Digital Foundry -- Halo 4 Tech Analysis

Watching last night's Halo 4 Thursday Night Throwdown on giantbomb made something stand out to me.
The framerate in big team games is abhorrent. Solid 30 my ass, it's chugging constantly.
How are people with the game experiencing this?

Judging framerate by a stream? All I play is Big Slayer and the only time there's framerate issues is when I get into a game with a bad connection.
 
Watching last night's Halo 4 Thursday Night Throwdown on giantbomb made something stand out to me.
The framerate in big team games is abhorrent. Solid 30 my ass, it's chugging constantly.
How are people with the game experiencing this?

Watch a couple of streams on Twitch and you'll be an expert.
 
Is it unfair that I think Killzone 2/3. Uncharted 2/3. and Crysis 1 maxed out all look as good or better than Halo 4? At least technically. Artistically, I'd take Halo 4 over any of them, and it's a fantastic looking game over all, but it's loaded with low res textures up-close (which I know is a bullshit and unfair criticism to have of a game that doesn't run on PC, but they're more noticeable to me than they are in KZ or UC) and jaggies out the goddamn ass. Is it unreasonable that I expected a Microsoft-developed game on a Microsoft platform to actually not output in sub-HD? I have a 50-inch plasma, and this awful trend of sub-1080 and even sub-720 games is horribly noticeable. The PS3 version of Amalur was a fucking travesty.

Anyways, I'm not trying to say Halo 4 looks bad, because that'd not only be ridiculous, but I'd also be lying through my teeth if I said that coming out of the core or whatever it was where you first meet the Prometheans into that big gorgeous sunlit-valley didn't have my jaw straight to the floor. It's also a fantastic feeling shooter, and I'm loving the shit out of it, laughably-bad story and all, I just feel like it's graphics are getting a bit overrated, when there's better stuff that came out years ago on other platforms, specifically the PC. I mean hell, this was built on five-year old tech, and people are getting all up on Halo 4's dick?
Crysis___Game_Environment___21_by_MadMaximus83.jpg
 
Is it unfair that I think Killzone 2/3. Uncharted 2/3. and Crysis 1 maxed out all look as good or better than Halo 4? At least technically. Artistically, I'd take Halo 4 over any of them, and it's a fantastic looking game over all, but it's loaded with low res textures up-close (which I know is a bullshit and unfair criticism to have of a game that doesn't run on PC, but they're more noticeable to me than they are in KZ or UC) and jaggies out the goddamn ass. Is it unreasonable that I expected a Microsoft-developed game on a Microsoft platform to actually not output in sub-HD? I have a 50-inch plasma, and this awful trend of sub-1080 and even sub-720 games is horribly noticeable. The PS3 version of Amalur was a fucking travesty.

Anyways, I'm not trying to say Halo 4 looks bad, because that'd not only be ridiculous, but I'd also be lying through my teeth if I said that coming out of the core or whatever it was where you first meet the Prometheans into that big gorgeous sunlit-valley didn't have my jaw straight to the floor. It's also a fantastic feeling shooter, and I'm loving the shit out of it, laughably-bad story and all, I just feel like it's graphics are getting a bit overrated, when there's better stuff that came out years ago on other platforms, specifically the PC. I mean hell, this was built on five-year old tech, and people are getting all up on Halo 4's dick?
Crysis___Game_Environment___21_by_MadMaximus83.jpg
Halo 4 isn't sub HD nor does it look it.
It's crazy to see so many people get so bent out of shape about people actually thinking Halo 4 is the best looking console game.
 
Watch a couple of streams on Twitch and you'll be an expert.
While the people playing are sitting in front of it and saying that the game chugs.
Surely they can also be discounted as they didn't give Halo 4 a 100/100 so obviously they don't know what they are talking about.
 
While the people playing are sitting in front of it and saying that the game chugs.
Surely they can also be discounted as they didn't give Halo 4 a 100/100 so obviously they don't know what they are talking about.

People playing it are not saying that.
 
While the people playing are sitting in front of it and saying that the game chugs.
Surely they can also be discounted as they didn't give Halo 4 a 100/100 so obviously they don't know what they are talking about.

I had one very brief instance of choppy framerate on Vortex. Everything else has been fine.
 
While the people playing are sitting in front of it and saying that the game chugs.
Surely they can also be discounted as they didn't give Halo 4 a 100/100 so obviously they don't know what they are talking about.

Well from my personal experience the game never chugged in multiplayer so far. It always has been a smooth 30 fps. Most of my playtime was spent on single player though. I only spent 2 or 3 hours of multi.
 
Is it unfair that I think Killzone 2/3. Uncharted 2/3. and Crysis 1 maxed out all look as good or better than Halo 4? At least technically. Artistically, I'd take Halo 4 over any of them, and it's a fantastic looking game over all, but it's loaded with low res textures up-close (which I know is a bullshit and unfair criticism to have of a game that doesn't run on PC, but they're more noticeable to me than they are in KZ or UC) and jaggies out the goddamn ass. Is it unreasonable that I expected a Microsoft-developed game on a Microsoft platform to actually not output in sub-HD? I have a 50-inch plasma, and this awful trend of sub-1080 and even sub-720 games is horribly noticeable. The PS3 version of Amalur was a fucking travesty.

Anyways, I'm not trying to say Halo 4 looks bad, because that'd not only be ridiculous, but I'd also be lying through my teeth if I said that coming out of the core or whatever it was where you first meet the Prometheans into that big gorgeous sunlit-valley didn't have my jaw straight to the floor. It's also a fantastic feeling shooter, and I'm loving the shit out of it, laughably-bad story and all, I just feel like it's graphics are getting a bit overrated, when there's better stuff that came out years ago on other platforms, specifically the PC. I mean hell, this was built on five-year old tech, and people are getting all up on Halo 4's dick?
Crysis___Game_Environment___21_by_MadMaximus83.jpg

No, I've seen others itt say the same.
Halo 4 isn't sub HD nor does it look it.
It's crazy to see so many people get so bent out of shape about people actually thinking Halo 4 is the best looking console game.

You got bent out of shape from that?
 
People playing it are not saying that.
There are 4 people on the couch in the Giant Bomb video. One of them is playing it. He is one of the 4 people that is saying that the game is chugging.

Before you say that I'm lying again, maybe consider that this video is archived on twitch.tv

All Hoo-doo was asking if other people share that experience. But we can't have someone ask some questions, it must be met with hostility. He is hating on Halo and must be paid by Sony for the disinformation campaign!
 
There are 4 people on the couch in the Giant Bomb video. One of them is playing it. He is one of the 4 people that is saying that the game is chugging.

Before you say that I'm lying again, maybe consider that this video is archived on twitch.tv

All Hoo-doo was asking if other people share that experience. But we can't have someone ask some questions, it must be met with hostility. He is hating on Halo and must be paid by Sony for the disinformation campaign!

The difference being that the framerate isnt chugging. The connection to the host is. World of difference.
 
There are 4 people on the couch in the Giant Bomb video. One of them is playing it. He is one of the 4 people that is saying that the game is chugging.

Before you say that I'm lying again, maybe consider that this video is archived on twitch.tv

All Hoo-doo was asking if other people share that experience. But we can't have someone ask some questions, it must be met with hostility. He is hating on Halo and must be paid by Sony for the disinformation campaign!

You are talking about online gameplay, it will depend on internet conection, it is not the game. Just look in the OT.
 
No I'm not calling you bent out of shape, I'm asking how you got bent out of shape from his post.
Have you read the thread? It's filled with people fighting over which incredible looking console game looks better. I corrected the only part that wasn't opinion and then commented on the rest. He basically repeated what others have said and then threw pc in for good measure. I just can't understand why it's necessary to fight over preference. Nobody can win and it isn't gonna change anyones mind.
 
Have you read the thread? It's filled with people fighting over which incredible looking console game looks better. I corrected then only part that wasn't opinion and then commented on the rest. He basically repeated what others have said and then threw pc in for good measure. I just can't understand why it's necessary to fight over preference. Nobody can win and it isn't gonna change anyones mind.
I don't think it's as bad as you're making it out to be, comparisons to the best looking games on consoles was going to be made from the jump, especially when the comparisons are already in the article.
 
Best looking 360 game and definitely top 5 of the gen.

Yeah. I really don't expect to see a better looking game on 360. Well done dev team.

Lord knows what they will bring to the next gen table.
 
I don't think it's as bad as you're making it out to be, comparisons to the best looking games on consoles was going to be made from the jump, especially when the comparisons are already in the article.
Well, it's just that those debates already happened pages ago and the discussion had moved on to more civil discussion. Saying "and people are getting all up on Halo 4's dick?" and bringing pc games into the discussion about best console graphics aren't exactly the seeds for civil or intelligent discussion.
 
From what little I've played of the campaign it has been running fine. I recall Reach straggling in certain areas but so far so good.

I agree with those saying BTB match chug along, I've had some lag too but the framerate really struggles, particularly when vehicles enter play.
 
I agree with those saying BTB match chug along, I've had some lag too but the framerate really struggles, particularly when vehicles enter play.
Obviously you're lying. It's not the game. It's the internet doing it to your brains.

Good for the people that now condescendingly clarified that Halo 4 is just bad at handling poor multiplayer connections.
I'm used to seeing warping player characters all over the place when the connection is poor, not framerate chugging. Therefor this was not obvious.
 
Obviously you're lying. It's not the game. It's the internet doing it to your brains.

Good for the people that now condescendingly clarified that Halo 4 is just bad at handling poor multiplayer connections.
I'm used to seeing warping player characters all over the place when the connection is poor, not framerate chugging. Therefor this was not obvious.

Has you played Halo 4?


And plasma cast lights:

 
Obviously you're lying. It's not the game. It's the internet doing it to your brains.

Good for the people that now condescendingly clarified that Halo 4 is just bad at handling poor multiplayer connections.
I'm used to seeing warping player characters all over the place when the connection is poor, not framerate chugging. Therefor this was not obvious.
What have I just stepped into?
 
Ive had one instance of lag in multiplayer, and it was at a pretty random spot with not much of anything going on around me. Lasted a split second, when a ghost spawned right next to me.
 
Obviously you're lying. It's not the game. It's the internet doing it to your brains.

Good for the people that now condescendingly clarified that Halo 4 is just bad at handling poor multiplayer connections.
I'm used to seeing warping player characters all over the place when the connection is poor, not framerate chugging. Therefor this was not obvious.

This is just getting funnier and funnier.
 
I don't know if some multiplayer maps have issues, but the campaign framerate is really solid.

The framerate isn't solid in the multiplayer, at least in BTB. There are also moments in campaign that can result in FPS dropping, for example the first big area with the Warthog in second mission. At least with the zoom on you're bound to notice some inconsistency in the frame rate. But that's nothing comared to some multiplayer matches I've had, especially on Exile.
 
What is it about Halo that brings out the crazy in Sony fans? Just ignore the Halo-Love threads and it won't be an issue for you, and then people won't have to read the kind of stupidity I just quoted. If 100 of us play the same level with 16 players and there's no framerate issues, and then some people play it with issues, it's network lag. If it were game lag WE'D ALL SEE IT. Seriously, though, that's not a difficult concept to grasp. Why are you having such a hard time with it?

Yes and why did you have to immediately condescend Hoo-doo when he asked if this was something other people experienced?

Is there any reasonable explanation for having several people jump him just because he dared to ask if this is normal?
 
The frame rate was rock solid through the entire campaign and the only "chugging" i ever noticed in any of my MP matches was the few instances when the connection was bad or whatever and it lagged.
 
Yes and why did you have to immediately condescend Hoo-doo when he asked if this was something other people experienced?

Is there any reasonable explanation for having several people jump him just because he dared to ask if this is normal?

That wasn't condescension. You don't judge framerate from videos. Especially videos depicting multiplayer. I can see how you being uptight about Halo made you think I was being condescending, though. Hint: that was an example of me being condescending. Relax.

The frame rate was rock solid through the entire campaign and the only "chugging" i ever noticed in any of my MP matches was the few instances when the connection was bad or whatever and it lagged.

Same here, but let's not let facts get in the way. I still need to go back to chapter 2 and look for the warthog framerate issues that some people pointed to. I'm really affected by poor framerates, so I'm surprised I didn't notice it. Might be an issue with installed vs uninstalled. Not sure. The only time the game hiccups for me is when I cross a point that forces the game to checkpoint.
 
That wasn't condescension. You don't judge framerate from videos. Especially videos depicting multiplayer. I can see how you being uptight about Halo made you think I was being condescending, though. Hint: that was an example of me being condescending. Relax.
Four people on a couch sitting in front of the game playing it while streaming it commenting that the game has poor framerate.

My very first post on this topic said as much.

Why do you keep on about judging framerate on video. Obviously he was and I am speaking about the framerate issue that the Giant Bomb team experienced in person on stream.

I'm done with this topic, you're just trying to flamebait.

I'm just one guy sitting on a couch only seeing the game lag when the connection is bad. That's indicative of shitty network code. Not a shitty framerate. It's not hard to discern the difference.
And what a wonderful first reply this would have been.
 
Four people on a couch sitting in front of the game playing it while streaming it commenting that the game has poor framerate.

My very first post on this topic said as much.

Why do you keep on about judging framerate on video. Obviously he was and I am speaking about the framerate issue that the Giant Bomb team experienced in person on stream.

I'm done with this topic, you're just trying to flamebait.

I'm just one guy sitting on a couch only seeing the game lag when the connection is bad. That's indicative of shitty network code. Not a shitty framerate. It's not hard to discern the difference.
 
I'm just one guy sitting on a couch only seeing the game lag when the connection is bad. That's indicative of shitty network code. Not a shitty framerate. It's not hard to discern the difference.

Which is the real issue with MP, Halo should have dedicated servers. As for this thread it's even more of a mess than before. Why are people so insulted of the notion of Halo having good graphics? Did that one guy a few posts above really just post picks of Crysis on the PC, really?
 
Most of what I play in multiplayer is BTB and Dominion. I can easily without a doubt say that any slowdown I've had has been a latency issue and not a frame rate issues. It's really easy to tell the difference.

I've had far too many battles with shit going absolutely crazy and stuff exploding everywhere and the game ran smooth like butter.
 
Which is the real issue with MP, Halo should have dedicated servers. As for this thread it's even more of a mess than before. Why are people so insulted of the notion of Halo having good graphics? Did that one guy a few posts above really just post picks of Crysis on the PC, really?

Because Halo. Halo drives people nuts. It's odd.
 
The xbox is also not allowed to have anything that is comparable to Sony exclusives. They've already set the bar, there's no reaching it apparently.
 
Which is the real issue with MP, Halo should have dedicated servers. As for this thread it's even more of a mess than before. Why are people so insulted of the notion of Halo having good graphics? Did that one guy a few posts above really just post picks of Crysis on the PC, really?
I don't know, man, but Halo was once a showpiece and I'm glad that Halo 4 has reclaimed that crown.

Halo 1 was one of the first shooters to deliver perpixel lighting on that scale but Halo 2 is what really pushed the system into new territory. Say what you will about the texture pop-in but Halo 2 was a very forward looking game from a technical point of view. They implemented a lot of visual features that would go on to become common this generation. It was really incredible what they achieved on the original XBOX.
 
The xbox is also not allowed to have anything that is comparable to Sony exclusives. They've already set the bar, there's no reaching it apparently.

Don't forget NPD threads. Halo 4 won't move consoles. Whoever wanted Halo already bought one years ago.
 
Very few people cared when Halo Reach was pushing out some incredibly massive levels and draw distances, but now everyone's harping on about how amazing Halo 4 looks considering the scale, even though its levels are much smaller and more linear than Reach's, and its draw distance is much smaller as well.

Halo 4's graphics came at a price, one that makes it less impressive than Reach, in my opinion.
 
You can see where corners were cut from Reach (particle effects is the big thing for me), but it's the art direction in this game that has people clamoring for it in ways they never did for Reach.
 
Very few people cared when Halo Reach was pushing out some incredibly massive levels and draw distances, but now everyone's harping on about how amazing Halo 4 looks considering the scale, even though its levels are much smaller and more linear than Reach's, and its draw distance is much smaller as well.

Halo 4's graphics came at a price, one that makes it less impressive than Reach, in my opinion.

I can definitely appreciate Reach more after playing Halo 4. In Reach, any flying ship you see in the far distance you can actually get to; it has it's correct physics/health, everything and many experiements have been performed - you can watch them on Youtube... Halo 4 preventing campaign theatre mode screams "cheating", if you know what i mean.
 
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