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Ninja Theory has taken the mantle from Epic in showing off the best of Unreal Engine 5. With Senua's Saga: Hellblade II on Xbox Series X|S and PC, the team has leveraged Nanite micropolygons, real time global illumination and reflections, movie quality assets, characters and a presentation that is hard to fault. Is this the new benchmark in real time rendering? Our IGN performance review tells all across console and PC.

00:00 Introduction
00:30 The Cinematic Game - A short history
01:48 Unreal Engine 5 Visual Pillars: Materials Lighting & Shadows
04:22: Nanite: The world quality & delivering on the Epic Promise
05:42 Lumen: Real time Global Illumination & Reflections
07:14 MetaHuman: Character models, animation, virtual camera & photorealism
09:04 Sound production, mixing and atmosphere building
11:36 Xbox Series X vs Series S Visual comparison
13:52 Xbox Series X|S Performance testing
15:06 PC Performance scaling, Visual quality,Latency & Vram
18:47 Summary

 

[Mr Moose]

S v X, DVD v Blu-Ray. Edit: Damn it, he stole my joke.

 

[adamsapple]

General:
- 'One of, if not THE most, convincing bars of crossing the uncanny valley
- A clear generational leap over their own last gen effort Hellblade 1
- Light and shadow create a photo-realistic quality
- Pixel perfect shadows across long distances used in conjunction with other techniques along with high quality AO pass
- Nanite used for high density objects to scale invisibly with practically zero pop-in
- Cinematic real-time transitions between areas are 'borderline movie quality'
- Achieves the promises Epic made with the UE5 demos
- Software Lumen used for lighting and reflections for direct and in-direct bounce and reflections
- Amount of data the game quickly parses between SSD and RAM praised for how the game transitions instantaneously between different areas and lighting situations
- Metahuman provides the best looking human characters in a game yet
- Animation praised even with some obvious blends during combat animations
- Post process effects praised for creating a visual style that is 'filmic and dirty'
- Stands up to and exceeds many CGI. The best example of what Unreal can deliver in the right hands

Sound Production:
- Sound quality praised, sound track and reverb praised
- 'The passion and effort from all in the team is clear'

Platform Comparison
- Series S has slightly lower draw distance and density
- Series S closer to PC Medium here where Series X is similar to PC Highest
- Series S cuts software lumen reflections.
- Lumen GI and point maps are lower and closer to Medium on PC
- Series X is generally close to or identical to PC's High / Highest settings
- Both consoles use Unreal's Temporal Super Resolution up-scaling
- Example 1070p vs 710p in DRS in similar tested area
- The difference can be big in comparisons
- 'Series X looks like HD Blu Ray, Series S looks like VHS'

- Both target and generally stick to the target 30 FPS with rare one-off single fps drops
- 'Solid 30 FPS is better than unstable 60 FPS so this is the right target'

PC Corner:
- PC can show bouts of traversal stutter here and there
- Can also become memory bound, tested on RTX 4050 1440p DLSS to show this
- RTX 4050 1080p DLSS Quality can outperform Series S with similar settings
- RTX 4090 with DLSS runs better than TSR
- Frame-gen can be used to increase performance with advantages of 30 ms latency over the consoles

 

[Darsxx82]

HB2 is a before and after in terms of visual fidelity this generation and in terms of UE5. Let's hope (and I'm sure it will be) that larger Studios surpass what NT has achieved.

 

[DenchDeckard]

Truly the benchmark for what we can expect in the future. It might take 3 to 5 years and next gen hardware but games are going to look bonkers.

I wanna see gears 6 now.

 

[LiquidMetal14]

I hope things can continue to grow and optimize in spite of better HW coming to the whore house PC race lake titicaca district. We can hope and continue to be a cunt driven industry. Team cunt.

 

[peish]

Idkm, thought robocop achieved ue5 demo first

Yes hb2 has much more resemblance to that demo with the photo scan rocks. I think it’s missing the flying fast travel bits

 

[adamsapple]

Idkm, thought robocop achieved ue5 demo first

Yes hb2 has much more resemblance to that demo with the photo scan rocks. I think it’s missing the flying fast travel bits

HB2 has multiple instances of fast traveling from one biome to another without any cuts.

 

[Arsic]

HB2 is a before and after in terms of visual fidelity this generation and in terms of UE5. Let's hope (and I'm sure it will be) that larger Studios surpass what TN has achieved.

Team ninja huh?

 

[ChiefDada]

Really impressed by what NT achieved with the visual presentation on display.

 

[Black_Stride]

Idkm, thought robocop achieved ue5 demo first

Yes hb2 has much more resemblance to that demo with the photo scan rocks. I think it’s missing the flying fast travel bits

There are many instances of "live" fast travel over large expanses of terrain.
Theres even whole scene loads that happen effectively in front of your eyes,
I dare say this has well surpassed the UE5 demo.

 

[mckmas8808]

There are many instances of "live" fast travel over large expanses of terrain.
Theres even whole scene loads that happen effectively in front of your eyes,
I dare say this has well surpassed the UE5 demo.

I told GAF that UE5 demo would be surpassed.

 

[Mownoc]

They're a bit late with this video. The games already forgotten.

From a technical standpoint hellblade 2 really is top tier.

 

[vaibhavpisal]

Kinda interesting this is $50 AA title made by relatively small team.

I assume UE5 is enabling this? It sure took a lot of time/effort to optimise that engine, but am assuming it has left everything else in dust?

 

[Black_Stride]

I told GAF that UE5 demo would be surpassed.

They didnt believe you?
Obviously.
Theres only a few things left I want to see from UE5 titles.....Chaos Physics (though PhysX was just as good) and their new material system in action.
Marvels 1943 is using the new material system so that should be a hell of a showcase.

Kinda interesting this is $50 AA title made by relatively small team.

I assume UE5 is enabling this? It sure took a lot of time/effort to optimise that engine, but am assuming it has left everything else in dust?

The game is the current benchmark for sure.......the engine.....well thats up for debate.

There are alot of tools available that expedite development.....or rather make it much more effecient.
Scan date -> Maya -> Metahuman -> Maya makes creating photo real characters much "easier".
Nanite takes care of basically all your LODs.
Lumen takes care of basically all your lighting.
UE5 is soon gonna have native motion matching (i think its already in .4) so assuming decent animators or working on a title, its gonna look amazing.


The artistry is still something that studios need to put together.....which is why you see alot of those UE5 demos on Youtube actually look like shit, cuz while the tools are there.....the actual artistry isnt.

 

[vaibhavpisal]

The game is the current benchmark for sure.......the engine.....well thats up for debate.

There are alot of tools available that expedite development.....or rather make it much more effecient.
Scan date -> Maya -> Metahuman -> Maya makes creating photo real characters much "easier".
Nanite takes care of basically all your LODs.
Lumen takes care of basically all your lighting.
UE5 is soon gonna have native motion matching (i think its already in .4) so assuming decent animators or working on a title, its gonna look amazing.


The artistry is still something that studios need to put together.....which is why you see alot of those UE5 demos on Youtube actually look like shit, cuz while the tools are there.....the actual artistry isnt.

Will be interesting to see how Avowed turns out.

I expect final release will be better than what we have seen so far. Hellblade outside CGI reveal trailer wasn't looking as good either.

 

[GymWolf]

Will be interesting to see how Avowed turns out.

I expect final release will be better than what we have seen so far. Hellblade outside CGI reveal trailer wasn't looking as good either.

It's gonna look nothing like hb2 because avowed is an actual (big) game and not a tech demo experience.

Next game that is gonna get close or maybe even superior to hb2 is that marvel experience with cap and black panties.

 

[Black_Stride]

Will be interesting to see how Avowed turns out.

I expect final release will be better than what we have seen so far. Hellblade outside CGI reveal trailer wasn't looking as good either.

Hellblade 2 had a thread with people sure the gameplay reveal was fake.....in fact im supposed to drop in that thread to feed people some crow because the game look the same as the gameplay they showed off.
The exact sequences are in the final game.


Avowed?
Its gonna be a good looking game in its own right, but its not gonna hold a candle to this or even Alan Wake 2.
Its a more stylized game, which isnt a bad thing but from the assets released so far we can already kinda tell this isnt aiming to be some graphical showcase.......good looking enough to be nextgen, but not pushing the boundaries.....which is fine, not every game needs to be a graphical show case.

I absolutely love the boxart of Avowed though.

 

[scarlet0pimp]

Very impressed with the Series S version, of course the X version is better but when you think how much less power draw there is on the S and how small it is and cheap, i saw it for £120 refurbished the other day. Its amazing.

 

[Punished Miku]

I absolutely love the boxart of Avowed though.

FYI there's a dynamic theme for it on Xbox.

 

[SportsFan581]

Very impressed with the Series S version, of course the X version is better but when you think how much less power draw there is on the S and how small it is and cheap, i saw it for £120 refurbished the other day. Its amazing.

It's remarkable how well it is hanging in there. Still a great system for someone on a 1080p monitor, even 4 years in.

 

[adamsapple]

Avowed?
Its gonna be a good looking game in its own right, but its not gonna hold a candle to this or even Alan Wake 2.
Its a more stylized game, which isnt a bad thing but from the assets released so far we can already kinda tell this isnt aiming to be some graphical showcase.......good looking enough to be nextgen, but not pushing the boundaries.....which is fine, not every game needs to be a graphical show case.

I absolutely love the boxart of Avowed though.

The biggest "issue" with Avowed is going to be its divisive art-style. Many users are complaining about why they changed the dark - fantasy art style from the announcement trailer to a more colorful 'Outcast'-ish looking art style.

Other then that, even in the footage they've shown so far, it looks like a technically sound game. If not breaking any new technical grounds.

 

[SimTourist]

Plague tale requiem looked better to my eyes and it wasn't just empty landscapes, but waves of rats as well as cities.

 

[Black_Stride]

Very impressed with the Series S version, of course the X version is better but when you think how much less power draw there is on the S and how small it is and cheap, i saw it for £120 refurbished the other day. Its amazing.

It's remarkable how well it is hanging in there. Still a great system for someone on a 1080p monitor, even 4 years in.

Too right.
Looks like in the right hands Unreal Engine 5 titles can look amazing even on Series S.
Yes, theres some cutbacks, but honestly without side by sides it really does look amazing what that little machine is pulling off in this title.
As was stated at the beginning of the gen, actual resolution numbers are gonna matter less and less when compared to the visual output.
People are too used to simply seeing the numbers and remember how bad things looked at XYZ resolution, not taking into account all the post processing this gen will have.

The biggest "issue" with Avowed is going to be its divisive art-style. Many users are complaining about why they changed the dark - fantasy art style from the announcement trailer to a more colorful 'Outcast'-ish looking art style.

Other then that, even in the footage they've shown so far, it looks like a technically sound game. If not breaking any new technical grounds.

I was one of those people who initially hated that they changed the artstyle......but as time passed and ive seen more full res versions of the game, im realizing it has charm.

 

[Black_Stride]

Plague tale requiem looked better to my eyes and it wasn't just empty landscapes, but waves of rats as well as cities.

You are high.
And Plagues Tale Requiem is one of my favorite games and was on my list of best graphics of 2022.
Only Alan Wake 2 holds a candle to this.....I havent played Avatar but apparently its also a showcase of what nextgen can do, but this is the first game ive looked at that there are legit moments you cant believe its being rendered in real time......the fact you can pause at anytime and move the camera around is also mindbending.

 

[Caio]

Summary : XSX is a beast. Close or identical to the PC highest settings, this is Great.

 

[Senua]

Summary : XSX is a beast. Close or identical to the PC highest settings, this is Great.

Yea the main differences are in IQ. Can get rid of the soft look on PC. And get rid of the black borders ofc

 

[DanielG165]

You are high.
And Plagues Tale Requiem is one of my favorite games and was on my list of best graphics of 2022.
Only Alan Wake 2 holds a candle to this.....I havent played Avatar but apparently its also a showcase of what nextgen can do, but this is the first game ive looked at that there are legit moments you cant believe its being rendered in real time......the fact you can pause at anytime and move the camera around is also mindbending.

Yeah, like A Plague Tale: Requiem was the first game outside of Flight Simulator that made me audibly go, “wow, this is next gen”. The game looks incredible… But it doesn’t hold a candle to HB2 in any way, shape, or form. This is the game that when you’ve seen it in person, it’s nigh impossible to tell what’s a cutscene, and what’s gameplay. That’s how absolutely, absurdly bonkers HB2 looks. All of it in real time, with no camera cuts, no texture streaming pop-in, the most seamless transitions I’ve ever seen… All with CGI level assets and character models.

It is THE new standard for video game graphics, and one that likely won’t be fully usurped for a long time.

 

[DanielG165]

Summary : XSX is a beast. Close or identical to the PC highest settings, this is Great.

Ninja Theory really used every ounce of performance from the XSX, and it shows. The fact that you can get this experience on a $500 console is wholly impressive. That it is in many ways matching my 2080S, while only falling “kind of short” in very few others is just insane.

 

[SimTourist]

You are high.
And Plagues Tale Requiem is one of my favorite games and was on my list of best graphics of 2022.
Only Alan Wake 2 holds a candle to this.....I havent played Avatar but apparently its also a showcase of what nextgen can do, but this is the first game ive looked at that there are legit moments you cant believe its being rendered in real time......the fact you can pause at anytime and move the camera around is also mindbending.

I'm playing it now on Series X, the image is muddy and the world is the most static I've ever seen, not a single tiny prop can be moved. AW2 is a lot more impressive than this. It looks fine but I'm not seeing this major leap.

 

[Bojji]

Yea the main differences are in IQ. Can get rid of the soft look on PC. And get rid of the black borders ofc

Not to mention playable framerate (60fps or more).

 

[Black_Stride]

I'm playing it now on Series X, the image is muddy and the world is the most static I've ever seen, not a single tiny prop can be moved. AW2 is a lot more impressive than this. It looks fine but I'm not seeing this major leap.

The "soft" look is from the post processing, usually I hate saying this but in this case its absolutely true......thats a stylistic choice.
UUU can remove most of the post processing and the game still looks stunning.

Alan Wake 2 is the closest to this, but I still give the nod to this game, there are times Alan Wake 2 also has that prerendered look especially in certain environments with hard surfaces, but character rendering has gone somewhere beyond in this.
Nahh, let me not even sell it short......the game looks outright stunning and im once again excited for the generation.

Plagues Tale almost looks last gen in comparison.

 

[ChiefDada]

Series S results are good all things considered, but I think it loses a lot of the bokeh DoF effect that makes the visuals literally pop with exaggerated dimension. That's the main difference I see; Series X/PC has a glorious 3d effect.