Doom 3 pc console
At that point, full 720p resolution is restored. According to Carmack, Doom 3 is a game with multiple light passes that hammers the GPU far more than Rage ever did, but regardless, the same dynamic performance optimisations are carried out here - screen resolution lowers on the fly in order to reduce GPU load until rendering times slip back beneath the 16.67ms threshold.
#DOOM 3 PC CONSOLE CODE#
When this happens, the framebuffer is flipped as the screen is refreshing, resulting in torn frames.Īt this point, id's internal auto-balancing code kicks in at full effect. To maintain that silky-smooth update, every single frame needs to be generated in under 16.67ms, but the reality is that there are so many variables in rendering any given scene that sometimes the engine inevitably runs over budget. Indeed, they're the same cutbacks employed in Rage, which ran at the same frame-rate. On console, id has had to make some compromises in order to achieve that 60Hz target. Both camera and object-based, cranking it up to the full 32x sampling produces some truly excellent results. Secondly, a new motion blur effect - sneaked in by John Carmack himself just before the game shipped - is one of the finest implementations we've seen. First up, anti-aliasing - up to 4x multi-sampling - can be employed to smooth off the edges which tidies up the image no end (although the original 2004 game supported up to 16x on our PC). While the console versions provide an almost identical picture, there are some bonus goodies on the PC version to enjoy over and above support for higher resolutions. Use the full-screen button on the bottom-right of this window for full 720p resolution.Īlternative versions of this video are available: "id Software's take on HD remastering doesn't make a whole lot of sense on PC - this is designed with console in mind and from a tech perspective, it's an impressive achievement in many ways." Doom 3: BFG Edition compared on PlayStation 3 and PC. At its best, particularly in the highly enjoyable Lost Mission bonus campaign, Doom 3 still manages to provide an enjoyable slice of classic id gunplay and frame-rate is a crucial element in this - nothing can beat the low-latency response and the super-smooth, arcade-style refresh that's synonymous with 60FPS gameplay. However, all of these compromises are in place to serve the frame-rate target, and to that end, the drawbacks are worthwhile, because the 60Hz experience transforms the game. On top of that, anisotropic filtering does appear to be engaged, but at a relatively low level so there's obvious shimmering on ground textures. There's a large degree of contrast between many of the visual components, leading to obvious edges and plenty of jaggies. By and large, both Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 operate at native 720p, with no anti-aliasing applied.
There are few surprises on the console front. BFG Edition PC video we ran yesterday, illustrating the work id carried out in turning a specific kind of computer experience into a big, brash, console blaster. We'll roll out the cross-platform comparison vids, but perhaps the most telling - and relevant - head-to-head is the 2004 original vs. In Carmack's own words, the firm knew that farming out the game to a sub-contractor would result in sub-optimal results, so it carried out the conversion itself and the results are generally impressive - especially when it comes to frame-rate, where Doom 3: BFG Edition targets a 60 frames per second update. Thankfully the craze for simple PC ports masquerading as "HD remasters" appears to be over, but it's gratifying that in bringing Doom 3 to console, id has put the work in here. In the PC version, the changes are a mixed bag, but on console, the choices seem fitting. The lighting has been revamped, making the BFG Edition brighter and easier to track with the display at range, field of view has been tweaked with 16:9 screens in mind, while certain elements of the artwork have been embellished to reduce some of the more glaring, lower-quality texture work. An aesthetic originally designed around a desktop environment with the screen directly in front of the player has been tuned to better suit a living room environment. While some might argue that the PC version is somewhat superfluous when stacked up against eight years' worth of community-driven mods, on console the BFG Edition makes a lot more sense and in the hands of Carmack and company, the result is a game that's a cut above the typical HD remaster.įor a start, some thought has been given to the way in which Doom 3 will be played on console.
#DOOM 3 PC CONSOLE SOFTWARE#
Doom 3: BFG Edition is best described as the net result of John Carmack and id Software taking on an HD remastering project, because this new release is effectively a 720p console revamp of a 2004 PC game originally designed with a 640x480 resolution in mind.