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Ubisoft now working to fix Assassin's Creed: Unity issues
Following a rough launch earlier this week, Ubisoft wants to assure fans of Assassin's Creed: Unity that the development team is working to patch the game's many glaring technical issues. Just how glaring are these issues? According to the analysts at Digital Foundry, though it appears exclusively on new hardware, Assassin's Creed: Unity performs worse than its prior-generation predecessor Assassin's Creed: Black Flag, while featuring more graphical glitches (see the faceless abomination above) and relatively frequent crashes. Despite the controversial decision to display the game at 900p resolution, Digital Foundry finds that Unity struggles to maintain a steady 30 fps framerate, and that crowd scenes often plunge the game as low as 20 fps. Though Digital Foundry plans to investigate Unity's shortcomings in more detail over the next week, the analysts diplomatically state that "there's certainly the sense that both console versions of the game aren't running at their best." As for Ubisoft's plans to fix these problems, the publisher claims it is currently working on an update to fix a number of specific glitches discovered by players, including protagonist Arno Dorian falling through the game world and getting stuck inside hay bales, and the game crashing without warning. Ubisoft is also investigating the performance issues outlined by Digital Foundry, though it has yet to offer word on any fixes that might be in the works. [Image: Ubisoft/King_Anesti]
Advanced Warfare console comparison drops a few frames on PS4
Sledgehammer Games recently confirmed that the Xbox One version of Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare automatically scales its resolution up to 1080p on a frame-by-frame basis. By comparison, the PS4 version consistently maintains a high resolution, but performance analysis tests from Digital Foundry show that it comes at a price. In a video (seen after the break) of Advanced Warfare version 1.04 running on both systems, the testers found that the Xbox One version held up at a mostly steady 60fps. As for the PS4 version, it had more frequent dips in frame rate, dropping as low as the mid-40s during some scenes. The tests were primarily focused on the game's campaign; initial looks at Advanced Warfare's multiplayer performance bore similar results, though the Xbox One version did not scale up from its 1360x1080 resolution during multiplayer sessions. [Image: Activision]
Report: Xbox 360's GTA: San Andreas HD is an Android port
In lieu of rebuilding Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas from scratch for its recent Xbox 360 re-release, Rockstar Games simply ported the existing Android version of San Andreas to Microsoft's console, according to the tech sleuths at Digital Foundry. In a test comparing numerous versions of San Andreas, Digital Foundry noticed numerous similarities between the Xbox 360 and Android releases. "Viewed side by side, Xbox 360 and [Android-powered] Shield Tablet games appear to be a close match - the higher-resolution 2D artwork and the new front end are much the same, though the new console release appears to possess enhanced draw distance over the Android version (even when it's set to 100 per cent on the mobile version)," the report states. "Unfortunately, aside from the inclusion of Achievements, there's very little love given to this new edition. Just like the Android release, there's absolutely no anti-aliasing available, whereas even the original PC version supports this, while the vast majority of Xbox Originals on the 360 emulator supported 2x or 4x MSAA depending on the title." Further, Digital Foundry notes that the game's mobile roots have left its framerate capped at 30 frames per second, a decision that results in frequent hitching and stuttering. "What could have been an opportunity to produce the ultimate, definitive version of GTA: San Andreas comes across as something of a missed opportunity," the group concludes. [Image: Rockstar Games]
Forza Horizon 2: Xbox 360 vs Xbox One graphics showdown
We quite liked the Xbox One's new flagship racer Forza Horizon 2, but how does it perform on older hardware? According to this seven-minute video from the techies at Digital Foundry, the answer is "surprisingly well." [Image: Microsoft]
How Shadow of Mordor PS4 stacks up to PC's huge textures
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor is a great action game, and a pretty (gruesome) one at that. Those playing on consoles will get a good sense of Monolith's interpretation of the Tolkien universe, but high-end PC players have access to an even more detailed version of Middle-earth. Players with beefy computers can download the HD content pack on Steam, which patches Shadow of Mordor with the "highest resolution textures available." The content pack requires a 64-bit version of Windows 7 or Windows 8 as well as a minimum of 8 GB of system RAM and a video card with at least 6 GB of RAM. Digital Foundry put together a comparison video with the PC version's ultra textures and a PS4 copy of the game, found after the break. For more footage of Shadow of Mordor in action, check out Tuesday's hour-long archived Joystiq Streams. [Image: WBIE]
PC and PS4 best in Sniper Elite 3 graphics showdown
The tech geeks at Digital Foundry have put the three versions of brutal World War 2 shooter Sniper Elite 3 to the test, finding that the PlayStation 4 game looks better than its Xbox One counterpart, but not quite as good as the PC version. The footage above is a comparison pitting the Xbox One against its PS4 competitor. As you can see, the Xbox One game features noticeable screen tearing, reduced image depth and less detail at distance. A later video measures the two games' framerates and found that while the PlayStation 4 version of Sniper Elite 3 averages "a near-solid 60fps," the Xbox One game "trails behind in the mid-40s." Below the break you'll find a similar aesthetic quality comparison, weighing the PlayStation 4 game against the PC. The latter looks better, but the difference is minor - at least until you push the PC game beyond the PS4's capabilities, into the 4K resolution range. For full technical details, visit Digital Foundry's analysis. [Image: 505 Games]
Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition more definitive on PS4, says Digital Foundry
Now that Tomb Raider has made its way to the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, the techie aesthetics experts at Digital Foundry have used their bag of tools to compare the graphics found in these new versions of the game. End result: The PlayStation 4 release pulls ahead ever so slightly. Though it's been known that the PlayStation 4's Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition can reach 60 frames per second (though not at all times) while the Xbox One game runs slower, Digital Foundry has also discovered that certain cutscenes in the Xbox One game are reduced to 900p resolution. Oddly, this resolution change only applies to those select vignettes, while the game itself maintains its high-definition 1080p visuals. Further, Digital Foundry finds certain graphical bells and whistles lacking in the Xbox One game, saying "alpha-based effects in certain areas give the appearance of rendering at half resolution - though other examples do look much cleaner. We also see a lower-quality depth of field in cut-scenes, and reduced levels of anisotropic filtering on artwork during gameplay. Curiously, there are also a few lower-resolution textures in places on Xbox One, but this seems to be down to a bug (perhaps on level of detail transitions) as opposed to a conscious downgrade." While Digital Foundry ranks the PlayStation 4 game above the Xbox One version for pure graphical splendor, the comparison also notes that neither of the next-generation games runs as well as the original, 2013 release of Tomb Raider on a modern gaming PC. Both of the console games, however, feature more built-in content and an improved 3D model for Lara Croft.
Install GTA 5 'Play' disc to USB for Xbox 360 workaround
While Rockstar doesn't recommend installing the second "Play" disc for GTA 5 on your Xbox 360 hard drive, the fine folks at Digital Foundry have found a workaround. Installing the disc to the hard drive presents texture and frame rate issues, but installing that disc to a USB flash drive produces much more favorable results. Digital Foundry warns mileage may vary depending on the flash drive you use, and it's definitely suggested you go with a 16GB stick over an 8GB model if possible. As you can see in the video above, the USB install clears a lot of the texture pop-in that comes from streaming off the Xbox 360 disc alone. Grand Theft Auto 5 officially launched today on the PS3 and Xbox 360. In our review, we cited complaints with the story's focus on deplorable characters, but found the sandbox to be the best Rockstar has ever created.
Battlefield 3 and Modern Warfare 3 tech compared by Digital Foundry
Denizens of the internet have pitted Battlefield 3 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 against each other in all manner of arenas -- story, multiplayer, level design, slow-motion door breaching sequences -- but what about WHO HAS THE BEST INTERFACE LATENCY? Digital Foundry tackles one of gaming's fiercest rivalries in a way that's more educational than incendiary, focusing on the ways in which the technology powering each franchise has evolved over the years. With sophisticated lighting techniques and more granular destruction, DICE's Frostbite 2 engine seems primed to embrace a next generation of systems, while Infinity Ward's slick performer maintains its seductive framerate on consoles and lightning-fast controls. It's presented as another round between two shooter giants, but the commentary on the underlying technology, which is demonstrably different despite similar scenarios and subject matter, is a good reminder of how much time, research and investment is poured into EA and Activision's flagship products -- beyond the boisterous marketing.
Digital Foundry pits PS3 Mass Effect 2 against Xbox 360 original
Not satisfied with its analysis of the PS3 Mass Effect 2 demo -- which was apparently based on old code -- Digital Foundry has posted a lengthy comparison of the PS3 and Xbox 360 retail editions of Mass Effect 2. There's a lot of information to digest in the article, including several videos and screenshots. The upshot: Most gamers won't notice the differences between the two games, though it seems the 360 version barely edges out the PS3 one in terms of a consistent frame-rate. The only significant difference, which boils down to personal preference, is the lighting in the two games. DF notes that the PS3 version's lighting is generally brighter than the 360 game, though not necessarily improved from a technical standpoint. The article also examines the effectiveness of the PS3's "Genesis" comic intro, as opposed to actually playing the original Mass Effect on 360. In the end, if you just have to own the most technically impressive version, DF suggests you choose ... the PC version, of course.
Digital Foundry puts PS3's Mass Effect 2 under the microscope
Digital Foundry has placed its exacting eye upon Mass Effect 2's PlayStation 3 incarnation, addressing the big talk from both BioWare and Sony about the game utilizing the Mass Effect 3 engine and ultimately being the "definitive" version. DF's takeaway was that the PS3 version, as far as the PSN demo is concerned, turned out to be "different as opposed to definitive." Directly comparing the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions, DF found the former to be a "a curious mixture of improvements, downgrades and swapped out effects." To give you an idea of how minor some differences are, however, the hexagon pattern on Miranda Lawson's comes out as looking "flat." There's also discussion of shadows looking more realistic, and biotic effects being of lower fidelity. Also, the PS3 version's framerate appears to be unlocked, which lets the game breathe a little when it can, but DF noted that "tearing is much more apparent in the new game - both in-game and in the cut-scenes." So, perhaps the PS3 version isn't quite definitive, but we're not hearing anything you could still use as an excuse to skip Mass Effect 2 next month.
Digital Foundry pops the hood on Gran Turismo 5
Interested in pages of thorough analysis on the technical proficiency of Gran Turismo 5? Of course you are! We all want to see how GT5 compares to previous entries of the franchise and learn about the game's other neat features -- including 3D integration and head-tracking through PlayStation Eye. DigitalFoundry once again did its due diligence and broke down Polyphony Digital's latest in the only way it knows how: through extensive testing. While the massive tech report is best left read in full, we will offer a brief summary for all of you aspiring turismoers out there: basically, Gran Turismo 5 is quite the feat ... but you already knew that, right?
Digital Foundry examines the impact of 3D in Call of Duty: Black Ops
Most players have yet to meet or don the required specs necessary to enjoy Call of Duty: Black Ops in 3D. The intended-to-immerse visual effect doesn't come for free, after all -- not even for the game itself. Joystiq came away impressed with developer Treyarch's implementation of the technology across three different platforms, but our commentary lacked the technical foundation you'll find in Eurogamer and Digital Foundry's latest minute inquiry. According to Richard Leadbetter's thorough analysis (which also pits the Xbox 360 version against the PS3 rendition), Black Ops takes a significant performance hit when played in 3D on consoles. "Away from individual perceptions and back to the cold hard realities of performance and controller response, there's little doubt that 3D impacts the core experience of playing Black Ops. What you gain (or don't gain, depending on the individual's viewpoint) from the 3D effect you lose in terms of controller response and frame-rate," Leadbetter wrote, noting the severity of the drawbacks in a franchise praised for its smooth framerate and quick controls. "On both versions of the game there's often a sense that you're wading through treacle, almost as if you're battling the control scheme to get some semblance of the response you get from playing in 2D." (Note: Black Ops does not, as far as we know, include a level set in a malfunctioning sugar refinery.) Despite the PlayStation 3 making a hard push for 3D adoption -- next year's Killzone 3 being one of the standout titles -- Leadbetter concluded that playability on Sony's console suffered the most. "We've logged the PS3 game running as low as 20FPS - and that's just in the very first street battle in the initial Cuba level." This lack of parity between versions is a problem unique to 3D games -- film studios need only be concerned with how well a film plays with the audience, and not how well the audience plays it. However, as new technology gains wider acceptance, the tradeoffs should become less costly. We're bound to lose a few on the frontline first.
Killzone 3 has considerably less input lag than its predecessor
Digital Foundry has taken its mathematical approach to examining the deep inner workings of games to whole new heights with is recent lag analysis of the Killzone 3 multiplayer beta. Using a special controller (designed by modder extraordinaire Ben Heck), the DF team measured the exact amount of time that passed between pressing R1 and the in-game gun actually firing a bullet: 116ms. According to the blog, that's about 33ms shorter than the lag present in Killzone 2, which apparently makes a world of difference in twitchy shooters of this ilk. Check out a video of the group's study, as well as a few other odds and ends about the technical side of the beta, over on Eurogamer.
Digital Foundry examines Medal of Honor: Frontline HD
"Examines" is perhaps not specific enough a word in this context -- Digital Foundry fully dissects the "updated" Medal of Honor: Frontline that's included in a limited run of the PS3 version of Medal of Honor ... and then rips it apart. Aside from noting the "low-poly and low-fi textures", DF also claims the game's visuals have "an absolute mammoth level of screen-tear," and its frame rate "varies dramatically." When compared with the God of War Collection's HD remastering and the forthcoming Sly Cooper remix, MoH: Frontline is said to do little more than serve as "a reminder of how far the genre has progressed over the last eight years." But then, being free, it's hard to argue that the inclusion of Frontline is a ripoff -- it's just not all that "updated," is all.
Digital Foundry compares LittleBigPlanet 2 engine to original
While we're still so totally mad at LittleBigPlanet 2 for its recently announced delay, we couldn't avoid sharing Digital Foundry's recent examination of the game's improved graphics engine. In a series of levels designed to test the game's graphical strength, the Digital Foundry team compared the fog, lighting, textures and special effects to those of LittleBigPlanet the first, concluding that ... um, the sequel looks way better. However, the comparison brought about concerns that some minor changes between the two engines, such as the draw distance of fog effects, might end up breaking some of the user-made levels from the first game. Check out the comparison photos and video over on Digital Foundry.
PSJailbreak is real, is sold out, and is likely to get your console banned for using it
When we first wrote about the PSJailbreak tool – the latest in a series of purported hacks intended to circumvent the PlayStation 3's robust security precautions – we suggested that it might be a hoax. Notably, the screens shown to illustrate the tool at work were straight from a debug PlayStation 3; the same kind of PS3 that's designed to run un-signed code off of things like hard drives and the like. It turns out we were partially correct. The always excellent Digital Foundry has weighed in on the topic and the takeaway is simple: "the PlayStation 3's much vaunted security has finally been completely and unequivocally compromised." And how is it compromised? DF writes that the presence of the debug options "suggests that elements of the bespoke system updates used on the debug PS3s are being injected into the memory of the retail unit." That coupled with the USB stick, which DF posits was likely reverse-engineered from the same "USB-based tools Sony uses to test and recover PS3s with corrupt firmware."
Halo: Reach beta visually dissected by Digital Foundry
Well, we knew it was bound to happen sooner or later, right? First things first: Yes, Halo: Reach is apparently running at a full 720p according to Digital Foundry's review of the beta thus far (so many Ps!). And, like Halo 3 before it, the Reach beta achieves a near constant 30 frames-per-second of highly frenetic gameplay, albeit dropping a few every now and then during, um ... explosive situations (let us once again remind you that the game is still in beta). In fact, aside from the occasional screen tear and a bit of a "ghosting" issue ("frame bending" -- two or more images being blurred together -- can sometimes result in objects on screen not appearing solid, as seen in this image), DF is quite impressed with the beta's visual presentation, not to mention the gameplay. The three pages on the beta go into far more detail than we've dropped into this post, and, well, we've got a lot more Reach to play, so we'd encourage you to read more right here.
PlayStation Move input latency analyzed by Digital Foundry
The amount of latency between a user's input on a game controller and the in-game reflection of that input is an incredibly important factor when comparing motion controllers. Sony has been boasting that the input latency for the PlayStation Move would be "under a frame" -- though Digital Foundry concluded otherwise during its brief tech demo with the sphere-tipped peripheral. Digital Foundry conducted a fairly rudimentary experiment in which a person filmed himself sharply moving the controller, then counted how many milliseconds it takes for the screen to reflect his movement. Though there were a few variables to the experiment (such as the unknown, natural latency of the television display used in the demo), Digital Foundry estimates the device's latency to be in the ballpark of 133ms (around eight frames), which they claim is "fine for most of the applications you would want from such a controller." You can check out a video of Digital Foundry's simple latency experiment on Eurogamer.
Digital Foundry: 360 version of Final Fantasy XIII 'adequate but a touch disappointing'
So, you read our review of Final Fantasy XIII and are prepared to pick it up next week, but you're not sure which version to buy? If you're basing your decision on graphical fidelity, the A/V experts from Eurogamer's Digital Foundry suggest you go with the PS3 version of the game -- as seen in their quartet of video comparisons, the 360 version suffered a bit of resolution reduction during its trip between platforms. No, the difference in quality isn't groundbreaking or anything. We just wanted you to know all the factors before making a decision. Both versions have their strengths and weaknesses -- for instance, the 360 version requires you to change the disc two times, but the PS3 version of the game is unplayable once every 1,461 days.
