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Baldur's Gate 3: A Next-Gen Graphical Showcase

DJT123

Member
Divinity OS2, Dragon Age Origins sorta, and a few others but yes transitioning from fully third person cinematic cameras/dialogue/etc to a classic style so smoothly is quite amazing.
I think POE2 is a good shout also strictly in terms of art. I don't love the game but it does look great at times.
 
Best looking top down ARPG I've ever seen, this and Diablo 4. DOS2 looks pretty good too.


Everything else either have terrible cartoony art styles (WoW clones) or look straight out of PS2. I want a cel-shaded one...
 
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Sentenza

Member
I've been wasting my life on the early access build for the entire last week and I have to say this is hands down the best looking game in its genre, with by far the best production value.
I don't think there's anything that comes even close currently, to be honest.

An isometric/top down RPG with HUNDREDS of unique characters that can still boast this level of detail and variety on models and scenarios is unprecedented.
And the amount of nicely animated and incredibly diversified close-up in dialogues is simply staggering. Every single one of the fully voiced, of course.
Sure, it has few raw spots that are still in need to be addressed, glitches aren't that rare, etc. But when it works if feels incredible to witness.
 
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Every single next-gen game coming out on the consoles still have pre-baked GI and yet, they are labeled next-gen. Why is that?
I think Ratchet and Demon's are the only currently shown console next gen titles. And they barely scratch the surface of what's expected for next gen.

Some of the screens for ratchet and demon look so good they look like concept art.

I think atom view if they can get assets like that in game that's truly next gen. It is using real life assets and hollywood film cg source assets in real time. The thing is you can have a rtx 6090 and it still won't use assets beyond hollywood film cg assets.
 

VFXVeteran

Banned
I think Ratchet and Demon's are the only currently shown console next gen titles. And they barely scratch the surface of what's expected for next gen.

Please don't come in this thread talking nonsense about the PS5 exclusive games with no specifics at all. You don't even have any of those games and they are pure exclusives (which screams fanboy) and aren't rendered at the fidelity of this game on PC (or several other recent PC games).
 
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Denton

Member
It does look good. Does the early access have controller support, and can it be played with direct controls in third person, Dragon Age Inquisition-style?
 

VFXVeteran

Banned
It does look good. Does the early access have controller support, and can it be played with direct controls in third person, Dragon Age Inquisition-style?

Controller support - yes.

No direct controls. You can zoom down to where it looks like 3rd person, but you have to point-click to move around.
 

geordiemp

Member
Eh, animations are weird and janky. Looks like a slightly improved DA and that’s about it. I’m sure there’s tons of stuff going on under the hood, but it’s not immediately noticeable to the naked eye.

Yeah I noticed the strange movement animations and stuttering in the movements, maybe I need to go make a cuppa. Looked very stuff and not smooth.
 
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DJT123

Member
Controller support - yes.

No direct controls. You can zoom down to where it looks like 3rd person, but you have to point-click to move around.
Can you play BG3 with a 360 controller right now (xinput)? Added in a recent patch?
 
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VFXVeteran

Banned
Some people couldn't spot quality if it was sitting on their sternum taking a dump.

It's not a PS exclusive. On the exclusives, everything can be noticed like 16x anisotropic filtering whereas on PC that's not "a significant change to the visuals.. "

Can you play BG3 with a 360 controller right now (xinput)? Added in a recent patch?

I'm so sorry guys. I'm playing so many games in one sitting that I"m getting my games mixed up (as well as my graphics engines). The joystick is NOT supported right now. I thought it was.
 

supernova8

Banned
This game by itself doesn't look next-gen at all (personal opinion of course) but I think it's a situation where we start to see the top tier outlier last gen visuals becoming the bare minimum for this new gen. It makes you wonder what will come in the next few years.
 

3735314-ps5_demonsouls_20200916_site.jpg


Anybody can be dishonest and pick crappy, low-res screenshots.
 
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VFXVeteran

Banned
This game by itself doesn't look next-gen at all (personal opinion of course) but I think it's a situation where we start to see the top tier outlier last gen visuals becoming the bare minimum for this new gen. It makes you wonder what will come in the next few years.

Define what you have seen as next-gen and then explain what the tech is that makes it next-gen. Every single game is an iteration on the previous. Higher res textures, more reflections, more accurate lighting, etc.. I'm confused as to what you guys think next-gen is or what you expect it to be. If this game isn't next-gen looking to you, then I'm not sure what game is so far with this kind of quality. I'm still trying to find a game that has as much tessellation on this granular scale as BG3.




You are excited about a nice light source showing through a roof with a tone mapping bloom on it. The monster looks like any other monster we've seen already. Look at God of War's monsters to compare. The armor doesn't have good PBR. It's not reflective like other games at all. Blurred image losing a bunch of normal mapped details on the skin of the monster. Glowing eyes that aren't real light sources and just glow textures. Should I continue?



Cartoon heaven. Fake fur on main character. No self-shadowing on grass. Shadow resolution is very low res on metal objects. Sky lighting isn't being blocked by nearby objects on some objects. Blown out foliage due to non-physically correct ambient term. Typical SSAO instead of the advanced HBAO+. Should I go on?

Those games are not "next-gen" looking either going by your standard. There is nothing there that shouts - "we did something that noone else has done before!" except only release on the PS5. You guys are pathetic.
 
I think Demon's Souls, R&C, and Baldur's Gate III all look fantastic. This shit-flinging of picking bad screenshots to make a point screams arguing in bad faith.

This "next-gen" thing is pure semantics and useless to the discussion at hand. People were all over Horizon: Forbidden West's nuts claiming this was what was possible when games weren't shackled by current-gen consoles. Would you look at that, it's also coming out on PS4.

This next-gen vs current-gen talk should have died with that.
 
That baldur gate picture said 1200x800 resolution, it's a close up. That one you just posted is 6xx x 360 extremely low rez.

I can easily screen cap from here at full rez and you'd see several areas subpar
Dude, you're comparing promo screenshots to a garbage youtube stream.
 

VFXVeteran

Banned
I think Demon's Souls, R&C, and Baldur's Gate III all look fantastic. This shit-flinging of picking bad screenshots to make a point screams arguing in bad faith.

This "next-gen" thing is pure semantics and useless to the discussion at hand. People were all over Horizon: Forbidden West's nuts claiming this was what was possible when games weren't shackled by current-gen consoles. Would you look at that, it's also coming out on PS4.

This next-gen vs current-gen talk should have died with that.

Yep. It just proves that they only have eyes for what they want to have eyes for. No other game matters unless it's an exclusive and it's sickening.
 
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Here's the image source link, it also has other high resolution pictures and both look quite bad, remind me of 360.

Dude, you're comparing promo screenshots to a garbage youtube stream.
I can screen cap the same area in the youtube gameplay vid. Gameplay vid screen cap vs Gameplay vid screencap.
 
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Sentenza

Member
This game by itself doesn't look next-gen at all (personal opinion of course) but I think it's a situation where we start to see the top tier outlier last gen visuals becoming the bare minimum for this new gen. It makes you wonder what will come in the next few years.
Nah, it's not it, it's that most of you people have a very dumb, limited opinion of what's technically impressive.
It doesn't matter how vast, complex, insanely detailed or mechanically intricate a game can be under the hood, you'll always wank just in what looks good in a screenshot or trailer, and you'll make senseless comparisons in the process.
"Oh sure, XCOM 2 or Civilization may be great if you are into it, but they don't look like Uncharted, let me tell you that".

The size, scope and ambition never seem to matter in your evaluation, because most of you aren't even that well equipped to understand it, used as you are to your little world of rectangular plastic toyboxes and cinematic platformers with corridor level design.
 
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I mean the character models look next gen - I don’t know what’s going on under the hood here but from overall “look” it’s not blowing my mind. Maybe because I’m on an iPhone. Def looks good for something you can zoom in and out on like that but demons souls has an overall more “next gen look” to me - I don’t know if it’s the art style or what.
 
I mean the character models look next gen - I don’t know what’s going on under the hood here but from overall “look” it’s not blowing my mind. Maybe because I’m on an iPhone. Def looks good for something you can zoom in and out on like that but demons souls has an overall more “next gen look” to me - I don’t know if it’s the art style or what.
I prefer the looks of Demon's Souls as well. I really dig the aesthetics and gothic architecture.
 
I don't care about this shit. You deliberately pick out a garbage screenshot to prove an equally garbage point. Anybody can do that.

We can share poor screenshots until the cows come home. It's useless.
in that link you have two high resolution clear images of gameplay. Not blurry, no low quality, actual gameplay high rez. It is just that the budget doesn't seem that good and there are some areas that look last gen in that title.
 
in that link you have two high resolution clear images of gameplay. Not blurry, no low quality, actual gameplay high rez. It is just that the budget doesn't seem that good and there are some areas that look last gen in that title.
And when Demon's Souls actually comes out, how much do you bet I can screenshot areas that look terrible? People have been doing this since times immemorial and Demon's Souls won't be an exception.
 

VFXVeteran

Banned

Here's the image source link, it also has other high resolution pictures and both look quite bad, remind me of 360.


I can screen cap the same area in the youtube gameplay vid. Gameplay vid screen cap vs Gameplay vid screencap.

Dude, stop being disingenuous with the crappy vids/pics! I have the game right here! If you want me to show you stuff, I'll do it. But don't go picking something low res and not representative of the max settings with the game.

The torch has dynamic shadows just like in Demon Souls. And I even gazed at your famous volume beam light source you seem to have a hardon for with "glow" in the cave too to show you that BG3 does the same thing.

 
You are excited about a nice light source showing through a roof with a tone mapping bloom on it. The monster looks like any other monster we've seen already. Look at God of War's monsters to compare. The armor doesn't have good PBR. It's not reflective like other games at all. Blurred image losing a bunch of normal mapped details on the skin of the monster. Glowing eyes that aren't real light sources and just glow textures. Should I continue?
Many areas in demon's souls look beyond that monster.


source
And when Demon's Souls actually comes out, how much do you bet I can screenshot areas that look terrible? People have been doing this since times immemorial and Demon's Souls won't be an exception.

Yeah but how many npcs are likely to receive that treatment. In pc titles many low tier npcs get crap treatment.
Dude, stop being disingenuous with the crappy vids/pics! I have the game right here! If you want me to show you stuff, I'll do it. But don't go picking something low res and not representative of the max settings with the game.

Go to that npc put it in 4k ultra settings, and it won't show much difference, the link has the pictures in high resolution not low resolution. I'd be surprised if exploring I don't see quite many low tier npcs.

There are also areas were some of the vegetation appears to have no lighting or limited lighting in the baldur's video. The water also seemed somewhat unimpressive.

1440p source BG3 image
 
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As I was reading the title I was like, oh, come on VFX, you can't be serious. I'd seen a few vids of this around the reveal and it didn't impress me then.

But after seeing the vids in the OP and all the vids posted in this thread... Holy crap. This is without a doubt the best looking CRPG I've ever seen. One of the nicest looking games in general for that matter and the lip syncing is actually amazing for this genera.

A few things I personally think would help everyone when considering what is or isn't next gen in conversations.

First off, everyone is going to have differing opinions depending on their technical expertise as well as their preferences.

Secondly, if there is a bar, there are going to be many things on the qualifying side of it that are going to vary wildly due to art style and other techniques used. People are using Demons souls as an example of a next gen game. That's fine, but that doesn't mean it's right at the bar. It could be far enough above the bar that other games closer to the bar don't look as impressive. Saying something is an amazing looking next gen game ≠ it being the best looking next gen game ever.

Thirdly, we absolutely should separate games by genera. We shouldn't be comparing small corridor games to open world games for example. Nor should we be comparing these games to CRPGs like BG3 which have absolutely tons of emergent gameplay elements, unique characters, humongous dialogue trees etc, where development is going to be prioritized differently.

I'll say this, for this genera, BG3 is certainly next gen. I don't know of anything that even comes close.
 
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VFXVeteran

Banned
Go to that npc put it in 4k ultra settings, and it won't show much difference, the link has the pictures in high resolution not low resolution. I'd be surprised if exploring I don't see quite many low tier npcs.

What does the npc have anything to do with it? Are you showing that the light source doesn't cast shadows? Or are you trying to say that the NPCs in the game are lackluster?

There are also areas were some of the vegetation appears to have no lighting or limited lighting in the baldur's video. The water also seemed somewhat unimpressive.

Show me some water in Demon Souls. Show me some vegetation in Demon Souls. I'll find you every single asset you can name and I can guarantee it will look better in BG3.
 
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What does the npc have anything to do with it? Are you showing that the light source doesn't cast shadows? Or are you trying to say that the NPCs in the game are lackluster?
Well that area has some blurry textures, and that particular npc doesn't look that high quality, at least from that angle. Maybe he looks better in another angle, and maybe the textures look better at higher settings.
 

Rickyiez

Member
Dude, stop being disingenuous with the crappy vids/pics! I have the game right here! If you want me to show you stuff, I'll do it. But don't go picking something low res and not representative of the max settings with the game.

The torch has dynamic shadows just like in Demon Souls. And I even gazed at your famous volume beam light source you seem to have a hardon for with "glow" in the cave too to show you that BG3 does the same thing.



Yeah exactly . We are already showing how beautiful the game it is with max settings and yet some of the poster still look for sources elsewhere which doesn't guarantee the Image Quality

I mean yeah , BG3 in general has rough edges but it's the best looking CRPG technically ATM and keep in mind it's still Early Access
 
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VFXVeteran

Banned
Here is another video to prove the high quality 'next-gen' visuals of this game.




In this video, I show the water.. you aren't going to find anything like that in DS. I also walk around and show the foliage, the trees, the rocks with rounded edges, and all the different elements in this game that pushes it to high production values. You can even see when he steps in blood that it tracks on the sand, his hair shader looks superb in the daylight, his PBR shaders for his armor, the particle FX that is consistently persistent.. it's no where near the low levels of fidelity that we were used to last gen. And I still claim it looks better than DS in every graphical aspect you can name.

I'll put up more vids tomorrow.
 
Here is another video to prove the high quality 'next-gen' visuals of this game.




In this video, I show the water.. you aren't going to find anything like that in DS. I also walk around and show the foliage, the trees, the rocks with rounded edges, and all the different elements in this game that pushes it to high production values. You can even see when he steps in blood that it tracks on the sand, his hair shader looks superb in the daylight, his PBR shaders for his armor, the particle FX that is consistently persistent.. it's no where near the low levels of fidelity that we were used to last gen. And I still claim it looks better than DS in every graphical aspect you can name.

I'll put up more vids tomorrow.

Not sure if original demon's souls has water, but it probably does, we will see how it compares if it does and remakes does a take on it. BG3 Has excellent next gen textures in most areas, but the water is one of the things that's quite unimpressive. There are many current gen games with similar or superior looking water.


Current gen water is more than competitive
 

EDMIX

Member
Looks nice, will play on PS5.

edit. yea no way this is on the level of what that Demon Souls remake looks like, that game looks like nothing else that has ever released.
 
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That baldur gate picture said 1200x800 resolution, it's a close up. That one you just posted is 6xx x 360 extremely low rez.



I can easily screen cap from here at full rez and you'd see several areas subpar


I mean the character models in the vid u posted are really good - at least in the dialogue parts. But I agree demons souls as a whole has a better aesthetic.
 
Not sure if original demon's souls has water, but it probably does, we will see how it compares if it does and remakes does a take on it. BG3 Has excellent next gen textures in most areas, but the water is one of the things that's quite unimpressive. There are many current gen games with similar or superior looking water.


Current gen water is more than competitive

Honestly never thought about this but assassins creed water is the closest I’ve actually seen to what I thought water physics would look like baseline this generation
 
Going through it now. Looks like what I imagine a sequel to DA:I would be with better PBR and materials. I think what I'm mostly impressed by is the monster models.

OP is 100% correct. I know there's a subset of "gaming enthusiasts" waiting for Sony or MS to fling them some next-gen scraps, hence the salt, but PC gamers have never seen a cRPG remotely as advanced as Baldurs Gate 3 in terms of graphics.

Wolcen?
 
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