![]() All environmental light sources are independently generated with different properties. ![]() Distant landscapes are built out and fully modelled, instead of “painted on,” to ensure that they support the dynamic, volumetric nature of the skies and lighting.ġ2. Each location has a draw distance of up to 200km to the horizon and even simulates the curvature of the earth in both skies and terrain. Stones and bitumen are all placed and then rendered procedurally to give realistic surface detail with huge visual variety and no repeating detail on any road surface.ġ1. Road tarmac textures are hand-modelled rather than tiled or tessellated. ![]() They captured thousands of photos and recordings along the way, in all weather conditions and different times of day.ġ0. The team spent weeks out on location and covered a minimum of 200km every day to get a feel for each country’s roads and atmosphere. High resolution NASA data was used to accurately map landscapes and mountain formations - which were then tweaked to ‘improve’ on their natural beauty and make them perfect for high-speed racing.ĩ. Waves and rippling on the surface of lakes is dynamically linked to wind speed, which affects how clear reflections are in the water. This is then converted into a ground wind speed which accurately interacts with all vegetation, overhead cables and other environmental features, based on their height from the ground.ħ. Clouds react dynamically to different wind speeds. Both of which will be completely different to each other.Ħ. With some circuits taking over a couple of minutes per lap, at 60x accelerated speed with a judicious choice of start time, it’s possible to experience two sunrises and sunsets in one race. You can play with settings to speed up or slow down the day/night cycle. Unless you’re replaying somebody’s challenge, in which case it’ll replicate exactly to ensure a level playing field.ĥ. Skies are uniquely generated every time you play, so just like in real life you’ll never see the same sky twice. They’re calculated at massive distances in a fully volumetric form, so thin clouds cast lighter shadows than dense storm clouds, and their color impacts the feel of the landscapes and cars.Ĥ. All clouds are full 3D models to ensure accurate light diffusion from the sun. If you’re lucky, you’ll get to see the northern lights - it’s possible to see the aurora borealis from the northern tracks in Norway, Scotland, and Canada.ģ. NASA data was used to accurately map out the night sky - so wherever you are in the world you’ll see the correct star constellations for your location.Ģ. Take a look and keep in mind this is only scratching the surface - Evolution still has months of development left and are adding new elements every day. Duly, to shine a light on the extraordinary work that’s currently underway up in Runcorn, Cheshire, I collated as many as I could note down into the list below. But until you see it up close it’s hard to appreciate just how much effort the team has gone to ensure it really pushes at the boundaries of gamers’ expectations.ĭuring a recent studio visit I was treated to anecdote after eyebrow-raising anecdote, from key team members about just how detailed this game is. Am I being too hyperbolic when I call it a masterpiece? I guess for someone who has been gaming for forty years I have some experience and it makes me conscious that only perhaps one or two games per generation give me that joy of gaming again.As you might have noticed in recent trailers, Evolution Studios’ forthcoming PS4 racer Driveclub really is a looker. Yes, other games may be technically better, but there are very few games that give you that sense of speed coupled with almost obsessive attention to detail: I took a photograph of a bike in the rain and the track was reflected in the sheen of the tyres. There are times when I am genuinely terrified of the corners in this game because all you can see are the reflections from the road markers and the lights from other cars. ![]() That feeling of barrelling across a cliff top in an R8 as the sun sets and gives way to darkness gives me the shivers, nit only from the wonderful lighting system, but the sense of speed that other games just do not offer. The more I play this game, the more I love it.
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