DF: Returnal review and performance analysis

Summary

• The game runs on Unreal Engine 4, but with a custom particle system powering all of the bullets and destruction effects, including world destruction.
• Ray Traced lighting not very visible; only used to accelerate rendering, not anything you can actually see
• Outputs at 4K (renders at around 1080p, TAA upsampled to 1440p and checkerboarded to 4K)
• Targets 60fps and generally hits it most of the time. Drops are sporadic but can be severe, depending largely on the arena you are in.
• Loading can cause hitches, but there are no real loading screens.

DF describes it as "spectacular" in the description. Performance is great, but image quality is a downside due to the TAA and checkerboarding.

I guess this was already posted in the big Returnal thread. My bad.

I'm getting Promotheus vibes. Looking forward to picking it up!

To be honest, DF threads have always stand on their own, so basically, its a DF thread despite that big Returnal thread we have, I always believe any DF discussion needs their own thread IMO.

@davillain-: agreed

In a way, Returnal is like Promotheus meets Edge of Tomorrow which is good because I enjoy both of those movies awhile back. The more I look at Returnal, the more it's kinda making me want to go buy PS5 lol.

1080p

1080p and still looks amazing.

Hats off to HM

Never saw Edge of Tomorrow, but I believe you lol.

I think one thing that doesn't get talked about enough is the controller features. There's supposed to be some really good use of the haptic feedback and adaptive triggers. Also, 3d audio 😮

Remember when next gen was going to deliver 4k gaming. 😂The reality that next gen is just mid gen is slowly sinking in.

@hardwenzen said:

1080p

Laugh at people using DLSS with their 1440p monitors.

Looks amazing. Can't wait to pick up my copy today.

Bu- But it says 8K on the box!! 😥

T-minus 90 minutes for me lol, but won't be able to play until later.

BRO THIS IS SICK i want a ps5 and this game how hard is it to get a ps5 these days at a store or on amazon

BRO they should do a returnal ps5 bundle and let me buy that on amazon

No one would be foolish enough to put 8k on the box. 😉

That's what you get for falling into the marketing buzzword🤣 Gamers wanting 8K on a console is in for a big surprise😁

Edge of Tomorrow and the movie Boss Level (that last part is a movie recommendation).

Returnal even got the resident PC shit race Alex into playing and discussing it. Game is really living up to the hype, congratulations Housemarque.

Oh what's next? You'll tell me that they don't really mean it when they say "For the players by the players"? 😐

The more I see, the more I like. Looks like a much better game than I'd initially perceived it from the reveal. Well-done - this'll be on the list if I get a PS5

Only 1080p. So much for PS5 doing 8K! 🤣

I have literally yet to see one person who honestly thought a game would be rendered in 8k. Yet I see countless people talking about how dumb people are for believing it would be 8k.

But that 4k though. 😎

Looks like the particle effects are the cause for the extreme cutbacks. I wonder if the 1080p issue is a bug or not since they seemed sure it's 1440p.

Another bug. 😎

IQ is better than native 1080p and there is no upscaling in this game. That is the point of DLSS, reconstruction and other similar techniques. Native resolution is a waste

Most PS5 games have a native 4k mode although as DF has point out repetedly, resolution is hardly everything when it comes to IQ. Returnal for an example looks much cleaner then a standard 1080p game.

1080p 60 fps is still full screen on the 4k right we got some checker board THIS'll look great on my big 4k 50" tv right?

I will wait for the PC release. I don't want to deal with slowdown and low resolutions.

@BassMan: Why you so mean?

@BassMan: Why you so mean?

If this game was 1080 on series X ponies would be bashing and claiming any type of none sense but now they are quite and think 1080p upscaled is amazing...😆

Didn't know this is coming to PC. Glad to know this cause this is the type of game I need to play with KB/M.

There is no confirmation or hint of this.

I haven't followed this game that closely. I thought it was one of the titles that was also coming to PC. It may or may not come to PC. We will have to wait and see. I am in no rush to play it either way. If I have to slum it out on the PS5, I will, but I would prefer to play this on better PC hardware. Unlock the frame rate and throw in some DLSS action instead of their weak temporal and checkerboard up-scaling and it could look and run substantially better.

Game looks and plays great. Some of you sound like you derive enjoyment from counting pixels on the screen 😄

It reminds me of the people like yourself that enjoy gaming only relative to other systems. So, I understand why you can relate.🤭

I think you need to call it a day cause you're not making any sense 😄

When you are called out, you typical deflect. At least you are consistent. 🤭

SOLD!!!

GENERATIONS

1080p

HaH

Demon's Souls still the overall graphics king I guess.

It never was.

1080p in 2021 on a console marketed as 8K/120.