May 7, Microsoft hosted the broadcast of the special release of the transfer Inside xbox, where the partners of the company presented the first wave of their games for the next generation console Xbox Series X. Among the developers lit up a German studio Fishlabstogether with the publisher Deep silver announced space shooter Chorus: Rise as One.
In an interview with Eurogamer, the developers said that they have been creating the game since 2017, and are going to release Chorus: Rise as One on the current and next generation consoles, as well as on PC and Stadia in early 2023.
Johannes Kulman, head of key technologies at FishLabs, tried to explain to journalists what it feels like to develop games for the Xbox Series X, and what Microsoft is doing to help.
The influence of new generation iron
Chorus: Rise as One is a multi-platform game, and it’s coming out not only in the Xbox Series X. However, developers are eager to use some of the features of the new platform.
The next generation of iron, in particular processors, helps make the world more vibrant, physics realistic, and the game dynamic.
The developers increased the number of explosions and destruction, altered the debris flying in space so that it would not look so static. Now the player can collide with him, having a direct impact: the garbage will begin to move and will slowly float away, indicating that the action takes place in space.
Large ships break up into many parts, and small, which can simply be destroyed, added in number. The creators of Chorus: Rise as One use procedural disruption on the Xbox Series X to show how objects break apart in the exact spot where the collision occurred.
If we discard technical solutions, then Chorus: Rise as One will be absolutely identical on all platforms. The history and gameplay are no different from where you play: on the Xbox One or Xbox Series X. The latter nonetheless gives the game an increased frame rate and higher resolution.
Keeping the key features of the project, developers are trying to provide users of the ninth generation of consoles with a much more dynamic gameplay and a deeper immersion in the game world, which gamers have a direct impact on.
Kulman claims the transition from the Xbox One to the Xbox Series X was easy. The developers immediately felt at home, including a brand new devkit. They had no particular problems with iron.
Moreover, FishLabs claims that she has more freedom. Now you don’t have to worry about frame rate, and games for the Xbox Series X are easier to develop than for any other console.
FishLabs already has the PS5 Devkit, but the studio is in no hurry to spread it, waving off the words: “Of course, we are studying it, but now we are focusing on the Xbox Series X”.
Frame rate per second, teraflops and SSD
German developers want to launch Chorus: Rise as One on the Xbox Series X in 4K resolution and at 60 fps. Kuhlman believes that all studios will now strive to release games exclusively at 60 fps. However, he does not deny that over time, a game with insane detailing may appear that cannot “keep” the bar high, or the developers want to “render everything twice”, and the players will have to be content with 30 fps.
As for the number of teraflops, FishLabs is not yet ready to compare the graphic power of consoles in numbers. Before talking about this, developers want to better understand the hardware and understand how to handle the software and use it in the best way.
Kuhlman argues that no difference teraflops can not offset the inconvenience of software. If the operating system or firmware does not allow you to take advantage of the hardware, then it will be useless.
FishLabs also commented on the “instant download” Microsoft talked about when promoting the Xbox Series X. For example, Chorus: Rise as One has open-world elements. Users will be able to freely walk around locations and explore different places. To do this, developers load some things in the background, but from time to time they use standard loading screens.
The German studio hopes that with the advent of the SSD it will be able to either get rid of the downloads completely or minimize the time spent on them. Kulman believes that this will not entail a complete change in the game, but feels that its perception will improve. The user will enjoy the gameplay more, instead of spending time waiting.
In addition, “instant boot” technology will help improve texture quality and detail. For example, trees will not appear from the air as a player approaches them. This will also help the increased amount of RAM, in which developers can store the necessary objects.
Microsoft claims that the power of the Xbox Series X is virtually limitless and that developers will not have any technical barriers. Kuhlman considers this an exaggeration and says that the authors independently find the limitations of iron, and then try to surpass them. For example, by increasing the size of textures, they reveal a new approach to rendering. The main thing is to find a balance between quality and detail, as well as frame rate.
By launching the game on the new Xbox today, FishLabs sees enormous potential. The studio is aimed at 4K / 60 fps and is able to achieve the task.
Chorus: Rise as One will be released on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Stadia and PC in 2023.
Read also: The history of development and the first details of The Medium – a psychological horror with music from the composer Silent Hill
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