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The Lord of the Rings Gollum: PS5/Xbox Series X/S Tested - Is It Really a Total Disaster?




"Is The Lord of the Rings: Gollum really the technical disaster everyone says it is? We waited until the game was launched and patched to deliver our verdict... and the answer is 'yes' but actually, there are some extra curiosities in the pre-release code worth looking at... Here's Tom Morgan with the full lowdown on all the console builds."​



adamsapple adamsapple Thanks for the summary!



Summary:

- "Haven't played a game in such a dire state since Shadow of Mordor on PS3"
- PS5/SX have 3 graphics mode, including RT.
- Performance, Quality, RT. RT is missing on Series S.
- All modes target 60 FPS with resolution and RT being the difference.

- Perf: Dynamic 1440p on PS5|SX.
- Quality: Fixed 1440p with no DRS.
- RT: 1440p with DRS with lows of 1260p.
- Series S: Perf and Quality only. Feature and resolutions are matched for SX|PS5 but with a 30 FPS cap instead of 60 target like PS5|SX.

- RT mode adds RT reflections only. On PC it also adds RT shadows.
- RT mode "looks superb" when it works, but it only gets applied to a few puddles.
- Prior to day 1 patch, consoles had RT shadows and better water as well but the launch day patch removed it, as it caused massive drops in performance to the 10's.
- Launch day patch improves performance with 30+ FPS at the cost of those features being cut

- PS5 removes the Gollum hair physics option. The feature is still present on Series S|X
- Seemingly because it caused a lot of crashes on PS5. It comes with a minor performance hit on Xbox.

- Series S|X have uneven judder when the camera is moved. Panning motions are very uneven. Any time the frame rate is low, rapid movements look like half frame rate.
- This issue is not present in the PS5. DF notes the Series version is behind the patches so this might get fixed.

- The game has a lot of bugs, infinite loops, crashes etc.

- Performance mode
- PS5 runs reasonably well between 45~60 with it reaching 60 in slow areas.
- Cutscenes lock to 30 FPS with uneven frame pacing.
- Series X has more performance drops and streaming hitches. Especially when transitioning from cut-scene to game play.
- Typical areas where PS5 drops to 45, SX can drop to 40 in the same areas.

- Quality Mode:
- Tested area SX runs at 40 FPS and PS5 a little worse at 38~35 FPS.
- Some cut-scenes run at 17 FPS stretches on PS5.

- RT mode:
- Frame rate takes a big hit.
- PS5|SX run tested area at 30~35 area. Slow, empty areas can ocassionally get to 60.

- Series S:
- Performance mode has a 30 FPS cap, but it drops to low 20s w/ streaming hitches.
- Cut-scenes can drop into the low 10s.
- Quality mode: "Easily the worst way to play Gollum on the consoles"
- Game play drops to stretches of 20, the camera judder makes it even worse.


- In summation, it's pretty bad, technically.
 
Last edited:

Draugoth

Gold Member
3el9xq.jpg
 

adamsapple

Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
Summary:

- "Haven't played a game in such a dire state since Shadow of Mordor on PS3"
- PS5/SX have 3 graphics mode, including RT.
- Performance, Quality, RT. RT is missing on Series S.
- All modes target 60 FPS with resolution and RT being the difference.

- Perf: Dynamic 1440p on PS5|SX.
- Quality: Fixed 1440p with no DRS.
- RT: 1440p with DRS with lows of 1260p.
- Series S: Perf and Quality only. Feature and resolutions are matched for SX|PS5 but with a 30 FPS cap instead of 60 target like PS5|SX.

- RT mode adds RT reflections only. On PC it also adds RT shadows.
- RT mode "looks superb" when it works, but it only gets applied to a few puddles.
- Prior to day 1 patch, consoles had RT shadows and better water as well but the launch day patch removed it, as it caused massive drops in performance to the 10's.
- Launch day patch improves performance with 30+ FPS at the cost of those features being cut

- PS5 removes the Gollum hair physics option. The feature is still present on Series S|X
- Seemingly because it caused a lot of crashes on PS5. It comes with a minor performance hit on Xbox.

- Series S|X have uneven judder when the camera is moved. Panning motions are very uneven. Any time the frame rate is low, rapid movements look like half frame rate.
- This issue is not present in the PS5. DF notes the Series version is behind the patches so this might get fixed.

- The game has a lot of bugs, infinite loops, crashes etc.

- Performance mode
- PS5 runs reasonably well between 45~60 with it reaching 60 in slow areas.
- Cutscenes lock to 30 FPS with uneven frame pacing.
- Series X has more performance drops and streaming hitches. Especially when transitioning from cut-scene to game play.
- Typical areas where PS5 drops to 45, SX can drop to 40 in the same areas.

- Quality Mode:
- Tested area SX runs at 40 FPS and PS5 a little worse at 38~35 FPS.
- Some cut-scenes run at 17 FPS stretches on PS5.

- RT mode:
- Frame rate takes a big hit.
- PS5|SX run tested area at 30~35 area. Slow, empty areas can ocassionally get to 60.

- Series S:
- Performance mode has a 30 FPS cap, but it drops to low 20s w/ streaming hitches.
- Cut-scenes can drop into the low 10s.
- Quality mode: "Easily the worst way to play Gollum on the consoles"
- Game play drops to stretches of 20, the camera judder makes it even worse.


- In summation, it's pretty bad, technically.
 
Last edited:

Heisenberg007

Gold Journalism
Summary:

- "Haven't played a game in such a dire state since Shadow of Mordor on PS3"
- PS5/SX have 3 graphics mode, including RT.
- Performance, Quality, RT. RT is missing on Series S.
- All modes target 60 FPS with resolution and RT being the difference.

- Perf: Dynamic 1440p on PS5|SX.
- Quality: Fixed 1440p with no DRS.
- RT: 1440p with DRS with lows of 1260p.
- Series S: Perf and Quality only. Feature and resolutions are matched for SX|PS5 but with a 30 FPS cap instead of 60 target like PS5|SX.

- RT mode adds RT reflections only. On PC it also adds RT shadows.
- RT mode "looks superb" when it works, but it only gets applied to a few puddles.
- Prior to day 1 patch, consoles had RT shadows and better water as well but the launch day patch removed it, as it caused massive drops in performance to the 10's.
- Launch day patch improves performance with 30+ FPS at the cost of those features being cut

- PS5 removes the Gollum hair physics option. The feature is still present on Series S|X
- Seemingly because it caused a lot of crashes on PS5. It comes with a minor performance hit on Xbox.

- Series S|X have uneven judder when the camera is moved. Panning motions are very uneven. Any time the frame rate is low, rapid movements look like half frame rate.
- This issue is not present in the PS5. DF notes the Series version is behind the patches so this might get fixed.

- The game has a lot of bugs, infinite loops, crashes etc.

- Performance mode
- PS5 runs reasonably well between 45~60 with it reaching 60 in slow areas.
- Cutscenes lock to 30 FPS with uneven frame pacing.
- Series X has more performance drops and streaming hitches. Especially when transitioning from cut-scene to game play.
- Typical areas where PS5 drops to 45, SX can drop to 40 in the same areas.

- Quality Mode:
- Tested area SX runs at 40 FPS and PS5 a little worse at 38~35 FPS.
- Some cut-scenes run at 17 FPS stretches on PS5.

- RT mode:
- Frame rate takes a big hit.
- PS5|SX run tested area at 30~35 area. Slow, empty areas can ocassionally get to 60.

- Series S:
- Performance mode has a 30 FPS cap, but it drops to low 20s w/ streaming hitches.
- Cut-scenes can drop into the low 10s.
- Quality mode: "Easily the worst way to play Gollum on the consoles"
- Game play drops to stretches of 20, the camera judder makes it even worse.


- In summation, it's pretty bad, technically.

So ... GOTY?

0GXqupU.jpg
 

RoadHazard

Gold Member
There are some pretty nice looking environments here and there in this game to be honest, but that's pretty much the only positive thing you can say about it. Everything else is absolute garbage (I watched an abridged full playthrough lol).
 

RoboFu

One of the green rats
I kind of feel bad for them but they should have known that even if it ran beautifully on all platforms... Just no one wants to play as gollum
 

kruis

Exposing the sinister cartel of retailers who allow companies to pay for advertising space.
The most surprising thing of all is how a UE4 game with such poor visuals can have such terrible performance. I can see why games that push UE4 tot its limits could have performance problems, but what's the excuse for a games that looks like a budget PS3 game? The only explanation is sheer incompetence.
 

SlimySnake

Flashless at the Golden Globes
The most surprising thing of all is how a UE4 game with such poor visuals can have such terrible performance. I can see why games that push UE4 tot its limits could have performance problems, but what's the excuse for a games that looks like a budget PS3 game? The only explanation is sheer incompetence.
Yep. Incompetence is the only explanation for just how awful these latest releases have been.

The industry no longer employs consummate professionals. They employ a bunch of lazy morons. We have continued to stan for these devs going after anyone who dares to use lazy dev rhetoric but if this aint lazy, poor, and sheer incompetence, I dont know what is.
 

winjer

Gold Member
They probably spent more money on buying the LOTR license, than on hiring talent to make the game.
 

DeepEnigma

Gold Member
Summary:

- "Haven't played a game in such a dire state since Shadow of Mordor on PS3"
- PS5/SX have 3 graphics mode, including RT.
- Performance, Quality, RT. RT is missing on Series S.
- All modes target 60 FPS with resolution and RT being the difference.

- Perf: Dynamic 1440p on PS5|SX.
- Quality: Fixed 1440p with no DRS.
- RT: 1440p with DRS with lows of 1260p.
- Series S: Perf and Quality only. Feature and resolutions are matched for SX|PS5 but with a 30 FPS cap instead of 60 target like PS5|SX.

- RT mode adds RT reflections only. On PC it also adds RT shadows.
- RT mode "looks superb" when it works, but it only gets applied to a few puddles.
- Prior to day 1 patch, consoles had RT shadows and better water as well but the launch day patch removed it, as it caused massive drops in performance to the 10's.
- Launch day patch improves performance with 30+ FPS at the cost of those features being cut

- PS5 removes the Gollum hair physics option. The feature is still present on Series S|X
- Seemingly because it caused a lot of crashes on PS5. It comes with a minor performance hit on Xbox.

- Series S|X have uneven judder when the camera is moved. Panning motions are very uneven. Any time the frame rate is low, rapid movements look like half frame rate.
- This issue is not present in the PS5. DF notes the Series version is behind the patches so this might get fixed.

- The game has a lot of bugs, infinite loops, crashes etc.

- Performance mode
- PS5 runs reasonably well between 45~60 with it reaching 60 in slow areas.
- Cutscenes lock to 30 FPS with uneven frame pacing.
- Series X has more performance drops and streaming hitches. Especially when transitioning from cut-scene to game play.
- Typical areas where PS5 drops to 45, SX can drop to 40 in the same areas.

- Quality Mode:
- Tested area SX runs at 40 FPS and PS5 a little worse at 38~35 FPS.
- Some cut-scenes run at 17 FPS stretches on PS5.

- RT mode:
- Frame rate takes a big hit.
- PS5|SX run tested area at 30~35 area. Slow, empty areas can ocassionally get to 60.

- Series S:
- Performance mode has a 30 FPS cap, but it drops to low 20s w/ streaming hitches.
- Cut-scenes can drop into the low 10s.
- Quality mode: "Easily the worst way to play Gollum on the consoles"
- Game play drops to stretches of 20, the camera judder makes it even worse.


- In summation, it's pretty bad, technically.
You should be rewarded, good sir, for suffering through that video.
 

avin

Member
Summary:

- "Haven't played a game in such a dire state since Shadow of Mordor on PS3"
- PS5/SX have 3 graphics mode, including RT.
- Performance, Quality, RT. RT is missing on Series S.
- All modes target 60 FPS with resolution and RT being the difference.

- Perf: Dynamic 1440p on PS5|SX.
- Quality: Fixed 1440p with no DRS.
- RT: 1440p with DRS with lows of 1260p.
- Series S: Perf and Quality only. Feature and resolutions are matched for SX|PS5 but with a 30 FPS cap instead of 60 target like PS5|SX.

- RT mode adds RT reflections only. On PC it also adds RT shadows.
- RT mode "looks superb" when it works, but it only gets applied to a few puddles.
- Prior to day 1 patch, consoles had RT shadows and better water as well but the launch day patch removed it, as it caused massive drops in performance to the 10's.
- Launch day patch improves performance with 30+ FPS at the cost of those features being cut

- PS5 removes the Gollum hair physics option. The feature is still present on Series S|X
- Seemingly because it caused a lot of crashes on PS5. It comes with a minor performance hit on Xbox.

- Series S|X have uneven judder when the camera is moved. Panning motions are very uneven. Any time the frame rate is low, rapid movements look like half frame rate.
- This issue is not present in the PS5. DF notes the Series version is behind the patches so this might get fixed.

- The game has a lot of bugs, infinite loops, crashes etc.

- Performance mode
- PS5 runs reasonably well between 45~60 with it reaching 60 in slow areas.
- Cutscenes lock to 30 FPS with uneven frame pacing.
- Series X has more performance drops and streaming hitches. Especially when transitioning from cut-scene to game play.
- Typical areas where PS5 drops to 45, SX can drop to 40 in the same areas.

- Quality Mode:
- Tested area SX runs at 40 FPS and PS5 a little worse at 38~35 FPS.
- Some cut-scenes run at 17 FPS stretches on PS5.

- RT mode:
- Frame rate takes a big hit.
- PS5|SX run tested area at 30~35 area. Slow, empty areas can ocassionally get to 60.

- Series S:
- Performance mode has a 30 FPS cap, but it drops to low 20s w/ streaming hitches.
- Cut-scenes can drop into the low 10s.
- Quality mode: "Easily the worst way to play Gollum on the consoles"
- Game play drops to stretches of 20, the camera judder makes it even worse.


- In summation, it's pretty bad, technically.

You could have just posted your first and last sentences on this one. No one would hold it against you.

avin
 
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