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Will Horizon Burning Shores Win best technical achievement/graphics of 2023?
- Thread starter T0minator
- Start date
Dream-Knife
Banned
Portal RTX easily.
SCB3
Member
If we're talking pure Graphics then I gotta go with Spiderman 2
However the term "Technical Achievement" makes me think more of "How did they get this running on Limited hardware" as an example then surely Zelda TotK would sweep that award, how they got that running on Switch with barely any bugs is witchcraft
However the term "Technical Achievement" makes me think more of "How did they get this running on Limited hardware" as an example then surely Zelda TotK would sweep that award, how they got that running on Switch with barely any bugs is witchcraft
Heisenberg007
Gold Journalism
Should, but I am not sure if DLCs qualify for that nomination.
Spider-Man 2 and Alan Wake 2 might also be excellent candidates for that.
Spider-Man 2 and Alan Wake 2 might also be excellent candidates for that.
midnightAI
Member
The problem with Starfield is that it's harder to find a good looking NPC than it is to find an ugly one.bad npcs shouldnt be a barometer to judge a video game's graphics.
there are bad NPCs in the best looking game of last gen.
there are ugly as sin children in AC valhalla
there are bad looking NPCs in cyberpunk.
FF16 has some stunning looking character models and some straight up lifted from the ps3 era.
Find me an open world game, and i will find you ugly NPCs.
The quest givers and main character models are pretty decent and a massive upgrade over their last game. And thats what matters in a game where you are constantly talking to characters face to face.
Either way, it's way too inconsistent with it's graphics, some things look great, some average, some downright awful. Heck, I'd say Destiny 2 is better looking and that's a previous gen game (Destiny can look amazing at times). The interiors look good though for the most part.
Edit: and as amazing as Horizon looks, and I think graphically it is the best this year, I don't think DLC's are usually allowed into game of the year awards so that counts out both Horizon and Cyberpunk
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Negotiator101
Member
the city is a decent step up and more going on but its all just window dressing no real AI peds etc. The lighting? Same implementation as the last game, nothing next-gen about it anyway.
A Most Virtuous Cat
Banned
Nah that would be Hogwarts Legacy. Seriously one of the most beautiful looking games I've seen.
Heisenberg007
Gold Journalism
Still looks like concept art and digital paintings to me. So pretty!
Heisenberg007
Gold Journalism
You captured such a beautiful clip that, in my opinion, captures the essence of this "next-gen" phenomenon.
During launch period, I thought Sony was overselling the "immersion" part and it was only USP marketing because Xbox doesn't have a controller with DualSense features. After playing HFW Burning Shores and seeing Starfield and Spider-Man 2, I totally understand what they meant by immersion.
Immersion really is the big next-gen thing. It's not just haptic feedback and adaptive triggers, but it's the sum of all the different parts, what you do with it, and how it makes you feel.
There are so many things you're doing in this clip seamlessly: fighting, flying, swimming, underwater exploration, environmental destruction. That's perfect immersion that wasn't really possible a few years ago. Then you do all this with 3D audio, no loading screens, and haptic feedback and adaptive triggers.
When a game comes along that isn't as immersive and doesn't have these features, it immediately stands out as a huge negative.
Spider-Man 2 seems like it will carry on this new tradition now, and I'm all for it.
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GymWolf
Member
Reggie is looking good these days.It should win for ugliest current gen graphics. It's actually very offensive how fugly it can get like goddamn.
GymWolf
Member
Agree, people should just left this thing that doesn't even look as good as crossgen forbidden west out of this topic because it's not really in the competition with the big dogs
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nkarafo
Member
That's because Elden Ring looked great on an artistic/graphics design level.
Black_Stride
do not tempt fate do not contrain Wonder Woman's thighs do not do not
Technical achievement doesnt care if a game is linear or open world, if anything id say open world games actually have a harder time because of how detailed and deliberate linear games can be in their "confined" spaces.
And most certainly it doesn't exclude a game being on PC only.
Technical Achievement from DICE last year was Elden Ring but Plagues Tale Requiem was a front runner a highly confined linear title.
Flight Sim was also nominated while not having a console version at all.
Technical Achievement from BAFTA last year was Forbidden West, Stray and Immortality were nominated too.
Flight Simulator was nominated in 2020.....there was no console version of that game.
For GDC Control won both best Technology and best Visual Art in 2019.....the console version didnt even have RayTracing, but the PC version did, so its quite clear which version they were giving the award to.
In 2020 Flight Simulator won best Technology......no console version there.
Phantom Liberty with Overdrive and Portal RTX are totally valid choices and even if Overdrive and Portal RTX arent on console, they will still be in consideration.
Spider-Man 2 is probably the one im least likely to expect to actually get the nod especially versus Burning Shores
HeWhoWalks
Gold Member
A lot of games don't look as good as Horizon, particularly some next gen (there's one that begins with an S, but I'll leave that out of this).Agree, people should just left this thing that doesn't even look as good as crossgen forbidden west out of this topic because it's not really in the competition with the big dogs
That said, I'm not worried about Spider-Man. Insomniac knows what they're doing and have received plenty of praise for the previews folks have played/seen. I know that's not something you fancy, though.
SmokedMeat
Gamer™
Horizon: No Potatoes
Starfield: Yes
GymWolf
Member
I have the game in preorder since forever because i know what to expect from insomniac, but like you said, praises from journalists invited to such an event have less than zero weight for meA lot of games don't look as good as Horizon, particularly some next gen (there's one that begins with an S, but I'll leave that out of this).
That said, I'm not worried about Spider-Man. Insomniac knows what they're doing and have received plenty of praise for the previews folks have played/seen. I know that's not something you fancy, though.
Tsaki
Member
Horizon is easily the best looking game so far and it becomes better the more AAA games release with internal resolutions of 900p or whatever and broken and stuttery fps. Add to that the solid framerates the game runs at and it makes you think of what Horizon 3 will look like on PS5 Pro. It will put to shame most next-crossgen games in 2028. It probably won't win awards due to being DLC though.
HeWhoWalks
Gold Member
End of the day, I'm not going to hate on a company known to put out highly pleasing visuals. If one truly knows Insomniac, they'd have the same viewpoint.I have the game in preorder since forever because i know what to expect from insomniac, but like you said, praises from journalists invited to such an event have less than zero weight for me
analog_future
Resident Crybaby
So does Starfield, outside of some crappy faces.
marjo
Member
It should win for ugliest current gen graphics. It's actually very offensive how fugly it can get like goddamn.
It's not hard to pick bad looking screenshots from any game. Behold the 'amazing' visuals from the recently released Spiderman 2 trailer. Looks like something from The Sims 3
MaxwellParrish
Member
I hope you realize that the Final Fantasy model that you dismiss as " Ps3 level" show at least the same level of detail as these pictures of quest givers and companions in Starfield. There are some worse models on FF16, but they are always very far away from the worse of SF , and closer to their best.bad npcs shouldnt be a barometer to judge a video game's graphics.
there are bad NPCs in the best looking game of last gen.
there are ugly as sin children in AC valhalla
there are bad looking NPCs in cyberpunk.
FF16 has some stunning looking character models and some straight up lifted from the ps3 era.
Find me an open world game, and i will find you ugly NPCs.
The quest givers and main character models are pretty decent and a massive upgrade over their last game. And thats what matters in a game where you are constantly talking to characters face to face.
Gaiff
SBI’s Resident Gaslighter
You can't be serious.
ChiefDada
Gold Member
Lol is he wrong here? Slimy chose a bad comparison the npc chosen looks good relatively speaking. But I will admit there are spots in ffxvi that are visually bad even for last gen standards, but I don't recall coming across an NPC that looked as bad as the worst of Starfield NPCs.
Gaiff
SBI’s Resident Gaslighter
Yes, completely wrong. The amount of visible pores, hair, and eyebrows aren't even close. The clothes on the FF XVI NPC seem to be painted textures. Then throw in the far superior lighting model in Starfield and I can't see how anyone can look at those screenshots and conclude that FF has the same level of detail. It's not even comparable.
No need to get disingenuous there.
HeWhoWalks
Gold Member
With this sort of conversation, there is no one game that does everything better than every other. Horizon has characters and textures above Cyberpunk, while the latter has lighting and effects ahead of every other game.
I do think Alan Wake 2 has a real shot at taking a crown or two, though.
I do think Alan Wake 2 has a real shot at taking a crown or two, though.
HeWhoWalks
Gold Member
I don't know about that. Sony's 1st Party is rarely dusted by anything and I expect the to release something industry leading by the end of next year.
Even with a beefy PC, my rig doesn't just blow PS5 out of the water no matter the game.
Turk1993
GAFs #1 source for car graphic comparisons
This is true but Horizon characters and texture are not generationaly better than CP2077. The lighting, reflections and shadows in CP2077 are generations above what Horizon is doing. CP2077 has great looking characters and good textures while in Horizon the lighting and other effects are not even open for debate. CP2077 is doing technically more impressive things than Horizon, its technically the most advanced game ever made. That doesn't mean that Horizon isn't impressive because it is very impressive for the hardware its running on. What GG made with a cross gen game is impressive and a technicall achievement on its own.
HeWhoWalks
Gold Member
Nah. I could easily put those two games in the same gen. They each do something the other doesn't. Horizon's characters, foliage, and textures are leagues above Cyberpunk's, just as Cyberpunk's lighting/reflections/shadows are quite a bit above Horizon's. But, neither overshadows the other.
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HeWhoWalks
Gold Member
The Witcher III, as good as it looks with the updates, is not a chart-topping visual piece anymore. Stick to Cyberpunk.
rofif
Can’t Git Gud
ff 16 not impressive in-game ?! It got some ps2 mmo spots but majority of the game is FIRE.
gameplay only:
I've taken over 300 shots in this game.
James Sawyer Ford
Member
ff 16 not impressive in-game ?! It got some ps2 mmo spots but majority of the game is FIRE.
gameplay only:
I've taken over 300 shots in this game.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s a good looking game
I just don’t think it’s best in class
DeepEnigma
Gold Member
"modded"
Syphon Filter
Member
No, it's a PS4 game that barely looks different than the previous game.
DeepEnigma
Gold Member
Turk1993
GAFs #1 source for car graphic comparisons
Halo Infinity is also in the same gen but that doesn't mean that the others are not much much better looking.
Yeah i said that also but CP2077 is doing more impressive things that are more advanced which makes it technically the most advanced game.
Outside Aloy most of them are very comparable, and there are material shaders in CP2077 on characters that are better.
Yeah this is Horizons biggest strength, but its also because CP2077 doesn't play in a jungle. The overall foliage and trees are still better than the one's in CP2077 so thats true. Its one of the most impressive foliage system out there GG nailed it.
Nah, they both have good and average textures. There are tons of incredible detailed textures in both. The small objects and buildings in CP2077 have very high quality textures and the rocks and ground in HFW is also very high quality. But both of them have here and there some average texture so its pretty even.
Now this is just literally 2 generations ahead of the lighting system in HFW. This is HFW weakest point and can't compete with CP2077, it has too many flaws.
And those areas are a generation ahead of HFW. Again the weak spots of HFW.
HeWhoWalks
Gold Member
This is mostly subjective. Sure, Cyberpunk has access to Pathtracing, and it does that well, but it does not make Horizon look a generation behind.
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Buggy Loop
Member
Alan Wake 2 PC will be a tough one to beat with path tracing
Non path traced screenshots already look amazing
Phantom Liberty with path tracing is an easy win also.
Non path traced screenshots already look amazing
Phantom Liberty with path tracing is an easy win also.
Turk1993
GAFs #1 source for car graphic comparisons
Im not saying that it destroys it completely, its just technically the more advanced game. HFW also does things like the water rendering and the clouds that are better than CP2077 but its the overall package in CP2077 thats more impressive. Like i said HFW is in my top 3 and thats while its running on console which is crazy. But the lighting and effects in CP2077 are really generations ahead of whats in HFW and thats a fact, nothing to do with been subjective or not.