New Kingdom Hearts 2.8 Screenshots Show Off Unreal Engine 4

[king_mickey rule]

I'm aware that's a pre-render and not in-game footage, but that's the look they're going for nonetheless. In terms of lighting, the current in-game graphics don't come even close to that.

There are moments where things look good, especially during actual gameplay when the camera's further away from the models, but whenever the camera gets closer, you see how inconsistent the look is.

 

[Audo]

Well, for better or worse, this is the look they are going with. /shrug

 

[FFxStrife]

The Sora picture though is not real-time, I doubt it is in-engine as well. It's a render.

A use of D23 footage would be more appropriate and Sora still looks much better there.

There is a very specific spot in the Tital/Train ride sequence where SDG look amazing, in complete harmony with the environment and the lightning is sublime. I mean to do a gif of that scene when I can.

 

[Chaser]

I'm aware that's a pre-render and not in-game footage, but that's the look they're going for nonetheless. In terms of lighting, the current in-game graphics don't come even close to that.

There are moments where things look good, especially during actual gameplay when the camera's further away from the models, but whenever the camera gets closer, you see how inconsistent the look is.

There are sometimes when you have to accept the disappointment and realise that what they're going for and what is shown are not one and the same.

Imagine being a fan of Ubisoft. You'd be constantly disappointed:
[video=youtube;xNter0oEYxc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNter0oEYxc[/video]

That was prior to the swap to Unreal Engine 4. Anything before December 2014 should be ignored.

Also it's a good thing they swapped engines. With the amount of trouble Luminous apparently is, it's good they can actually make a good game.

 

[Muke]

I'm aware that's a pre-render and not in-game footage, but that's the look they're going for nonetheless. In terms of lighting, the current in-game graphics don't come even close to that.

There are moments where things look good, especially during actual gameplay when the camera's further away from the models, but whenever the camera gets closer, you see how inconsistent the look is.

If it bothers you so much, just don't buy the game, honestly. It is how it is, and nothing's gonna change that.
You either accept it, or you don't.

 

[Xera Highwind]

I'm just wondering what normal Terra was doing in the realm of darkness? Maybe so much time has passed for her that he's already been recovered and he's saving her, but I feel like them meeting whould have been for dramatic if that was the case

 

[king_mickey rule]

Well, for better or worse, this is the look they are going with. /shrug

I honestly highly doubt that.

You can tell they're having issues with the engine, just by looking at the vision they had before they jumped to the Unreal Engine and I don't think anyone should be this accepting just yet.

Again, looking at other games with similar visuals, this looks unpolished.

If it bothers you so much, just don't buy the game, honestly. It is how it is, and nothing's gonna change that.
You either accept it, or you don't.

Seriously? I'm just trying to encourage discussion here.

 

[KeybladeLordSora]

I remember when graphics weren't all that important.

 

[Audo]

I honestly highly doubt that.

You can tell they're having issues with the engine, just by looking at the vision they had before they jumped to the Unreal Engine and I don't think anyone should be this accepting just yet.

Well, Nomura himself has expressed in interviews that he is satisfied with how it looks and that he believes he has closely matched their original vision to what they are capable of. The game will unlikely look very much different from now until release since they are clearly at the end of development (voice work is one of the last things to be done and it has a release in six months). It's probably time to accept that it will not look much different from this.

 

[Muke]

I remember when graphics weren't all that important.

Good old times, eh?

 

[Lnds500]

I honestly highly doubt that.

You can tell they're having issues with the engine, just by looking at the vision they had before they jumped to the Unreal Engine and I don't think anyone should be this accepting just yet.

Again, looking at other games with similar visuals, this looks unpolished.



Seriously? I'm just trying to encourage discussion here.

They seem to be having "problems" with shadows and with lightning in general.

If it bothers you so much, just don't buy the game, honestly. It is how it is, and nothing's gonna change that.
You either accept it, or you don't.

Likewise, since you are buying it no matter what apparently, maybe graphics discussions don't concern you much?

 

[VoidGear.]

I remember when graphics weren't all that important.

Lol, yeah.
Maybe I'm just too easily content, but while Aqua's face shining a lot doesn't look like KH used to, I still think it somehow fits. And the rest of her looks great D:

 

[Sephiroth0812]

I'm just wondering what normal Terra was doing in the realm of darkness? Maybe so much time has passed for her that he's already been recovered and he's saving her, but I feel like them meeting whould have been for dramatic if that was the case

It doesn't have to be the "real", or rather, full Terra (as in all parts of his existence being together) that Aqua meets there.

There are several possibilities like i.e. it being just a projection of Terra's heart (Riku had the very same thing in KH 1 Final Mix walking through the Realm of Darkness while Mickey spoke to him) or it being a memory of the world played out in front of her.

 

[FFxStrife]

That was prior to the swap to Unreal Engine 4. Anything before December 2014 should be ignored.

Also it's a good thing they swapped engines. With the amount of trouble Luminous apparently is, it's good they can actually make a good game.

I know, I was just providing him with said gif.

 

[KeybladeLordSora]

Good old times, eh?

Yeah...good old times.....*sits in rocking chair*

 

[Lnds500]

I know, I was just providing him with said gif.

Thanks but that's not the shot I am talking about. I will make it when I get home.

It's actually the one when it shows the trio from a bit farther away while the train circles the titan

 

[king_mickey rule]

Let me clarify a couple of things, before things get too heated:

1) I'm trying to start a conversation here about the graphics because I'm interested in game-development in general.

2) I like to be critical of things, rather than just be accepting. There's a clear difference between the visuals pre and post Unreal-jump. This concerns me, as it shows that they're having issues with the engine. Which begs the question: what else are they having trouble with? Are there other things where they needed to compromise in order for them to work with the new engine? Kingdom Hearts games have always been free from major glitches or bugs (or any inconsistencies for that matter) and I hope we can keep it that way. Tell me how these aren't valid concerns.

3) For a series that's been revered for its graphics, is developed by Square-Enix and produced by Disney, yes: I do want something better than this. And for a while, it seemed like we were getting exactly that. Which is exactly why I'm having the concerns that I'm having.

Going "don't buy it if you don't like it" is unneeded, because that's not the conversation I want to have to begin with. If you like the visuals the way they are now, then I'm happy for you. But I'm 99% certain that, looking at other games and the way the visuals looked before the Unreal-jump, this isn't how it's supposed to look or at least not as good as it could be. What I'm doing is being critical of what I eventually will be investing in.

Let's not forget 0.2 is basically a tech demo for Kingdom Hearts 3. If there ever was a time to be critical about anything, now would be the time.

 

[FFxStrife]

Seriously? I'm just trying to encourage discussion here.

If I learned something in this forum is that you should avoid "discussions" here.

 

[VoidGear.]

If I learned something in this forum is that you should avoid "discussions" here.

Just because sometimes a few people aren't happy with discussions doesn't mean that the whole forum feels that way. Please.

 

[hlc1988]

Seems to me the original engine they were using wasn't matching up to what they were expecting or wanted from the look which is why they changed and have now got the style they were aiming for.

I like the style... it looks good. Still cartoony and in line with the KH universe but shows an improvement on how graphics have changed in the decade or so since KH2.