Enemy Front Visual Analysis : PS3 vs. Xbox 360 vs. PC

It’s been ages since any game has tackled the theme of the World Wars since the success of the series like Call of Duty, Medal of Honour, Brothers in Arms et al. Enemy Front goes back to the theme that we have all loved, and although the theme seems to have been overused, CI Games have made a solid entry in the market with a WW II game that they have rolled out from a different perspective, involving the Polish.

The game may feel very much like the earlier World War games, but yet has a personality of its own and doesn’t seem hackneyed or redundant. Using the CryEngine 3, the game was released on both the consoles of the older generation as well as on the PC platform. The game fares modestly across all the platforms although with the CryEngine 3 mentioned, it does seem to be a disappointment.

" Particle effects and alpha processing are not neatly done, resulting in fires looking rather odd and having no element of transparency. Player animations are at times rigid and seem as if some characters in the game are having fits."

Enemy Front on the Xbox 360 does look enrapturing at first look, but it most certainly doesn’t utilise the full potential of the MS console. The game pits you in the midst of ravaged cities and country sides which are beautifully detailed, although the lack of high resolution textures is felt often. While most buildings and objects are carefully detailed, some very obvious elements like the ground and crenellations strewn here and there for cover have a dearth of detailing which is a disappointment.

Even so, the depth of field in the game is sufficient and there isn’t more one could ask for in this regard. Whilst great pains are taken to detail the guns and make them react to the worldly elements (like light) in the game, vegetation is a let down with trees and bushes looking like green planks stuck on huge toothpicks. Anti-aliasing is not much of complain if you discount the shadow outlines.

Particle effects and alpha processing are not neatly done, resulting in fires looking rather odd and having no element of transparency. Player animations are at times rigid and seem as if some characters in the game are having fits. The negatives aside, the game still does have really good shadows.

Lighting in the game has been exquisitely used to its advantage and lends the game a charm, supplemented by the shadows, even if somewhat marred by the lack of proper anti-aliasing techniques. Anisotropic filtering is missing and it quite wrenched my heart to see such a beautifully crafted game lack that. On the other hand, ambient occlusion IS in place, but not ubiquitously.

You may come across it here and there as you chance to scrutinise a certain bundle of planks, or a door you’re about to go through, or certain stone blocks lying about. It does help the game to look better, and even though there isn’t much of it available, better that little than none.

" . The lighting system on the PS3 retains the same brilliance like that on the Xbox 360. Ambient occlusion is present, but again, cannot be seen throughout the game and only certain objects flung about the map feature that. Soft shadows and texture mapping are almost at par with the 360 but at some points they don’t hold up against its MS counterpart somehow."

The Ps3 version of the game remains largely the same as the Xbox 360 version. The textures on the PS3 are the same as that of the Xbox, but it shoots ahead in particle effects and a very minute improvement in the alpha processing; the latter’s difference is almost invisible to the eye so the improvement counts for nought.

The shadows largely remain similar across the two platforms although anti-aliasing on shadows is seemingly better on the Sony console. The lighting system on the PS3 retains the same brilliance like that on the Xbox 360. Ambient occlusion is present, but again, cannot be seen throughout the game and only certain objects flung about the map feature that. Soft shadows and texture mapping are almost at par with the 360 but at some points they don’t hold up against its MS counterpart somehow.

Depth of field as is again at par with the MS console but the shading and texture mapping are marginally better. Anisotropic on the PS3 isn’t a great improvement but it is there nonetheless. All in all, there isn’t anything that makes the game radically different on either platform and hence there is no real rivalry about which console plays the game better.

Both consoles have no horizontal tearing problems or stuttering issues. frame rate problems are minimal, but still noticeably there on both the consoles, more so on the PS3.

"Reflections are pretty good and the water effects are excellent to behold in the PC version of the game. The 3D skybox in the game is brilliant and the depth of field and the detailing for the same does not give opportunity for many complaints. Even with the unkempt utilisation of the CryEngine 3, the game’s lighting and bloom effects are quite exquisite which makes roaming out in the open a delight."

On the PC, the game looks infinitely better; bear in mind that Enemy Front looks better in comparison to the consoles, but per se the game leaves one wanting a lot more. Discounting the fact that the game fails to touch the graphical benchmark of the time, it is decorous.

Whilst the texture mapping is visibly better in every aspect vis-a-vis the consoles, it still lacks proper detailing. Again, the lack of detail is felt most when looking down at the ground; it looks bland and unreal. The same is the case with some of the walls of buildings where they seem like painted cardboards.

Reflections are pretty good and the water effects are excellent to behold in the PC version of the game. The 3D skybox in the game is brilliant and the depth of field and the detailing for the same does not give opportunity for many complaints. Even with the unkempt utilisation of the CryEngine 3, the game’s lighting and bloom effects are quite exquisite which makes roaming out in the open a delight.

Character actions/animations occasionally suffer, evident from their clothes not being responsive to the elements around (to wind, movement etc.).Shadows on the other hand are good in the game and so is ambient occlusion. AO utilised in the game is not the best to be seen out there, but it’s not a damper at all.

That may be so, but the foliage is downright appalling. The trees and grass are not appropriately detailed and do not react to the player moving through them. The game has paltry system requirements with the game being capable of running on a PC with 2.5+Ghz dual core processor like the Intel E4700 with 3 Gigabytes of RAM and a low end card like the 8800 GT or even the Radeon 3850.There have been reported issues of card heating in some cases but it has been most common in PCs with SLI configuration.

Even with such low a system requirement, the game occasionally suffers from frame rate drops but it is nothing that would make you flustered. A few patches in due time should set the game right on track.

 

"The game’s soundtrack is brilliant and enrapturing and gels in with the theme of the game flawlessly. The story of the game is a little different with a solid gameplay. One thing that I really found appealing was the HUD of the game. It may be a trivial matter but it indeed does add to the aesthetics of the game."

Incontrovertibly, Enemy Front fails to attain the graphical touchstone set by the game industry’s current game. Just so. Even with the drawbacks, I quite enjoy the game as it is. There were times when I felt frustration as to the game lacking the necessary pre-requisites, but eventually I was engrossed enough to not mind that.

The game’s soundtrack is brilliant and enrapturing and gels in with the theme of the game flawlessly. The story of the game is a little different with a solid gameplay. One thing that I really found appealing was the HUD of the game. It may be a trivial matter but it indeed does add to the aesthetics of the game.

It’s definitely not a must play game, but if you’re into FPS games, are a fan of Nazi killin and the World Wars in general, this game is not like to disappoint, if you willingly forget that the game has been made on the CryEngine 3.

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