He did the tech video to the game at release and praised it over the moon, I think he even said that it’s one of the most spectacular looking games ever. So it’s surprising that it doesn’t get mentioned. I mean I haven’t watched the video, but what others are saying.
You guys should watch the video instead of putting so much of a focus on us “winning”. They have a good list of games covering a wide range of genres and articulate their choices really well.
He loves the Horizon series. It’s in the video and they speak very highly of it.
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Worth noting: Their picks are not about technical graphics. They are about what games they liked to look at. It’s just opinions, not judgements on technical competency or presentation. That is clear when you watch the video.
The LEGO game has a lot going for it in terms of how well the visual presentation can land in tandem with the story it is telling based on what I’ve read.
…Xbox has dominated attention online for most of the year. XGS dominated the awards season, Game Pass is a roaring success, Xbox outsold PS5 in November in the US, etc. Why would you need to turn to DF for subjective opinions about what they enjoy looking at (i.e. not technical graphics rankings) to find a ‘win’? Xbox has been ‘winning’ almost all year long in most respects. No publisher has ever released so many top tier titles back to back 6 months in a row across a variety of genres and styles to such acclaim, all of which you can play yourself right now(!). You shouldn’t need to search for validation on behalf of your favored ecosystem at this point if you’re an Xbox gamers. The validation is piled up on Game Pass’ library, waiting to be enjoyed. THAT is where your attention should be.
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It has a really long segment in the video. Can folks at least watch the whole video before commenting on it? The premise of the video isn’t even what ppl imagine it to be…it’s not a video about ranking tech graphics. It’s a video about what they liked to look at, which is obviously related to how they felt about the games overall, art direction, atmosphere, etc.
Wouldn’t discussing the geometric details in FH5, RT and fur shading in R&C, or the particle effects in Returnal be about technical competency? You’re right that it’s not strictly about the tech or else we wouldn’t see any Switch games in the video lol but it does cover the many aspects of a graphical presentation.
Watching the video, I was reminded on how many great looking games we got this year, regardless of platform.
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They are explaining why they like the aesthetic of the games which can include technical impressions but isn’t limited to them which was my point. That is not the same as presenting, say, a ranked list of top technical graphics achievements for 2021.
DF described the list themselves as the games they felt were most visually striking overall to them (well, 2 of the DF crew at least). They also note that they have no rational way to quantify or measure what the list reflects. This is just their way of highlighting games that they liked looking at while playing and they felt deserved recognition for that. Nobody should take it as a technical ranking, including other ppl in this thread looking for wins or losses.
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Photorealism vs unique art-style is always going to be a hot topic amongst gamers, and no one will ever end up happy.
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Well I am pretty sure that Psychonauts 2 for example will be a much more pleasing game too look at in the future when compared to the Lego game or that marble tech demo, the last two may be seen as software that was pushing cool tech at the time but I don’t think that anyone will be choosing them over Psychonauts 2 in like 7 years from now.
Tech and photorealism ages with time as better tech comes along but unique art styles don’t, if back at 2011 you told anyone that El Shaddai looked better than Uncharted 3 then you would be laughed at but now it’s not a weird thing to say.
DF are people with analysis and data and also opinions. The problem from whatever they do comes from it being easily used for console wars, and people treating them like authority on things. I just saw a thread where apparently DF “crowned” R&C as the most technically advanced games, saw a bunch of replies saying “Talent > tera flops” “Sony studios are more talented” “$500 $m and can’t compete” and such nonsense, which is what grinds my gears. Im pretty sure DF don’t mean it that way but their preferences coupled with tech analysis and neglecting to explain differences in scope and what different games try to achieve comes off to many as an objective ranking from an authority on studio capabilities, which definitely led to the the ridiculous misconception that Xbox studios weren’t and aren’t capable of technical and visual excellence.
I had a conversation with John in 2020 when I had Twitter and he said Xbox studios didn’t push visual and technical limits last gen. We reached a point where I said, what about Coalition? Playground? Turn10? Sea of Thieves, while not obvious actually does incredible thing technology wise, and he actually said you’re right and is excited to see what they do with XSX. His admitted preference for the type of games (single player story driven) influences the way he appreciates the tech and visual in them more.
Considering the hardware capabilities of Xbox One I’d say that the teams above exceeded expectations AND even delivered more than decent versions of their latest games for the base XBO which is really impressive IMO.
I think that a lot of people will be surprised with MS’s 1st party studios this gen. The Series consoles are very well designed this time around and MS is all in in terms of budgets/are more flexible in terms of development time…and we all know that both of those things last gen were limiting their studios quite a bit.
Don’t start me off about John. I’ve no issues with R&C being the top choice. I’m more disappointed how amazing looking games like Psychonauts 2 are nowhere to be found. Also while I love Prime Dread it to me looks like a 2D game done on the cheap
DF Foundry are pundits and there’s going to be ones who agree and disagree with their views. I found some of their videos of late to be playing to an audience.
My favorite thing of theirs is DF Retro. Anything with comparisons or lists will just be fuel to toxicity and console warriors.
I like Retro but even that can be used by some. Console warriors aren’t all toxic, it nice to have fans passionate really about their fav team system ECT. It’s when it gets nasty with personal insults and death threats, it gets all silly
It a bit like football, you praise your team and look to point score again your rival team
I dislike the ones who flag off a game or system but don’t own it. You see loads slagging off the latest Sonic or COD game and they’ve never actually bought it
Couldn’t it also be that XGS and to a degree Bethesda games are far more stylized than Sony 1st Party games?
Like tons of Sony games go for hyper-realism graphically, while something like SoT wouldn’t?
The reasons that Xbox 1st party games don’t look like Sony games because of art style?
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Ratchet is not realistic ;o
Kinda surprised DF did not mentioned Halo Infinite. The art style is just amazing and the matirials loog gourgous
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Doesn’t hold up at all technical wise and the art style isn’t that super strong to be put up there outside of it being a great nostalgic feeling.
The materials look great though.
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Xbox 1st party don’t all want to achieve that, when they do, they do. Forza Motorsport & Horizon and Gears always looked incredible and on par with most anything that isn’t by Naughty Dog by least. Halo also has different technical challenges but when they wanted to look the best they absolutely did with Halo 4. Visual perfectionism is priority to Playstation studios, not so to all Xbox studios. But Xbox had few studios anyway so they only seemed to lack those even though factually they didn’t, and now they should have more, I mean Playground will go nuts with Fable, Ninja Theory, id Software, The Initiative (esp with DC’s help) sheesh.
Well they kinda focused on tech more than art style seeing how Lego is in their top 3 but on the other hand Linneman mentioned Dread which it’s tech isn’t anything noteworthy (though the game still looks great) even for a Switch game. 
Halo Infinite’s art style is indeed amazing, FarSightXR-20’s beautiful thread is the proof for that.
It just looks good but I dont think its the most impressive visual game from xbox this year. Psychonauts 2, Flight Sim and Forza all ahead in that regard.
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