, exceeding anything we've seen so far, but that doesn't mean crossgen and PS4 CPU didn't hurt the game vision and design. I support Sony now seeing how they struggle to make enough PS5, despite it's available here with fair prices (msrp+2 games of your choice+only media remote is shit if you don't use it). Not sure if those bundles are relatively as easily available as here, one perk of small population.
 

Heisenberg007

Gold Journalism
The games look crazy good, exceeding anything we've seen so far, but that doesn't mean crossgen and PS4 CPU didn't hurt the game vision and design. I support Sony now seeing how they struggle to make enough PS5, despite it's available here with fair prices (msrp+2 games of your choice+only media remote is shit if you don't use it). Not sure if those bundles are relatively as easily available as here, one perk of small population.
I was pissed as hell when GOW and HFW were announced as cross-gen games. But now I, too, understand.

If they were targeting a user base of ~20 million users (instead of ~125 million users), the game scope would have been severely limited. You can't produce such blockbuster games at a cost of $150-$200 million and then sell it to a user base of ~20 million.

That would have negatively affected the ROI and might even jeopardize the future of certain franchises.

If we are getting games this ambitious (not necessarily in terms of game design, but the world, visuals, missions, small details, voice acting, etc.) that's because of its high budget and potential high sales and profits. I'm fine with it.
 
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Elog

Member
Why didn't John show off the graphical differences between performance and quality? He only touched on resolution.
He does. Why do you write that? You would like him to do more of the comparison? I felt it was rather comprehensive with a lot of screen vs screen next to each other.
 
I was pissed at hell when GOW and HFW were announced as cross-gen games. But now I, too, understand.

If they were targeting a user base of ~20 million users (instead of ~125 million users), the game scope would have been severely limited. You can't produce such blockbuster games at a cost of $150-$200 million and then sell it to a user base of ~20 million.

That would have negatively affected the ROI and might even jeopardize the future of certain franchises.

If we are getting games this ambitious (not necessarily in terms of game design, but the world, visuals, missions, small details, voice acting, etc.) that's because of its high budget and potential high sales and profits. I'm fine with it.
The PS5 version will comfortably outsell the PS4 version, which proves that the userbase argument has never been valid. Miles already kinda proved it (60/40 split in its launch week in the UK in favor of the PS5, despite it having single digit % of the userbase of PS4). People need to stop using that talking point.
 

Bo_Hazem

Banned
The PS5 version will comfortably outsell the PS4 version, which proves that the userbase argument has never been valid. Miles already kinda proved it (60/40 split in its launch week in the UK in favor of the PS5, despite it having single digit % of the userbase of PS4). People need to stop using that talking point.

Spider-man MM is using the same map with just improved textures. Overall it's nowhere near how much work is needed for HFW, and it'll still sell itself due to Spider-man IP and a sequel of a highly successful one.
 

Topher

Gold Member
The PS5 version will comfortably outsell the PS4 version, which proves that the userbase argument has never been valid. Miles already kinda proved it (60/40 split in its launch week in the UK in favor of the PS5, despite it having single digit % of the userbase of PS4). People need to stop using that talking point.

Of course install base is important. The fact that folks were waiting on getting a PS5 to buy MM doesn't prove anything. Same for HFW. And are you referencing UK box sales?
 

rofif

Banned
Yeah, that's true. On that time we talked about Kojima's game being more "realistic" in visuals.

But now we see FW and the difference compared to Zero Dawn is just staggering.
VERY EXTREME END GAME SPOILERS FOR DEATH STRANDING.... sort off.... you are not going to understad anything without playing :p
Look at this graphics. Like it beats even tlou2. Now Horizon might take over ! I cant wait for friday

 
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Bo_Hazem

Banned
You don’t like colorful games?

What's with this "color" discussion? Some games look bland and depressing, but that's sometimes the intended goal: Bloodborne, Metro, etc. Some are going for hyper-reality approach like Ghost of Tsushima, Horizon FW that feel like playing a painting in motion. Some have childish, cheerful colors like Sackboy, Mario, Zelda, Fenyx etc. I like them all, although games like plague tale make me a bit depressed with that color scheme but that what it should make you feel.

HFW and Ghot of Tsushima kinda colors make me enjoy every corner and feel dreamy. Now would I like that approach with TLOU2? Hell no! Just have a flexible taste in games/colors.

Cheers to all of you.
 
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SSfox

Member
So what's the overall people opinion and DF on modes on this game? Which one is better? Performance or quality? (Can't watch this now I'm at work)
 

Elog

Member
So what's the overall people opinion and DF on modes on this game? Which one is better? Performance or quality? (Can't watch this now I'm at work)
Actually DF surprisingly recommends quality because of the stunning visuals despite being 30 FPS. I will try out both on Friday but the quality mode looks kind of insane so it will be hard to pass on that one for me as well tbh.
 

SSfox

Member
Actually DF surprisingly recommends quality because of the stunning visuals despite being 30 FPS. I will try out both on Friday but the quality mode looks kind of insane so it will be hard to pass on that one for me as well tbh.

Interesting, a french reviewer I saw yesterday also has gone with quality, personally thinking about playing Ng with one mode then Ng+ with another one.
 

MidGenRefresh

*Refreshes biennially
What's with this "color" discussion? Some games look bland and depressing, but that's sometimes the intended goal: Bloodborne, Metro, etc. Some are going for hyper-reality approach like Ghost of Tsushima, Horizon FW that feel like playing a painting in motion. Some have childish, cheerful colors like Sackboy, Mario, Zelda, Fenyx etc. I like them all, although games like plague tale make me a bit depressed with that color scheme but that what it should make you feel.

HFW and Ghot of Tsushima kinda color make me enjoy every corner and feel dreamy. Now would I likd that approach with TLOU2? Hell no! Just have a flexible taste in games/colors.

Cheers to all of you.

 

Heisenberg007

Gold Journalism
The PS5 version will comfortably outsell the PS4 version, which proves that the userbase argument has never been valid. Miles already kinda proved it (60/40 split in its launch week in the UK in favor of the PS5, despite it having single digit % of the userbase of PS4). People need to stop using that talking point.
Even a 60/40 split at 20 million sales amount to 8 million copies sold on PS4. At $40 ARP, that's $320 million. That kind of money could mean the difference between abandoning an IP or deciding to go ahead with a sequel.
 

Heisenberg007

Gold Journalism
Yeah, that's true. On that time we talked about Kojima's game being more "realistic" in visuals.

But now we see FW and the difference compared to Zero Dawn is just staggering.
Decima engine really is fantastic. Each time we see it in a new game, our minds are blown.

Killzone Shadowfall > Horizon Zero Dawn > Death Stranding > Horizon Forbidden West.

Every single time, the engine makes and shows massive improvements. I can't wait to see what the next iteration of the engine and the next AAA Decima game bring.
 
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Even a 60/40 split at 20 million sales amount to 8 million copies sold on PS4. At $40 ARP, that's $320 million. That kind of money could mean the difference between abandoning an IP or deciding to go ahead with a sequel.
That was launch week, as in the week where the difference between the userbases was the largest. I wouldn't be surprised if currently the split is something like 90/10.
 
Exactly what are you bragging about in this picture. If you zoom it up to it's original size in 4k, you can see the following:

* Low res shadow maps cast from the rocks
* Low poly rocks themselves
* A very aggressive texture filtering that removes all high frequency details of the sand relatively quickly (the falloff is extremely rapid) and the rock in the background looks standard fair. It's not tessellated and the texture on the rock doesn't have high frequency micro details blended into the macro normal texture.

The only thing I see implemented well is the fresnel affect on the water and the water shading itself where it goes from transparent to murky.



Here is your favorite reviewer reviewing the PC version of HZD (early version)



He mentions how these enhancements to the PC will be migrated to the PS5 for FW. He's correct.

Here is where he mentions how a native 4k makes the rendering quality sharper (i.e. just like the PS5's native 4k version of HFW):



"Textures are better, filtering is better, objects are finer, and the hair and character detail and the shadow maps are all improved".

I don't want to take this further. You are going to believe what you want to believe which is the MO every single time an exclusive PS5 game comes out. You ignore the reality and try to push screenshots down people's throats assuming that people will suddenly believe the rendering is doing something it is not. It's the same story as R&C. So I'm out of this thread..catch you on the next exclusive thread.

What ever kind of shit you are smoking or using please stop it.
america podcast GIF by Closer Than They Appear
 

Hunnybun

Member
Even a 60/40 split at 20 million sales amount to 8 million copies sold on PS4. At $40 ARP, that's $320 million. That kind of money could mean the difference between abandoning an IP or deciding to go ahead with a sequel.

I think the idea was always that you needed console exclusives to sell the consoles, because ultimately getting the consoles sold quickly is what really matters as that's the gateway to the real money. So the actual profit on individual games was not really important. Basically the loss leader model.

How valid that still is when

1. engines are so much more scalable than they used to be, and
2. they can't even satisfy demand anyway,

is kind of a moot point.
 

Kazza

Member
I came into this thread expecting a VFXVeteran vs SonyBoys battle, and I haven't been disappointed :messenger_tears_of_joy:

nZyJQl.gif


It's still a very nice looking game through, if if it isn't a "next-gen" technical showcase. As always, it's the art direction that is most important. It'll be interesting to see what the PC version looks like next year.
 
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