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Digital Foundry -- Halo 4 Tech Analysis

dEvAnGeL

Member
halo 4 does look amazing but is NOT the best looking game on the 360, assassins creed 3 looks way better, gears 3 looks better and resident evil 6 looks like on par with it, im still amazed at assassins creed 3 tho, really a technical achievement but of course trying to convince a halo fanboy otherwise is considered criminal behavior on the internetz o_O....
 
I don't have a 360... but to me it doesn't look that impressive judging from the screenshots posted. However, the human models are now spot on.

The cutscenes are also really good.
 

Putty

Member
Had a really good blast. Still early days but initial impression are the sacrafice to achieve a ......certain scale are apparent. Mid to low res textures, poor aniso filtering and iffy AA. Also, the lack of motion blur is definetley a loss IMO. Flicking between KZ3 (forget GOW as different type of game) its clear KZ3 is a more technical marvel, on many more levels. Still, its a really great game, shortcomings aside.
 

Haunted

Member
Looks like it's a worthy sendoff for the old consoles.


Can't wait to see what this kind of talent and budget can achieve on powerful hardware.
 
halo 4 does look amazing but is NOT the best looking game on the 360, assassins creed 3 looks way better, gears 3 looks better and resident evil 6 looks like on par with it, im still amazed at assassins creed 3 tho, really a technical achievement but of course trying to convince a halo fanboy otherwise is considered criminal behavior on the internetz o_O....

So a multiplat game is the best looking game on 360? Assassins Creed 3? I haven't played it and i haven't played Halo 4, but Halo 4 looks better from what i've seen. ofcourse AC 3 is far more open world than Halo4. So that's a pretty big achievement.
 

TEH-CJ

Banned
Had a really good blast. Still early days but initial impression are the sacrafice to achieve a ......certain scale are apparent. Mid to low res textures, poor aniso filtering and iffy AA. Also, the lack of motion blur is definetley a loss IMO. Flicking between KZ3 (forget GOW as different type of game) its clear KZ3 is a more technical marvel, on many more levels. Still, its a really great game, shortcomings aside.

Killzone 3 is a fucking mess of a game though. to me it was a massive downgrade compared to killzone 2 in every single aspect.

I think halo 4 looks better than killzone 3 to be honest with you. But I still think Killzone 2 is probably the best looking fps on consoles. it looks like CG to me.
 

Putty

Member
Killzone 3 is a fucking mess of a game though. to me it was a massive downgrade compared to killzone 2 in every single aspect.

I think halo 4 looks better than killzone 3 to be honest with you.. maybe not killzone 2 though.

Each to their own dude.
 

KKRT00

Member
Killzone 3 is a fucking mess of a game though. to me it was a massive downgrade compared to killzone 2 in every single aspect.

I think halo 4 looks better than killzone 3 to be honest with you.. maybe not killzone 2 though.

Wow. Can You name in what aspects [except object motion blur]?
 

dEvAnGeL

Member
So a multiplat game is the best looking game on 360? Assassins Creed 3? I haven't played it and i haven't played Halo 4, but Halo 4 looks better from what i've seen. ofcourse AC 3 is far more open world than Halo4. So that's a pretty big achievement.
yes, also keep in mind AC3 have a lot more things going all the time, day/night cycle, you got all the seasons in the game, on winter you get snow deformation and the player reacts to it, you have all the animals running around and that takes a lot of engine resources, i usually play all my games on pc but i also have the consoles just for exclusives, i ended up renting assassins creed 3 on rebox ( the pc version comes out on november 20 ) and buying halo 4 and i have to say im impressed by AC3, not so much by halo 4 tho, it is much better then previous games, also people are gonna knock AC3 for the bugs the game have, still on the presentation department halo 4 cant touch AC3
 

TEH-CJ

Banned
Wow. Can You name in what aspects [except object motion blur]?

everything in that game was a downgrade to me man. from gunplay to its graphics.

the game looked like a mess, the IQ was strange, the colours were really harsh and the lack of motion blur really hurt it,not to mention the massive downgrade in alpha effects, post processing and partical effects. especially volumetric smoke from explosions and grenades.

physic impulses were also massively downgraded.

Killone 2 looks like cg in comparison.
 

strata8

Member
So a multiplat game is the best looking game on 360? Assassins Creed 3? I haven't played it and i haven't played Halo 4, but Halo 4 looks better from what i've seen. ofcourse AC 3 is far more open world than Halo4. So that's a pretty big achievement.

Not sure if I'm seeing it. I'm looking at the DF screenshots and while it's very impressive technically, it's mind numbingly dull artistically.

1280x-1

1280x-1

1280x-1

I feel the same way about Halo Reach for the most part. Halo 4 doesn't have the most detailed textures, or the best shadows, but what it loses in tech it more than makes up for with art. It looks a lot like the Killzone series in that regard though obviously Killzone is a bit better on the tech side.
 
I really dont think next-gen is coming next year. Metal Gear Solid 5 is coming out in 2014 for PS3, 360 and PC. And probably Halo 5 is coming out for 360 in 2014 as well considering they spent so much money and time into making this game engine, might as well milk it for all its worth.
 

JaseC

gave away the keys to the kingdom.
I really dont think next-gen is coming next year. Metal Gear Solid 5 is coming out in 2014 for PS3, 360 and PC. And probably Halo 5 is coming out for 360 in 2014 as well considering they spent so much money and time into making this game engine, might as well milk it for all its worth.

A late-2013/2014 game being confirmed for PS360 doesn't necessarily mean it won't (also) release on the PS4/Nextbox, and there's no need for 343 to throw the Halo 4 engine out the window; it could very well be used as a foundation for next-gen development, not unlike, say, Frostbite 2.
 
I really dont think next-gen is coming next year. Metal Gear Solid 5 is coming out in 2014 for PS3, 360 and PC. And probably Halo 5 is coming out for 360 in 2014 as well considering they spent so much money and time into making this game engine, might as well milk it for all its worth.

That would be a terrible move if MS actually did that. Also 2014 (especially if they wait until the holidays) is a long way off and i think both MS and sony aren't going to be happy with the amount of consoles they are selling if they wait that long.
 
yes, also keep in mind AC3 have a lot more things going all the time, day/night cycle, you got all the seasons in the game, on winter you get snow deformation and the player reacts to it, you have all the animals running around and that takes a lot of engine resources, i usually play all my games on pc but i also have the consoles just for exclusives, i ended up renting assassins creed 3 on rebox ( the pc version comes out on november 20 ) and buying halo 4 and i have to say im impressed by AC3, not so much by halo 4 tho, it is much better then previous games, also people are gonna knock AC3 for the bugs the game have, still on the presentation department halo 4 cant touch AC3

okay. curious to see what i think of this when i get to play them. Both look plenty fine ofcourse.
 
A late-2013/2014 game being confirmed for PS360 doesn't necessarily mean it won't (also) release on the PS4/Nextbox, and there's no need for 343 to throw the Halo 4 engine out the window; it could very well be used as a foundation for next-gen development, not unlike, say, Frostbite 2.

Considering Bungie created Halo 3 engine purely for 360, I expect 343 to do the same for next-gen since Halo is a huge franchise for Microsoft. Not to mention, the system's architectural difference would force them to take advantage of all the extra cores that would be in Xbox 720.

Bring on Halo 5 for 360, I'm ready.

That would be a terrible move if MS actually did that. Also 2014 (especially if they wait until the holidays) is a long way off and i think both MS and sony aren't going to be happy with the amount of consoles they are selling if they wait that long.

I'm saying this because people said the same thing in 2010 and 2011 that next-gen is coming out in 2011 and 2012 (respectively) according to the "inside source".

Games like Halo 4 pretty much proved to everyone that there's still more juice left in our current gen systems and not to mention the economy is still pretty bad. I don't think it would be a very smart move for both Sony and MS to come out with a $500 next-gen console.
 
Just played through to the warthogs on chapter 2.

As discussed here, based on the scale of the game and what it achieves it is a technical feat.

As the generation nears its end, the 360 leapfrogs the PS3 in the technical and visual 'exclusive' department.

Your move Sony, delight us. Time is running out.
 

strata8

Member
Considering Bungie created Halo 3 engine purely designed for 360, I expect 343 to do the same for next-gen since Halo is a huge franchise for Microsoft. Not to mention, the system's architectural difference would force them to take advantage of all the extra cores that would be in Xbox 720.

Bring on Halo 5 for 360, I'm ready.

There's nothing coming in the next-gen that would require a completely new engine. Today's engines are perfectly capable of doing so much more, but they're limited by the hardware they're running on. Halo 4 is a good example of this.
 

i-Lo

Member
Can someone explain what this exactly means:

Cut-scenes put 343 firmly in control of the rendering budget, allowing for models that are more detailed than their in-game equivalents and enhanced effects work including depth-of-field. Facial rendering and animation is also a clear step up from previous Halo titles.
 
everything in that game was a downgrade to me man. from gunplay to its graphics.

the game looked like a mess, the IQ was strange, the colours were really harsh and the lack of motion blur really hurt it,not to mention the massive downgrade in alpha effects, post processing and partical effects. especially volumetric smoke from explosions and grenades.

physic impulses were also massively downgraded.

Killone 2 looks like cg in comparison.

I can't believe everybody isn't on board with what you're saying. It's like a mass delusion out there. Right on brother, you and I are immune to hyperbole.
 

zoukka

Member
On an artistic level the shots from Halo 4 look like illustrations while Asscreed looks like a Unity tech demo :b
 

D6AMIA6N

Member
Long time Halo fan, but really didn't know anything about 4. Never watched vids, etc. As soon as I booted it up I was pretty much blown away, definitely some of the best graphics I have seen this gen.
 
Just played through to the warthogs on chapter 2.

As discussed here, based on the scale of the game and what it achieves it is a technical feat.

As the generation nears its end, the 360 leapfrogs the PS3 in the technical and visual 'exclusive' department.

Your move Sony, delight us. Time is running out.

lol
 
There's nothing coming in the next-gen that would require a completely new engine. Today's engines are perfectly capable of doing so much more, but they're limited by the hardware they're running on. Halo 4 is a good example of this.

I'm expecting next-gen Halo to look a ton better than our current-gen Halo's. If they just used the same old engine, it would mean the game's graphics would be equivalent to what happened with Tony Hawk's Proving Grounds.

Not good at all.

I would rather have Microsoft take their time with next-gen Halo than rush it using this old engine. Otherwise, it would be a disaster.

As the generation nears its end, the 360 leapfrogs the PS3 in the technical and visual 'exclusive' department.

This is a joke right?

I've had both PS3 and 360 for awhile now and PS3 gamers have been playing with this type of graphics for some time now. Sorry to burst your bubble.
 

TEH-CJ

Banned
I dont get some of you guys. how does halo 4 prove we still have untapped potential in this gens hardware?

we are long overdue for new consoles and this is a fact.

Halo 4 looks pretty, yes I agree, but fuck me christ it pretty much sacrifices everything else for its visuals. no scale what so ever, 2d backgrounds, no skyboxes, dumb AI, generic sound effects and the list goes on.

its like they used 90% of the power of the 360 on just visuals alone, and the 10% left over they used for everything else. and it shows.

so no, Halo 4 does no prove that we still have juice left this gen. we need new consoles badly, because games now are being limited big time and quite frankly are getting very stale.

512 of ram with aging cpu's ( yes even the cell) is simply not enough anymore. developers cannot be ambitious with their ideas with this gens power.

I do not wont compromises and sacrifices in my games.
 

JaseC

gave away the keys to the kingdom.
Considering Bungie created Halo 3 engine purely designed for 360, I expect 343 to do the same for next-gen since Halo is a huge franchise for Microsoft.

You're conflating the need for a new engine with the desire for a new engine "just because".

Not to mention, the system's architectural difference would force them to take advantage of all the extra cores that would be in Xbox 720.

And you don't think developers have been spending the better part of this generation familiarising themselves with parallel processing, as demanded by the six threads offered by the X360's Xenon and the several SPUs offered by the PS3's Cell?

I'm expecting next-gen Halo to look a ton better than our current-gen Halo's. If they just used the same old engine, it would mean the game's graphics would be equivalent to what happened with Tony Hawk's Proving Grounds.

Not good at all.

Engines are not static beasts that are resistant to change. Source was built upon GoldSrc and Half-Life 2 managed to look a generation ahead of Half-Life.
 

Pooya

Member
I'm saying this because people said the same thing in 2010 and 2011 that next-gen is coming out in 2011 and 2012 (respectively) according to the "inside source".

well, there is Bungie's leaked contract stating they must launch their game in Fall 2013 for 360 and "720".

Next month at VGAs, Spike press release mentions the first look at next generation of games.

looks pretty obvious right now at least one console launches next year.
 
Can someone explain what this exactly means:

Pretty clear no?

In cut scenes your so called rendering budget is 100% known (in gameplay it is not... who knows what happens with the player?). So 343 can perfectly maximise the GPU/CPU in cut scenes adding much higher effects/models.
 
Can someone explain what this exactly means:

You have limited resources.
So if you have full control over movements you can load in and out different resources. For example put a low res textures somewhere in the back of the scene, to some higher resolution textures in the area the camera is focused on.

When a player is playing you have no control over what the player will do so you have to load in data all around the player just to be on the save side. You don't want frame rate to drop or object to pop in too much.
 
You're conflating the need for a new engine with the desire for a new engine "just because".

Not exactly, because people are expecting next-gen to look 10x better than we have now. By just re-using this old engine and rushing Halo 5 out the door, Microsoft would not achieve that.

Just like they did with Halo 3, 343 will make their proprietary engine for xbox720 for next-gen Halo. It's a game that leads the platform in terms of gameplay and graphics.
 

derFeef

Member
Not exactly, because people are expecting next-gen to look 10x better than we have now. By just re-using this old engine and rushing Halo 5 out the door, Microsoft would not achieve that.

Just like they did with Halo 3, 343 will make their proprietary engine for xbox720 for next-gen Halo. It's a game that leads the platform in terms of gameplay and graphics.

The Halo engines are pretty much all the same, no? I am sure it's easier to expand this engine than make a complete new one (and lose all movement/shooting/Halo feel). Just like Source.

And btw. 10x better is a bit delusional.
 

CozMick

Banned
Only played multiplayer in splitscreen so far......

LoD pop-in is horrendous and the framerate is 25fps constant.

Apart from that and the omission of Grifball and Infection in MM, sound game so far.
 
well, there is Bungie's leaked contract stating they must launch their game in Fall 2013 for 360 and "720".

Next month at VGAs, Spike press release mentions the first look at next generation of games.

looks pretty obvious right now at least one console launches next year.

I would love to see that contract. Link please?
 

i-Lo

Member
Pretty clear no?

In cut scenes your so called rendering budget is 100% known (in gameplay it is not... who knows what happens with the player?). So 343 can perfectly maximise the GPU/CPU in cut scenes adding much higher effects/models.

You have limited resources.
So if you have full control over movements you can load in and out different resources. For example put a low res textures somewhere in the back of the scene, to some higher resolution textures in the area the camera is focused on.

When a player is playing you have no control over what the player will do so you have to load in data all around the player just to be on the save side. You don't want frame rate to drop or object to pop in too much.

So is it something akin to cutscenes from say Uncharted 3 where it was rendered "in-engine" with improved AA and lighting, then recorded and played back as a video file? Of course, except here, I assume that the rendering is in-engine real time as opposed to playback.
 

JaseC

gave away the keys to the kingdom.
Not exactly, because people are expecting next-gen to look 10x better than we have now. By just re-using this old engine and rushing Halo 5 out the door, Microsoft would not achieve that.

I didn't say 343 would re-use the the engine as-is, but rather that it'd form the foundation for future developments -- not unlike, again, GoldSrc to Source.

Just like they did with Halo 3, 343 will make their proprietary engine [from the ground up] for xbox720 for next-gen Halo. It's a game that leads the platform in terms of gameplay and graphics.

Quite possibly, but it's not at all necessary.
 

FyreWulff

Member
Only played multiplayer in splitscreen so far......

LoD pop-in is horrendous and the framerate is 25fps constant.

Apart from that and the omission of Grifball and Infection in MM, sound game so far.

Infection is in matchmaking. It's called "Flood".
 
So is it something akin to cutscenes from say Uncharted 3 where it was rendered "in-engine" with improved AA and lighting, then recorded and played back as a video file? Of course, except here, I assume that the rendering is engine real time as opposed to playback.

Indeed. 100% correct.

There is also a hybrid technique (used by SC2) that is a mix between real time engine and prerecorded stuff.
 
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