-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
DF: Ace Combat 7 on PS4: First Look + Tech Analysis + Frame-Rate Test
- Thread starter LordOfLore
- Start date
adamsapple
Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
Summary for those at work:
- Return to the classic game play style (think 4, 5) as opposed to the last game's 'cinematic focus'
- Runs on Unreal Engine 4
- Game runs with an uncapped frame rate (at this point) and hovers between high 30's and mid 40's on average on Base PS4. No other version tested.
- Game doesn't have any specific PS4 Pro or Xbox X enhancements to highlight yet but the team is looking to improve the overall game play experience on these devices.
- Game designers are currently focusing on visual fidelity as opposed to frame rate so can't commit to locked 60 FPS and say this leeway is allowed
- Full volumetric clouds
- Can get lost in clouds and need to rely on HUD display, water droplets form on wind shield, condensation also realistically forms across the wings with elevation
- Terrain features specular highlights and packed with hundreds of trees
- All the visual effects are topped off with an excellent motion blur implementation
- VR mode is currently PS VR exclusive and in VR visuals are downgraded in resolution and volumetric effects.
- Return to the classic game play style (think 4, 5) as opposed to the last game's 'cinematic focus'
- Runs on Unreal Engine 4
- Game runs with an uncapped frame rate (at this point) and hovers between high 30's and mid 40's on average on Base PS4. No other version tested.
- Game doesn't have any specific PS4 Pro or Xbox X enhancements to highlight yet but the team is looking to improve the overall game play experience on these devices.
- Game designers are currently focusing on visual fidelity as opposed to frame rate so can't commit to locked 60 FPS and say this leeway is allowed
- Full volumetric clouds
- Can get lost in clouds and need to rely on HUD display, water droplets form on wind shield, condensation also realistically forms across the wings with elevation
- Terrain features specular highlights and packed with hundreds of trees
- All the visual effects are topped off with an excellent motion blur implementation
- VR mode is currently PS VR exclusive and in VR visuals are downgraded in resolution and volumetric effects.
I couldn't believe it either.
I understand this is all WIP, but I have zero confidence in a VR mode if the base game doesn't have stable performance. This is red-flag city.
the whole point of downgrading the visuals on the VR mode is to keep the framerate
Equanimity
Member
Well the game isn't out yet. I'm sure they'll cap it if they can't hit 60fps.
Geno Breaker
Banned
Looking great. Can't wait to play this game.
Equanimity
Member
SapphiCine
Member
That focus on visuals is really going to hurt console owners.
And those of us with aging video cards. T_T Though I'd rather they make the game more ambitious, which will be better in the long run.
And those of us with aging video cards. T_T Though I'd rather they make the game more ambitious, which will be better in the long run.
adamsapple
Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
Curiously the video didn't mention and John didn't take a guess on the resolution of either the base or VR versions. If Tekken is an indication, the base PS4 would be running at 900p with the Pro at 1080p, but those games were focused on ensuring a solid 60 FPS. Let's see what's different here.
It's already great on VR, believe it or not. The biggest hit is volumetric resolution.
Abstrusity
Member
I'm sure Durante will fix it. All hail Durante, fixer of the game.
Maintenance
Member
Garbage framerate. PC it is (unless they fuck up that too).
FIREKNIGHT2029
Member
Will get for both PC and PS4 Pro. I need this for my PSVR.
You guys really need to consider that this is "in progress". I enjoy looking at early dresses but you cannot judge performance at this stage. Let's wait and see. At least Pro and X should run much better in the end.
Maintenance
Member
With the dev clearly saying that they are prioritizing graphics I have zero hopes.
Even with the uncapped/inconsistent framerate, I think the game looks pretty terrific right now. I was trying not to pay attention to the fps monitor, and I don't know if it's just the motion blur and other processing going on, but it looked pretty smooth to me (edit: in most cases... there were obviously scenes where it was very noticeable). I'm pretty excited about this installment, so I'll be keeping the faith on this one until it gets closer to release. 
Yeah but they also suggested that they're aiming for 60fps on Pro and Xbox X. I think they should cap it at 30 on PS4/Xo and go for 60 on the more powerful machines.
dark, Kono flat out saying that framerate is not their priority while loading the game with a ton of visual effects is definitely worrying. The PS2 games were 60 fps titles, and despite the visual sacrifices they made (very simple terrain with low resolution textures), the games were still impressive looking when they needed to be.
Somehow 60 fps for Tekken 7 is a necessity, but a game about rapidly weaving through clouds, groups of enemies, missles, AA fire, etc... is just fine at 30 fps? Despite 60fps being the norm?
My original plan of picking this up for PC is definitely the way to go now.
M0nochromatic
Member
It not being locked at 60 is extremely worrying. It's great that it looks nice, but the speed at which the game plays makes 60 fps incredibly important. I was looking to pick this up on PS4 along with some friends, but I guess I'll get it on PC and hope it works out.
adamsapple
Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
If the game is running at 40~45 FPS while in it's WIP state on a base PS4. I have high hopes with some decent optimization they should be able to hit 60 on Pro and more comfortably on XBX.
Let's hope they actually put that effort in and don't just use the extra power for a resolution boost only.
He did say that they were more interested in using that horsepower for higher frame-rates rather than a resolution boost, at least.
Yeah, but he didn't say they weren't going to try either (especially on the more powerful consoles).
I think the real issue stems from the cloud system which is very expensive to render though it also drops hard when near the terrain.
The average frame-rate, according to our FPS tools, for the entirety of the 20 minute demo was 47fps. It's a WIP build running on a standard PS4 averaging 47fps. I could see that improving further by release and the Pro and Xbox X versions hitting 60fps most of the time.
Rime, which is not well optimized even on PC, sees a 20+ fps boost on the Pro versus the PS4 with increased visual details. That's also a UE4 game. Other UE4 games, like Ethan Carter, go from ~45fps to 60fps just using Boost Mode even. I have high hopes for it on the Pro and especially Xbox One X.
Also keep in mind that it's 1080p currently on base PS4 while Tekken 7 was like 864p. Maybe they'll drop the resolution there in addition to further optimizing the game? Clearly, all of this is still being decided.
That goes without saying. My concern is that in the less intensive standard-screen mode, they're having performance balance issues. And that's the lower stakes environment; in VR if you hit any recurring stretches of judder, you're most likely taking off that headset and playing a better game.
rodrigolfp
Haptic Gamepads 4 Life
good news. 90+fps on pc here we go...
Like I said, I played the whole demo in VR and it didn't hiccup even once. It's completely stable right now. They just massively dropped cloud quality.
Toadthemushroom
Member
Good look at the tech as always, though to me the opening didn't sound too convincing - Ace Combat 7 being a return to the classic games after 2011's Assault Horizon isn't really true, since Namco released a remake of Ace Combat 2 at the same time as Assault Horizon, even calling it "Assault Horizon Legacy" to indicate it's classic Ace Combat.
Dsyndrome
Member
Well that's good to hear, at least.
Excellent (and thank you for clarifying when you definitely weren't obligated). I was going based on someone else's quick synopsis (I'm reading at work). They said "game runs...between high 30's and mid 40's on average on Base PS4. No other version tested," and I assumed they meant VR wasn't part of the demonstration.
Low res clouds like lots of jaggies around the 3D objects like those low res alpha effects from ps3 era?
Neuromancer
Member
Have they said anything about putting out a flight stick?
Yautja_Warrior
Member
Damn this game is looking good. It's early days, so I'm sure performance will improve by the time it's released.
Also cannot wait to play this in VR, with the recent news it will have a proper VR campaign and it won't just be a 10 minute single VR mission.
Also cannot wait to play this in VR, with the recent news it will have a proper VR campaign and it won't just be a 10 minute single VR mission.
Brian_FETO
Banned
This game looks fucking incredible
I want to grab PSVR at some point, if not before then definitely when AC7 releases
I want to grab PSVR at some point, if not before then definitely when AC7 releases
Zvonimir Boban
Banned
It's so early in development that I don't give a fuck about the current framerate, I'm just so happy that it looks like a legit Ace Combat game.
It's going to be incredible.
It's going to be incredible.
crazysapertonight
Member
Now I am worrying about optimization on PC
D4rth Man7iz
Member
Looking forward to this game. Hope they don't rush it.
Freshmaker
I am Korean.
PSVR runs at 60 if you're super worried about an arcade flight sim running at 30-47fps.
It was very typical of PSVR on the base system. Not excellent but sufficient. The VR experience was generally quite good here and the game is well suited to it.I know you can't pixel count in HMD