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Best looking open world game this generation; Horizon Zero Dawn Vs. Red Dead redemption II

Best looking open world game this generation?

  • RDR2

    Votes: 1,258 64.1%

  • Horizon Zero Dawn

    Votes: 704 35.9%
  • Total voters
    1,962
NightShift

NightShift

Member
Oct 25, 2017
9,058
Australia
RDR2 by far but it's kind of an unfair comparison considering their settings. Horizon was more daring with a blend of modern post apocalyptic, futuristic and prehistoric imagery which varied in quality. Like the environments and machines looked amazing but I thought the character designs were pretty bad, the main city felt lifeless and there was a distinct lack of environmental storytelling. Meanwhile Rockstar is used to making high quality open worlds and they had every reference in the world to make the game look perfect.
 
Dennis8K

Dennis8K

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
20,161
Based on the videos I have seen I would say RDR2.

But I have not yet played it since I am waiting for the PC version.

So basically the answer posed by OP is unanswerable until we see the PC version of RDR2.
 
Ascenion

Ascenion

Prophet of Truth - One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 25, 2017
10,176
Mecklenburg-Strelitz
RDR2. It manages to push the envelope graphically AND be native 4K on console. That's some seriously impressive shit for an open world game. Horizon looks damn good though.
 
1.21Gigawatts

1.21Gigawatts

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
3,278
Munich
RDR2 has the higher highs, but also lower lows, when it comes to some character models and textures here and there.

Horizon looks pretty damn consistent and has amazing particle effects and stuff.
But also some disappointing aspects, like the water and the lack of physical reaction of foliage.

Idk which one I'd pick.
 
Fatoy

Fatoy

Member
Mar 13, 2019
7,257
Both are staggering to look at, but RDR2 is definitely the most technically impressive in terms of nailing a photorealistic look. To its credit, though, I don't think Horizon was going for realism, and that game in HDR can still make me stop and stare any time I see it.

For what it's worth, I vastly preferred playing HZD over RDR2, but I don't actually think HZD is that good a game. Both of these are examples of stunning technical achievements where gameplay plays second fiddle - especially RDR2.

EDIT: I also picked up Days Gone in a sale this week. The screenshots I've seen from that game look ridiculous as well.
 
ffvorax

ffvorax

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,855
Both beautiful, but RDR2 is really incredible for the amount of details and "life" of the world.
R* made it again.
 
Fezan

Fezan

Member
Oct 26, 2017
3,274
RDR2 is much grounded whereas HZD has fantastical elements. One focuses or realistic animation and ground details other focus on Huge enemies and particle effects. I don't think they are that much comparable
 
Much

Much

The Gif That Keeps on Giffing
Member
Feb 24, 2018
6,067
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vP7PrCl.gif
 
Pancracio17

Pancracio17

▲ Legend ▲
Avenger
Oct 29, 2017
18,891
Honestly, Horizon's look is really hampered by the thick blueish fog that appears when something is a decent distance away. RDR2 looks way better because it doesnt have it.
 

Mattersnotnow

Member
Jan 15, 2018
1,003
Zelda
Only partially joking.
Realism is not necessarily a goal in game aesthetics for me. I like more imaginative interpretations of the world, with more stylized graphics. For that reason I'll vote HZD.
 
Chief Malik

Chief Malik

Member
Oct 25, 2017
9,893
Land of the free, Home of the slave
jett said:
It's RDR2 and it's not even remotely close. Every square meter seems handcrafted. No matter where you point the camera at, it looks amazing.

Horizon's world feels flat, visually repetitive and all-around samey looking. Has a real procedural and/or copy-paste feel to it. It looks amazing when I see screenshots of the game, but when I actually played it I wasn't really feeling it.
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matrix-cat

matrix-cat

Member
Oct 27, 2017
10,284
I think Horizon is the better game by a mile, and it's absolutely gorgeous, but, yeah, RDR2 looks like it just fell out of space or something. It has some definite weakpoints, like some of the side characters' faces, but when it's at its best it's just unbelievable.
 
NippleViking

NippleViking

Member
May 2, 2018
4,500
Horizon Zero Dawn, while gorgeous, isn't even the best looking game with 'Horizon' in its title
It's Forza Horizon 4

RDR2 easily takes this. Though if Rule of Cool is a factor, then nothing in RDR2 stacks up to seeing a Thunderjaw in the flesh.
 
Ocean

Ocean

Member
Oct 25, 2017
3,694
I'd rather stare at a broken TV than struggle with the controls of a Rockstar game in this day and age, but there's no denying RDR2 is a visual masterpiece. It gets my vote easily.
 
arbitrary function

arbitrary function

Member
Oct 28, 2017
297
pswii60 said:
There's nothing wrong with thinking that. All of Nintendo's games look great and they heavily rely on their sublime art to do so.

In fact when played at 60fps and 4K on PC, BotW looks truly stunning in every aspect. Only the LoD pop-in lets it down.
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Mattersnotnow said:
Zelda
Only partially joking.
Realism is not necessarily a goal in game aesthetics for me. I like more imaginative interpretations of the world, with more stylized graphics. For that reason I'll vote HZD.
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Great to find some similar minds. The focus on tech annoys the heck out of me sometimes.
 

Deleted member 135

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
11,682
I was impressed with RDR1 when it came out because there was nothing like it. RDR2 released into a world where not only its gameplay conventions are 8 years out of date but the industry had moved to a point where what made RDR1 unique was now pretty much everywhere.

Outside of some specially curated shots (like the Manor attack) nothing in RDR2 impressed me.

Whereas HZD, with its techno-post-post-apocalyptic vibe, technical prowess, crazy character models and textures, the robots and cauldrons incredibly impressed me.

A team one eighth the size of Rockstar with one tenth the budget of RDR2 made HZD in less than six years. That alone makes the achievements of HZD even more impressive.
 
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Nameless

Nameless

Member
Oct 25, 2017
15,400
Gravity Rush 2 is in the conversations if we're going beyond photo realism. The art direction and animations are nuts. Best "animated" visuals out there, full stop.
 
Pillock

Pillock

User Requested Ban
Banned
Dec 29, 2017
1,341
SG-17 said:
I was impressed with RDR1 when it came out because there was nothing like it. RDR2 released into a world where not only its gameplay conventions 8 years out of date but the industry had moved to a point where what made RDR1 unique was now pretty much everywhere.

Outside of some specially curated shots (like the Manor attack) nothing in RDR2 impressed me.

Whereas HZD, with its techno-post-post-apocalyptic vibe, technical prowess, crazy character models and textures, the robots and cauldrons incredibly impressed me.

A team one eighth the size of Rockstar with one tenth the budget of RDR2 made HZD in less than six years. That alone makes the achievements of HZD even more impressive.
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That's a great opinion you have there sir. But like arseholes, we all have them.
 
Kemono

Kemono

▲ Legend ▲
Banned
Oct 27, 2017
7,669
In Red Dead Redemption 2 you can somewhat "auto-travel" if you hold down a button. This is the only game that made me forget that i was looking at a videogame. Not all the time of course but with the right conditions (lighting, etc.) it looks almost real.

Horizon is a fantastic looking game but it isn't as real looking (for me) as RDr2.
 
Crossing Eden

Crossing Eden

Member
Oct 26, 2017
53,494
SG-17 said:
RDR2 is technically impressive but feels dead.
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In a thread about Horizon vs Red Dead this is an incredibly ironic thing to say. For such a pretty game Horizon has so many things that break immersion and make the world itself feel artificial. For example, only one specific type of foliage actually reacts to Aloy when she walks through it, everything else she blatantly clips through. Ofc this was likely for performance reasons, but that really puts it behind in terms of the believability of the crowning achievements in open worlds today when you play it for extended periods. There's just a lot more going on in the worlds of the last two AC games, Red Dead, The WItcher 3, and even BOTW which makes Horizon feel more like a theme park in comparison to how those worlds feel like actual places.
 
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Lulu

Lulu

Saw the truth behind the copied door
Member
Oct 25, 2017
26,828
I tried getting into Horizen but the game is so blurred with post processing effects and it's AA. Super small FoV too, not impressed in the least. Haven't played Red Dead though.
 
KillLaCam

KillLaCam

Prophet of Truth
Member
Oct 25, 2017
15,389
Seoul
RDR2 by far. Its crazy that they packed so much detail into a open world game.


Horizon looks really good but the draw distance of alot of things in it physically hurts me. Like the game looks awesome in gifs and screenshots but when I played it there was way too much pop-in in certain regions.
 
Prine

Prine

Attempted to circumvent ban with alt account
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
15,724
Its not even a fair comparison, RDR2 shits on HZD from great height, and i say that respectfully. HZD looks so static and lifeless, theres an entire eco system layered ontop of each other in RDR2, the fauna in RDR 2 for instance has more vibrancy in its detail then anything i experienced in HZD. Animals populate habitats that suit them, they are hunted by others that target them, the animation systems all play nicely with each other.
 
Pillock

Pillock

User Requested Ban
Banned
Dec 29, 2017
1,341
Ohri-Jin said:
Indeed the controls are just so wonky. 😩 Total shame though. It could have been perfection. And Red Dead Online is pure garbage.... such a let down.
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I played 100+ hours of it and never had an issue with the controls, I know some did though so I might just have lower standards in that respect. I loved every minute of it!
 
LuisGarcia

LuisGarcia

Banned
Oct 31, 2017
3,478
I will never understand the control complaints . Takes a bit to get used to but they are ok after that.

One of my favourite games of all time.
 
Toni

Toni

Banned
Nov 13, 2017
1,983
Orlando, Florida
Horizon was Guerilla Games first attempt at creating an open world with all of its whistles.

And Red Dead Redemption 2 is Rockstar's latest refinement at a formula they have been honing since GTA 3.

I loved my Horizon. The combat kept me engaged through and through and the moment to moment gameplay remains one of this generation's absolute best. And has a lot of physics active during its gameplay moments along with destructible environments, all while keeping a locked framrate and lighting fast loading times.

Red Dead Redemption 2 has so many technologically advanced systems working in place seamlessly with each other that makes it not only the best looking of the 2 but the most complete open world of the two.

The NPC AI is livid and reactive, the world is constantly changing, animal ecosystem in place is the best we have ever seen in the console market and animation work at play here is seasoned-veteran shit you'd expect out of Rockstar.

It also benefited Rockstar having 3,000 employees simultaneously developing RDR2 for 8 years. And Guerilla Games obviously wasn't as fortunate.

But I have to point out and it cant be said enough... the foundation set in place in Horizon is excellent. And blows my mind at how almost-perfect they managed to get it on the first attempt.

Guerilla Games created tech wizardry with a 1.8 TF GPU.
They are going to bloody wreck with a Zen 2 CPU and 10 TF Navi GPU.

I am much more looking forward to their next open world entry than Rockstar's.
 
Belvedere

Belvedere

Member
Oct 27, 2017
2,685
It's a tie. Each game offers something the other doesn't.

HZD:
Detail up close
NPC detail

RDR2:
Lifelike settlements/towns
NPC animation

Maybe a tie-breaker bonus point would go to HZD for image quality combined with its superior HDR implementation.
 
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