DF Retro x Modern - Sonic Colors Ultimate: Every Console Version Tested
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- Опубликовано: 17 окт 2024
- The quality of the Switch port of Sonic Colors Ultimate has been a hot topic of discussion, but what of the quality of the remaster overall? John Linneman runs the rule over every console version of the game - and takes a look at the original Wii release to remind us why this Sonic title is definitely deserving of the remastering treatment.
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Ahh... fair, nuanced criticism with none of the cynicism. You guys are the best. :D
It's why DF is quality
God yes, I think you worded it nicely what I've been thinking for awhile but cannot put in a sentence. DF tend to criticize while not being cynics, at least not in their reviews (they can be in Directs). It's a subtle but important difference
@@anonanon1604 Indeed Bad Squirrel messed this up, unlike their ME Legendary work.
The artist mark Flynn's review is pretty alright too
df has praised so many games on horribly interior 2017 switch hardware then the 2013 systems.... and for you keeping track at home 1 dollar a day for 4 years is 1,440.... so that 100 dollar difference for a crappy weaker then every phone can do is pathatic.. yet df praises in 2021 8 years later a 2,880 dollar per day difference yet it weaker then in 2013 system is somehow good.... i swear nintendos paying them not to do the math... i mean you can build a super high high end pc with that money so your "fair comment" os wtf x20 how old are you that you think its a tiny bit right?
Sonic Colors was such a masterpiece on the Wii. We didn't appreciate the load times enough. 3 seconds off the optical drive! Never felt like loading.
Colors sure is a powerhouse on the Wii. Compared to Unwiished, it's like a generation ahead when it comes to graphics.
@@AllardRT I know a lot of people looked at "Unwiishead" and just assumed that the Wii couldn't handle the day stage design, but Colours proved it was possible, Unleashed Wii simply suffered from being a separately developed version, and having to share the same core version as the PS2, so they probably had to limit development even more to ensure the game would run on PS2 as well.
Still the best boost formula game for me, by far. And the fact that it's a technical marvel on Wii makes it all the better.
@@EuroMIX2 I mean, Colors still was nowhere as fast or graphically impressive. Technically it still couldn't handle Unleashed.
@@batmangovno I mean, I never said it could handle the HD version of Unleashed as a straight port, but Colours proves that that it could handle the basic stage design better than its version of Unleashed implied.
Shame that the Godot mention didn't get more detail - this is a game from a massive IP using a little open source engine developed for a long time for free by volunteers! It's really exciting to see an OS game engine get attention.
I was shocked when I heard it was using Godot. Godot isn't widely known, but it has, among other things, code loosely based on Python which makes it beginner friendly. I'd love to see more people use it to make high quality games. Godot 4.0 is supposed to be right around the corner. That said, it isn't the best choice for true 3d games, which is why it is taking awhile to catch on.
IMO that's the most interesting thing about this port. Godot is like Graphene, always super interesting to see its development but never see any products that use it.
It's funny, a lot of the glitches and issues we're seeing here (drawing artifacts, overzealous bloom, pop-in) are caused by Godot 3.0, and moreover, it's use of OpenGL. When Godot 4 drops with full Vulkan support, it's likely that these issues could be resolved by re-optimizing for Vulkan. The question is whether they'll put the effort in or not...
@@dial2616 IIRC, Sonic Colors Ultimate does not use OpenGL - It uses a Direct3D 11 renderer on PC and Xbox, and the respective console APIs for the Switch and PS4.
One issue with OpenGL on Windows is that you'll hit performance issues on AMD hardware, at least until OpenGL -> Vulkan translation becomes viable as a drop-in replacement.
Considering Blind Squirrel used a heavily customized version of Godot, it's very unlikely that the game will ever be updated to use Godot 4.x.
Also, fixing the overdone bloom is a matter of tweaking a few settings - it only takes a few minutes to fix :)
I'm not sure it can be considered as a real Godot game though, it seems as if it's just being used a graphics wrapper. I think people have done similar things using unity to get old games running on new hardware.
On the Wii version, I highly recommend the "True Colors" mod to semi-restore the original act structure. Dramatically improves the game's pacing.
I didn't know this was a thing. I had no idea there was an original act structure at all!
@@chrono32123 It's noticeable in some acts in that sometimes Act 2 will begin where the last one ended. Since it was originally a single act.
Some of the more gimmicky/weird stages were meant to just be optional missions. These were made mandatory for completion as an attempt to make the game longer.
@@VexAcer I suppose you could say the optional missions approach made a comeback in Generations and Forces.
I wish game remasters would stop fucking with the original music...
@@GenerationZ313 Yeah although Generations still made you play through a few of the missions to progress.
Honestly the attempts at padding in general has been detrimental to a lot of this series. Whatever the newest Sonic game is should embrace whatever length it is. Unfortunately with the rumors of it being an open world game, it'll likely be super bloated.
It's incredible how well Wii visuals still hold up.
Keeping in mind that Wii hardware is basically a GameCube on steroids, that makes it even more impressive.
Sonic Colors is definitely one of the best looking Wii games. It basically looks like a PS3 game running at 480p
@@timbrosius True
@Taner Calık 4K PC elitist much?
Nothing elitist about it
Switch can barely handle anything right now
Even their own first party games
Just play Colors on Dolphin
Today I learned that orangeous is a word.
@Kitsune kiss kiss kiss
Thanks, now I also learned that orangeous is a word.
I'm loving playing sonic colors ultimate on series x its gorgeous in native 4k 60fps and instant load times everything is smooth as butter!
I pray when or if they do an Unleashed Ultimate it is handled with more finesse than this project. They actually did a better job than I thought they would with Colors.
I hope when they do Unleashed Ultimate they let me skip the awful werehog stages.
It probably will be. I'd like to think Blind Squirrel Games has learned a lot porting Sonic Colours to a bunch of platforms and that they'd use that knowledge for the next project especially if it turns out to be another Sonic game
I really liked certain things they did in the remaster, the graphics are way better than the originals (and they not only improved textures but also a lot of 3D models and lighting as well), I liked it of them adding more extra content like a new Wisp, Customization, new music remixes, Metal Sonic and etc... to be honest it seemed like a great deal for a $40 remaster (and it's even way more than what Nintendo did with Skyward Sword HD for $60 if you think about it ), it's a shame that the glitches took away any chance the game had of shining.
And I still think it's kind of unfair that the ''epilepsy glitch'' of the Nintendo Switch version gained such a buzz, Splatoon 2 had the exact same issue at launch if you played for long hours in which it overloaded the Switch's RAM but didn't not even half of the controversy he is having now with Sonic.
I just hope that SEGA can make a comeback because I really see potential in this remaster and hope that other games like Sonic Unleashed can get another chance too, Unleashed deserves a second chance to shine.
I was hoping they would just give the bc version an FPS boost and resolution bump.
@@D1ab0lical then just play Generations, we liked the werehog
I think those framerate hitches you saw in Tropical Resort are due to call-in issues for assets, which would also explain the pop-in problem with Starlight Carnival and Aquarium Park. It's very odd though
I'm glad I watched this video though, since it's reaffirmed that it's a good purchase (if you don't buy it on switch) and I'm excited to play this game for the first time
meanwhile i think it's because of shader compilation
i looked at some shaders in pcks and they are just glsl shaders, not compiled
14:27 I supposed the Wii used pre-rendered assets in texture on a mesh to fake the long distance render (a classic trick of the area, God of War used A TON of this) then switch to real geometries at a certain position (probably because the culling distance had to be aggressive for performance.) When doing the port, Blind Squirrel transfered the mesh of the background, but not the texture. Hence the black geometries.
The Wii version’s music tracks have a more authentic low-fi, dirty EDM and drum and bass feel that is lost on the new overly crisp percussions and added “Casio Keyboard” keys added on top. Not a fan of that aspect.
they straight up changed some instruments as well. the original horn synths in Sweet Mountain act 1 have been completely replaced by some that hit nowhere near as hard.. changes the whole timbre of the song..
i thought the original tracks were terribly mixed and unprofessionally muddy. almost mono-sounding. but i also never played this game, so i have no attachment to the soundtrack
@@djwhitepeople yeah the older ones are certainly lower bit-rate and lower quality overall, but the actual mix itself, especially on the drums, is better than the tinny over sharpened new mix. The old ones sounded like DnB inspired. That’s completely lost on the new mixes
Agreed, I also prefer the original track (even though I'm audio professional and usually prefer technically higher specs).
If you ask me, that was a case of passively attempting to incorporate the DS version in some form.
As a whole, I can't say I like the DS soundtrack.
This gives so much insight on the changes and platform differences, thanks for the hard work on this one!
Honestly this video made me realize how damn good this game on the wii looked!!
Most people have reproduced bugs on the Nintendo Switch just to gain fame, not that problems won't happen, because the problems really are real! But many did not give a description of what could have happened to this issue, thus slowing down the bug fixing process. Digital Foundry, congratulations on your fantastic review of Sonic Colors Ultimate! Best review I've seen on Colors Ultimate. :D
I’ve been waiting for this. Love the deep dives you do.
Great vid! It’s kind of sad that they don’t have a higher resolution on the PS5, maybe I’ll wait a bit…
There is a patch being worked on as we speak so hopefully they'll bump up the resolution and fix a lot of bugs soon
@@ThatNormalBunny I just want the loading times to be fixed
yeah sucks about BC not being able to do much, but hopefully they decide to make a native version
@@ThatNormalBunny there is? How do you know
@@dee12401 On PS4 Pro the loading isn't that bad. I was just doing some stock internal HDD vs external SSD comparisons and with the external SSD, levels loaded in about 9 seconds, level select maps in about two seconds. There's a chance it'll be quicker if I used an SSD for the internal drive.
If they made an actual PS5 version it could probably be near instant loading, but I don't think it's too bad as it is. Even on a stock drive, 16-17 seconds to start a level is faster than a lot of PS4 games.
The only things I tested that didn't really change were the initial boot time and moving over the customise option in the options menu.
Godot is an Argentine-built engine released under the MIT license. Its name is a reference to its continuous desire for feature creep. It deserved more coverage here, TBH, because it remains an underrated engine that only recently did receive its deserved funding.
Now that I understand what they where going with the new lighting I can apreciate it. The problem is that, at least I feel, it messes too much with the original artwork and intention of some stages. It tends to be too dark or too bright to see comfortable, and some changes are kind of out of nowhere, like the ultra-irradiating green lava on Asteroid Coaster or the blindingly bright lights of Starlight Carnival. I think there is a reason why you tipically don't see cartoon platformers with ultra-realistic light, even other 3D Sonic games tend to have a little exagerated lighting.
We also want psychonauts 2, you know 🤣. No matter if its late
120fps performance mode is just INSANE. Really looking forward to the analysis.
@@xym07 i preferred the 60 FPS mode, because detail really shines, and its a platform. I preferred 120 in games like Borderlands 3 and expecially on Doom eternal, the difference in fast FPS Is massive. In platform games Is not a big deal
Yeah... Strange absence from one of the best games of the year.
@@Quasmin because John was on vacation, and Alex play only FPS and RTS, and Richard Is the boss so... Really difficult to see Richard cover games, unfortunately. Also, there is Tom, and audi, Who plays only knack and bubsy
Seems they didn’t take their time with the Switch port which I would also imagine would be the best selling version.
Was thinking of getting on Switch but maybe I’ll wait for it to be like $5 on PC in a month or two.
Also the surround sound is all over the place, like the sounds play inconsistently from randomly selected channels and it's rarely based on the positioning of objects like surround sound should be.
Those hiccups are probably caused by the way Godot handle shaders, that is basically only compiling em when filmed by a camera.
The way to fix it is to basically "film all the assets" during the loading using some 2D mask over it, so you can force godot to compile everything.
It's a bit hacky but works.
The game includes precompiled shaders in its files, which makes me think the stuttering is due to loading textures or because the shader cache is incomplete.
"you changed the results by recording them, that's cheating!"
@@Calinou You can't make precompiled shaders with OpenGL. It's sadly one of the weak points of the API.
Yooo, Finally someone who recognizes Sonic Unleashed. That was the shit when I was young man x)
I really appreciate the postivity in this video but I do think the bloom is way overdone and the game generally looks better in its original form. Couple that with all the glitches and baffling gameplay changes, like the tails-save, and playing this game in dolphin is 100% the way to go imo.
Not really but i can see why u say that
Like he said in the video, personal preference. Personally, I think Ultimate looks WAY better than the original although its a mixed bag with the music, some I prefer from the original, some Ultimate.
Sometimes, the blush on my wive's face is also too much...
Are both comparable?
looking at the bloom while falling down at the start of Aquarium Park and I'm just like... why. it doesn't even look like water anymore.
I don't agree that Ultimate looks more vibrant, personally. The new bloom system implemented in Ultimate gives everything a soft focus, low contrast look that washes out all the colors. The original bloom was a lot more selective on what would glow, with a higher color saturation. It looked a lot more natural. The bloom in Ultimate looks like the kind of stuff used in a lot of PS2 games. The game feels muddy to me.
I disable bloom normally on games nowadays. Developers always seem to go over the top with it.
I’m quite happy with the Series X version so watched this more out curiosity. Tbh - the Switch version seems way worse than it should. I assume the loading times must be a result of them compressing the file size down a ton so it’s having to decompress all the assets on each load? Considering it is fundamentally a Wii game though, there was a way to get it to 60fps even if it mean cutting back on some of the visual flourishes. I really think they should’ve made 60fps on Switch the priority
100 percent
Have to believe there was exactly 0 chance this game could have ever run well at 60 fps.
60fps should really be the bare minimum for a remaster of a wii game on modern hardware.
@@100billionsubscriberswithn4 unfortunately that's only true for straight wii ports. Any port that has improvements in geometry and textures 60fps goes out the window
Hey could you do a DF Retro on Sonic Unleashed ? I think this game is (even still today) a really impressive game for when it release! It would be interesting to see a more detailled Graphic/tech analysis of this since it never really happened
I really don't like the overexaggerated bloom in the ultimate version.
Great video that details everything about this and the original
And I'm glad it wasn't cynisism and spending time bitching about the glitches that were faked on an emulator from people that just wanted to review bomb it for no reason
Great video! You've earned my subscription!!
uhh actually sonic colors ultimate runs fine on a emulator and those seizure inducing glitches actually were also done on real hardware
My main problem with this game is, aside from the glitches, the complete absence of light fields and the horrid new UI. It's baffling how bad it is.
what the hell is a light field
Simplifying, it's s technique to "tint" models and textures, simulating light sources basically. That's way Sonic and some objects glow even when they are in supposedly dark places, for example. But there are more graphical problems that come from it.
@@SonicMan2007 i have been working with Blender/photorealism for nearly 15 years now, and i've been doing low-level graphics programming for the better half of a decade. i've never heard anyone use the term "light field" before now, so consider me a little shocked.
@@edi4958 oh, so it's just low-rez SSR for specular mapping.
@@edi4958 This sounds like a lightgrid approach (i.e. storing light colors in 3D space for dynamic objects, possibly with directional information using spherical harmonics). I don't know if spherical harmonics were viable on Wii hardware though, probably not...
One thing I think is cool about this game is they corrected the spelling of colours for pal.
Great look at this game from multiple perspectives. Your content does not disappoint! Well done!
Considering that they used the Godot engine (although modified) its pretty impressive what they managed to pull off considering the immaturity of the 3D engine
When it comes to Sonic, the fanbase is so clueless that my only trusted opinion is John's.
Another great video on what is in my humble opinion the best 3D Sonic game. Love these in-depth analysis videos.
Btw you have no idea how old I felt when the remaster came out!
I still have the Wii version, that was my first Sonic game (and DS aswell)
I’ve been playing this on Series X and it’s gorgeous. Colors is one of my favorite games of all time, though I do occasionally notice graphical bugs and often audio missing
Regardless this game as a whole I felt should’ve been delayed. None of these issues should even be a thing across any of these platforms, ESPECIALLY the Switch
It's alot of money for an old game though. I'll wait for a deep sale i think. Way too expensive in Oz.
@@DEVILTAZ35 fair enough. I’m just glad it’s not $60 lol
This game has so much bloom that it bothers me
14:18 I remember someone who said that you cannot move in this section on dolphin at 60fps or else you cannot make the loop, and, somehow, I had something like that happen on the switch version
Just goes to show that the original wii version was programed very well. Yes the new version is HD and touched up but has a few bugs in it, developer's trying to hard maybe . But its the gameplay, some people now a days like big HD games with glitzy graphics, it's not about that it's the gameplay. Even though I have a next gen console. I'll stick with the original colors on the wii.
I'm guessing they actually ported the Wii version to next gen consoles and improved it, rather than do it from scratch, and then re-ported it to the Switch using an incompatible engine, right?
I don't know if this happened but it looks like to me... Idk
Why do you rarely include the PC version when doing comparison videos of these multi-platform games?
Is it even a Sonic game without technical issues?
What, does Bethesda co-own Sonic the Hedgehog?
Hearing you mention the Wiis loading from disc reminded me of the time a Gamestop employee got in a aguement with me when I said PS4 games don't run off the disc and instead installs everything to the HDD.
What a dude.
6:55 Ah, yes, my favorite Samuel Beckett novel, "Waiting for Go Dot"
The Godot Engine's logo is a robot, Go Dot the Ro Bot.
WAKE UP BABE NEW DIGITAL FOUNDRY POST
The game looks amazing! Can't wait for my preorder to arrive. I'm from Europe so I hope the issues get fixed before the delayed copies arrive.
Will be playing on my Xbox One S! :)
All the copies have issues since it went gold (final version printed/released) before the issues were fixed so you are better just waiting for a reprint or patches
@@bamban_garcia5562 yeah I was talking about Patches. Don‘t mind that much since I was able to preorder it for 25€ instead of 40€.
Brilliantly fair and on point. Well done John for not jumping on the glitch bandwagon. But ps.... Stop referring to instrumental tracks as songs... 😂. Pedantry aside, well done!
Has the Xbox One X version been patched yet or does it still stutter? Debating whether to get it on PS5 ( PS4 ver') or Xbox One X
The bloom is so strong in this game it's physically hurting my eyes.
Please do Psychonauts 2 and Aliens Fireteam Elite!
No
I had to watch another youtuber for the breakdown on psychonauts 2. I am a bit disappointed with DF not covering that game. I decided to buy it PC for the 3 or 4 second load times (compared to 1 minute on ps4). Graphically there is not a huge difference between the console versions and PC. Anyways, looking forward to DF redeeming themselves soon with Psychonauts 2
Had to pause at 0:04 to reevaluate my existence. It's been 10 years?!?!?!?
12 years in 2022.
Disappointing the PS5 is running the PS4 pro version.
Better then nothing i guess.
XD
Inafune should clap back lol
Incredible. I definitely will be picking up the Wii version of this game now on eBay. To each their own and I hope many here buy this game and give it a chance
I'm surprised you didn't mention that most lightfields are just, broken. Like, at 12:30 in starlight carnival, sonic is lit from above with no real direction, when he's supposed to be lit from below, which he is in the wii version. Sonic never really looks like he fits in, the green hue on sonic in planet wisp or asteroid coaster is gone, and most areas he just looks, uncolored a great example is the red rotating lights in planet wisp that light up the spike balls, they just don't do anything in ultimate. The cubemap on the water was completely removed, and it's just completely unreflective now. I just feel the original has much better visual cohesion.Also like... I don't think the lighting changes in tropical resort work when the lighting isn't rebaked at all.the extremely high contrast of light areas right next to dark ones looks really unnatural in my opinion.
Yeah there's definitely moments where Sonic's lighting doesn't match the area he's in well. 9:59 is a good example, Sonic has a nice bluish hue to match the dimly lit blue area he's in on Wii while he sticks out in Ultimate.
Their other option would be to introduce SSR, which wouldn't run on the Switch and would absolutely tank modern consoles (since it has to render it through OpenGL). Frankly I think it looks fine, you're basically choosing between 2 different lies and picking which one is more aesthetically pleasing to you.
@@dial2616 Consoles don't use OpenGL - they either use Direct3D (Xbox) or proprietary console APIs (Switch, PlayStation). Sonic Colors Ultimate does not have a Vulkan renderer, so the Switch port uses the Nintendo proprietary API instead.
@@dial2616 The devs implemented D3D11 to godot; that's what the PC version renders in.
*Wii is the winner!!* ⭐️
I think I still prefer the looks of the OG game when playing on Dolphin using a proper 4K passive 3D display.
I was in agreement until "4K passive 3D display", wtf is that? Nobody has one of those, that's not a valid alternative.
Somehow I missed it, What was the resolution the game was running on PS5 and Xbox series X?
You just don't want to watch the video. Hint: One X and Series X have much higher resolution than PS5.
It’s not a native PS5 app, and PS4 version runs in 1440p. Xbox Series X is based on the One X code, which runs in native 4K.
1440p on the Pro and the PS5 just plays the Pro version so it's the same.
4K on the One X and the Series X just plays the One X version so it's 4K.
It'd be nice if there was a true PS5 and Series X port so it could be 4K 120fps, faster loading and maybe some further graphical upgrades.
@@strangevision99 The game is capped at 60 on pc though.
@@xym07 Thank You,
Hi John, thank you for the great video as usual. I was wondering why you used PS5 to showcase differences with the Wii version while the Xbox Series X has better visuals and would have shown the differences even more?
He explains in the video the reason
Oh ok I've missed that part then. Thanks!
17:40 The cutscene models and animations have been found in and subsequently ripped from Ultimate's files. They had what they needed to remake them.
Yes, I knew you would make a video about this!
19:48 that reminds me of the Sonic Adventure DX bug when going through one of the loops in the first Stage. They basically did the same thing here lo.
It's a bit different. DX's is some weird physics collision issue with the spline. This is caused by Sonic not transitioning into the spline properly at all. He doesn't fall through any geometry or collision, he just sorta misses the loop and flies right through the gap in between the two pieces of ground.
Shouldn't it be 120 fps on Series X and PS5 though? Or is it a limitation of the original engine ?
Imagine being the guy who hit the “subdivide surface” button on the signs and models.
I will say the lighting upgrade makes the game feel like it was originally intended to.
When you was comparing Colors to Unleashed and talking about how Colors "takes the best parts of it" you should have made an interjection there or later on how the levels weren't nearly as spectacular, as well as *especially* how much less 3D sections it has in comparison. These are important subjects to always cover in Colors versus Unleashed comparisons, otherwise you're giving people the idea that "Colors is Unleashed without the Werehog", which isn't actually the case. That's the theory mindset one would have before starting the game .
One of the very few and vital things you missed was acknowledging the developer's, Blind Squirrel Games, lack of familiarity with the Switch hardware, which naturally contributed to the Switch version having the problems it does. Rather than Sega hiring a studio familiar with all platforms (or giving the studio more development time), they hired one who mainly if not only ports games on non-Nintendo systems. Maybe also a mention of the devs anti-crunch culture.
I was worried about this video, but overall this proved to be indeed an excellent one. Nuance is highly important and something unfortunately non-existent inside the minds of the overwhelmingly vast majority of the Sonic fanbase. Anyway, you covered a lot of important topics, especially the situation with the guy who started a massive shitstorm by lying about the glitches he experienced and posted of the game over social media, which even Sega were misled by. This video and NintendoLyfe's are among the best there is of the game so far.
I have exactly zero sympathy for Blind Squirrel's blindness to the market and the fact that the game being ported was a Wii exclusive. Anti-crunch is great, but it's meaningless if the people are too stupid to give priority to the weaker hardware they're tasked with developing for, especially if that hardware's been on the market for *4* years at the time of announcement and the original game -- which is largely unchanged -- is far older than that.
You have 0 sympathy for developers creating & optimising a remaster for stronger hardware being Xbox 1, PS4 & PC, in contrast to Switch?
You know, the completely inferior hardware in terms of visual fidelity & just how much more work is required to compress assets & rework visuals just to run competently?
0 sympathy for devs choosing to prioritise the remaster on more platforms than the Switch, because the Switch is selling well & is still widely available, like the other platforms, so they shouldn't be considered?
Dude I ain't tryna play Colours Ultimate at 1080p 60fps on Xbox 1, or even be unable to reach native 4K resolution on a platform that can easily support it. Creating & optimising the remaster for Switch & upscaling the visuals & assets for the other stronger hardware wouldn't allow those games to reach their current resolution lmao & besides the game runs well on Switch, in terms of visual fidelity.
Colours originally being a Wii exclusive has nothing for you to discredit Blind Squirrel Games for. The fact that they made a previously 11 year old game, locked to hardware originally released 2 console generations ago more accessible is something you don't care about?
Why are you defending crunch based on the developers supposedly doing something they didn't? The devs never prioritised the Switch release. This game was built specifically for native 4K resolution & 60fps in mind, for Xbox 1, PS4 & PC, hence why lower pixel count, frame rates & downgraded assets exist in the Switch version.
The Switch isn't this monolopy that's dominating the competition as much as you think lmao, nor does 3rd party releases revolve solely around the Switch.
Colours Ultimate clearly was changed quite a bit. Reworked into a different engine being Godot for new lighting, redone textures all throughout the game, noticable AI upscaled cutscenes, 4K & 60fps support ext. Digital Foundry literally mentioned this in the video, which I'm guessing you never watched, otherwise you wouldn't have replied with this garbage lmfao.🤣😭
@@SussyBaka_irl The fact that it requires more work is the point in giving it priority. Get that out of the way (in a functional state) and you can focus on the others, all of which require far less effort because the hardware is more capable of doing the heavy lifting. This has nothing to do with crunch.
Speaking of optimization, the video indicates that they didn't do much of any, instead relying strictly on hardware to do the heavy lifting. On the PS5 and Xbox Series, the game runs smoothly. Hitching starts to happen as you move down the scale, and once you hit the Switch, you have to worry about degraded performance (not visuals) at the _original game's_ frame rate.
Bruh the reason the Switch version requires more work is because the hardware limitations have forced the developers to downgrade graphical fidelity all throughout that version of the remaster. Why would the devs effectively prioritise 1 version of the remaster, when the other version is going to be played on 3 different platforms? Common sense indicates you'd prioritise the version of the remaster that is going to playable on the most platforms, not the portable version that doesn't benefit from the most significant addition to a remaster, improved graphical fidelity.
You literally implied that Anti-Crunch is great but meaningless if the Switch version isn't prioritised. How does that have nothing to do with crunch?
The video doesn't imply anything lmfao. A gameplay bug like hitching is semi common in the previous gen versions of Colours Ultimate & not in the current gen versions. This doesn't indicate a lack of optimisation when it isn't consistent in its appearance, even on Xbox 1 & I can say from experience that the Switch barely has any hitching. About the same as the PS4 version, which was implied to barely even being an issue in the video. Also of course superior hardware playing video games through backwards compatibility won't encounter as many issues. That's like saying you didn't encounter as many bugs in Cyberpunk 2077 when playing on the Xbox Series X. Literally because future hardware can typically run past gen games better, even if they possess a few performance issues, as seen with the Xbox 1 version of Colours Ultimate.
Also optimisation issues can literally be fixed in patches. Most of the issues regarding Colours Ultimate aren't even to do with optimisation flaws, but visual bugs & glitches that too can be patched out.
Doesn't seem like something to worry about tbh, a Sonic video
It's funny how the on rail section in starlight Carnival, that road looks exactly the same as the rainbow road course in Mario Kart Wii
starlight carnival
Today on digital foundry: AGAIN...Another episode on THINGS YOU WILL NEVER NOTICE!
I know everyone is talking about the glitches, but I really liked certain things they did in the remaster, the graphics are way better than the originals (and they not only improved textures but also a lot of 3D models and lighting as well), I liked it of them adding more extra content like a new Wisp, Customization, new music remixes, Metal Sonic and etc... to be honest it seemed like a great deal for a $40 remaster (and it's even way more than what Nintendo did with Skyward Sword HD for $60 if you think about it ), it's a shame that the glitches took away any chance the game had of shining.
And I still think it's kind of unfair that the ''epilepsy glitch'' of the Nintendo Switch version gained such a buzz, Splatoon 2 had the exact same issue at launch if you played for long hours in which it overloaded the Switch's RAM but didn't not even half of the controversy he is having now with Sonic.
I just hope that SEGA can make a comeback because I really see potential in this remaster and hope that other games like Sonic Unleashed can get another chance to shine too.
It's give and take to make a Skyward Sword comparison. Consider that that is also a Wii to Switch remastering, but SSHD is running at an near flawless 60fps at 1080p on Switch instead of 30 at 900p. (or 720p in handheld vs 600p).
That in itself is not an insignificant detail and arguably required a lot more work. Whilst they may appear less significant on paper or in comparison images, the changes that were made to SSHD did make a very notable difference to actually playing the game.
Not everything is about resolution and framerate, but you can certainly make a case that of the two games, Sonic with its high speed gameplay would benefit more from at least an fps boost, and this should have perhaps been a higher priority even if it meant more compromises.
Not mentioned in the video, but it looks like automated processes may have been used to increase geometry detail in Colours Ultimate, and done in a rather clunky universal way without more fine tuned optimisation, that means some objects have geometry that is way over the top to the games requirements, which may be contributing to the issues on base PS4/XB1.
People told me a wii game ported to a standard PS4 should run fine and have 60fps, But I knew this would happen.
How long was Hades exclusive on Epic?
Blind squirrel are also the guys that did the Bioshock Collection, and that launched buggy, so it appears that these guys have an issue launching stuff buggy.
They're also the ones that helped port Prey to consoles which funnily enough was also buggy at launch. Thank god they fixed that tho and hopefully they will fix Sonic Colours Ultimate
I remember playing this game as a kid 10 years ago!! Great video!
I know God of war is a really anticipated game, but aren't you guys going to analyze the performance of Sonic Frontiers on all consoles, like you all did with other Sonic games? (Sonic Colors, Sonic Forces)
Yes, Digital Foundry did!
I would really love to get this game after the bugs are swatted but I'm left waiting till the Epic Game Store exclusivity runs out.
I thought "Generations" was the one that was widely regarded as "the good one". Is this the Mandela Effect in action?
Both Colors and Generations were well-received, though more people played Generations because it was multi-platform
In conclusion, people were exaggerating the low quality of the port.
This is really more Sonic Adventure DX quality than XIII remake quality.
I will play it on xbox one x. In 4k 60fps. Yeah, still... this console is top even in 2022.
Yep sure is
Another excellent video from DF.
Every time there's frame drops something loads, either an enemy explosion or a wisp capsule breaking.
God Starlight Carnival is hideously bright. That light trail is just obnoxious. They way overdid the brightness and bloom effect on that one I feel.
Shouldn't a "carnival" be bright though? Not much fun to venture thru a dark carnival, I imagine.
@@ShamBell It was already bright before. There's a difference between bright and colorful, and headache inducing.
Never played this game but I think the Wii soundtrack sounds better than the new one from the examples you've given here.
I literally got an ad for Colors Ultimate whilst watching this lol
The king of the Glitch
Great video John
Still need to play this game. Looks alright I guess.
I think the problem here is that they wanted realistic lighting, but didn't add any new light sources, so too many areas look colourless and dark.
It’s the Snowboard Kids 3 soundtrack 90s heads never got!
Blind Squirrel is the team that flubbed the Bioshock Collection. Not happy about their being in charge of this remaster.
This remaster needs a lot of work. Like
Adding the option to switch back to the og soundtrack.
Adding movement to the dpad
Adding the option to play with a lives counter
Fixing all of the bugs and glitches
Maybe adding the ds stages as dlc? If they can get them to work
At 16:42 you can check the missing arpeggios from the original game, it's pretty bad what developers do with OST sometimes.
Guess I'll wait for the inevitable $19.99 black friday deal on PS4, and get the digital Switch version once it reaches $4.99.
My biggest concern while playing this on PC was the pop in, it's pretty bad in some stages as if the camera viewport still thinks it's in a 4:3 ratio instead of 16:9, even on some 2D sections. Hopefully PC version gets fixed by the community and improves on it
The Wii version actually did run in 16:9, so I have no idea why there's pop in.
One thing about Sonic Colors Ultimate I don't like is that you can't change the soundtrack. I would have liked to play the game with the original music. One thing I liked about the PS4 rerelease of Final Fantasy X/X2 HD was that you can change the soundtrack from the remastered to the original or vice versa. The PS3 version only had the original soundtrack.
You can do that now.
5:45 amazing cut
What is DF's favorite 3D Sonic game?
this is embarrassing but I kind of enjoyed Forces. It was short and sweet with a killer soundtrack and goofy OC customisation. SA2 probably second after that...
@@biconditionals there was like one good level in forces if all the levels were like that it would be okay but they weren't and it kinda suckex
I played Colors Ultimate on Xbox One and I don't think the Framerate really caused any issues for me in terms of pacing but there was some pretty bad halting in Asteroid Coaster. Like the entire game would freeze for several seconds and then resume with only the music unaffected.
Woulda looked cool if 'Sonic' left a trail on the grass as he runs through it...🤘🏼
A great breakdown for sure. The criticism was constructive and not aggressive which is always good to see. Personally, I never played the Wii release of this, but being a lifelong fan of Sonic I couldn't wait to play SCU on my Series X and agree with you that I have seen very little in terms of bugs on the Series X. The bugs that people are seeing absolutely can and should be fixed, to which are being investigated at the moment.
I am actually shocked at how bad the switch version is compared to all the others, I know the switch isn't exactly cutting edge tech like PS5/Series X but I feel that it should look a little better. Unless of course Ninty utilise their game engines more efficiently than 3rd Party companies do that is.
Either way I am having fun with this game, I like the sound of the original music but the remixes are welcome too, I think they are great either way.
Well, Portal Companion Collection, a Switch exclusive collection, uses the Source engine(the version of the engine depends on the game you're playing) and, amazingly, it runs at 60fps and the max resolution depending if it's on portable mode (720p) or TV mode (1080p)
Even better, it looks like the og pc version when talking about the graphics, and it's mostly glitchless (only a few frame-drops on TV mode, absent on portable mode)
But instead of using this as a example of what to do, 3rd party companies think Valve has "a very minor case of serious brain damage" and they decide to make the Switch version of their games worse than the others. Look at MK1 on Switch and compare to the other versions at launch
I was hoping for 120 fps support on Series X since the game is labeled as '60fps+' on the Xbox Store, which should be reserved only for games with options to have framerate higher than 60, but alas.
watching this as i play sonic colors, now paused (the GAME), to watch, HOLLA!
Been really looking forward to this since I heard the news about the Switch version.
Please make DF Retro on Sonic 06 and check out the pc remake Sonic The Hedgehog P-06 that just received a mega-update yesterday. It takes 06 and makes it play as great as SA1. The amount of polish it has received is substantial since earlier releases.
U know where can I get it?
Yoooo a P-06 update LETS GO it's been like a year, did they add shadow yet?
"It takes 06 and makes it play as great as SA1.
That's straight-up lying. Sonic 06 isn't and will never be a good game. If anything, most recreations play even worse than the original game.
@@sonicadv27 the straight-up liar is you. Sonic 06 is great mechanically and in level design terms. It's everything else that blows, which is what the remake attempts to fix. Also the collision is way better than Adventure 1... Coming from an Adventure 1 superfan
@@ChrisStoneinator SA1 collision isn't that bad.
On the dreamcast.
Just got my physical copy, installed onto an external HDD on my PS5, and I encounter long load times and stuttering frame rates.
Will have to try installing on the internal SSD. Hopefully it's better.
Edit: Transferred the installation to the internal SSD, and the performance is much better. Load times are fast and stuttering is mostly eliminated.
It was most likely due to the HDD. I don’t know why you would install any sort of modern game on an HDD nowadays, tbh.
@@the_stashiest because natively, this was a PS4 game by design, it should run decently on a base PS4 system, and not an enhanced or new generation concole.
I played this on my PS4 Pro with HDD, and the loading and performance was below average.
However, this was months ago, and I'm no longer playing the game. I hope the new updates that came along has addressed these issues.
@@BozQ I hope the same. seems like it's just horrid optimisation, then. not surprised if that's the case.
if you ask me, they should've delayed the game to work out all the bugs. seriously, you'd think after sonic '06 and sonic forces, they'd learn not to rush the sonic games, but nope. seriously sega needs to learn that you can't pop out a game in just under a year and think it'll do well