Call of Pripyat - ugly as hell

[ixelion]

Haven't actually played CoP, but judging by some of the media, the game still basically looks like SoC and CS which is quite sad considering this is suppose to be a DX11 game. The problem is that no amount of tessellation and sun shaft effects will fix what is basically a very dated, ugly engine.

Worst of all, as far as I can tell, some of the DX10/11 effects seem like they could be done in DX9, and they result in huge performance impact - even then, the game still looks mediocre at best.

Obviously there is no game like Stalker, it is a great game, and has a substantial fan base (at least on PC) - but personally, I think immersion is an important quality in an RPG, bad graphics can definitely break immersion.

This is exactly like GTA3, they milked the same old crappy engine over and over again up to the point were San Andreas was just not very nice looking, and lets face it Stalker doesn't have as much going for it as GTA.

 

[VashHT]

Haven't actually played CoP, but judging by some of the media, the game still basically looks like SoC and CS which is quite sad considering this is suppose to be a DX11 game. The problem is that no amount of tessellation and sun shaft effects will fix what is basically a very dated, ugly engine.

Worst of all, as far as I can tell, some of the DX10/11 effects seem like they could be done in DX9, and they result in huge performance impact - even then, the game still looks mediocre at best.

Obviously there is no game like Stalker, it is a great game, and has a substantial fan base (at least on PC) - but personally, I think immersion is an important quality in an RPG, bad graphics can definitely break immersion.

This is exactly like GTA3, they milked the same old crappy engine over and over again up to the point were San Andreas was just not very nice looking, and lets face it Stalker doesn't have as much going for it as GTA.

I haven't played CoP but I thought the benchmark looked decent. Nothing amazing but I didn't think it looked crappy. One thing I always liked about their engine was the lighting, I think it looks great in both games. I'm not sure what they added with DX11, the only screenshot I saw showed edge rounding, which couldn't be done in DX9 I don't think.

Also, did you really expect them to make a whole new engine for a sequel that came out like a year later? From a really small dev no less? I personally say you're expecting too much and should learn how to get around the mediocre graphics.

 

[Patt]

I still think S.T.A.L.K.E.R. (yes it is worth putting in the dots) is one of the best looking games I've played. Obviously, it is a bit dreary, but that was the look they were going for. If CoP looks the same, and has some additional gameplay mechanics, I'm in.

 

[mrblotto]

I'll take great gameplay w/so so graphics any day over some over-fluffed eye dazzling turd of a game.

 

[The Boston Dangler]

yep, i'll buy it.

 

[Xcobra]

I'll take great gameplay w/so so graphics any day over some over-fluffed eye dazzling turd of a game.

This is the reason I didn't buy Crysis... But I still think the graphics look decent. I'll buy it regardless...

 

[Mike Gayner]

Newsflash - Stalker games have always been ugly as shit and poorly optimised. I've never understood why people insist on describing those games as good looking when they're loaded with shitty textures, outdated effects and pure ugly.

Also buggy as all hell.

 

[Zensal]

The original STALKER looked great after the STALKER Complete 2009 mod. Well, at least as great as a dreary looking place can look. How realistic do you really need rusty cars anyway?

 

[duragezic]

Stalker never looked that good to me. Part of it was I could never run the game at high settings. Seriously it takes a major machine; as much as Crysis but looks worst.

With my 7800GT, I had to turn dynamic lighting off. With my 4870, I have to keep settings on mid to low in order to keep frames up.

 

[Zenoth]

Damn CryTek and the arrival of new standards...

 

[ibex333]

Haven't actually played CoP, but judging by some of the media, the game still basically looks like SoC and CS which is quite sad considering this is suppose to be a DX11 game. The problem is that no amount of tessellation and sun shaft effects will fix what is basically a very dated, ugly engine.

Worst of all, as far as I can tell, some of the DX10/11 effects seem like they could be done in DX9, and they result in huge performance impact - even then, the game still looks mediocre at best.

Obviously there is no game like Stalker, it is a great game, and has a substantial fan base (at least on PC) - but personally, I think immersion is an important quality in an RPG, bad graphics can definitely break immersion.

This is exactly like GTA3, they milked the same old crappy engine over and over again up to the point were San Andreas was just not very nice looking, and lets face it Stalker doesn't have as much going for it as GTA.

You haven't played it... That's your problem right there. Even in DX10 it looks better in some ways when compared to SOC and CS, in DX11 it probably looks even better. Otherwise it looks exactly the same off course... But that's "ugly" according to you? To each his own I guess but I personally think SOC and CS look gorgeous and need no improvement whatsoever. Even if COP looked exactly the same but wit ha new story, I'd be a very happy camper.

I beat COP all the way to the end and it was great. (was lucky to get my hands on a Russian version) The only problem is that is was extremely short. More like an expansion rather than a full game. There are a few new monsters here(those that were originally intended for SOC) and one new weapon that absolutely OWNS everything be it mutant or stalker. There are more weapon customization options available this time around with the mechanic, and finding "instruments" to do these upgrades is extremely hard, with the most advanced instruments becoming available when you pretty much beat the game and cant even have fun with the new upgrades anymore. You want the game to continue, but it just ends, and the ability to keep playing after the end doesn't add anything, because there's just nothing to do, unless you missed quests or something like that. COP's storyline was very nice as well, and it makes sense too. It's just that it should cost $20-30 at most given little new content, and a very short game overall.

 

[ZzZGuy]

Damn you ixelion!!!

You made me want to play S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky again, and the CD is no where to be found!! I even downloaded some mods for it. :'(

Back on topic, I thought SoC looked great without any mod (and I have played Crysis), guess low standards for graphics has it's advantages.

 

[wrangler]

I thought Clear Sky graphics were great. Pics I've seen of CoP look fine to me.

Love the Stalker games and even if I only liked 'em I would buy as it is one of the true PC exclusives left on the market.

Also enjoying X3:Terran Conflict which is a true PC game. Good thing I don't choose them based on whether or not they reused or revamped their existing technology.

Honestly, I think that if engines are your thing, the Crytek stuff is about as advanced as we are going to see for a while. People are going to shoehorn DX11 onto their existing technology and that is going to be it for the next few years until the next gen of consoles appear.
Matter of fact, there is a continuing rumor that Stalker 2 will use Cryengine 3 and also be available on consoles so......

 

[JSt0rm]

SOC was one of the best games ever made.

 

[toyota]

I ran the benchmark and it looks ass ugly. the graphics are way worse than Clear Sky for some reason.

 

[Imp]

Always thought SoC and Clear Sky looked damn good, especially at low-medium settings. HDR and flashlights always win me over. And I got low standards...

 

[GTaudiophile]

Can I download any of the STALKER games via Steam?

I have always been interesting in playing one of them. Which do you all recommend? Are they good single player games?

I am running a C2Q with an ATI 4850 with WinXP.

 

[toyota]

Can I download any of the STALKER games via Steam?

I have always been interesting in playing one of them. Which do you all recommend? Are they good single player games?

I am running a C2Q with an ATI 4850 with WinXP.

yes they are on Steam if thats what you are asking. there are only two games right now and thats STALKER Shadow of Chernobyl and Clear Sky. obviously getting STALKER Shadow of Chernobyl first would make the most sense. Call of Pripyat should be out in a couple months I think. the games are basically just shooters with some role playing elements. the good thing is that the games can modded to look and play differently if you want. the games have a lot of atmosphere and I found them pretty entertaining. I had to use some difficulty changing mods to help get through them though because even easy was hard for me.

 

[Zensal]

Can I download any of the STALKER games via Steam?

I have always been interesting in playing one of them. Which do you all recommend? Are they good single player games?

I am running a C2Q with an ATI 4850 with WinXP.

From the perspective of someone who just bought STALKER SoC through Steam a couple of weeks ago, it is awesome.

I would say install the STALKER Complete 2009 mod prior to playing the game the first time. It doesn't change the gameplay, but really improves the whole look and atmosphere.

I was able to put in on full everything except no AA.

 

[GTaudiophile]

Is that mod free? Where to download?

 

[ixelion]

Yeah the mod is free, and it does dramatically improve the look of the game, enough to make my original argument moot :redface:

You might also want to try aim fixing mods for the guns - but try it without first as it is a matter of taste. The graphics mod on the other hand is a must have.

Here is a website with comparison screens:
http://www.pcgameshardware.com/aid,...of-Chernobyl-Update-New-screenshots/Practice/

 

[GTaudiophile]

Thanks for the info. At $20, CoS sounds like a better deal to me than L4D2. I have always been fascinated by Chernobyl as well.

 

[GTaudiophile]

Which is the latest version of the complete mod?

1.4.1 or 1.4.2?

 

[marmasatt]

I still think S.T.A.L.K.E.R. (yes it is worth putting in the dots) is one of the best looking games I've played. Obviously, it is a bit dreary, but that was the look they were going for. If CoP looks the same, and has some additional gameplay mechanics, I'm in.

Yeah, it seems you have first hand knowledge OP, but the graphics of the original or even Clear Sky are insane after a few modifications. As someone else said, I'll take a game with decent graphics that immerses you over a hollow game with superb graphics (see STALKER vs. Crysis) any day.

I have to tell you, SOC was one of the best games I've ever played to date. It seems if you give it a chance, you kind of "get it" with these games. And make no mistake, you either do or you don't. Weird thing was, I got the first one, and then gave Clear Sky a try on like 2 occasions in the past year and just couldn't get into it. Gave it one last try about 2 weeks ago and now I'm having a blast just exploring and what not - probably 15 hrs deep. I don't know why I waited so long. There are awesome mods for this one as well. Patch it up and go to town:http://stalker.filefront.com/files/Stalker/Clear_Sky/Mods/Singleplayer;10507

FYI, Clear Sky is $4.90 at Gogamer right now. It's a no brainer if you're thinking about it and enjoyed the first.

 

[abigael]

I tried playing Cp. It's nice but its not the great. You'll be bored playing later on the game.

Regards,
abigael
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