Depends on what mean by overhaul.
As in redo but I doubt that's going to happen. Probably waiting for the Ray Tracing update and other improvements.
Depends on what mean by overhaul.
To me the assets (including textures) are fine for a cross gen game. Actually, I think they're pretty damn good for an X1 game especially if it's targetting 60 fps.
To me the problems are the pop in, pop out, static nature of the environment, texture filtering, choice of contrast and lack of vibrancy*, shadow quality, lack of high quality reflections, lack of GI, weird mega coarse software style VRS ... and probably other stuff I can't remember.
(*Halo's colour schemes only work if you have the battered tones of the UNSC contrasted against the fantastical alien stuff)
Basically, assets are fine by me for a cross gen game. But the way everything was presented by the engine .... not so much.
Someone understands Halo was going to be it with their new xbox/services, their biggest and most expensive (rumor) title.
Saying '2021', i feel it could be another year away. 'Guts' for sure.
They must have had/have serious trouble somewhere doing that, but only for the good, means they will/try to improve things.
What I don‘t understand: why not just use UE4 (or similar)? If the devs have no clue how to make a game engine with proper workflow...why not take an existing well working engine instead?
What is the rationale behind this decision?
What I don‘t understand: why not just use UE4 (or similar)? If the devs have no clue how to make a game engine with proper workflow...why not take an existing well working engine instead?
What is the rationale behind this decision?
All the comments we've have seen from developers suggest the engine is anything but fine.The engine is fine.
UE and open world games don't mix well.
Nor did their own engine.
Right, but perhaps better the devil you know than what you don't know.
Personally, I think there should have been a small core team among all the Xbox Games Studios which deals with game engines, experimenting with improving them to meet certain internal business needs, especially if vast majority of those studios are focused on one or two primary engines. It wasn't until just a couple years ago that Microsoft picked up additional studios and gained more overall experience outside the MS in-house engines. Maybe this is happening now, so future titles will be easier to create?
Sony's got ICE, EA has got Frostbite.
What should MS's team be? SnowStorm? ColdSore? ChillSoftwareResearch? LowTemperatureThing?