Why does Grand Turismo 4 look so incredibly good

[Cheezdoodles]

I have no idea why, but GT4 is just has so extremely good graphics, i just cannot figure out why they are so good.

Because i know that stuff like polygon counts and texture quality, (use of real shaders )etc, are all higher and better in for example Xbox racing games, yet in my opinion no Xbox racer rivaled PS2's GT4.

Can anybody tell me what kind of tricks they used to "fool" me into perceiving this game as better looking? Because technically, it should not.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Clever use of existing techniques. They put a lot of effort into shading and lighting the cars effectively, use convincing HDR-like environmental lighting, and appreciate that the eye focuses on the cars so you don't need too much detail in the scenery.

 

[nAo]

Is he talking about GT4 or GT4 HD?

 

[archie4oz]

I have no idea why, but GT4 is just has so extremely good graphics, i just cannot figure out why they are so good.

Because i know that stuff like polygon counts and texture quality, (use of real shaders )etc, are all higher and better in for example Xbox racing games, yet in my opinion no Xbox racer rivaled PS2's GT4.

Can anybody tell me what kind of tricks they used to "fool" me into perceiving this game as better looking? Because technically, it should not.

It's called art direction...

 

[Cheezdoodles]

Is he talking about GT4 or GT4 HD?

GT4.

GT:HD just seems to me, like they nailed the colors and lightning perfectly, making the cars look more real. The detail level on them isnt exactly much better than, say PGR3.

 

[aselto]

For some reason I liked graphics in Rallisport challenge 2 more.

 

[Bad_Boy]

I would have to say its in the lighting. Everything else probably comes down to minor details. The car models dont even have to be perfect but if the lighting is good, it makes it look just right imo.

 

[blakjedi]

i dont think the graphics are better... but i think the sense of speed on GT4 is unequalled. everything else is ok.

 

[junkheap]

RC2 - Ralli Sport Challenge 2 for xbox had some awesome graphics.. no one ever seems to mention that game But yea GT HD or whatever is called look pretty damn nice i must say.

 

[aselto]

RC2 - Ralli Sport Challenge 2 for xbox had some awesome graphics.. no one ever seems to mention that game But yea GT HD or whatever is called look pretty damn nice i must say.

I think the reason is that very few people over here had Xbox1 and even fewer played RSC2. Which is a shame, because the game was really great.

 

[ERP]

I have no idea why, but GT4 is just has so extremely good graphics, i just cannot figure out why they are so good.

Because i know that stuff like polygon counts and texture quality, (use of real shaders )etc, are all higher and better in for example Xbox racing games, yet in my opinion no Xbox racer rivaled PS2's GT4.

Can anybody tell me what kind of tricks they used to "fool" me into perceiving this game as better looking? Because technically, it should not.

It's mostly great art direction IMO.
There not doing any one thing that others aren't doing, but as a package it's put together incredibly well.

 

[Afrikan]

It's mostly great art direction IMO.
There not doing any one thing that others aren't doing, but as a package it's put together incredibly well.

can the same be said for ACE Combat series, because I have not seen a game on the XBOX and even the 360 for that matter that looks that good as the AC games for the PS2......

I'm sure the 360 will get a much better Flight game eventually (hopefully not ACE Combat, only because I really want it to be built from the ground up on the PS3 as it was for the PS2)

but I believe that even though its been said before, there is nothing wrong with continuing to acknowledge the achievements that these two developers were able to get out of the PS2 as well as the PSone......

that is why I can not wait to see a finished GT5 and a new ACE COMBAT game....

 

[aselto]

can the same be said for ACE Combat series, because I have not seen a game on the XBOX and even the 360 for that matter that looks that good as the AC games for the PS2......

You mean an Xbox or Xbox 360 flight game, not a game in general?

 

[nAo]

Art Direction? Maybe, but your cars don't suddenly become photorealistic due to art direction, imho.
There's a great rendering tech behind it, the simply fact that all the other racing/drawing games pale (to different degrees..) compared to it, it's a sign that they got their lighting equations right

 

[aselto]

I don't think RSC2 pales in comparison.

 

[nAo]

I don't think RSC2 pales in comparison.

de gustibus non disputandum est

 

[Laa-Yosh]

If its enviromental lighting uses images, then it is a question of art direction too...

 

[aselto]

de gustibus non disputandum est

That's true, but it always striking to me that GT4 is compared to PGR2 or Forza, but RSC2 is for some reason overlooked, even though it was the best looking Xbox1 racing game (and it would be on next-gen systems too if it was backwards compatible)

 

[blakjedi]

I see shimmer and pixels in GT4. I see somewhat hi-resolution but muddy textures. I see a great photo/replay mode. I don't see much color. Maybe some people just love GT... But driving in that game on the other hand... presents speed better than any other racing game before or since (except batman returns for Sega CD)

 

[repi]

Well thank you dear sirs about the comments about RSC2, glad people still remember it and like it I was the main rendering/engine programmer on it.

I did a blog post 1.5 years ago with a few 720p 4xAA screenshots of RSC2 just as a tease of what might have been, at a minimum level, if we did a RSC3 for the 360. They can be found here http://repi.blogspot.com/2005/05/rallisport-challenge-3.html, nothing super-special but might be of interest. If we would do a new racing game for next-gen it would (of course) widely out do those screenshots, especially now when we've had lots of time to develop on the 360 and build tech.


We had a very different art direction than GT4. They aimed for a pure photorealism look and had to make it very static while we aimed more at a playful dynamic environment full of effects. Think we both did quite well.

From a gameplay point-of view tough I can not stand tunnel racers such as GT4