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We're almost 1 year in...what game looks the most "next gen"

What's been the most "next gen" so far...


  • Total voters
    251

T0minator

Member
The build up to this generation has been going for years...we've imagined what the next generation would look like...

With the first year down, what game has single handedly shown us some great "next gen" visuals?
 

BadBurger

Is 'That Pure Potato'
From what has been playable in a finished form, it's probably Ratchet IMO. Though both Demon Souls and Flight Simulator are close seconds. BF2042 just looked like a slightly better looking BF game to me from what we already have, nothing screamed "next gen" to me while checking out the beta.
 

ripeavocado

Banned
None of them looks really next-gen if we consider a true generational leap.

If instead we consider that the new consoles are weak, there are few games that did a decent job: DS, R&C.

I don't consider Flight Simulator because the last entry in the series was 15 years ago and no project of the same budget has been released since, therefore it's easy to be next-gen 15 years after.
 

Black_Stride

do not tempt fate do not contrain Wonder Woman's thighs do not do not
Battlefield 2042?
I love me some battlefield but it certainly aint the nextgen Battlefield I was expecting.

Flight Simulator has been the most nextgen for me.

Rift Apart has an almost CGI look at times which puts it up there, but Kena with a reshade gets that high.

Demon Souls looks stunning and is an absolute marvel but still doesnt quite hit "ohh hell this is nextgen" yet.

Will wait for the second crop of games for me to see and feel that nextgenery.
 

BigLee74

Member
I don't consider Flight Simulator because the last entry in the series was 15 years ago and no project of the same budget has been released since, therefore it's easy to be next-gen 15 years after.

Shite excuse. The OP doesn’t mean compared to the game’s last iteration, but I’m sure you know this.

The real answer is nothing yet. FH5 looks the best, but itself is only marginally better than FH4.
 
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SpokkX

Member
Of the ones I played so far... probably Demons Souls

..but Flight Sim is really probably more "next gen" and could never have been close to done on last gen

Forza Horizon 5 could take that the top spot soon though I think
 

T0minator

Member
Shite excuse. The OP doesn’t mean compared to the game’s last iteration, but I’m sure you know this.

The real answer is nothing yet. FH5 looks the best, but itself is only marginally better than FH4.
What game has shown us things we just haven't seen... quality, performance we just have not seen.
Ratchet is definitely but there, if not the top right now.

The ray tracing on clank...ratchets eyes actually reflect his environment...the amount of things going on... at 60fps

what comes close to this right now?

at the game shows at the end of this year we may see something that tops this.. Horizon Forbidden West is close to this amazing we just need to see a bit more

MhnwZUM.jpg
 

CuNi

Member
I picked R&C.
Flight Sim is IMHO still the "technical winner" in a sense that it pushes tech better etc. but I tried to limit it to "developed as next gen for PS5 XSX". Flight Sim was obviously not developed with the sole intent to release it on XSX etc.
 

Vasto

Member
Forza Horizon 5

A cross gen game that looks like a real next gen game.
 
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STARSBarry

Gold Member
You have either Played Ratchet & Clank and know that it is the most next gen looking game or you haven't and dismiss it because "a kids game can't look that good".

Demon Souls is a close second but it lacks those WOW moments you get in R&C that make you realise it can't be done on last gens hardware.
 
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Esppiral

Member
This poll should be restricted to people with both consoles, I can tell you the split ratio of console users just looking at the results.
 

MidGenRefresh

*Refreshes biennially
Most of these games are not even out yet. You can't judge games graphic by looking at YouTube video.

My vote would go to Microsoft Flight Simulator on PC. Both for graphics on display and for technology powering it. Every other game on that list can run on XBOX One / PS4.
 

Hunnybun

Member
Ratchet is easily the best so far.

Horizon FW is the next best looking that I've seen. It might even end up matching Ratchet once we see the final product.

Forza Horizon 5 is probably next. It's impressive to get a 60fps mode running in native 4k (although that mode seems to look quite a bit worse from what I can make out, although I might be mistaken there).

Miles Morales looks absolutely fantastic a lot of the time.

Metro Exodus EE looks amazing, but I again I'm just going off Youtube so I'm not sure what it's actually like to play. But certainly it does more with RT than I thought possible this gen.

I don't really count Flight Sim cos it's just such a unique thing, and the tech driving it also seems unique, that I don't really know what to make of it.

Demon's Souls looks good too, but not as good as any of those.
 

cormack12

Gold Member
Why is BF on this list

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Untile we get FH5 in our hands, can't really make a choice either way. I think Demon's Souls holds up better when put under scrutiny than all the others personally. Part of that is rooted in its original design though.
 

skit_data

Member
I’d say MS Flight Simulator and Demon’s Souls, but I voted Demon’s Souls because it feels like everything holds up really well to a closer inspection, at least when it comes to materials and surfaces. They never seem to break down into a ”ah I’m just looking at a texture in a video game”.

I think it depends on what defines next gen and for me its all about the textures, pretty much.
 

Haggard

Banned
In motion it`s probably Ratchet.
When the action breaks loose and debris is flying everywhere it just looks fantastic.
Demon`s Souls is a close second and then there comes nothing for quite a while.

FS has too many "don`t get too close or you will see how bad it actually looks"-moments to make it a next gen game imho.
 
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Markio128

Member
I chose R&C because it is a real head turner and it manages to look amazing with a million things going on all at once. MS FS also looks stunning at times, but I didn’t choose that one because, at the end of the day, it is just a plane flying over a landscape and is the least ‘gamey’ of those on the list.
 

Hunnybun

Member
In motion it`s probably Ratchet.
When the action breaks loose and debris is flying everywhere it just looks fantastic.
Demon`s Souls is a close second and then there comes nothing for quite a while.

FS has too many "don`t get too close or you will see how bad it actually looks"-moments to make it a next gen game imho.

I'd say even just the empty environments in Ratchet look much better than Demon's Souls tbh. Adding all the enemies and pyrotechnics on top just looks staggering tbh.

In some ways the real question is which part of Ratchet is the most next gen. Personally I really love the research facility. Everything about it just looks gorgeous. Oh and the wasteland level looks beautiful too. But the one most impressive part for me is the prison level where you land at the start, in the middle of a storm. That is probably the most amazed I've ever been by a game's visuals, and this is like the 5th generational leap I've experienced.
 

Hunnybun

Member
I would like to see Returnal on that list because of the particle and fluid simulations orgy it provides at 60 fps:


It really doesn't look that great on a 4k screen, though.

I don't think it's just because they're using the power in other ways, either. If that were the case, why do the insides of the house and ship look so crap too?

Great game, and the devs are new to AAA development so it's not a problem, but it really doesn't look very good. It still irritates me a bit that DF said the game "pushes PS5 hard", as if they're really squeezing everything out of it. Ratchet looks a generation better than it, at more than double the resolution, and still has a load of particles everywhere you look.
 

azertydu91

Hard to Kill
I wouldn't list Forza or Horizon because they are not out already,neither gt7, I don't know if Battlefield is already out or not.To me it is a tough choice between Ratchet and Demon's souls.Flight sim is close 3rd but landing has shown me some atrocities so it instantly lost a few spots.
 

tommib

Member
It really doesn't look that great on a 4k screen, though.

I don't think it's just because they're using the power in other ways, either. If that were the case, why do the insides of the house and ship look so crap too?

Great game, and the devs are new to AAA development so it's not a problem, but it really doesn't look very good. It still irritates me a bit that DF said the game "pushes PS5 hard", as if they're really squeezing everything out of it. Ratchet looks a generation better than it, at more than double the resolution, and still has a load of particles everywhere you look.
Looks awesome on my 4K tv and reactions I got from friends at home is pretty wow. It’s just that the game goes for a somber and austere atmosphere and little variation in colour. That puts some people off. Housemarque has always been at the forefront of graphics technology, just not in a AAA cinematic way which is the flavour of the day. They make arcade games basically.



I totally agree on the house interiors though. It’s very clear that whatever they created was not made for those scenes.
 
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Hunnybun

Member
Looks awesome on my 4K tv and reactions I got from friends at home is pretty wow. It’s just that the game goes for a somber and austere atmosphere and little variation in colour. That puts some people off. Housemarque has always been at the forefront of graphics technology, just not in a AAA cinematic way which is the flavour of the day. They make arcade games basically.



I totally agree on the house interiors though. It’s very clear that whatever they created was not made for those scenes.


I actually like the colour schemes, and I thought the game looked fantastic in YouTube videos. And I understand that the technologies they're using are demanding.

But I can only go by what I actually experienced when playing the game: it didn't impress me at all.

It feels like basically every resource was used for the particles/fluids and volumetric effects, and for me it doesn't pay off at all.
 

Con-Z-epT

Live from NeoGAF, it's Friday Night!
Demon's Souls! Also a typo in the poll.

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And it looked like this while running at 60fps. Not bad i'd say.

I do wonder why there are games on the list that have not been released?! Doesn't make any sense.
 

JimmyRustler

Gold Member
I only really played Demons Souls so far and seeing it getting named to often in this thread is depressing as it didn't look very impressive to me...
 

Hunnybun

Member
I only really played Demons Souls so far and seeing it getting named to often in this thread is depressing as it didn't look very impressive to me...

It looks great in parts but I think something like God of War does similar environments better, so I've always been a bit baffled at the incredulous OMFG type reactions.

Ratchet looks much better and at significantly higher resolution. For me that's definitely the winner so far. Horizon FW looks promising but we need to see more of it to make a proper comparison.
 
Demons Souls, just so good.

Flight sim is great but its janky when looking around and just not polished enough to me to choose it.
 

Rudius

Member
I voted for Ratchet as it seems to be the most complete package, including ray-tracing, fur, particles, fast loading, number of objects, interaction, insane (unnecessary) level of detail on little bugs floating around, 30, 60 AND 40fps options.

Among the ones I did play the most impressive was Demon's Souls.
 

RoyBatty

Banned
Forza Horizon 5 looks a lot better than all other options. Ratchet looks great too.

Some things from DS looks like PS3 tech.
 
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