Friday, May 13, 2005
So the first Xbox 360 shots have trickled out. I've been curious to see just what THE NEXT GENERATION looks like, and if Dead or Alive 4 (according to the leaked screens, anyway) is anything to go by... it's a little underwhelming.
At first glance, it looks like it's on Xbox 1. It's a very good looking Xbox 1 game, mind you, but with the DOA series and Ninja Gaiden, they've proven they can make good looking games. A closer look reveals details not possible with Xbox 1; the characters are too sharp, their clothing has real bumps and ridges and fabric and isn't a flat texture, and the backgrounds are fairly detailed. But that close look also shows plenty WRONG with that scene. The ground, even when it's a cobbled street, is flat with a texture slapped on top. There are odd lines here or there that are telltale signs of a polygonal model, showing off how a curve or a joint hasn't been properly rounded. And the hair! I realise human hair is a soft spot even for Pixar, but surely we can do better than that?
Of course, this might be ten times better in motion. The other key point is the whole "HD" thing. I remember the DC looking good but maybe not "GENERATION GAP" great, but the first time I saw it you could tell. Something about the clarity and smoothness of it all; maybe that's something we'll see with 360 as well.
99 Nights though fares better because of the sheer number of characters on screen. As Patrick says, this gen might more about "tons of stuff" rather than "photo-realism", and that's absolutely fine by me.
The other amusing thing on the message boards has been the anti-MTV zealots whining about Microsoft's choice of channel to unveil the Xbox 360. This entire argument is really quite funny to me. I seem to remember hearing people complain that E3 is closed to industry only (in theory, anyway) and that it should get wider exposure. Now Microsoft are taking the wraps off the new Xbox for consumers on MTV... and people are complaining that it should be held back for E3. I give up.
Posted at 3:23 AM
