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DigitalFoundry analysis of DOOM for Nintendo Switch

J

JP

Member
IAmtheFMan said:
Come on. It was probably for the Direct that was going to be viewed by a generalized audience. Nintendo hasn't given a shit about censoring violence or gore since the 90s. See: Manhunt, Madworld, Ninja Gaiden 3: RE (Where they published it and that version ADDED more blood and gore) Devil's Third, etc.
Click to expand...
Come on, what?

I'm not suggesting that anything is happening outside of what Nintendo have shown. maybe it;s the same all the way through, maybe it isn't. None of us know and we only have what Nintendo have shown us to go on. The reason that I would suggest that it was Ninetndo's request to do this is that when the sequence was shown on PC and the other consoles blood was the standard colour.

I'm not attacking Nintendo, I'm not attacking the console I'm simply commenting on the few seconds that Nintendo have chosen to show us.

EDIT:
Phawx said:
Another video is up

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bX0mAkdZ550&feature=youtu.be&a=
Click to expand...

And, there we go. It seems to be back to normal in this video.
 
V

Vinsanity.

Member
Cerium said:
  • "Utterly insane, how did they do that?"
    .
    .
    .
  • Post process pipeline mostly intact
  • 30fps cap was "inevitable"
  • Depth of field reduced but not removed
  • Resolution is lower on Switch, dynamic, unsure of exact count
  • Reduced textures
Click to expand...


So, um, let me get this right. They said with great hyperbole “Utterly insane, how did they do this!?!?”

Then they went on to explain exactly how they did it.
 
M

Mr. Phellps

Member
I don't know how Doom will feel at 30fps, it was incredible at its original framerate, but it's the Switch, we know it's not as powerful as other current consoles, it's also supposed to run on a battery, all games released for it have to take portability into consideration.

So compromises obviously had to be made. For what it is, it's still impressive, and a great show of support for the platform.
 
T

ToysAndMoreClub

Member
Is it a foregone conclusion that it is 30fps? Wasn't the Digital Foundry video taken down? And weren't other outlets reporting otherwise? (Also taken down).

If it is going to be 30fps, I hope that's for the single-player campaign but that they can somehow make the multiplayer experience 60fps. But until we get concrete confirmation otherwise, we can dream.

GameXplain posted their DOOM video for what its worth: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTXZvvb7RNw
 
ultrazilla

ultrazilla

Gold Member
So tech GAF, is there no way for Nintendo to open up that 4th core marked for the OS to help with overall performance?

EDIT: That looks pretty damn good to me in handheld mode! Honestly looks to be more than 30fps as well. Not 60 but not 30 either.
 
Theonik

Theonik

Member
KingSnake said:
Even ignoring the 30 fps cap, if you listen carefully what DF says in the video, it is not a good port. At least not in undocked mode.

When you need to call Switch a tablet to excuse the quality of the port you know that things are pretty bad.
Click to expand...
But the switch IS effectively a tablet. All the games we've had so far have been showing us exactly that. It's not a bad thing, it's a compromise to give us the portability that people love about the system.
 
J

JaynePea

Member
According to Polygon's Chris Grant, the game dipped in areas of the first level, but a representative still said they're working on optimisation: https://www.polygon.com/2017/9/21/16344544/doom-nintendo-switch-gameplay-preview

Above, I asterisked “mostly” because there were parts of the first level where the frame rate dipped considerably. It usually recovered, but in one instance it stayed low. A spokesperson told me that the game was still undergoing optimization — courtesy of the port’s developer, Panic Button — and with the full game already running as well as it is in advance of its “holiday” release this year, there’s still time.
Click to expand...
 
A

alr1ght

bish gets all the credit :)
Their writeup is up
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-2017-hands-on-with-doom-on-switch

There are cutbacks and compromises of course, and to be clear, one in particular is going to sting. id's intention with the title was to recreate the best-looking 60Hz console shooter and on Switch, that isn't the case, with the experience pared back to half-refresh. Our session with the game was entirely in handheld mode and it still played well, with a mostly consistent frame-rate smoothed over with the same post-process motion blur found in the original. 30fps though? It's a reduction in fidelity that many won't be able to get past - but of course, it's what makes this port possible in the first place.
Click to expand...

However, many of the features of the post-process pipeline seem to remain in place - depth of field and motion blur to name just two. GPU-driven sparks and particles are still there as well. However, adding to the blur factor are low resolution textures, which seem broadly equivalent to PC's lowest setting - and possibly even lower in places. But it's definitely Doom with the same weapons, levels and enemies. The entire single-player campaign is in there and multiplayer is a download away. We played eight levels in arcade mode and of those we completed, their length was the same as the PS4 version, with no mid-level loading - despite the Switch's reduced memory.
Click to expand...

By and large, the Doom stays at its 30fps target, but there is momentary stutter in the game's busiest areas. We would expect frame-rate stability and resolution to increase when docked, but we harbour few hopes of a sudden jump to 60fps.
Click to expand...
 
T

Thunder Monkey

Banned
KingSnake said:
So you agree with the poster saying that there should be the same expectations from games in 2017 as they were in the 90's? That the technical evolution of the last 25 years shouldn't matter in what is expected from a game?
Click to expand...
Again I don't see what the issue is in this particular case.

It'd be like 25 years ago, taking the biggest, most graphically demanding console game, and fitting it onto a GameBoy Color with marginal downgrades. But instead of 15 fps it runs at 7fps. Some might think it kills the game, but we'd have all still been impressed by it.

This port takes a buttery smooth framerate and halves it to "playable but not butter smooth" level. Which again, is impressive for hardware with roughly 1/3rd the capability of the weakest console of the set.
 
B

BanjoLayleeYookaKazooie

Banned
Yeah the videos look good enough. More than playable, unless your eyes are literally (key word being literally there because it's always misused by these people) hurt by resolution lower than 1080p or performance at less than 30fps.

I definitely won't spend the £40+ Bethesda will want for this but the quality of the game is well known by now and it'll be a great game to add to the library in its first year.

I'll be in on a deep sale.
 
K

kiguel182

Member
I mean, I appreciate they doing this and all but 30 fps and terrible resolution makes this an hard sell. Unless is the only version you can play of course.
 
N

nOoblet16

Member
Vinsanity. said:
So, um, let me get this right. They said with great hyperbole “Utterly insane, how did they do this!?!?”

Then they went on to explain exactly how they did it.
Click to expand...
Not really. As illustrated by their BF1 example, simply turning down effects isn't enough. If it was then you'd see a lot more PS4Bone games on Switch.

The fact that it can even run at low settings is what's amazing. Switch version actually seems to be a bit above low as it still has DoF and better textures than low and yet it's supposedly performing better than the comparable PC on complete low. That's what's "insane" about it.
 
D

Dictator93

Member
ssdovil12.png


Hard to say due to compression, but perhaps Switch has SSDO turned off? On PC; even the highest settings, you can see the dithered vertical line pattern in screen space based upon your resolution and quality settings of choice. I would imagine that one could see that macro pattern even through compression in the Switch footage. So maybe it is actually off?
 
I

IAmtheFMan

Member
JP said:
Come on, what?

I'm not suggesting that anything is happening outside of what Nintendo have shown. maybe it;s the same all the way through, maybe it isn't. None of us know and we only have what Nintendo have shown us to go on. The reason that I would suggest that it was Ninetndo's request to do this is that when the sequence was shown on PC and the other consoles blood was the standard colour.
Click to expand...

Disappointing to see that they appear to have changed the colour of the blood in the Switch version, it's now either dark green or black. I didn't realise that Nintendo still supported that practice
Click to expand...

You straight up infer that that you "didn't realise that Nintendo still supported that practice" (i.e. blood and gore censorship) whereas they have not shown that pattern of "supporting that practice" in 2 decades.

Why you would jump to the conclusion from a few seconds in a direct made for general audiences is beyond me.

For what it's worth, could you be right? Potentially, but NOTHING in their recent history has suggested self-imposed violence censorship at all.

EDIT: But I guess you're wrong.
 
adamsapple

adamsapple

Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
It looked solid enough and the zinger that all this was just the handheld mode means there should be some clear improvements in docked mode. Not expecting 60 FPS but it should at least hit and stay at 720p.
 
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