DF Direct Weekly #135: Alan Wake 2 - A Tech Masterpiece, MGS 'Master' Collection, Star Citizen!
Oct 30, 2023
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This podcast discusses topics like the anticipated game Alan Wake 2, Metal Gear Solid Master Collection's disappointing release, and Star Citizen's tech upgrades. They delve into the gameplay, visuals, and challenges of running GPU-heavy games on power-constrained devices. The hosts also share their thoughts on remastering games like Horizon Zero Dawn and The Last of Us 2 for the PS5.
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Quick takeaways
The Metal Gear Solid Master Collection received criticism for its poor emulation and lackluster graphics, highlighting the importance of proper preservation of classic games.
The Oculus Quest 3 offers improvements in clarity and detail, providing a more immersive VR experience, but there is still room for further advancements in graphics quality.
Deep dives
Summary
Metal Gear Solid Master Collection has drawn criticism for its poor emulation and lackluster graphics compared to the original versions. The collection did not receive review codes, but early footage suggests the games are running at 720p, resulting in blurry visuals and reduced detail compared to the originals. Metal Gear Solid 1 suffers from a bilinear filter that makes it look worse compared to the original 240p version. Metal Gear Solid 2 and 3 are also capped at 720p across all platforms, with the Switch version running at 30fps. The collection is considered a missed opportunity, lacking ambition, and respect for the iconic franchise. The poor presentation of the games has led to disappointment among fans, with many suggesting alternatives like the Xbox HD collection or emulating the games on PC. The Metal Gear Solid Master Collection highlights the importance of proper emulation and preservation of classic games.
Overview of the Meta Quest 3
The Meta Quest 3 offers some improvements and a more premium feel compared to the Quest 2. The Clarity and detail of graphics is notably increased, giving a more immersive experience. However, there is still room for improvement in terms of achieving high-end VR visuals. The Oculus Quest 2 still holds up well and is a good headset in its own right. Both headsets can also be used with virtual desktop for an enhanced PC VR experience, providing a wireless and immersive gameplay option. Overall, there are positive advancements with the Quest 3, but there is potential for even greater fidelity in the future.
Image Quality and Challenges of Next-Gen VR
While the advancements in VR technology have made significant progress, there are still challenges when it comes to image quality. Some current-gen only games may suffer from noise and artifacts due to the need to upscale graphics to maintain performance. The trade-off between highly expensive real-time effects and image quality is a delicate balance. It may take time for developers to fully optimize games for next-gen VR and new consoles, especially considering the difficulties of developing during a pandemic. While there have been improvements, it is important to continue pushing boundaries and finding the right balance between performance and image quality in VR games.
The Future of VR Headsets
The introduction of new VR headsets, such as the Quest 2 and Quest 3, showcases advancements in technology and improvements in graphics quality. While there are limitations to resolution and hardware capabilities, VR technology is evolving. The Pimax Crystal, for example, offers a high level of clarity and FOV, providing a more immersive experience. The different headsets cater to various use cases, from wireless, standalone VR to high-end PC experiences. It is an exciting time for VR as developers continue to push the boundaries and create more immersive experiences for users.
In this week's DF Direct Weekly, Rich returns to join Alex and John for an appreciation of Alan Wake 2 and to discuss the latest news surrounding the new PlayStation 5's detachable Blu-ray drive. Meanwhile, there's a double helping of Metal Gear Solid news as the disastrous MGS 'Master' Collection releases and a new MGS Delta Snake Eater trailer emerges. Finally, Alex gets excited about the latest Star Citizen tech upgrades and the announcement that Squadron 42 is 'content complete'.
0:00:00 Introduction
0:00:45 News 01: Alan Wake 2: a tech masterpiece
0:34:12 News 02: New PS5 needs internet to pair disc drive
0:42:18 News 03: MGS Master Collection Volume 1 released
0:58:16 News 04: MGS Delta Snake Eater demoed
1:07:37 News 05: Star Citizen improvements, new content shown off at CitizenCon
1:21:48 Supporter Q1: Given that Alan Wake 2 doesn’t support Pascal GPUs, is it time for a GTX 1080/Ti eulogy?
1:28:51 Supporter Q2: Any thoughts on Intel’s 14th gen CPUs?
1:31:24 Supporter Q3: How could Horizon: Zero Dawn and TLOU 2 be meaningfully remastered for PS5?
1:40:53 Supporter Q4: Are better visual features really worth the image quality hit on consoles?
1:49:10 Supporter Q5: What are John’s impressions of the Meta Quest 3?
