Eurogamer's X360 vs. PS3 Face-Off: Round Ten

As is the norm, there's roundup commentary on the gameplay of each title, combined with technical analysis for both PS3 and Xbox 360 releases. Backing that up is the usual range of 720p and 1080p (where PS3 supports it) full precision, full-range 24-bit RGB dumps of every game, courtesy of the Digital Foundry HD capture unit.

Onto the games then. There's quite an intriguing line-up of the best and the very, very worst in cross-platform development in this round, with an unintended emphasis on co-op gameplay and Epic's Unreal Engine 3 technology:

* Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas 2
* Blacksite: Area 51
* Army of Two
* Conflict: Denied Ops
* Lost Planet: Extreme Condition
* Dynasty Warriors 6
* Lost: The Video Game

[toughNAME]

And they rarely inlcude rumble/achievements...

[wAtdaFck]

Extra immersion devices and tactics shouldn't distract from the pure essence of what is gaming.

(talking about achievements)

The PS3 already has rumble anyway so...

[masterg]

Why not use the best multi platform games to make this test.
Games like Devil May Cry and Burnout Paradise. Rainbow Six and Army of Two is just within the limit of what is acceptable but the others should not be allowed on any test.

[green]

if you own only one console like me,then these comparisons don't really mean much.

If you own both consoles then i guess this will help you purchase the best version s of multiplatform games.

[meepmoopmeep]

agreed. they're good for multiplat games for owners of both consoles.

[BeaArthur]

I own both and there are things I like and dislike about each one.

[Vicophine]

Did they pick the worst games to compare in this list... I don't think it matters which version has +1FPS when these games blow this badly..

[green]

well if you look at it,there haven't been any good multiplat games that have been released in the past month.R6V2 and Army of 2 are the best so far.

[Vicophine]

Thats true, but Blacksite?...

[RealityCheck]

That's why I have all 3 consoles. Except for a few rare exceptions, the best games are exclusives to each console.

[meepmoopmeep]

@reality

that's why i tend to only buy exclusive games in which the developer has used all its resources concentrated on one platform. the exclusives are the ones that tend to be better overall in quality than multi-platforms.

i rarely buy a multi-platform game unless the PS3 was the lead platform.

[Vicophine]

^Thats precisely why I buy any multiplatforms. I find it funny when developers say "We didn't get good sales on the PS3" thats simply because people won't buy a product that the developers intentionally held back ^_^

[xhairs]

I don't understand how anyone could find the money to either buy or even RENT Conflict: Denied Ops. That game was so bad I feel bad for anyone who took the time to play the demo...their version of "destructable terrain" is nothing more than shooting buckets of boxes in RSV2.

[iAmPS3]

I won't bother reading this articles anymore. This was as stupid as any other PS3/3rdFixMe comparisons so far.

It is proven that the PS3 is capable of achieving quality far superior to the 3rdFixMe (vide GT5 and MGS4 both 1080p and stunning graphics)

If you want a future proof console just buy the games for the PS3, in the end you will end up either packing up your 3FixMe and sending it to Nazisoft or will just stand there dusting up cause you got no more great games to play (due to the fact that the PS3 has all of them exclusively cause devs can't fit 50Gigs on a DVD9)

That is not so hard to understand BOTS, 360 is dying and will happen sooner than you think, so just don't waster your money on a technology Nazisoft will replace (like they did with the XBOX) as fast as you can say: "I got funked once again!!!"

[TheMART]

The 360 keeps winning with multiplatform games... And much is coming down to the better hardware choices Microsoft made. Like ANA hardware scaler:

"The subpar PS3 performance also extends to the support for 1080p displays. No problems with 360 as per usual thanks to the built-in hardware scaler, but the frame-rate of PS3 Conflict: Denied Ops takes another hit should your XMB be set to 1080p - and that's with no graphical improvement over the 720p game whatsoever. Once again, PS3 owners are better off running their systems at 720p even if they have a 'full HD' display."

The PS3 only can do or horizontal or vertical upscaling at once in a software way, the 360 can do both at the same time through hardware (ANA) without losing AA (for 'free' by the extra Ram on the GPU)

This won't change in the future, as the configs of the consoles are made like this...

[iAmPS3]

A hardware it's as good as the software it's running.
And all this games just prove that the developers are "used" to the 360 tool set (because it's older) and keeps recycling the same code/ideas/models to the PS3.

Games that start development on the PS3 are way better than the 360 (vide Burnout Paradise).

So, plz just stop spiting out crap about what you don't know nothing about TheMarT aka POG

[wAtdaFck]

It just happens that you decided to pick the game who's development team had the hardest time rendering for the PS3, did you? Taking a second glance at all the OTHER games that were multi-platform, we already know that the PS3 is capable of rendering graphics at the same level as the 360. It just depends on the game.

The Hardware Scaler Chip that is ANA doesn't do more than upscale game resolution. It doesn't upgrade graphics or put its foot over the PS3 in terms of graphical displays in any matter other than it can change resolution.

[TheMART]

@ iamPS3

uhm... well its about with all the multiplatform games that the 360 version is running better... I guess its over 95% running better on the 360.

Those games that are made on the PS3 first and the 360 gets the port, like Burnout Paradise, they run about equal.

So we can say: 95% of all multiplats are better on the 360, and the rest looks about equal as their PS3 counterpart.

Doesn't that make the 360 the better gaming device for sure for multiplats there? And seen the exclusives, the PS3 only has one on an average 9.0 (Uncharted), while the 360 has multiple, on or over that 9.

I guess the facts are pretty clear there.

BTW that Mart aka POG stuff is getting old. Go check the IP that Doodle guy was giving... It is in Mexico. I am living in The Netherlands and not hiding my IP, the mods can check its in The Netherlands. POG is from the States if I'm right, they can check his IP also. So go ask them, because its nonsense.

@ watdafck

Go check the other games and read above.

[wulan]

You are not from Netherlands . You are from US

Mart uses GOOGLE TRANSLATION to Fake that he is from Nethelands

I can use Google translation to register at insidegamer Netherlands too

eg

http://www.google.com/trans...

i can register in any webiste with the google trnslator and post without problems

I googled for Mart aka POG and found this :-

"OTHERS

MART and POG are the same PERSON

http://www.n4g.com/ViewComI...

MART aka POG was caught here. He is a 35 year OLD gamer and lives in USA

http://resistance100.wordpr...

can someone please complain to the MODS about this "

http://www.n4g.com/NewsCom-...

the IP adress ending with 141 is for US.

Mart aka POG you are the same guy. I am now complining to the MODS about your duplicate Active accounts

Users can complain to the Admin DUSTY on Mart's duplicate active accounts

http://forums.n4g.com/showP...

[Ju]

ANA does the same like any other "FullHD" 1080p TV does when fed a 720p signal. Nothing more.

[Neurotoxin]

You just got served up your own testes Marty McPog.

[ooop]

Live with it!

[belal]

mart just give up ....

ps3 is better live with it okey ? no then STFU

[Sez]

i think the mart know what console is better. the 360 is a better gaming console that has better multi-plat games.i think you sonyfanboys need to live with it.

[tk]

The games are so close - trying to nitpick either way is sooo stupid.
COD4 played great. Army of Two was good. Assassins Creed was good. Oblivion was good. Heck - every one of the cross platform titles are good enough on both to not notice the difference if you don't run it side by side with the intent on finding something - anything - to favor the one over the other. And it goes both ways. I will even wager to say that GT5:P - being the best looking racer out there - but if you were playing Forza 2 on the same track - if you were not comparing them side by side with a magnifying glass - then it would look the same.

Biggest reason why I favor the PS3 is because I can play the over 50 PS2 titles that I have, it is silent, don't scratch the disks - even reads the disks that the PS2 scratched and could not read any more, makes a heck of a media center for music, videos, DVD, BR etc. And of course 0 the thing is on nearly 18 hours a day with my 4 kids and myself taking turns - and it gave not a single problem - well - once when the Transformers game acted up - looked and there was some nasty smears on the BR disk - cleaned it and it was fine.

[etownone]

we all know the ps3 is a great deal, and by far the best bang for your buck.

but if your a gamer, just accept the fact that 360 is running multi-plat games better than the ps3.

[themyk]

i think the only one of those that actually looked better on the 360 was the last one. lost i think. and big deal who wants to play that anyways. and let me just say. that people aren't buying a ps3 for multi plat games. don't get me wrong we well play multi plat games. but we buy an ps3 for exclusives. so if we have to play multi plats that are made on the 360 then we'll do it because we enjoy playing games. but theres not a single multi plat game on that list that comes anywhere close to the exclusives that we bought this console for. end of story.

[khellendros1]

There in lies the point about multi-platform games. It's always been this way. When you have multi-platform games then it's usually bad for one system or both in some cases. Some companies don't have the resources or don't want to spend the money to fully optimize each system. That's why it's important to have exclusive games. It's not because I don't want the guy who owns an opposing system to play the game I, it's because someone usually gets shafted. How many of those games do you think are really utilizing the SPE's on the PS3. I'd say none and if they are it's very very limited. That's why I always buy based on exclusives and not on multi-plat.

[Martini]

They compare all of the multiplatform releases on a regular basis - that is the whole point of their comparisons. 360 handily beats the ps3 yet again, what else is new ?

[DARK WITNESS]

well i bought my ps3 for the ps3 exclusive, everything is goes to my 360. mostly because i like the feel with the 360 pad more. Having said that, most of the games on my 360 are the 360 exclusive as well, or games that have come out a longtime before coming out on the other system.

i don't know why we even entertain these sorry excuses of mediocrity and call them games...

[Genuine]

@ The Sony Playstation 3

[etownone]

at this point, the excuses are getting old for why ps3 aren't up to par to the 360.

i bought my 360 at launch knowing sony would release a more powerful console later on that would probably make multiplat games look like crap compared to my 360, same way xbox completely owned ps2 last gen on every multiplat game.
but its great to know 360 not only holds up great, its actually still running games better than ps3.

[Ju]

Open zone, so I can go on a rant here. That attitude of the guy writing that "comparison" just makes me sad. I think he's a complete moron. Besides stating the obvious, he has no clue what he's talking about. Uses buzzwords like "oh we have 4xAA here and blurry pictures there" - total BS (how does he qualify to make a statement if the AA is 4x?), or "the PS3 version came later but yet has not improved" - in case he can't find anything. Or even "nice AA on the 360 and AA less on the PS3" and yet the screenshots show something completely different. Trash talks down to every single PS3 game even though the games are actually the exact same thing and finds every single thing to nitpick the PS3 version. Moron. Oh, I said that before. /WE
Feel better now.

[wulan]

Burnout,dmc4,cod4 all look better on PS3 despite being ports.

I always doubt eurogamer's comparisons since if you look at the video of Rb6 2 on GT you will see that the ps3 version has the edge in terms of graphics

[Neurotoxin]

I wonder if PS3 will ever win outright on any of these comparison face off`s. Tricky hardware? Bad Coders? Or just that the 360 hardware is actually that much better in terms of what it can deliver, despite its problems.

[Doctor Phil]

Even though I only got a ps3. Im quite tired of hearing how the ps3 always comes out second in terms of graphics.

As of now Im worried about how the ps3 version of GTAIV will stand up in a comparison. Im starting to lose faith in the ps3s graphical abilities.

[Neurotoxin]

Totally agree with you there. I only own a PS3, i was going to buy a 360 middle of last year but was put off by the Hardware failure problems bought a PS3 instead, maybe i was hasty in spending money on the PS3 in hindsight though.

Think i`ll give it to at least November and perhaps jump ship when the new Dye processes are fully distributed through out the stock. Don`t give a monkeys toss about Blu-ray as its not delivering much in my eyes, if there was some proof, apart from saying "Metal Gear, 50 gigs, never on xbox blah blah" I only ever liked metal gear on the PSX, thought the PS2 version`s were rubbish, and presume the PS3 to be the same.

Maybe i`m being a bit nerdy here, but if i spent £350 on a console which is newer i expect it to outperform a console which is £100 pound less (even more now), not barely keep up and sometimes not even do that.

[Figboy]

lets compare the most mediocre games for *BOTH platforms, and decide which version is slightly less mediocre than the other. good times!!

there are only a few multi-plat titles released this generation that are even *WORTH playing, let alone worth comparing.

Burnout Paradise
DMC4
Call of Duty 4
Oblivion
Fight Night: Round 3
The Orange Box
Assassin's Creed

and, honestly, that's about all.

people are acting like every multi-plat game (Ultimate Alliance, anyone?) is so amazingly good that they need to be compared.

almost 3 out of every 5 multi-platform titles released are going to be garbage. i know, i know, there isn't really any facts to back that up, but from my gameplaying experiences, i've played more sh*tty multiplatform titles than sh*tty exclusives.

exclusive titles will always be better at showcasing a hardware's capabilties than multi-plats.

on the 360, i have yet to see *ANY 360 games that look better than:
Bioshock
Mass Effect
Gears of War

and that's from a console that has more games than the other two systems on the market right now.

on the PS3, i have yet to see *ANY PS3 games that look better than:
Unreal Tournament 3
Gran Turismo 5 Prologue
Ratchet and Clank Future
Heavenly Sword
Uncharted: Drake's Fortune

there are less games on the PS3, sure, but i've yet to see anything on the system even come close to matching the graphical fidelity of these exclusives.

and yet people continue to compare the two CONSOLES, when they should be looking at why other games within each console's library have yet to reach the level of their peers?

we all know EA and Activision makes subpar games, barring a few exceptions (Burnout Paradise and Call of Duty 4, respectively). so why bother getting up in arms when they, surprise surprise, release yet another mediocre game that barely reaches the minimum of graphical and gameplay expectations?

all i know, is that Bioshock, Mass Effect, and Gears of War are testaments to the 360's abilities so far. that's enough for me to have faith in what the console can do in the future.

all i know is that Uncharted, Ratchet, and Gran Turismo 5 Prologue are testaments to the PS3's abilities so far. that's enough for me to have faith in what the console can do in the future.

all this comparison crap is just that, "crap." it's pointless, and doesn't prove a damn thing other than both consoles can run mediocre games properly.

now if the 360 was having problems running Gears or Bioshock, and the PS3 was having problems running Uncharted and Ratchet and Clank Future, then we'd have a problem.

from my experiences with both consoles, however, they run those system taxing games damn well, so they've got no beef with me.