Battlefield 4 review from a Danish news site

[Guest Maydaydk]

Headline : Battlefield 4 will crash your computer

 

After long hesitation came final word on Battlefield 4 as EA and DICE showed the game until the end of March. There was not just individual details on the table, but also a 17-minute video entitled 'Fishing in Baku'. The graphics were fabulous. Few videos have that could impress and show us how much next-gen graphics engine can. Battlefield 4 is based on a new Frostbite graphics engine, version three that will run both on the PC, PS4 and next Xbox. Graphics engine is also expected to be used for other EA games, such as Dragon Age and Mass Effect.

 

But what is exactly different from Frostbite 2, which was shown in 2011?

 

With its roots in DirectX 11 is built on many of the platform technologies, such tessallation (dynamic geometry formation) on shapes and geometry. There are new effects in rain and fog, and the possibility of destroying the local environment is significantly improved. Battlefield 4 trailer spent some gunpowder to demonstrate how wide open spaces, you are going to lose yourself ii game. It's something you missed in Battlefield 3

 

Estimates are now several different types of terrain where you can make your own roads with vehicles, firearms and air strikes. There will still be scripted sequences, such as where you are being chased through dense corridors. But most of the time you out in the open. Especially in multiplayer.

 

The trailer was driving with 1080p, as DICE had allegedly scaled down from the trenches in 3K resolution. It ran at 60 fps and followed Tombstone team through a flooded, graffiti infested corridor to platforms that were taken over by the jungle wilderness. It ended with a view of beautiful skyscrapers. It's just the kind that in the future will be used for graphics card testing on an equal footing with Operation Swordbreaker mission in Battlefield 3

 

Good facial animations

One of the striking qualities of the video is facial animations that you see right at the beginning. Motion-capture-the result is far better than anything we have seen so far in the series, especially with the new tessallationfunktioner in use with faces and lips. Lip-sync is a close match, and when you see how your teammates interact with the local community, it shows DICE's stunning body captures.

 

It's probably the same technique that has been used for FIFA games. Apart from the eyes, which is a bit backward compared to other games, Battlefield 4's facial animations roughly on a par with LA Noire and its motion Scan technology.

 

In scenes with full illumination is great progress in the faces and clothes, even compared to Battlefield 3 Skin shaders reacts perfectly with sunlight and produces some red, vibrant tones. There is also a reflection-map-layer that shows reflection in the sweat. It is very convincing alive, and as you can see in the comparison pictures, the experience more rich and complete than in BF3.

 

The urban environment has gotten more detail, especially in the sequence where the jungle slow conquest of the modern city. DICE seems to have coded the new calculations and physics for fauna, as branches and shrubs bowing to the touch and often in their new starting point.

 

Progress has also been added by the game's draw distance, the only pop-in, we noticed, was in advanced reflection maps in mud tracks from the trucks. There will be spared some of the RAM in certain buildings that are clearly put together by the same elements.

 

The ability to destroy buildings and other objects will return to Battlefield 4 In Battlefield 3 was the possibility limited to single blocks and iron beams on bridges and buildings, but our impression is this time that you will be able pure destruction. Bad Company series has clearly been inspired a bit manic degree of destruction, but it's going to fit in nicely with especially multiplayer.

 

You can also use it to create alternative paths through the levels. Airstrikes can also create a domino effect with several smashed buildings, but what extent and by how large objects, it is all about, we must wait to see.

 

The options come into their own

The devastation is also improved. In the video flew it out with grit and fire when a wall was smashed with rockets or dynamite. Certain items are repeats from Battlefield 3, but with the open environment is the possibility finally to their right. We look forward to smash buildings and see the aforementioned domino effect be used strategically. You can lay traps and destroy the weak points.

 

The video also showed how many different lighting effects, DICE has built into the Battlefield 4 There was lens flare, there were flashes of light through the thick clouds of smoke, and when the player was unfocused due to fast movements, added played a kind of distortion effect. Here we are talking about elements far beyond the usual in the industry, and they create a very velæstetisk experience as well as tactical element to the gameplay.

 

There was of course the proviso that the demo probably drove with all settings set to max, a resolution of about 3K and enough hardware to run this monster. Shadows were at the highest filter settings, since there was at least flicker. There was motion-blur both to each object and the entire screen, and there were anti-aliasing with MSAA.

 

Shortly after GDC demo as AMD, perhaps without proper coordination with DICE, it is necessary to shout to the world that the demo was running with their 7990 card. It costs 700 British pounds and is certainly not trivialized: it has two cores of 1000 and 925 MHz and a total of 6 GB of GDDR5 RAM. Again, the PC version the ultimate when it comes to Battlefield 4, but probably will PS4 and Xbox versions are not far from here. However, there vying for a single heel and a pair of toes to accommodate next-gen consoles single form.

 

That there even was a need for a large-scale presentation of specially invited gamers shows that EA do not take chances with Battlefield 4's promotion right through to autumn premiere. Fortunately, DICE fully live up to all the hype that may accrue to the game. The Force is strong in Frostbite 3 We saw so many things in the 17th minute video that we can still discern exciting new techniques and technological breakthroughs that have not been seen before.

 

Especially light effects are numerous and works perfectly in their interactions. We often talk about Epic Games and Crytek as the leading graphics engineers, but DICE is certainly on the same level. Next step will be to see Battlefield 4 on a next-gen console. We welcome us.