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chandoog

Member
Oct 27, 2017
20,077


Sony may well be wedded to the concept of the console generation, but it's also indulging in some cross-generational development too. So how does Sackboy: A Big Adventure from Sumo Digital work across three very different PlayStation consoles? In this review, John Linneman assesses the quality of the game as a whole, how it stands out on PlayStation 5 and how the older PS4 Pro and PS4 Amateur consoles compare.

Thank you to Backtrace for sponsoring Digital Foundry and this video. Backtrace's error reporting platform automates the process of capturing crashes, hangs and fatal errors -- so game developers can find and fix bugs before their players complain. Click here - https://hubs.la/H0BgHZ_0 - and sign up for a free trial today.

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Written Article:

www.eurogamer.net

Sackboy: A Big Adventure - how Sony tackles the generational divide

From my perspective, no console launch is truly complete without an excellent platform game and thankfully, Sony and de…
 
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TL;DW
OP
OP
chandoog

chandoog

Member
Oct 27, 2017
20,077
TL;DW

- All versions target 60 FPS
- PS5: 75% of 4K (i-e 1620p) with DRS both above and below.
- PS4 Pro: 1080p with potential for DRS
- Base PS4: 720p
- Outside of resolution differences, PS4 / Pro have identical feature-set.

- PS5 has SSR in a lot of places (including title) missing on PS4.
- Shading / Occlusion / Shadowing / Lighting is better on PS5.
- All the above improvements persist in game play.
- A lot of minor details (like yarn floor, volumetric lighting, particles) are eliminated on PS4 completely in various areas.
- The game still looks nice on PS4, but the extra flourishes add a lot on the PS5.

- PS5 has near instantaneous loading "much like a cartridge game". PS4 has more traditional last-gen loading (i-e 11~12 seconds where it was 1~2 on PS5)

- Game play is generally 60 FPS on all platforms.
- PS4 (Pro and Base) have dips in cut-scenes, PS5 has flawless performance everywhere outside of one un-common instance with a minor dip.
 

Mung

Member
Nov 2, 2017
3,436
Fun game, especially co op. The super fast loading on ps5 really helps.
 

Psychotron

Member
Oct 26, 2017
5,683
This game is fantastic. Highly recommend it. The couch co-op is a blast and the soundtrack is incredible.
 

digitalrelic

Weight Loss Champion 2018: Biggest Change
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
13,124
This is the most surprising game of all the launch games for me. It's incredible.

I can't believe it's getting scores in the 7s. This feels like a legit 9/10 game to me.

Maybe it's because the only way I've played it is local coop, which is a freaking blast. It's the hit of my household.
 

Transistor

Hollowly Brittle
Administrator
Oct 25, 2017
37,208
Washington, D.C.
Y'all shouldn't sleep on this game. It's so genuinely fun with some great challenge, too. Also, I'm so spoiled by that 1 second loading time
 

Kuro

Member
Oct 25, 2017
20,736
I don't consider 720p or missing SSR on base PS4 good at all. This studio has never been particularly technically proficient so whatever.
 

grady

Member
Oct 29, 2017
609
Bournemouth, UK
PS4 Pro looks surprisingly crisp, base PS4 is on the edge a bit. Looking forward to seeing the differences in Horizon II based on this comparison
 

supernormal

The Fallen
Oct 28, 2017
3,147
I had no idea the game looked this good. The little footage I'd seen from the reveal was underwhelming at best.
 

robinium7

Member
Jul 25, 2020
989
Ireland
Wow Sumo did an absolutely fabulous jobs of optimising for all three platforms and I love seeing them actually add more stuff to the PS5 version which all come together to just make it a nicer experience. Great analysis as always by John.
 

BoxScar

Member
Jul 21, 2020
799
720P on base PS4 is quite low, I think you lose some of the texture detail on the materials which look so great on the Ps5 and the Pro. But it's 7 years old at this point and you can't have it all so it's understandable.
 

jett

Community Resettler
Member
Oct 25, 2017
44,666
Sumo did really well here technically. The game looks largely very similar across all three platforms, visual integrity isn't really compromised much on PS4. I'm impressed Sumo actually optimized the game to run at 60fps on base PS4, even if it's just at 720p.

Too bad the platforming in the game itself just doesn't look all that great.
 
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FusedAtoms

Member
Jul 21, 2018
3,596
This game has been such a nice surprise. The ps5 version is so smooth.

This game and DMCV:SE have some of my favorite implementation for activity cards though. Just giving you the ability to continue from a checkpoint you were at in a level, load right into the overworld, one to replay previous levels, and some to start the next levels you have available and you can just load right to that spot almost instantly right from the console home screen. I've found myself just loading into a level real quick if I have 10 minutes to kill and its just so fast and convenient
 

Orioto

Member
Oct 26, 2017
4,716
Paris
I feel like the game doesn't run crazy good for what it's doing, but i may absolutely underestimate what's it's doing here.
The thing is, some of the techs that are missing from PS4 versions are common techs for PS4 games, like SSR. It's doesn't seem to do anything crazy, even for a PS4, compared to Spiderman and games like that. Maybe that's UE4 i don't know. But in the end it's pretty low rez on PS4 and not even full 4k on PS5. An it seems something like RT shadows would not be possible at that framerate ? It would look amazing with all those tiny objects everywhere.
 

Plinkerton

Member
Nov 4, 2017
6,061
It really is a fantastic game. The load times on PS5 have been particularly impressive; "like a cartridge game" is a really good description.

Wonder if Sumo will do LBP4 now or if Sony will go back to that LBP Hub concept that they announced years ago then never said anything about again.
 

bes.gen

Member
Nov 24, 2017
3,373
the materials in this look so good,
astro kind of made me hungry for some more 3d platforming too.
but the price is hard swallow, especially because i would play this solo, and sounds like its meant for mainly co-op
 

Plinkerton

Member
Nov 4, 2017
6,061
the materials in this look so good,
astro kind of made me hungry for some more 3d platforming too.
but the price is hard swallow, especially because i would play this solo, and sounds like its meant for mainly co-op

Ive been playing exclusively solo and would highly recommend it. I was like you looking for more platforming after Astro and I'm so glad I picked this up.

The only issue I've run into playing solo is that there's a handful of levels that are co-op only, but I think it's like 5 out of 50 levels or something?
 

Raonak

Banned
Oct 29, 2017
2,170
Astros given me the platformer itch.

What's the difficulty in this? From the little I've seen, it seems easy/basic.
 

Omnistalgic

self-requested temp ban
Member
Oct 27, 2017
8,973
NJ
Y'all shouldn't sleep on this game. It's so genuinely fun with some great challenge, too. Also, I'm so spoiled by that 1 second loading time
Man, I'm trying to get through this launch. it's too much awesome stuff to play! I'm enjoying Bugsnax as well and of course Souls. Got the Plat for Miles/Astro and still have games to jump back to that's better on PS5 like Sekiro and GoT. I'm going to play this soon though, co-op looks great.

Are there some challenging sections?
 

Thiago

One Winged Slayer
Banned
Oct 27, 2017
5,671
This game is gorgeous. Not a single word on the dualsense though.
It has a weak implementation, but it's there. Adaptive triggers when you grab and pull things like ropes and haptics when you walk in certain places.

What's the difficulty in this? From the little I've seen, it seems easy/basic.
It's not a challenging game at all. It's like the Yoshi games, where the stages are more about finding collectables and hidden things than platforming challenges.
 
Oct 27, 2017
5,870
Lovely video. Very pleased to see 60fps on PS4. I thought it might have been 30fps since it was cross gen.

I'd take 720p60fps over 30fps at higher resolution in a platformer every time.
 

arsene_P5

Prophet of Regret
Member
Apr 17, 2020
15,438
Great analyses and when I eventuelly get a PS5, this will be one of the first games. Looks charming and is one of the few good AA-AAA Jump n Run, outside of the realm of Mario.
Wait Sackboy is a PS4 game?
I don't mean this is a negative way towards you. But when even a user on a gaming forum like this doesn't know, which games are cross gen or next gen, then that goes to show what Sony tried to achieve with announcing no PS4 version at first. There are probably *thousands of us gif* that simply think most of the games like MM, Horizon, Sackboy, ... are next gen exclusives and purchase a console for them.

Long story short, the only currently available PS5 exclusive games from SIE are Dark Souls and Astrobot. Everything else is on PS4, too.
 

Y2Kev

Member
Oct 25, 2017
13,868
Sumo did really well here technically. The game looks largely very similar across all three platforms, visual integrity isn't really compromised much on PS4. I'm impressed Sumo actually optimized the game to run at 60fps on base PS4, even if it's just at 720p.

Too bad the platforming in the game itself just doesn't look all that great.
So as a fellow 3d platformer connoisseur, I would say this is definitely the best platforming in the LBP series. That is, as you might imagine, not saying much. Sackboy moves too slowly and really only the Knight Challenges get my blood pumping. I've played all of world 1 and I'd say this is a bit like Mario 3D World...the levels themselves are not really challenging, but the game can be challenging if you want to find all the collectibles in every level. I don't personally get my rocks off from that kind of game, so I may just play it straight through. The jumping is much, much better but the running is too slow.

I was playing the Uptown Funk level yesterday and I was like wow this is really well done. And then I replayed it and realized there's a lot of time when you're just like standing still or moving slowly.

It was quite shocking moving between this game, which I thought felt good, and Astrobot, which feels essentially best in class.
 

Rosebud

Two Pieces
Member
Apr 16, 2018
43,663
Game looks awesome. Looks like Sumo did better with original ideas than trying to mimic Media Molecule with LBP 3.
 

nelsonroyale

Member
Oct 28, 2017
12,131
Personally, I really like the Dualsense implimentation.

Great analyses and when I eventuelly get a PS5, this will be one of the first games. Looks charming and is one of the few good AA-AAA Jump n Run, outside of the realm of Mario.
I don't mean this is a negative way towards you. But when even a user on a gaming forum like this doesn't know, which games are cross gen or next gen, then that goes to show what Sony tried to achieve with announcing no PS4 version at first. There are probably *thousands of us gif* that simply think most of the games like MM, Horizon, Sackboy, ... are next gen exclusives and purchase a console for them.

Long story short, the only currently available PS5 exclusive games from SIE are Dark Souls and Astrobot. Everything else is on PS4, too.

That has been their strategy, yeah, but to be fair they did announce current gen versions before release. Both manufacturers have had their PR strategies. For instance, MS using buzzwords for a lot of the tech in their console and things like smart deliver, for people on forums to jostle over.

Its just PR strategy. I was disappointed when Horizon especially was announced cross gen though, and Demon Souls, the only full next gen game aside from Godfall is easily the best looking game at launch. That being said, it isn't really that different from the previous gen. There were only a couple of AAA next gen games at launch then as well.
 

Transistor

Hollowly Brittle
Administrator
Oct 25, 2017
37,208
Washington, D.C.
Man, I'm trying to get through this launch. it's too much awesome stuff to play! I'm enjoying Bugsnax as well and of course Souls. Got the Plat for Miles/Astro and still have games to jump back to that's better on PS5 like Sekiro and GoT. I'm going to play this soon though, co-op looks great.

Are there some challenging sections?
There are some very challenging sections, as well as special challenge levels and stickers for getting gold on levels and completing levels without getting hit.
 

criteriondog

I like the chili style
Member
Oct 26, 2017
11,177
Game is incredible and such a gem from the launch. Got the platinum and loved it. I can't wait until one of my buddies gets it and we do co-op later.
 

VanDoughnut

Member
Oct 30, 2017
3,426
Really great platformer to round out the launch lineup.

Game is gorgeous. And the music is fantastic.
 

platocplx

2020 Member Elect
Member
Oct 30, 2017
36,072
I wonder if this is what will happen to Horizon too
It def says they have that possibility as well depending on what the goals are. Will be Interesting. I think may be still be targeting 30 but PS5 they would have a performance mode imo with the game and def looks like they have a lot of room to make the best version on PS5 but offer compatible crossgen versions it seems like.