Halo 3 lighting: Best in the biz??

VonGak! said:
In that case you would also be able to elaborate upon why Uncharted's lighting isn't so good, like pointing out pre-baked short cuts, things it doesn't do, colour depth and resolution differences.

:)

:D

I'm guessing that has more to do with system limits, rather than studio talent.
 
Proc said:
doom 3 wins.
Not anymore. Its shadow volumes are awesome, but it does none of the more advanced lighting techniques present today. Doom 3 was all about shadows. Halo 3 does so much more than that.
 
Kodiak said:
some people to seem to not completely understand what lighting is.

Uncharted looks amazing, and has a rich color palette, but *from what I've seen in screens and vids* so far, it doesn't match Halo at all in terms of how much lighting helps set the tone from level to level on an artistic level.

Though, its pretty funny that Halo fanboys have taken up "it has teh best lighting!" to counter "it has teh shitty graphix lawlz"
How does it not? Go take a look at the difference in lighting in the jungles compared to the recently shown Cathedral
 
Chiggs said:
:D

I'm guessing that has more to do with system limits, rather than studio talent.

Ohhh but that would mean Uncharted's lighting is off compared to the specific art style it's aiming for. 8O :( And they worked so hard.
 
camineet said:
probably the best lighting on any console.
...and what on the PC (that is commerically available) exceeds Halo 3?

Honestly, even if you throw Crysis in the mix, it really isn't all that superior. It blows Halo 3 away in various other facets, but when it comes to lighting, I'm not so certain the gap is as large as people seem to think.
 
dark10x said:
...and what on the PC (that is commerically available) exceeds Halo 3?

Honestly, even if you throw Crysis in the mix, it really isn't all that superior. It blows Halo 3 away in various other facets, but when it comes to lighting, I'm not so certain the gap is as large as people seem to think.

STALKER STALKER STALKER STALKER STALKER STALKER STALKER STALKER STALKER STALKER STALKER STALKER TALKER STALKER STALKER
 
dark10x said:
...and what on the PC (that is commerically available) exceeds Halo 3?

Honestly, even if you throw Crysis in the mix, it really isn't all that superior. It blows Halo 3 away in various other facets, but when it comes to lighting, I'm not so certain the gap is as large as people seem to think.

whats wrong with your eyes?
 
Another game I'd like to mention that I find underrated when it comes to lighting is Neverwinter Nights 2. There's an Area of Effect spell that brings forth a rain storm that makes everything cast awesome shadows all over the place. And shit like that.
 
11tu13n.jpg

That is awesome.
 
m0dus said:
I'm not going to try to full this rather silly argument, but I will reiterate that the photomode in halo 3 does nothing more beyond adding and extra layer of AA to the full-res output. that's it.


And it makes a huge difference. Otherwise it wouldn't even be there.
 
VonGak! said:
Ohhh but that would mean Uncharted's lighting is off compared to the specific art style it's aiming for. 8O :( And they worked so hard.

:lol

I can see you're not gonna let this one go.

Uncharted's lighting, cheats and shortcuts aside, is still great.

BeeDog said:
STALKER STALKER STALKER STALKER STALKER STALKER STALKER STALKER STALKER STALKER STALKER STALKER TALKER STALKER STALKER

QFT. Only if you have a good system, though.
 
You have to wonder. I'd say many detractors haven't played the game. Jaggies and textures are bad, but the lighting in Halo 3..........WOW
 
I played Halo 3 over the weekend and when I finally relinquished the controller and went outside, I found myself thoroughly dissatisfied with our Solar Systems dynamic lighting engine.
 
urk said:
I played Halo 3 over the weekend and when I finally relinquished the controller and went outside, I found myself thoroughly dissatisfied with our Solar Systems dynamic lighting engine.


too much bloom out there, imo.
 
LiquidMetal14 said:
A few more -

Pictures

Yeah, Uncharted from these shots looks as though no HDR info is coming through. The skies are not blown out like they would be photographically for an interior exposure. Highlights are also not bright enough. I'm not asking for bloom, just a bigger white to black range in the lighting.

Also, the shot of the main character hiding on the left side of that one shot looks like there is simply no bounce light effecting him. Same with the one of him knocking the guy out. The ambient light there is pure black which it wouldn't be under those conditions. Some ambient occlusion should be visible.

Its a good looking game but I don't think lighting is its strong suit.
 
Warm Machine said:
Yeah, Uncharted from these shots looks as though no HDR info is coming through. The skies are not blown out like they would be photographically for an interior exposure. Highlights are also not bright enough. I'm not asking for bloom, just a bigger white to black range in the lighting.

Also, the shot of the main character hiding on the left side of that one shot looks like there is simply no bounce light effecting him. Same with the one of him knocking the guy out. The ambient light there is pure black which it wouldn't be under those conditions. Some ambient occlusion should be visible.

Its a good looking game but I don't think lighting is its strong suit.

:| Sorry but either you suffer from lack of glasses or you haven't seen Uncharted footage.

There's tons of areas with great contrast between dark and bright not forgetting the transition between inside and outside which the game constantly features, also details aren't washed out in dark/bright areas plus the game uses a lot of silhouette shots (so much for your "looks like there is simply no bounce light effecting him" comment).
Not forgetting that the colours are saturated due to the cartoon like style the game aims for or the blur effects.

And it's beyond me how you manage to overlook effects like sub surface scatter effects and the shadowing.

INSULT: Perhaps you are one of those tasteless people who prefer desaturated colours at an extreme level of brightness with everything made of metal as an excuse to use a ton of bloom.

Though I do sense it's more a case of not wanting to see.

In the end you should not talk about lighting; not qualified you see, especially when it comes to Uncharted.
 
dark10x said:
...and what on the PC (that is commerically available) exceeds Halo 3?

Honestly, even if you throw Crysis in the mix, it really isn't all that superior. It blows Halo 3 away in various other facets, but when it comes to lighting, I'm not so certain the gap is as large as people seem to think.

As has been said... S.T.A.L.K.E.R..

Honestly, I don't care if people say that they like Halo 3's lighting model and HDR effects -- to each their own! But to say that it is "natural" is just ridiculous. Natural in the context of a cartoony world where every carbon-based surface is covered in a thick layer of petroleum jelly, maybe. Take an art class or just simply pay more attention when you're outdoors and you'll realize that light does not reflect off of every surface in that way, nor does it surround edges with an assault of hazy bloom that makes you feel like you're getting tunnel vision.

Again, I don't care if you like it or not. You have every right to like it. Just cut the hyperbole already. Halo 3 does not have the most advanced lighting model out there, and it doesn't have the most natural-looking one either. It's designed to make things look warm and to make you go "ooh" and "ahh" when you see an explosion on your nice, big HDTV.

Personally, I hate pseudo-HDR in games, but that's subjective and off topic.
 
eternal prize said:
I'm sorry, but uncharted looks nasty :S bloom out the yingyang, and everything is WAY too colourful.

Don't worry they've got a next gen mode you can unlock in Uncharted that makes everything look more like current gen graphics stereotypes.
 
You huys gotta be kidding me. There is absolutely nothing amazing about H3's lighting. It is great, but ther are many games that match it, and a few that exceed it. Just because the game looks mediocre all around, and that devs are trying to save their face by saying that their lighting is so so awesome doesn't mean that you have to believe and defend it. On technical level, it doesn't excell, and on artistical level it gets killed by lousy animation and low geometry.
 
Ynos Yrros said:
You huys gotta be kidding me. There is absolutely nothing amazing about H3's lighting. It is great, but ther are many games that match it, and a few that exceed it. Just because the game looks mediocre all around, and that devs are trying to save their face by saying that their lighting is so so awesome doesn't mean that you have to believe and defend it. On technical level, it doesn't excell, and on artistical level it gets killed by lousy animation and low geometry.
THE NOS IS BACK BABY!
 
Vyse The Legend said:
And yet, you failed to mention any.
Stalker would be one exampl, Crysis ould be another, there's also Killzone 2, and Uncharted, I'd mention Lair as well, simply for the fact that it has to take so many things into account.

And that's technical level. There are loads of games that use all the techniques that H3 is using to render a scene, and thanks to rest of the graphics menage to look better, like Bioshock for example.

THE NOS IS BACK BABY!
Sorry if that came off badly, I had a Halo 3 sessio with my buddies yesterday, and the graphics definately aren't of the top notch. True, it does look good, and in some areas (lighting of course) great, but best in the biz is hardly a phrase that can be used to describe it.
 
I'm sure some people here can point out the reasons it's technically primitive, but when it comes to overall effect I still think Ico has the best lighting ever.
 
Warm Machine, etc. Uncharted does in fact have light bouncing effect. The main character may appear unrealistically lit at times, but that's because they keep rim-lighting around him (maybe other characters as well) for the more stylized, painterly feel to game's look (rim lighting around main character focus is typical for paintings).

They are clearly not going for real world realistic lighting in that game. IMO, the game has the very similar look to the lighting as Halo 3. They both have very good lighting, but the characters sometimes appear a bit like oldschool CGI. That's mostly why I hold HS in higher regard here. Then again, on some screens and videos, characters in uncharted look pretty damn great. I don't know if it's just by chance or difference between older and newer builds.
 
Indeed the lighting in Halo 3 is extremely impressive. The HDR usage is nearly perfect, just like how it is used in HL2. Not overdone.

Uncharted lightning looks fantastic too from the videos ive seen, but right now Halo 3 and HL2 are at the top of the list since I've actually played them.
 
VonGak! said:
lots of nonsense

Sure, I'll just quit the gaming industry right now because obviously my last 11 years of industry experience counts for nothing because a guy with an Uncharted avatar tells me his favorite game is perfect.
 
Ynos Yrros said:
Sorry if that came off badly, I had a Halo 3 sessio with my buddies yesterday, and the graphics definately aren't of the top notch. True, it does look good, and in some areas (lighting of course) great, but best in the biz is hardly a phrase that can be used to describe it.
Even a cursory glance through the screen cap thread shows the visuals range from very good to spectacular. Your post came off as funny because there's a wealth of media for anyone to peruse which demonstrates Halo 3's technical strengths - and weaknesses - and the gulf between them and your description. That, and the random pot shots on topics that have nothing to do with the one at hand. I think in most situations, calling anything the "best in the biz" is hyperbole, and I include this subject as well. It's clear though that Halo 3's lighting - the topic of the thread - is in the upper echelon of released titles. It is consistantly excellent, and yes, often flat-out amazing.
 
GhaleonEB said:
Even a cursory glance through the screen cap thread shows the visuals range from very good to spectacular. Your post came off as funny because there's a wealth of media for anyone to peruse which demonstrates Halo 3's technical strengths - and weaknesses - and the gulf between them and your description. That, and the random pot shots on topics that have nothing to do with the one at hand. I think in most situations, calling anything the "best in the biz" is hyperbole, and I include this subject as well. It's clear though that Halo 3's lighting - the topic of the thread - is in the upper echelon of released titles. It is consistantly excellent, and yes, often flat-out amazing.
But are you talking about the way it compliments the graphics and the atmosphere it creates, or about it's technical specification? The former would put it high, but let it be outrun by some games, and the latter is entirely subjective.
Don't you think that the fact that rest of the game looks average makes the lighting stand out more, because it's the only really good element of graphics engine?
 
Prine said:
I think Halo 3 physics and AI is what wowed the most, my god i've never played a game with physics as well done as Halo 3. The collisions are so satisfying, bodies wrap around objects accuratley, with the weight being properly distrbuted. I dont know if its havok or Bungie tweaking it to perfection but its real impressive stuff
Hmmm when I played I saw some of the enemies legs go through a wall.
 
not to enter this pissing contest but I have seen some better pics of Heavenly Sword... so here.... off screen...but it does look like this... I'll try to take some myself....

thanks to Liveinabox......from Teamxbox....

hs4.jpg


this one just for the hell of it....

Untitled-22-7.jpg


one more from Tapout.....

dsc03268sx3.jpg
 
eternal prize said:
I'm sorry, but uncharted looks nasty :S bloom out the yingyang, and everything is WAY too colourful.

Halo 3 wins hands down,

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v110/thechew/halo 3/949778-Full.jpg

If you're trying to prove something, this shot hasn't helped you.

Warm Machine said:
Sure, I'll just quit the gaming industry right now because obviously my last 11 years of industry experience counts for nothing because a guy with an Uncharted avatar tells me his favorite game is perfect.

Oh shit!! He pulled out the "I'm in the gaming industry" card! Quick, let's all scatter behind the rocks and bask in his fountain of knowledge!
 
Ynos Yrros said:
But are you talking about the way it compliments the graphics and the atmosphere it creates, or about it's technical specification?
Both. I've played the game for more than an afternoon at a friends house, and have seen what the game has to offer.

Don't you think that the fact that rest of the game looks average makes the lighting stand out more, because it's the only really good element of graphics engine?
The game looks excellent, accross the board. Anyone can view for themselves, but what the hell.

Simple lighting:

w7lhxk.jpg


Something more dramatic: explosions.

409892-Full.jpg


Fire.

Toasty.jpg


v3dcvs.jpg


Less flashy:

61104-Full.jpg


6ohl5x.jpg


104mi6h.gif


Moody.

e06dkk.jpg


Just plan stunning.

saving_the_universe.jpg


Random.

halo3.jpg


a4q15t.jpg


1450148417_b80dcc4860_o.jpg


319506-Full.jpg


684682-Full.jpg


1451277709_add795bb9b_b.jpg


Just some random images from a few pages of the screens thread, though I selected small sized images. Best ever? Doubtful, and beside the point. It's very, very good, when you dismissed it as "average". Every level of the game has consistantly excellent lighting on display. There's nothing subtle about the beauty in Halo 3, either in general or with the lighting in particular.
 
v3dcvs.jpg


How is that good lighting? The fire should lit entire room and there should be some big shaows dropped.

Edit: just noticed that there is shadow dropped, on the floor, directing the fire :/.

You're also using photo mode pics, trying to make the game look impressive, let's see some direct grabs from gameplay camera.
 
typhonsentra said:
I... just don't get how you guys think this lighting is anything special. Do you not play many games?
If your talking about HS the lighting is fantastic, and if your talking about halo 3 then you need to understand that nothing is going to change a halo fans outlook on their game, They have to latch on to something ever since the KZ2 coming out graphically stomped the shit out of halo 3. the lighting in Halo 3 is really good, but not up to HS or most certainly Uncharted or even close to KZ2, two of those games arean't out yet and I can tell they are better.
 
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