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The Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 have been locked in a deadly battle for graphical supremacy since their respective launches. The multi-platform games have been an interesting aspect of the current graphical arms race, with video comparisons online grabbing a lot of attention and comment.
Despite the PS3’s much talked about processing power superiority, the 360 versions have managed to hold their own and often have the ability to outshine their PS3 counterparts.
Even though exclusive titles are said to be the true indication of a consoles graphical prowess, upcoming games like Resident Evil 5 have arguably some of the most intense visuals despite the multi-platform issue. It is becoming more apparent that when the Xbox is the lead platform, developers have more trouble porting it to Sony’s console, but when that situation is reversed, both versions seem to reap the benefits, which is an interesting turn of events.
However, if we look at exclusive titles, we start to see a different trend.
The 360 hit first with its wildly successful third person shooter, Gears of War. Utilising the Unreal Engine 3, EPIC crafted a visually impressive world, which was renowned for its oppressive, achromatic colours that depicted the harsh nature of war.
Though Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune was certainly an impressive display of lighting and vivid environments, the PS3’s big gun; MGS4 would be the next title to officially raise the bar.
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots is an amazing feat in terms of graphical performance. It is the subtle things that elevated Kojima’s masterpiece above the 360’s offerings. From the dust that licked the camera to the fluid movements of Old Snake’s ever increasingly frail body, MGS4 is still the pinnacle of console graphics.
So what now, can the 360 hit back with its own graphically intense exclusive in ‘09?
The infamous long awaited Alan Wake, looks set to amaze 360 owners with a mature approach to both graphical style and content. From the small amount of information and gameplay footage released the lighting looks remarkable, as does character and facial animation.
Though Alan Wake looks astonishing, the PS3 is finally stretching its legs, and looks set to come into its own in ‘09 with a couple of games that will raise the bar again.
First up is the much-hyped Killzone 2. Though the first game didn’t critically and commercially live up to Sony’s aspirations, Killzone 2 will no doubt become the benchmark in terms of console graphics. The title uses the same dull gritty colour palette as Gear of War, but streaks ahead with moderate destructibility and impressive particle effects.
The precedent won’t last long as another PS3 title will put the graphical bar (in my opinion) well above what the Xbox 360 is capable of. That title is Heavy Rain. Developed by French studio, Quantic Dream, Heavy Rain features full motion capture, advanced rendering and even complex physics for appendages and hair.
In a interview with 1UP, David Cage (Founder and CEO of Quantic Dream) explains how important graphics can be in actually realising the developer’s goal for a title.
“We also spent a lot of time and energy in developing a solid engine, graphics tools, and pipelines. I think gamers can already judge the graphic quality from the first playable demo we presented. Many people seemed to think that this pre-teaser was prerendered and not interactive, but it’s entirely real time and fully playable.
We really improved the experience at all levels, with more interactivity, new gameplay mechanics and interfaces, high-quality sets and virtual actors, a new technology of facial motion capture, better animations, and many, many other surprises I cannot reveal now.”
So what does all this mean for the end user; are the graphics that important?
Yes and No…
Unfortunately the core market places a huge emphasis on graphical prowess, causing a great deal of a developer’s energy being devoted to that aspect of the game, often at the expense of the end product. You could have the most visually impressive game, yet if the gameplay lacks substance the great graphics become a mute point.
From a personal perspective, I am more inclined to lean towards the gameplay side of the fence. With that in mind the 360, whilst not as technically advanced as the PS3, is more than capable of producing exceptional games without needing to reach the pinnacle of graphical ability.
The success of the Nintendo Wii is a testament to the fact that graphics are not the be and end all of gaming. You could also look at the original Xbox and PS2, with the Xbox more than capable of wiping the floor with the PS2 in terms of graphics, yet Sony’s offering still managing to outsell Microsoft’s big black box by a considerable margin.
And finally.
We still don’t know the full extent of Microsoft’s ‘09 line-up: could we see a title announced that is even more graphically intense than Sony’s big hitters? Whatever the case, 2009 may finally put to rest the debate over ‘best graphics’ and the more important question of ‘does it really matter’?
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