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Digital Foundry: Metaphor ReFantazio - Fantasy Persona... But What About Performance? - DF Tech Review

LectureMaster

Gold Member
Overall rendering tech still reminiscent of PS3 titles
Get Out Theatre GIF by Tony Awards
 

Go_Ly_Dow

Member
Just wrapping up the demo prologue this evening. I must be blind as I really felt the framerate was fine. I do have a 120hz HDMI 2.1 VRR TV though and have enabled all of it so maybe that helped?

IQ no issues with it either. When you've been gaming since the megadrive and PS1 on CRT TVs that ran at like 240p 20fps, it's like...

Angry Harrison Ford GIF
 

Topher

Identifies as young
If high end PCs can't get stable framerate (without intervention from modder who fixed game made by large development team using millions of dollars and many years) I doubt Pro will change this.



I don't have any doubt that it's a great game but games should be scored in many aspects: tech (performance), music, gameplay, story etc. Performance is a big thing and I think reviewers should score games with this in mind.

The game reviewers play is not typically the final result. That is why they don't. Steam users reviews are better for that.
 

RoboFu

One of the green rats
He spends a lot of time on the insanely tacky menus and transitions like he is trying to convince us it's not 90s mtv level of bad.
 

Fbh

Gold Member
"But what about performance?" is basically the new default subtitle for all DF videos lol.

Honestly seems pretty bad.
I don't care about graphics but if you release a game that often looks like it could come from the Ps3 era I expect it to at least run at locked 60fps at a good resolution and with good IQ on a modern console. Like YSX which comes out later this month also looks dated as fuck but I don't really care as the art style is nice enough and it actually runs at native 4K60fps.
 

Lootlord

Neo Member
I wasn't sure if this was their latest game, looked at the gfx and thought it could be a PS3 remaster of some older game :D
 

Darsxx82

Member
Technical garbage - 94 metacritic lol..

Same situation as with Elden Ring, game shouldn't get scores like this if it's a mess from tech perspective.
I don't like to criticize any game, even less those that are not my type of games but do have many followers and fans who do appreciate that type of game. But on that point I do agree with what you say and I will always maintain my criticism.

As in the case of Elden Ring and others, giving a 94 to a game that technically and in optimization leaves a lot to be desired and that is also sold at full price (70€) should be penalized no matter what. It is unfair to the work of other Studios that do dedicate effort, resources and interest in taking care of that aspect so important in the gaming experience.

These are not good precedents and that is why more and more games from Japanese studios leave more and more to be desired in the technical and optimization section.
 

Shake Your Rump

Gold Member
Aha, so the game does run at 120hz! I knew it felt extra snappy. Now if only these Japanese devs would learn how to create games in HDR.

Just wrapping up the demo prologue this evening. I must be blind as I really felt the framerate was fine. I do have a 120hz HDMI 2.1 VRR TV though and have enabled all of it so maybe that helped?
Same here. I didn't notice any framerate issues. It's a shame that someone people are just going to read others quoting this video and assume the game runs poorly, when in practice, you won't even notice.

I wasn't sure if this was their latest game, looked at the gfx and thought it could be a PS3 remaster of some older game :D
If you watch this video, it has comparisons to Persona 5 and Persona 3 Reload. This game has significantly more detailed graphics than either. Your memory is failing you.
 

Danjin44

The nicest person on this forum
If you watch this video, it has comparisons to Persona 5 and Persona 3 Reload. This game has significantly more detailed graphics than either. Your memory is failing you.
Also the fact that both P5 and P3Reload’s scale very small by comparison with small map and majority of NPCs have no face detail.
 

The Cockatrice

Gold Member
The Special K fix is no longer needed, Atlus patched the game and it runs much better.

4K/60fps on my end, both in the desert and the city. Might be able to pump the native to 125% for some extra smoothing.

Yeah the demo runs perfect, hopefully they didnt forget to patch the base game as well lmao, because I could totally see this happening.
 

ShaiKhulud1989

Gold Member
How can you release a game in 2024 with these graphics and without proper anti aliasing. Man this is just unacceptable, period
Because Atlus are very bad at coding. Even the PC version is full or architectural errors, like the way DX is implemented.

Their engine is a collection of poorly written hacks (DoF shader alone is hilariously crap) and seems like MRF is not cutting off rendering outside of player’s camera.

Kinda reminds me the state of From’s engine during the first Dark Souls days, though Atlus don’t have a luxury of using somewhat competent codebase from PhyreEngine because it’s written almost from scratch for Persona 5.
 
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Danjin44

The nicest person on this forum
You see? That's why numbered MC / Review scores mean nothing to me. No way a game is a 10 if its a technical mess.
I would say games like Cyberpunk first released its technical mess or Bethesda games and even latest Star Wars game.


These are technical mess, even they have MUCH bigger budget compare to Metaphor.
 

Bojji

Gold Member
I would say games like Cyberpunk first released its technical mess or Bethesda games and even latest Star Wars game.


These are technical mess, even they have MUCH bigger budget compare to Metaphor.


MC scores of those games reflect that.
 

Danjin44

The nicest person on this forum
MC scores of those games reflect that.
Those technical problems actually gets in your way of your game progression, compare that to Elden Ring and Metaphor are no where near as bad as those games.
 
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Bojji

Gold Member
Those technical problems actually gets in your way of your game progression, compare that to Elden Ring and Metaphor are no where near as bad as those games.

If you don't have VRR screen ER and Metaphor are slideshow almost 100% of the time, how it's not bad? When ER launched VRR was not even available on system level.

You are talking about bugs, I'm talking about performance. Different things, some players will experience particular bug, others will not but everyone (on consoles at least) will have shit performance in this game (and jaggies).
 
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Merkades

Member
How can you release a game in 2024 with these graphics and without proper anti aliasing. Man this is just unacceptable, period
I can't help but feel you are mocking me for that incident with those zealots in that other thread, but surely I can't be the only one tired of half assed efforts, especially on things that would be easy to implement. Also I have not watched this video yet, so maybe you are not. Either way /shrug.

Edit - Having read a few more comments, I am guessing you are not, mayhap I should have read more before posting. Still amusing giving the shit I got in that other thread.
 
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Danjin44

The nicest person on this forum
f you don't have VRR screen ER and Metaphor are slideshow almost 100% of the time, how it's not bad? When ER launched VRR was not even available on system level.

You are talking about bugs, I'm talking about performance. Different things, you have a bug or not but everyone (on a consoles at least) will have shit performance in this game (and jaggies).
I played both Metaphor demo and Elden Ring (put 800 hours) on PS5 without any VRR or nothing, "slide show" is super over exaggeration.

If you want to talk about actual slide show, play Drakengard 3.
 
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Bojji

Gold Member
I played both Metaphor demo and Elden Ring (put 800 hours) on PS5 without any VRR or nothing, "slide show" is super over exaggeration.

If you want talking about actual slide show, play Drakengard 3.

CONSTANT stuttering, maybe not a slide show but looks like shit. But everyone has difference tolerance levels for this.
 

Danjin44

The nicest person on this forum
CONSTANT stuttering, maybe not a slide show but looks like shit. But everyone has difference tolerance levels for this.
Thats the thing game breaking bugs will effect your progression no matter how much "tolerance" you have.

I'm not PC gamer, I alway been console gamer imperfect performance doesn't bother me as much as others do.
 
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Topher

Identifies as young
It's easy to notice, my posts from the time I tried the demo:

EtBCyiF.jpeg
o3yYZcX.jpeg

It isn't like Elden Ring because this isn't a game that depends on high frame rates. The action is turn based. Running through the city with frame rates in the 40s is fine. Should it be better? Of course. But it isn't detrimental to the game.
 

Bojji

Gold Member
Anyone who played the PS5 demo themselves knew it looked and ran like shit on PS5

Hopefully they patch it like they patched the PC version before release

Holy shit, just tried PC demo AGAIN. It's 120fps locked (it was all over the place before):

jkx1vH6.jpeg


So maybe there is hope for a fix ~some time after launch on consoles. I want this game on disc...

It isn't like Elden Ring because this isn't a game that depends on high frame rates. The action is turn based. Running through the city with frame rates in the 40s is fine. Should it be better? Of course. But it isn't detrimental to the game.

Maybe gameplay don't depend on it but you still have to look at stuttering frames all the time.

The best thing is that From games had gameplay connected with performance (especially Sekiro with parry system) yet they performed like shit. Of course perfect scores 10/10, lol.
 
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So all the criticisms I mentioned after my 8 hour demo write-up. Once again, you can be a fan and absolutely love the game but still be critical of it, Atlus doesn't get a pass for putting out a PS3 looking game that can't hold 60 and has other technical problems. Will that stop me from playing the hell out of it? No. Would my overall enjoyment be even greater if it ran smoother/looked better? Objectively 100%. My hype is no way diminished but I'm always going to keep it all the way real.
 
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Gaiff

SBI’s Resident Gaslighter
TBF when you are aiming for stylization you absolutely don't need PBR
He's not saying that as a negative. He's simply saying that PBR was one of the big things games adopted in the 8th gen. PBR wouldn't even make sense for an anime game like this.
 

Topher

Identifies as young
Holy shit, just tried PC demo AGAIN. It's 120fps locked (it was all over the place before):

jkx1vH6.jpeg


So maybe there is hope for a fix ~some time after launch on consoles. I want this game on disc...



Maybe gameplay don't depend on it but you still have to look at stuttering frames all the time.

The best thing is that From games had gameplay connected with performance (especially Sekiro with parry system) yet they performed like shit. Of course perfect scores 10/10, lol.

Yeah....they need to fix the stutters and the aliasing. No argument there.
 

Mister Wolf

Gold Member
Does it work nice by just forcing it on the nvidia control panel? I should try that.

It's a lot better than not having it, like the console version. If you have experience using Reshade then you should definitely use the SMAA available on there through the SweetFX optional install when adding Reshade to a game.

NVCP settings for Metaphor:
  • Anisotropic Filtering = 16x
  • Antialiasing FXAA = on
  • Antialiasing Gamma Correction = on
  • Antialiasing mode = Override any application setting
  • Antialiasing setting = 8x
  • Antialiasing transparency = 8x looks best
  • Texture filtering quality = high quality
 
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bender

What time is it?
I have not noticed stutters either. The only issue I've seen is aliasing. But I've only played the PS5 demo so I'm assuming others are talking about issues on other platforms.

I noticed frame rate lurches on the PS5 demo and I'm not one to nitpick.
 

Topher

Identifies as young
Persona engine has no semblance of prooper AA. It worked with Persona 5 because the scenes there were very modest in geometry. But their engine fell apart completley in ReFantazio where the scene is bustling with objects (compared to sparse P5).

Dang.....that's too bad
 

Poppyseed

Member
This runs mostly fine on my ROG ALLY X. 50-60fps most of the time, except in the major city with people everywhere where it drops a little. Other than that it’s absolutely fine, and I can’t stand fps issues. Visions of Mana ran horrifically on my Ally.
 

StereoVsn

Member
Yeah, I am not paying full price for this one. I will wait and see what gets fixed toward end of the year or early next year.

Edit: Don’t care that it’s Atlus despite being one of my favorite studios. This level of performance is ridiculous, especially so considering the image quality, texture quality and general state of the game.

I have had enough of rewarding incompetence with full prices for games. And this one was in development for 8 years!
 
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Shin-Ra

Junior Member
Still looks quite shimmery at native 8K, especially in the distance despite the watercoloury filter not scaling properly with res, reducing it’s effect and the resulting outline contrast.
 
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