Why does borderlands screen space ao look so good?

malcolm

So I'm borderlands with friends on the pc, their screen space ao looks fucking nice and gears/shadow complex looks like shit. Is this simply a resolution issue or is borderlands using some new screenspace ao trickery that others are not? Nevered played gears on the pc does it look good?

Xoliul

It's both Unreal Engine 3, so I don't think they'll have completely rewritten the SSAO. Do you have a lighting only screen of Borderlands so we can see what you mean ?

malcolm

Nope sorry I don't know how to get a shot without textures. Just was very impressed with the real time lighting in borderlands compared to other games I've seen.

jocose

It's probably the art style of the game? I would have to see a side by side example with something else to rule in or out the technical merits of their SSAO system. Keep in mind that art style can drastically effect your perception of things like this.

malcolm

I find simplified textures and art styles actually make screen space ao look worse not better. Take a look at the shadow complex training levels you can see exactly how low res it is when the whole world is a sold colour, but when all the noisy textures are applied it hides their low res splotchy ao.

pior

Did you play Gears 2 ? It's not on the PC, but I think it demonstrates the nicer AO you are talking about. However it has a tendency to 'fade into view' in GoW2 so maybe Borderlands is even different?

malcolm

Yes I played gears 2 on 360, awesome game, sp ao looked like junk. But better than nothing. And yeah it was mega fady, just stand the character in front of anything casting ao. This borderlands shit just looks really really nice, totally smooth no blurry jaggies or artifacts I can notice any ways.