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Mass Effect 2 PS3/360 Face-Off

Digital Foundry at Eurogamer.net: "The news that Mass Effect is now a cross-platform franchise has been met with many questions. Just how well can a previously Xbox 360-exclusive title operate on the opposing platform? How well does the Dark Horse interactive comic do at filling players in on the events of the first game? Does the final game justify the various claims being made for it, most notably that it will be the "definitive" edition of the game?"

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eurogamer.net
Darkfiber5587d ago

No one ever compares the PS3 version with the PC version cause they know it can't compete! Burrrrrn.

anthraxCZ5587d ago ShowReplies(5)
darthv725587d ago

they look the same but that really shouldnt be what matters. It should be about the fact more people can play this great game.

Great games deserve to be shared with others.

Army_of_Darkness5587d ago

Thats true bro!....... So ummmm.. Wanna lend me your copy?! ;-)

hay5587d ago (Edited 5587d ago )

There's better lighting engine and a bit more(counted 1) shadows for PS3's favour. But it's not a dealbreaker or anything important.
Both look more or less the same.

StanLee5586d ago

@ Hay

Well according to Digital Foundry, a year later and the XBox 360 version is still technologically ahead. More or less the same isn't what should be expected after a year and doesn't bode very well for Mass Effect 3 on the PS3.

gamer20105586d ago

Ok I just read the comparison and the first thing I have to say is that I am pleased with the way the PS3 version turned out. After playing the demo I was worried that the PS3 version would be plagued with screen tearing and a very inconsistent frame rate. Thankfully they made the right decisions and the capped the frame rate and enabled vsync. This not only gets rid of the ugly screen tearing, but it also avoids the wide swings in the frame rate, making it feel smoother overall.

That said, it is clear from reading the comparison that people claiming the PS3 version is superior are wrong.

The frame rate is definitely better than it was in the demo. Instead of wide swings from +40 fps down to -20fps fps the frame rate is now capped at 30 like the 360 version. Both versions seemed fairly similar in the cutscenes, with a slight edge to the 360 version. During actual gameplay, though, the 360 version has a somewhat bigger advantage.

"it is difficult to avoid the conclusion that the original Xbox 360 version of Mass Effect 2 has a performance advantage overall, especially during the exploration and combat sections."

The next area of difference is in the lighting.

"at the end of the day the changes will be important or not based on personal preference - for example, some of the lighting is to our taste, and some of it isn't. The PS3 game doesn't feel especially clearer or more vibrant, but there's a definite sense that it's rather more inconsistent than it was before, to the point where the lighting in the occasional scene just doesn't seem logical."

"We're still left rather puzzled by these changes. Was it really a purely design-led decision to make the game brighter and more vibrant? Looking at Mass Effect 2 in its original form, of all the things you might want to improve, was there really anything wrong with the way the game was lit? The impression is that the change here is an answer to a question nobody was asking."

In terms of the art assets and how they were implemented there were again a few differences.

"and while it does seem to be the case that specific artwork elements have been pared down, there is still the occasional piece of artwork with more detail than in the Xbox 360 version."

It appears there are more instances of the artwork being pared down on the PS3 version than the other way around. But they do mention that in motion you don't notice much difference in this regard.

They did mention that some of the effects are of a higher quality on the 360 version.

"precision in some of the shader effects appears to be higher on the Xbox 360"

As in the demo comparison there still seems to be a difference in the shadow texture filtering, which they personally thought looked better on the PS3. I think both filtering techniques have their advantages. It is a little fuzzier on the 360 but that helps to make the jagged edges less noticeable. In any case, 95% of the time you can't even see the difference in gameplay. It is only really noticeable on close ups during cut scenes, such as when Shepard wakes up on the table.

"The implementation of the new tech means that there are performance advantages in places, but gameplay seems to be a touch jerkier overall. Graphically, there is evidence that the PS3 version of the game has been pared back a miniscule amount"

gamer20105586d ago

"Technically there is not much of a case for any claims of being "definitive"

"From a technical perspective, if it is running the Mass Effect 3 engine as the developer suggests, players are not getting any tangible advantages over what has already been released on the Xbox 360. BioWare's heavily modified Unreal Engine 3 probably did require a substantial overhaul to accommodate the Sony platform for the multi-format Mass Effect 3, so it would have made sense to use that work for the ME2 conversion rather than simply port over the existing 360 code. However, this does not manifest in a better game as the marketing seems to be suggesting."

"Technologically it still feels like the Xbox 360 version has the edge, but occasionally lower frame-rates and mostly unnoticeable graphical compromises on PS3 are not going to have much impact on the fun you have playing this game."

"However, in putting together this feature, the opportunity to return to Mass Effect 2 simply serves to remind us that the experience of playing this series is so much more than just one game: it's a saga, an epic series quite unlike any other where all three chapters are interlinked, and unfortunately, due to licensing agreements, the Xbox 360 is the only console that gives you the full story."

So it turns out that technically the 360 version still has the edge. That said, the PS3 version is better than I feared based on the demo and will certainly be an amazing experience for anybody who only owns a PS3.

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 5586d ago
TheXgamerLive5586d ago

They've had a yr. to brush up the games engine for the ps3 and finally the ps3 versions looks good in a port over, there are times when it looks worse and times when it's better, but that's not an issue b/c the game looks and plays incredible, it was my pick for 2010 GOTY and i suggest anyone who can play this game to do so. It's incredible, best graphics, story and cut scenes. the game is "EPIC". The DLC is great as well. Enjoy the hell out of it.

hoops5587d ago

They should kill these stories.

Ginbe5587d ago ShowReplies(1)
FrigidDARKNESS5587d ago

for christ sakes these ME2 comparison threads are getting redundant.
both games looks the same who cares if one has an extra pixel or two.

edhe5586d ago

People who paid extra to get a ps3 expecting to get better graphics on TEH CELL because the THE BLU-RAYZ but keep getting reminded of their faux pas.

Achemki5586d ago

What faux pas? Nobody bought a PS3 to play ME2 in the first place. The faux pas is MS lost their highest rated console exclusive and the port is nowhere near as gimped as fanboys were hoping it would be. The reviews are in, along with the "but- but-buts".

MRMagoo1235586d ago

exactly what achemki said

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100°

Mass Effect Companion Tier Ranking

One of the best things about the Mas Effect series is the companions you meet along the way. So here is a tier list of all the companions from Mass Effect!

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lordsofgaming.net
IAMRealHooman512d ago

Bro missing companions: Legion, Grunt, Samara/Morinth, Javik, EDI

anast512d ago

Legion, Zaeed, and Jack are my favorites.

RiseNShine512d ago

To think that Bioware at some point was capable of doing games like this, you see those characters and remember them like good old friends, and now check ME Andromeda, Anthem, Veilguard etc and wonder what the hell happened.

anast512d ago

They lost too much talent.

IAMRealHooman512d ago

some in andromeda are decent, I agree with peebee and Vetra being good companions. Except Liam he's trash tier

anast512d ago

Liam lol I can't stand that dude.

IAMRealHooman511d ago

it's like bitch but your shirt back on, your not blue or spikey get away from me

110°

The 7 Best Western RPGs: Immersive Adventures

RPGs are often huge, sprawling endeavours. With limited playtime, we have to choose wisely, so here's the best western RPGs available today.

SimpleSlave760d ago

"I started playing games yesterday" the List... Meh!

How about a few RPGs that deserve some love instead?
1 - Alpha Protocol - Now on GOG
2 - else Heart.Break()
3 - Shadowrun Trilogy
4 - Wasteland 2
5 - UnderRail
6 - Tyranny
7 - Torment: Tides of Numenera

And for a bonus game that flew under the radar:
8 - Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden

DustMan760d ago

Loved Alpha Protocol in all it's glorious jank. Great game.

SimpleSlave760d ago (Edited 760d ago )

Not only glorious jank, but the idea that the story can completely change depending on what you do, or say, or side with, makes it one of the most forward thinking games ever. The amount of story permutation is the equivalent of a Hitman level but in Story Form. And it wasn't just that the story changed, no, it was that you met completely new characters, or missed them, depending on your choices. Made Mass Effect feel static in comparison.

Alpha Protocol was absolutely glorious, indeed. And it was, and still is, more Next Gen than most anything out there these days. In this regard at least.

Pity.

80°

The Best Video Game Romances of All Time

Wealth of Geeks explores some of the best gaming romances that have stolen our hearts over the years.

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wealthofgeeks.com