A Deeper Comparison of the New and Old Versions of GTA V
Fans have been comparing the original Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of Grand Theft Auto V to the PS4 version that was shown last week, but leave it to Digital Foundry to have the most expert analysis.
Digital Foundry’s John Linneman finds that what Rockstar Games has created in the new version is more than just an “up-rezzed port.” They note the “sheer amount of life” added to the game in the form of increased traffic, NPCs, wildlife, and more realistic foliage that reacts to the elements.
Upgraded texture work, higher quality models, greater draw distance, increased object density, are other highlights that caught Linneman’s eye. Lighting and particle effects also seem to have received a boost.
He says there also seems to be anisotropic filtering, a subtle depth-of-field effect, and ambient occlusion to boost shadows, although it includes the caveat those are harder to be sure of from video. Another issue is that improvements raise the question of how they will impact the final frame-rate.
“We’re excited to see just how many improvements are being made with this updated release of GTA 5. Rockstar could very easily have updated the game with a simple resolution increase and a performance jump, but all the indications are that the studio has decided to go the extra mile and deliver a significantly upgraded experience, and provided that the final game matches what we’ve seen in this trailer we should be in for quite a treat,” Linneman writes.
[Source: Eurogamer]
