Support NeoGAF

[Satchel]

I know that whole Reach did a bunch of technicsl impressive stuff, I was never lokning at my tv going "there's simply no way they should have been able to pull this off"

And when all is said and done I judge my games on how they look on my tv when playing them, not what they are doing on paper, and in that context I personally feel Halo has been a let down this generation.

Yep.

I remember when Halo 3 was being ripped to shit, I was like "yeah but you have to understand what the engine is doing. All the mountains in the distance are actual geometry, and dead bodies don't just sit still and disappear in seconds etc etc"

Then I realised. Who gives a shit about that stuff? If the background and sky being a high res image means My halo game looks better and has a steady frame rate then fuck off the 'real geometry'. I don't care about mountains in the background I can't get to and have nothing to do with the game.

I'm aware it's not that simplistic but still.

 

[Biggest-Geek-Ever]

Halo 4 isn't going to be the best looking game ever? Preorder cancelled, hope lost, etc.

 

[OrangeOak]

I know that whole Reach did a bunch of technicsl impressive stuff, I was never lokning at my tv going "there's simply no way they should have been able to pull this off"

And when all is said and done I judge my games on how they look on my tv when playing them, not what they are doing on paper, and in that context I personally feel Halo has been a let down this generation.

I understand,everything is subjective.Plus some people like the visuals to be more "in your face" while others prefer more subtle approach.

 

[Shake Appeal]

Who gives a shit about that stuff?

Well, it matters to an extent because of Halo's Theater mode, and Bungie's insistence on gameplay areas being fully 'real'. A lot of other, prettier games use smoke and mirrors to make restrictive corridors of gameplay seem both more detailed and open than they are. In Halo 3, if I get in my camera and fly out to a Pelican, the game still has to render the seatbelts in there. And If I fly forward through the level I'll see full batches of enemies already in position, going through their patrols; they don't just pop in from spawn closets as needed. It's a more complete, thorough simulation for the sake of gameplay and features. Any graphical compromises are necessary ones for that reason.

Except for the hilariously overcooked (and undeniably) lighting, much of which I would have happily lost for the sake of a few frames more per second.

Or, you know, anti-aliasing.

 

[Demoncarnotaur]

The worst change from Halo 3 to Reach was going from awesome looking envirnments like this:
To this:
Worst city design ever.

I agree, New Alexandria was just.. Blah looking. I see what they were trying to go for, but it just fell flat IMO.

 

[Blue Ninja]

 

[i nerini del buio]

The worst change from Halo 3 to Reach was going from awesome looking envirnments like this:
To this:
Worst city design ever.

 

[The Librarian]

Yup. New Alexandria looks great in "New Alexandria." Exodus not so much.

New Mombasa in ODST was beautiful.

 

[JdFoX187]

Gears 3 anyone?

Not nearly as saturated with bright hues and colors as Halo 3. Gears 3 was the game that showed how well vibrant colors can be used in games without looking like someone took a box of crayons and colored in everything.

:lol okay junior. Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 2 were two bright games done right. Halo 3 was not.

 

[EvB]

The worst change from Halo 3 to Reach was going.
Worst city design ever.

aww come on.

One is on fire and and at night so of course it has a bit more atmosphere. Other than that the buildings are the same!

It would of been indistinct should they of set another city level with the same tone as the previous game.

 

[Satchel]

Well, it matters to an extent because of Halo's Theater mode, and Bungie's insistence on gameplay areas being fully 'real'. A lot of other, prettier games use smoke and mirrors to make restrictive corridors of gameplay seem both more detailed and open than they are. In Halo 3, if I get in my camera and fly out to a Pelican, the game still has to render the seatbelts in there. And If I fly forward through the level I'll see full batches of enemies already in position, going through their patrols; they don't just pop in from spawn closets as needed. It's a more complete, thorough simulation for the sake of gameplay and features. Any graphical compromises are necessary ones for that reason.

Except for the hilariously overcooked (and undeniably) lighting, much of which I would have happily lost for the sake of a few frames more per second.

Or, you know, anti-aliasing.

Good point. Didn't think of that.

Would we be willing then to lose theatre mode to have a better looking Halo?

I would personally because I never venture into theatre mode. But I'm not the centre of the universe.

 

[op_ivy]

yup, easily among the best looking 360 games. dying to see halo 4

 

[Demoncarnotaur]

Yup. New Alexandria looks great in "New Alexandria." Exodus not so much.

New Mombasa in ODST was beautiful.

Yeah, I should clarify, the level New Alexandria looks beautiful. Just when its fully lit during Exodus it really is boring to look at.

 

[Blue Ninja]

Yeah, I apparently haven't even turned Exodus into a panorama yet. This is the only one I could find:



Best shot in all of Reach, though.

 

[Iknos]

Well, it matters to an extent because of Halo's Theater mode, and Bungie's insistence on gameplay areas being fully 'real'. A lot of other, prettier games use smoke and mirrors to make restrictive corridors of gameplay seem both more detailed and open than they are. In Halo 3, if I get in my camera and fly out to a Pelican, the game still has to render the seatbelts in there. And If I fly forward through the level I'll see full batches of enemies already in position, going through their patrols; they don't just pop in from spawn closets as needed. It's a more complete, thorough simulation for the sake of gameplay and features. Any graphical compromises are necessary ones for that reason.

Except for the hilariously overcooked (and undeniably) lighting, much of which I would have happily lost for the sake of a few frames more per second.

Or, you know, anti-aliasing.

Is this why in Reach when you play split screen players pop up when they are in range? In Halo 3 it isn't like that.

Reach is great but we can't play that game over LAN because players pop up in splitscreen so we stick with Halo 3.

 

[Woorloog]

Yeah, I apparently haven't even turned Exodus into a panorama yet. This is the only one I could find:

http://i.imgur.com/wvv42l.jpg[IMG][/URL]

Best shot in all of Reach, though.[/QUOTE]

You wouldn't happen to have non-compressed version of that? Would love to have it as my wallpaper. Great shot really.

 

[Biggest-Geek-Ever]

New Alexandria has that futuristic look to it the night level that makes me think of Blade Runner, thank to the lighting. At the daytime it just looks bland as hell though.

 

[REMEMBER CITADEL]

Would we be willing then to lose theatre mode to have a better looking Halo?

No, I'm perfectly happy with the way Halo games look these days, as I presume are some 95% of people. I couldn't care less about fans of other games or systems making fun of Halo, which seems to bother you so much. The joke's on them.

 

[twobear]

man, people think that halo 3 looked better than reach, even after the levels under the glacier?

 

[Blue Ninja]

You wouldn't happen to have non-compressed version of that? Would love to have it as my wallpaper. Great shot really.

Alas, no. Reach compressess the shit out of its screenshots the moment you take 'em.

Unless you're talking about a bigger version. In that case, just click it, should be wallpaper-sized. It doesn't look all that hot up-close imo.

 

[Computron]

Would we be willing then to lose theatre mode to have a better looking Halo?

That's like taking the stereo out of your car because you think the weight you lose will make you go faster.

 

[DarkChild]

New Alexandria looked like 2nd grade UE3 (2006 version) map without awful bloom that engine had 5 years ago on every damn surface.

 

[Woorloog]

Alas, no. Reach compressess the shit out of its screenshots the moment you take 'em.

Well, non-Imgur version at least, that definetly compresses them...?

 

[IJoel]

Can't wait for Halo 4 news. I'll just leave this in here.

Legendary of course. I'm hoping for more moments like this one.

 

[blamite]

New Alexandria does look much better than Exodus, but there's still something about the colors that's always rubbed me the wrong way. The colors seem really washed out (just like they are everywhere else in Reach really) and there's a lot more blue and purple in the sky than in New Mombasa. It just feels like a generic tall city to me, while Mombasa felt like it had it's own "character", if you know what I mean.

 

[Blue Ninja]

Well, non-Imgur version at least, that definetly compresses them...?

Hit me up with a PM to remind me, I should have it on my other PC. I'll put it up on abload tomorrow.

 

[Computron]

Alas, no. Reach compressess the shit out of its screenshots the moment you take 'em.

Not only that, but they remove all the screen-space effects like Ambient Occlusion.

Grass ends up looking like shit, really flat:

Click and hold on the picture below to expand.

These things look much deeper in the realtime renderer.

 

[The Librarian]

IJoel: Indeed, good sir. What a great encounter. I always die a couple of times on Heroic (let's not talk about Legendary).

 

[ViewtifulJC]

Can't wait for Halo 4 news. I'll just leave this in here.

Legendary of course. I'm hoping for more moments like this one.

Now if this was Halo Reach, you'd have a rifle with 3x scope and nerfed movement, so the best solution is to sit back and snipe people.

Yes, I'm still salty about Halo Reach's campaign

 

[WrikaWrek]

It would be surprising if Halo 4 was actually the best looking game on the 360. Halo 3/ODST/Reach don't exactly point to that happening.

Unless this is completely new tech.

 

[Computron]

Click and hold on the picture below to expand.

If anything, Hemmorhage should have used this texture/material set, and been a separate map.

 

[RebornYeti]

Hey Frankie, I have 2 questions:

How are the water effects looking so far? And will we get to see the water in action in the footage tomorrow?

 

[DarkChild]

I don't think Halo games are so much open that there is no chance for them to look better. Hell, RDR is one of the best looking and technically most impressive games on 360 and its wide open. Halo this gen however just looks bad. Never seen such bad looking indoors in high profile game like in Halo Reach, its just bad tech. Its old, and hopefully 343i has better tech to work with because old Bungie engine didn't cut it.

 

[Blue Ninja]

Hey Frankie, I have 2 questions:

How are the water effects looking so far? And will we get to see the water in action in the footage tomorrow?

The footage will be 5 minutes of looking at water.

Believe.

 

[lybertyboy]

The footage will be 5 minutes of looking at water.

Believe.

It just might leave you moist.

 

[minasodaboy]

It just might leave you moist.

 

[dragonelite]

The footage will be 5 minutes of looking at water.

Believe.

I want to believe.

Spoiler

just watched 40 episode of x files non stop.

 

[Blue Ninja]

It just might leave you moist.

Are we talking 'an uncomfortable feeling' or 'a fountain of awesomeness'? Need to know if I'll need extra pants.

 

[S1kkZ]

It just might leave you moist.

30 minute gameplay video with audio commentary confirmed.

 

[The Librarian]

Are we talking 'an uncomfortable feeling' or 'a fountain of awesomeness'? Need to know if I'll need extra pants.

Sounds like you'd need extra pants either way.

 

[Blue Ninja]

Sounds like you'd need extra pants either way.

I'll rephrase that: I need to know if I'll need one pair or many.

 

[Bornstellar]

It just might leave you moist.

Trailer or gameplay footage? Either way I leave satisfied.

 

[Computron]

Halo this gen however just looks bad. Never seen such bad looking indoors in high profile game like in Halo Reach, its just bad tech.

Interiors suck?

Halo 3 orbital looked pretty good to me!

Click and hold on the picture below to expand.

 

[CyReN]

It just might leave you moist.

Did that guy make a article about this quote yet?

 

[Stripper13]

Quick question guys - how many hours until the the embargo is up?

As for the graphics discussion. I think Halo 3 was ugly all round - certainly it was impressive (to me anyway) at release, but a year or two later and it hit 'not good enough' status. It didn't make it any less fun to play, but you could notice the difference.

Reach on the other hand, I think looks amazing. I know some people are mentioning bland forgeworld and muted colours - but overall I think it looked far better than Halo 3, and in many areas, is still ahead of the curve of many shooters on 360. Granted I like the fact that I have a fully featured theatre mode, massive campaign/co-op battles, tons of enemies etc. I'll be honest, I don't think I've looked at any level/area of Reach and said 'well that's not good enough' or 'that should be better'. It's always looked at worst, 'quite good' to me. I'd agree 100% that the forge world pieces were bland as shit, but forge world as a concept was impressive - a bit of tweaking or some colour options, and all is forgiven. That said, I've never really looked at a forge world slayer map and went 'ugh' - because I just view it as another map. Shit, the number of Quake/UT levels I had to run through that were the same texture over and over was incredible - so Halo by comparison seems nice. I think the one map that I played that disappointed me in Forge World was 'Atom'. There were simply too many grey pieces and it just turned into this muddy mess that, in unison with the horrendous layout and weapon placement, made me hate the map with a passion.

I guess what I'm saying is, all it would take for me to love Halo 4's graphics would be some shiner Halo Reach graphics. Maybe I'm just easy to please.

 

[Conor 419]

Halo Reach engine + Halo 3 art-style

Beli343

 

[Computron]

Halo Reach engine + Halo 3 art-style

Beli343

4s pass as Vs now?

But yes, that would be awesome.

 

[blamite]

4s pass as Vs now?

But yes, that would be awesome.

 

[GhaleonEB]

I'll rephrase that: I need to know if I'll need one pair or many.

Clearly the best solution is not to wear any.

 

[stryker1138]

Nothing personal but... worst.