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[twobear]

AC Unity is not the most technically advanced, it looks amazing but let's not forget how it uses pre baked lighting and pre bakes a lot of other things as well as has a lot of technical issues with LOD problems, all of which would automatically mean it is not the "most technically advanced".

I am saying a game can look great without being the most technically advanced by having good art direction and building around the limitations but it does not mean it is more technically advanced. Then there's the other thing about being hard to run doesn't really mean most technically advanced either. Most technically advanced would just mean how much of advanced real time tech the game's pulling off.

Well it's not prebaked in the sense of being precomputed offline, no?

 

[samn]

Not gone through the whole list but agree with many...not this one though. This is the same year MGS2 was launched and this kicked Wolfenstein's arse for tech advancement and it is not even in the list with Dead or alive 3 and Serious Sam???!!??

That pic isn't a PS2 shot, it's worthless.

 

[Crossing Eden]

AC Unity is not the most technically advanced, it looks amazing but let's not forget how it uses pre baked lighting and pre bakes a lot of other things as well as has a lot of technical issues with LOD problems, all of which would automatically mean it is not the "most technically advanced".

I am saying a game can look great without being the most technically advanced by having good art direction and building around the limitations but it does not mean it is more technically advanced. Then there's the other thing about being hard to run doesn't really mean most technically advanced either. Most technically advanced would just mean how much of real time tech the game's pulling off.

There are some dynamic elements as well, cloud simulation affecting every aspect of the lighting on the environment including the lighting indoors drastically changing depending on where the clouds are outside of the building on top of having weather, crowd simulation for crowds of that size, literally every civilian having their own cloth simulation, it's doing a shit ton of things under the hood that I doubt many games are doing. I made a gif of a timelapse to demonstrate.

Consider that both of the building have interiors that are drastically affect by the lighting overtime and that clouds aren't always moving the exact same way when you load up the game.

I also didn't mention the AI of the npcs being simulated similarly to WD, outside of mini scripted side events like "kill the criminals," i've observed that npcs can
-randomly get into arguments in the street that may or may not lead to death depending on what they're talking about
-hold hands, and if the player were to say, get in the way and make them seperate, they will look for each other in a big crowd and make contact again, as in start to hold hands again and continue on their day
-"recognize" each other, stand aside from the moving crowd, have a long conversation, say goodbye, and then continue on their day
-randomly start celebrating and singing inside pubs
this extends to factions as well
-guards may have arguments with jacobins, which may or may lead to a fight between the two factions based on how much they were taunting each other, the same can happen to vigilantes who argue with Jacobins
1.If the player fights with and kills Jacobins, guards may intervene despite them being enemies with jacobins because naturally it's their job, they don't do this every time however, if the tables are turned and jacobins spot guards fighting the player, they will cheer the player on.

And this isn't even scratching the surface of the AI simulation. And as we all know, the game does all this while having a ton of graphical bells and whistles as well.

lol @ Unity.



The game looks really bad in play, only select screenshots can make it look good.

I'm gonna contest this notion with the following.

The interiors especially don't suddenly lose detail if the player moves fight ft away while standing directly in front. And there are a lot more shots of the interiors out there than the exteriors.

 

[Bluekaveli]

Unity on the list is insulting.

Correct.


And I expected U2 for 2009.

 

[Dictator93]

Well it's not prebaked in the sense of being precomputed offline, no?

It is all precomputed offline from what we know (we will learn more at GDC actually). It is one of the reasons why the game install is so huge. All the baked lightmaps for multiple times of day.

I also think the lack of SSR in that game along with noobmb in 2014 is kind of a shame. The funny thing is that the london asscreed game coming out has obmb as well as SSR from what I have seen.

Correct.


And I expected U2 for 2009.

Somewhat similar boat as to unity, IMO. Good looking, but doing a good amount of baking. At least ARMA 2 is pushing hardware simulation wise, and even somewhat in a rendering sense (draw distance, fps tps model sync, etc..)

 

[The perfect Dark]

On consoles? I'd say Resident Evil 4 was impressive in 2005.

 

[Drama Zed Nod]

Soul Caliber Arcade (98) or Dreamcast (99) would have made it on to my list i think.

Great thread though : )

 

[McBradders]

Not gone through the whole list but agree with many...not this one though. This is the same year MGS2 was launched and this kicked Wolfenstein's arse for tech advancement and it is not even in the list with Dead or alive 3 and Serious Sam???!!??

Yeah the amount of interactivity in the demo alone still boggles my mind to this day.

 

[CassidyIzABeast]

In summary. PC stay winning.

 

[Shion]

I disagree with 1999 and 2000.

I would put Shenmue over Outcast and Dead or Alive 2 over Giants: Citizen Kabuto.

Agreed.

I'd also put Virtua Striker 2 and Time Crisis 2 ahead of anything else released in 1997.

 

[VMAN01]

IMO 2014 should be Driveclub.

 

[DedValve]

I think Smash 3DS or Wii U should be the most technically advanced games for 2014.

Smash 3DS: A game that looks almost as good as brawl and runs at 60fps, with tons of content, on an extremely poor piece of hardware.

Smash Wii U: 8 player 60 fps action, with gorgeous visuals. Not a stutter even when complex items get involved.

They certainly are making the best with what they've got but thats not the point of this thread. Even WiiU's most technically advance game won't hold a candle to Xbox, PS4 or PC.

This is about which games which are a technical marvel with no limits.

 

[nynt9]

AC Unity is not the most technically advanced, it looks amazing but let's not forget how it uses pre baked lighting and pre bakes a lot of other things as well as has a lot of technical issues with LOD problems, all of which would automatically mean it is not the "most technically advanced".

I am saying a game can look great without being the most technically advanced by having good art direction and building around the limitations but it does not mean it is more technically advanced. Then there's the other thing about being hard to run doesn't really mean most technically advanced either. Most technically advanced would just mean how much of advanced real time tech the game's pulling off.

It also has animation issues that its predecessors didn't have, ridiculous pop-in, NPCs that randomly change clothes and clip with the world, still runs like garbage on PC (it just crashes my entire PC when I try to run it), and is just full of technical problems overall.

 

[Aeriscloud]

The Sega of old is greatly missed.

 

[Nvzman]

2009 should be Uncharted 2.

Agreed, Uncharted 2 was actually the first 7th Gen game that I think succeeded in creating a game that plays like a movie. "Cinematic gameplay".

 

[The_Poet]

IMO 2014 should be Driveclub.

Not technically impressive in the slightest.

Uses weather to hide detail from the player

 

[Semblance]

Man, Sega's arcade run throughout the '80s and '90s was ridiculous.

 

[twobear]

It is all precomputed offline from what we know (we will learn more at GDC actually). It is one of the reasons why the game install is so huge. All the baked lightmaps for multiple times of day.

Huh. I had thought it was using something that was too slow to do in realtime but that wasn't computed offline (or at least not entirely computed offline).

A little bit like how Alien Isolation's realtime GI updates at a slower rate than the framerate because it isn't quite fast enough yet.

 

[VisceralBowl]

This. Thread says technically advanced. Buy just because your game is hard to run doesn't make it that advanced.

Arma 2 looks like ass compared to Killzone 2, personally.

Uncharted 2 is also quite impressive on a technological level.

Just because it is ugly, that doesn't mean it wasn't doing impressive stuff under the hood.

graphics =/= technical achievement

That said, I'll need to do some research later, because I'm not sure what game from that year deserves the spot.

 

[deoee]

Not technically impressive in the slightest.

Uses weather to hide detail from the player

 

[watership]

Thread will be a bloodbath because we won't be able to decide if a game is more technically-advanced just because it looks prettier.

Case in point this Uncharted 2 vs Arma 2 debate.

 

[kinn]

Dat Sega domination in the early 90s.

Beautiful.

Sad to see what they have become.

 

[JordanN]

The jumps from 2007 to 2013 is pretty lame. They barely look any different.

The jumps from the late 80's to to the late 90's is mind blowing though.

 

[Xpliskin]

Unity is on this list ?

What the fuck

 

[KKRT00]

This. Thread says technically advanced. Buy just because your game is hard to run doesn't make it that advanced.

Arma 2 looks like ass compared to Killzone 2, personally.

Uncharted 2 is also quite impressive on a technological level.

Sure...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X03SVGktjLs

Arma 2 is much more technically impressive than Killzone 2.

 

[Floridian]

If that were the case 2013 should go to TLOU hands down. No game pushed it's platform harder and it is the most technically advanced console games imo.

TLOU more advanced than GTA V? Not sure about that. Gta pushed both to the limit and considering it's open world makes it more impressive imo.

 

[truth411]

Just because it is ugly, that doesn't mean it wasn't doing impressive stuff under the hood.

graphics =/= technical achievement

Killzone 2 should still win, insane deferred lighting, action on screen, best gun models, great A.I., the ridiculous levels of post processing etc... Killzone 2 was extremely impressive probably the most technically impressive game in 2009.

Edit.

 

[Koralsky]

SEGA of old

Edit: God of War III, Killzone 2 and Uncharted 2 (and 3) should be at least contenders.

 

[ChaosXVI]

Dat old SEGA domination.

I'd put Metroid Prime for the 2002 slot...but that's like the only one I really disagree with enough to comment on it.

 

[Dictator93]

Killzone 2 should still win, insane deferred lighting, action on screen, best gun models, great A.I. etc... Killzone 2 was extremely impressive probably the most technically impressive game in 2009.

I like the way KZ2 looks quite a lot, but I think it is wrong to include it in a group of most techncially advanced games for that year. It has great art direction for its tech though.

 

[commish]

Nice thread, OP. Thanks

 

[mclem]

The list seems to focus heavily on the visual side, and not any scale aspect that was technologically impressive. Iapetus brought up Elite, and that's a good call.

Possibly worthy of note, on that front: I present Exile, from 1988.

No, it's not a polygonal behemoth. It looks vastly inferior to Winning Run, the 1988 suggestion. But what it does under the hood might make it worth a second glance:

The player is tasked with traversing a network of tunnels, collecting and interacting with objects, engaging hostile and friendly creatures, rescuing survivors and ultimately defeating Triax and escaping from Phoebus. Finn has a weapons and jet pack system which may be boosted by finding upgrades. Energy cells must be collected throughout the game to power the weapons and jet pack. Finn has a life-preserving teleport system. When he reaches a point near death he is automatically teleported to a safe location previously designated by the player, or ultimately back to his orbiting spaceship. Consequently, it is still possible to complete the game in many scenarios.

Exile permits a degree of nonlinear gameplay - challenges may be overcome in a number of possible orders and not all events have to be completed. The player is awarded points depending on goals achieved and time taken to complete the game. However, in some scenarios it becomes impossible to complete the game.

A major feature of the game is the single large and detailed world it offers for exploration. The subterranean setting is explained through the backstory in which the crew of the Pericles have set up a base in a natural cave system, with Triax having his own base in caves deep below.

The artificial intelligence features innovative routines such as creatures demonstrating awareness of nearby noises, line-of-sight vision through the divaricate caves and tunnels, and memory of where the player was last seen, etc.

Exile contains a physics model with gravity, inertia, mass, explosions, shockwaves, water, earth, wind, and fire. The game engine simulates all three of Newton's laws of motion, with many puzzles and gameplay elements emerging from a few physical principles. For example, the player may experience difficulty when attempting to lift a heavy boulder across a windy shaft with a jet pack, or of trying to keep a glass of water from spilling while being pushed around by a pestering bird.

Edit: Also, Doom in '93 arguably did a hell of a lot more than Ridge Racer, Daytona and VF even if it wasn't quite as purely pretty.

 

[Crossing Eden]

It also has animation issues that its predecessors didn't have, ridiculous pop-in, NPCs that randomly change clothes and clip with the world, still runs like garbage on PC (it just crashes my entire PC when I try to run it), and is just full of technical problems overall.

One day i'll just shareplay my sessions of AC:Unity because it feels like i'm playing a different game sometimes, you're right on the npc cloth glitch though cause that's a known issue with the engine that they need to resolve, they said that they would reveal some ideas about how they'll improve upon their tech at GDC. But the quality of the character animation is a generation ahead of past games. This series has always had great character animation so that's saying a lot.

 

[lazygecko]

Dat old SEGA domination.

I'd put Metroid Prime for the 2002 slot...but that's like the only one I really disagree with enough to comment on it.

UT2K3 was mind-blowing at the time, but I'd say Metroid Prime has aged more gracefully. At a glance both of them look remarkably close on a technical level, but MP has better aesthetic design with a greater emphasis on impressive level geometry detail. It also has more of the "little things" like the reflection and water effects on the visor. The only thing that really bothered me at the time was how the torso texture on Samus' armor looks visibly stretched/blurred.

I guess this is also why MP scales up so damn well with emulators because most of the detail is conveyed through 3D geometry rather than being baked into textures that would otherwise just appear more blurry.

 

[R_Deckard]

That pic isn't a PS2 shot, it's worthless.

Oh sorry, forgot that negated the entire game from the list..should I have used the below.

 

[Percy]

Might make everyone happier to seperate the console games into their own bracket here so they have a chance, yeah?

Thread will be a bloodbath because we won't be able to decide if a game is more technically-advanced just because it looks prettier.

Case in point this Uncharted 2 vs Arma 2 debate.

Dat 2 or 3 post debate bloodbath on page 1 yo.

 

[samn]

Oh sorry, forgot that negated the entire game from the list..should I have used the below.

Well I'm just saying there's no point using that pic, you obviously decided to post a picture for a reason (to support your post), if you're going to use a pic you should use one of it running on its hardware.

 

[Zertez]

I would put Everquest ahead of Outcast in 99

 

[Crossing Eden]

Thread will be a bloodbath because we won't be able to decide if a game is more technically-advanced just because it looks prettier.

Case in point this Uncharted 2 vs Arma 2 debate.

I'm sure people who are more informed about tech information would argue that Arma 2 is the one that's doing more on a technical level. It's kinda like the "AC:Unity shouldn't be on the list" driveby post that don't explain how it's not doing a shit ton of things under the hood. Or the post about TLOU doing more than GTAV despite one being open world with a lot of AI simulation compared to a more linear game where it doesn't need as much.

 

[Symphonia]

Doom 3 was 2004? Holy shit.

 

[capitalCORN]

Boo hoo, millenial gamers going q.q cuz no consoles.

 

[mclem]

Other suggestions:

1985: Mercenary:

The Mercenary series consists of three main games and a number of add-on datasets. While each game is self-contained, they make occasional references to other games in the series and are connected in terms of their freeform, open-ended gameplay, visual appearance and general ambience.

Within each game the player must explore a world rendered in realtime 3D graphics, completing a number of non-linear tasks in order to achieve a single main objective. The title of the series derives from the player's role in carrying out tasks as a "hired gun". In Mercenary the player crash lands into an ongoing conflict and is able to play the warring factions off against one another to the player's own advantage. In Damocles the player is encouraged to bargain the fate of a whole world for financial reward. However, in The Dion Crisis the player has a less selfish agenda, and must gain the support of voters against the plotting of a sinister businessman.

1989: Starglider II:

The game uses solid shaded 3D polygonal graphics (only on 16 bit versions), and features open, continuous gameplay without levels or loading screens after the game had started, despite taking place across an entire planetary system. The player can fly through space, enter a planet's atmosphere, explore the surface, and penetrate subterranean tunnels in one seamless movement.

The goal of Starglider 2 is to destroy an enemy space station with a neutron bomb, and the majority of the gameplay consists of collecting parts for the bomb, or fulfilling other prerequisites (e.g. finding the nuclear professor capable of constructing the bomb, or trade goods for the bombs necessary to destroy the shield generators protecting the space station), while fighting off enemy spacecraft, and delivering collected items to depots inside planetary tunnel systems. The various objects needed to complete the game are distributed across the many planets of the solar system, as well as in the intervening space (e.g. asteroids and space pirates), or even in the atmosphere of the gas giant planet.

The flight model is arcade-style as opposed to realistic, as the game features no inertia; the spacecraft banks like an aircraft to turn, in air, outer space, and underground; and it is possible to hover. In addition, the game features many graphic display options, including the ability to eliminate roll, or view the game from outside the cockpit from a non-chase-camera, making it difficult to fly but allowing the player to view the polygonal model of the spacecraft.

The construction of the shield generators and the space station itself progresses continuously over the course of the game, and failure to destroy the space station before construction was complete will result in loss of the game (the space station would be used to destroy the player's home planet). Successfully destroying the space station will not end the game, despite treating the player to a spectacular explosion and congratulatory text; instead, it will simply reset the construction of the space station, and the player can again begin attempting to gain possession of another neutron bomb with which to destroy the station.

I'd like to form a comprehensive argument for Carrier Command, too, but I don't have time to write one up and Wikipedia's doesn't fit the bill!

 

[elelunicy]

lol @ Unity.



The game looks really bad in play, only select screenshots can make it look good.

Funny that's the exact opposite of my experience. The game is jaw-dropping in motion and the screenshots I took often don't come off nearly as well.

 

[samwyse]

I suppose this thread is about graphics, but there were racing games at the time that had far more depth than the arcade racers mentioned.

1989 Indianapolis 500: The Simulation (32 AI cars) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indianapolis_500:_The_Simulation
1992 Formula One Grand Prix (25 AI cars, 16 tracks) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Formula_One_Grand_Prix_(video_game)

When Indy 500 and F1GP appeared, they were the very first to implement something that resembled "real world" racing physics, accurate track modelling and car handling that required skills somewhat similar to real-world driving skills to perform well. Both were also the first to offer meaningful options to tune the behaviour of the cars. Although not quite on the level of later simulations, the most important variables, such as gear ratios, tyre compounds and wing settings were available to tune and, more importantly, proved to make an actual difference when driving."

 

[nOoblet16]

Well it's not prebaked in the sense of being precomputed offline, no?

The GI which is the reason why the game looks so good is precomputed offline....so yea.

There are some dynamic aspects to it but they are additions on top so as to blend in the real time elements with the pre baked. Such as the cloud simulation and moving objects such as characters...they just use probes to lit them up like in many other games. But the bulk of it (which also happens to be the reason why it looks great) iscomouted offline. The game has like 25GBs of baked lighting data.

 

[Durante]

This is a far better and more comprehensive OP than I expected clicking on the thread. I don't fully agree with a few of the choices (especially Crysis 2), but all of them can be argued. Great work!

It does seem a bit graphics-focused for such a general title, otherwise I'd certainly chose games like e.g. Elite for 1984.

In summary. PC stay winning.

First it's Arcade and then it switches to PC at some point. It's a bit amusing to note in this context that nowadays most arcade machines are basically PCs

 

[Violence Jack]

I still find it amazing that Beyond: Two Souls came out of a PS3.

And early 90s Sega Arcade I fully agree with.

 

[XiaNaphryz]

Does "most technically advanced" necessarily mean the most graphically advanced? I would think some PC game simulations back in the 80s would qualify despite not being graphically up to par.

 

[R_Deckard]

Well I'm just saying there's no point using that pic, you obviously decided to post a picture for a reason (to support your post), if you're going to use a pic you should use one of it running on its hardware.

It is more about what the game achieved on a technical level that just the visuals & MGS 2 was a watershed moment, but I will change for an PS2 shot.

 

[Caronte]

This is a little unfair for third person games. It's always going to be easier to make racing or first person games look better than a third person game. Oh, well.