Eli5: How can a game such as Horizon Forbidden West look and run as beautiful and smooth as it does, when comparatively uglier games such as Star Citizen run terribly?

Question

I’d like to be able to understand how the aforementioned example looks like so ahead of the curve graphically while also running really well. It has very taxing visuals that I can identify, such as dense foliage, detailed physics and animations, and incredible lighting. It doesn’t seem to compromise in ways that other games such as Star Citizen do, and yet I get way better performance out of it too.

In: Technology

Answer 1

Basically, making a good triple A game is very difficult.

Like extremly. Same as making a good TV show or Movie.

It’s so complex, that sometimes everything works like you wanted and sometimes it doesn’t. It just doesn’t work out.

Obviously studios try to replicate sucess. We made a good game here, let’s use the same processes and structures to make another good game. But sometimes it doesn’t work out.

If they had a formula for success they would use it (and they do if it’s close enough like pumping out CoD games every year. But it doesn’t work that well when trying something a bit different).

There are too many workers involved, and too many stakeholders. Those things are expensive.