Are Graphics Already Sufficient At This Point?
Are Graphics Already Sufficient At This Point?
I’m fine with the original Xbox visuals. Halo 3 still seems great to me even after 11 years on a 512 MB RAM system. I appreciate the art from the early 2000s. The Halo 2 combat now has more detail, making it clear what’s happening. I’d be comfortable buying a game today that matches Halo Combat Evolved’s look.
They haven't done this in a long time. A method called Normal Maps is used. You start with one program to build a model using thousands of tiny polygons for high detail. Next, you simplify it by tracing the shape with fewer geometry. Then tools like XNormal import both versions, letting the software capture extra details from the high-poly file and turn them into textures. The game engine uses these textures to show detail without the extra geometry. In games like Nintendo 64 Turok, they achieved similar effects by clever shadow work. Halo 3 (2007) offered impressive real-time lighting, allowing lights to be placed in the map for accurate projection. This approach seems to focus more on facial features than distant objects.
I’d prefer not to see graphics quality drop as long as the emphasis stays on more affordable production methods to reduce part expenses.
Yeah I know about normal mapping, along with parallax mapping. But tessellation basically had proven we don't really need more polygons anymore. Every demo I've used where I could play with the tessellation factor, anything beyond like 0.25 added almost no perceptible increase in the quality of the mesh Real-time lighting isn't really what I'm concerned about. What I'm referring to is physically based rendering which uses actual physical properties of materials to determine how something should look, rather than what an artist wants it to look like. This might be an exaggeration, but there's this image comparing traditional rendering vs. PBR And there's this video with EVE Online showing some PBR changes: Not directed towards you, but as a jab to people who think "consoles are holding back PC game development!", Tri-Ace developed a PBR demo using the PS3 and 360 So I think it was more of a philosophy change than anything technically advanced. Which is dumb because "far away" in most cases is like 20 feet.
I noticed a video demonstrating Counter Strike Condition Zero or 1.6 with some tricks to enhance geometry. It seems impressive given the game's age, though I don't have a source. Even features like anti-aliasing appear outdated at these high resolutions. This might explain why Ubisoft used "Checkerboard Rendering" – a more demanding lighting calculation. I’m not familiar with lighting math, but projected shadows likely weren’t that intense. Colored lights in Halo 3 could mix colors effectively, which I doubt is extremely complex. The other lighting effects with shadows probably required far more complexity than Bungie achieved in Halo 3. It seems consoles don’t limit developers much. Last of Us on the PS3 in 2014 looks stunning! While I don’t enjoy the gameplay or story, graphics are hard to dispute. Many creators adapt for older hardware, discovering clever ways to maximize performance. For example, the "8-bit guy" built a real-time strategy game on the Commodore 64. (This could be another point in the discussion.) A video about its creation is available.
It seems you're weighing different game priorities. You're considering whether to match graphical quality with The Witcher 3 or opt for richer mechanics and bigger worlds. You're also reflecting on the trade-offs between visuals and gameplay, noting that while some might argue for more impressive graphics, you believe the core experience matters most. Your thoughts suggest a focus on gameplay and content over sheer visual polish, though you're open to the idea of balancing both.
I don't believe we should stop the advancement of graphics. Instead of halting 4K gaming, let's aim to improve beyond it. We can still achieve much more in terms of visual quality, though transitioning to 4K might slow us down. I think 1080p remains a strong foundation for gaming at least the next couple of years. Our focus should shift toward enhanced lighting, something closer to what animated films use. While we don’t yet have cards capable of such realistic effects, we might find ways to replicate them. I’m certain you’ve seen Nvidia’s ray tracing demo—it would dramatically boost performance if we had the right hardware. Better lighting is definitely the direction gaming should move, but not at the expense of progress.
I believe we've surpassed the limits of physically based rendering. After reviewing the Pixar presentations in Kingdom Hearts 3 trailers, I'm confident we're nearing cinematic CG quality lighting in real time. Most of the lighting effects seem convincing enough. We're also at a stage where cel shading blends seamlessly with anime styles. At this stage, ray tracing doesn't seem to be the ultimate solution for graphics. The main takeaway from ray tracing demos is the impressive quality of reflections and shiny surfaces. For instance, Enemy Territory: Quake Wars' real-time ray tracing demo on Intel's Larabee didn't significantly improve the visuals compared to the original game, except for its reflective capabilities. If this is indeed a ray-traced showcase, it appears to offer little improvement over existing technologies.
That is impressive but there is a huge difference between what raytracing can do for graphics over what PBR can. especially when it comes to rendering realistic environments and surfaces. This was the demo I had in mind showcases raytracing much better. Of course this is only a hypothetical improvement in graphics for the time being as single frames can take many minutes to render given our current computing power. As for the other demo's you linked they are just examples of poorly implemented raytracing obviously it's not going to magically change what are IMO bad graphics to begin with.
However, the focus tends to be on how well surfaces reflect light. Most ray tracing demonstrations highlight reflective items, and even simple references like Wikipedia mainly showcase such objects. I’m looking for a case where the main emphasis isn’t on reflections but on other visual aspects.