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NEW Xbox Silent Hill 4 Screens!
- Thread starter XboxGamers
- Start date
PanopticBlue
Member
Did you finish Riddick? I also play on an HDTV so the problem was magnified for me as well, but I think you're exaggerating here. It definately was an annoying issue, but to say 75% of the game was like that is ridiculous. I would say more like 50%. Regardless, the game certainly looks better than SH4 in every respect. Hell, SH4 is not looking too hot to begin with. Certainly competent, but nothing more. Shit I'm still trying figure out why everybody here thought SH3 was so good looking...which SH4 appears to be even a bit below that.
Lord Error
Insane For Sony
Because it was a rare blend of truly amazing artwork and a nicely polished engine, that did things rarely (or never) seen before, and used them to perfectly complement said artwork. That's not a combination you see every day.
PanopticBlue
Member
Purely subjective. However, I did like the art in the game myself. Besides I'm talking more technically good-looking.
What things did it do that were rarely or never seen before?
The procedural textures (especially in the hospital) were quite unique and have not really been present in such a fashion previously. For the time, global shadows were quite rare (though it only handled one light source) and those shadows were soft shadows (which Riddick doesn't even do). It also has extremely detailed models that still stand above many other games (they are geometrically FAR more detailed than any character in Riddick, for example) and high poly environments (with limited draw distance).
I mean, Riddick looks fantastic...but you can clearly see the limitations of the engine. Most of the environments are VERY small and extremely simple (the actual levels could have easily been modeled in Quake 1...though they wouldn't look nearly as nice). The game relies on texture and lighting effects. SH3 is simply a very different looking game.
The Room really isn't nearly as impressive, sadly, but it isn't even about that to me.
I have NEARLY finished Riddick (I have perhaps 1 hour to go, if that), but it is generally displaying everything in various low resolutions (well, not really...it just appears so as a result of the framebuffer effects). It is EXTREMELY rare to find a situation where the game is completely clear. Fairly often, the filter isn't too bad (still low-res)...but some of the time it is just terrible (looks LOWER than 320x200).
If only they had designed that filter differently to make it look like it is BLURRING the image rather than degrading the resolution.
Lord Error
Insane For Sony
Well, yes, but so is the beauty of Mona Lisa painting compared to a spread in 'Penthouse' - yet it's somehow obvious which one is great art and which one isn't :\ (and I'm not comparing SH3 to anything here, just saying that it's sometimes obvious that an artwork is good)
Combination of framebuffer effects and procedural texturing that you see in some of the environments is something I didn't see before (remember those rooms that appear to have some kind of volumetric haze around everything, while some kind of liquid crawls through everything, and has weird specular hilites when you shine the flashlight on it?) Such combination of effects is something that takes a lot of effort to pull it beyond simple tech demo, and make it look like something that belongs to a game world.
Then you have procedural texture effects used alone, like in the 'mirror' room, or on their faces at the end of the game, although I'm not sure something like that was not done before.
PanopticBlue
Member
The textures in SH3 look good, but really nothing special. It's not even a fair comparsion against Riddick, and vs SH4 it's even more lopsided. I'll take normal maps over procedural textures any day of the week. Which btw, Riddick is the first console game to use them, no? And global shadows? Please explain what's so special about them other than they're soft? And the extremely detailed models are really only extremely detailed in the cutscenes with closeups of the faces. They aren't the same models used in gameplay.
PanopticBlue
Member
Actually I didn't get that far in the game...it put me to sleep so I quit. Which is unfortunate because I really enjoyed SH2. So maybe it does have super-awesome textures later on and I just missed them. At any rate, you're slipping! You ignored the rest of my post! 
dark10x said:
I really took my time rather than just hurry through the game like I usually do, so my first time through on normal, the game took me over 10 hours to finish. It will probably take most people around 8-9 hours to go through SH4 the first time. IIRC, I beat Silent Hill 3 in around 6-7 hours the first time through.
I'm still not sure if I like this game more than SH3; all the SH games are great to me. I can only think of the one I liked the least, which was SH2. If I had to rate elements of the games, it would be broken down this way:
Control: SH4/SH3/SH2/SH1
Graphics: SH3/SH4/SH2/SH1
Sound: SH2/SH4/SH3/SH1
Story: SH1/SH4/SH3/SH2
SH4 may not look as good as SH3 (it's mainly the character models that stand out the most), but the environments you go to have a much larger feel to them, are brighter, and there is usually no fog or darkness to cover them up. You don't use a flashlight in SH4 at all! There's also more character models and you can have much more enemies on screen at once compared to the previous games.
I don't think this game will compare to RE4 at all, however, since RE4 looks to be like previous titles in name only.
PanopticBlue said:
hmm
normal maps? you mean.....bump mapping+specular mapping to make something look more detailed than it really is? no...that's been in use for ages...as far back as HALO for the environment though they never gave it that retarded name back then
Deus Ex for the xbox used 'normal' maps for the environments and characters
soft shadows >>> hard shadows but that's an opinion...still as was already pointed out SH3 only supported shadows from one light source
The SH3 character models are still more detailed than most other console game models, cinema or not.
doesn't matter though...SH3 sucked
PanopticBlue said:Actually I didn't get that far in the game...it put me to sleep so I quit. Which is unfortunate because I really enjoyed SH2. So maybe it does have super-awesome textures later on and I just missed them. At any rate, you're slipping! You ignored the rest of my post!
Those textures are not what you think. That is, they do not look or act like textures in the general sense. It is something you'd have to experience on your own.
As for the other points, global shadows are no longer impressive? That's funny, as DXIW, Thief III, Riddick, Far Cry and some upcoming titles are the only other games that have done anything like that...and none of them have soft shadows. SH3 was released before those games as well...
The models certainly are better in cutscenes, but they are still quite detailed IN GAME (more so than Riddick, which relies on normal maps).
It's a shame the game put you to sleep, as you say it. I'm enjoying Riddick, though, but feel it is a bit overhyped.
Panzer Dragoon Orta was another game around that time with heavy usage of custom texturing effects and framebuffer-manipulated filters. The ecosystem of creatures and plants looked like they might've come out of a deep ocean and nature documentary, from designs with specularly glossed scales and velvety coverings of cilia-like hair to flashing rainbow patterns of bioluminescence. The walls at the heart of Sestren used a custom effect that made it look like the inside of the pulsating membrane of an organ. PDO also combined things with a liberal use of cinematic features like motion trails, light halos, and a novel pixel retention which gave an afterimage and slow fade to moving things.
PanopticBlue
Member
I didn't say the soft shadows weren't impressive..they are actually. I just didn't think it really gave the game much of a graphical edge over Riddick, since this is what we were discussing. Kind of a silly argument really, but I had to call you out on it since you brought it up
Lol, that sounds like they are some kind of new lifeform or something when you say it like that. Dammit now I'm going to have to force myself through the game to see them for myself, maybe I can make it through this time.
It is. Still, I had a blast with it though I doubt I will go through it again. Some of the most fun bits are the last hour or two, you get to go on a rampage of sorts which is a lot of fun.
Lol, that sounds like they are some kind of new lifeform or something when you say it like that. Dammit now I'm going to have to force myself through the game to see them for myself, maybe I can make it through this time.
It is.
Still, I had a blast with it though I doubt I will go through it again. Some of the most fun bits are the last hour or two, you get to go on a rampage of sorts which is a lot of fun.Damn, I was trying to find a screenshot or two of the alternate hospital...but I guess they were really trying to hide it from us. It WAS quite shocking when I first arrived, though. I've never really seen anything quite like it. I doubt screenshots would really do it justice anyways as it is a motion effect.
Also, while it is different, the "mirror" room in the hospital never fails to impress me.
Also, while it is different, the "mirror" room in the hospital never fails to impress me.
Lord Error
Insane For Sony
That mirror room is the stuff nightmares are made of. Simple in it's idea, but so effective. I remember when I first entered there, I was freaked, but I just had to stay in, and pervertely wait to see what is going to happen, while my wife was yelling at me to run out of there (later on I've found out that I wouldn't even be able to exit even if I tried...)
I'm just saying, I like SH3 visuals for what they are, for the reasons I've already stated.
I don't think anyone is saying that actually... I don't even know how the Riddick appeared in this thread.
I'm just saying, I like SH3 visuals for what they are, for the reasons I've already stated.
dark10x:
The environments were designed as landscapes to fly over per the theme of each level, not focused locations full of obstructive buildings and formations. The level of detail within those landscapes was plenty high: the craggy bluffs of the canyon valley in Altered Genos were modeled with tons of ridges, the rolling hills on the snow field were smooth and distinct, etc. Each backdrop made it feel like flying through a different landscape painting and set the mood for the story scenarios.
Lyte Edge said:I really took my time rather than just hurry through the game like I usually do, so my first time through on normal, the game took me over 10 hours to finish. It will probably take most people around 8-9 hours to go through SH4 the first time. IIRC, I beat Silent Hill 3 in around 6-7 hours the first time through.
I'm still not sure if I like this game more than SH3; all the SH games are great to me. I can only think of the one I liked the least, which was SH2. If I had to rate elements of the games, it would be broken down this way:
Control: SH4/SH3/SH2/SH1
Graphics: SH3/SH4/SH2/SH1
Sound: SH2/SH4/SH3/SH1
Story: SH1/SH4/SH3/SH2
SH4 may not look as good as SH3 (it's mainly the character models that stand out the most), but the environments you go to have a much larger feel to them, are brighter, and there is usually no fog or darkness to cover them up. You don't use a flashlight in SH4 at all! There's also more character models and you can have much more enemies on screen at once compared to the previous games.
I don't think this game will compare to RE4 at all, however, since RE4 looks to be like previous titles in name only.
Hmm, I'm still not anywhere near done with SH4 but I gotta chime in that I think it destroys SH3 on every level. Though I can't rate the story yet since I haven't finished it, I think I can put my $.02 in on the other 3 categories.
Control: SH4/SH3/SH2/SH1
Graphics: SH4/SH3/SH2/SH1
Sound: SH2/SH1/SH3=SH4
Basically I think SH4 still has the ultra-bad camera when in close corridors and you can't see 2 feet in front of you. But luckily SH4 has more open areas than the other SH games and the camera/controls work great in those. I'm really enjoying the graphics over SH3 myself, not only are the large areas are really awesome in scope, but I keep stopping for a second in certain rooms and going "wow, this looks gorgeous". The game has a really nice look to it. Plus I think Henry has a really badass player model in-game + no fog! Sound is ok, but I haven't heard anything as crazy as some of that SH2 stuff. Though in the end what I mainly play SH games for is the story and I thought SH3 was pretty boring compared to the previous games in that respect. So far SH4 is like 100x more interesting and I want to keep going because I can't wait to get more hints so I can try to piece things together. Also SH4 rocks because of all the innovation and changes to the system, definately the most yet in a SH game. Hmm, I really should wait until I finish it to say more, but Lyte Edge you should write up your review soon and when I finish it I'll throw a review of my own into your thread
That a tailored Xbox game like Panzer Dragoon Orta uses much more complexity with blending operations, pixel-level effects, and technologies that don't leave surfaces looking as flat as most standard textures, of course. Image qualities, audio, and texture filtering is also a step above.
ZombieSupaStar
Member
just got my copy today its pretty cool so far.
I noticed tho did the old SH (2 and 3) have self shadowing?
I noticed when walking under light sources now henreys head/arms/ cast shadows on his body itself.
also the lighting is alot more subtle now, no hard edge light dark like in the previous game ( I kinda liked the harder look myself).
I noticed tho did the old SH (2 and 3) have self shadowing?
I noticed when walking under light sources now henreys head/arms/ cast shadows on his body itself.
also the lighting is alot more subtle now, no hard edge light dark like in the previous game ( I kinda liked the harder look myself).
Bebpo said:
Talk about the camera, there was one spot in the subway that made me think that there will be a cut-scene/event going on but it simply is the camera change and my standing position that made Henry behind the view spot. I waited and waited but nothing happened, and the other factor that I waited was because there was something around making noises.