Alas, visual boosts via Nvidia's GameWorks are absent this time around, and likewise the Far Cry 4's PCSS (percentage closer soft shadows) option is also missing.
It takes side-by-side comparison shots to pinpoint, as with a slight boost in shadow clarity noticed on PS4 - though there's little in the way of other, more egregious advantages for the console.
For the first, Far Cry Primal's rendering range is pushed very slightly further afield on Sony's machine, causing foliage and objects to stream in later on Xbox One. Scrutinising the two closely, PS4 commands a small advantage in two areas, however draw distances and shadow quality. World detail and effects effects are rendered to the same standard, and likewise for texture quality, where filtering is deployed at a matching quality level. With regards to general visual quality on consoles, Ubisoft once again hits parity in most areas on PS4 and Xbox One.
Previously, the use of SMAA led to visible shimmering across foliage and trees on PC that wasn't apparent on consoles, but the implementation here is considerably improved since, and image quality is now comparable to PS4 - if a little sharper.
Direct X11 doesn't provide low enough level access to the GPU to allow for HRAA, and so the developers have resorted to a different edge smoothing approach on PC.
Turning to PC, we're running the game at 1080p resolution to match consoles, albeit with its highest graphical settings enabled in tandem with SMAA. The gain in clarity is perceptible with like-for-like shots, but thanks to Ubisoft's applied anti-aliasing, the gap is narrowed to a surprising degree in motion. Like its predecessor, Far Cry Primal adopts a soft-focus image where edges and texture details are smoothed over to a point, and here the extra per-pixel sharpness provided by a native 1080p resolution on PS4 doesn't hold as much of an advantage compared to other titles. Trees and foliage appear a little rougher, but elsewhere environmental details and the game's vibrant range of wildlife hold up well. Impressively, it's rare that Xbox One's lower resolution has a visible impact in play. Ubisoft's chosen anti-aliasing method once again appears to match HRAA, with a higher-precision implementation on the PS4 giving it a more pristine image. The lack of straight geometric edges in this prehistoric world makes pixel-counting a challenge, but overall image quality is comparable to the previous game, and we see many of the same visual characteristics on each of the two consoles. PS4 once again hands in a native 1080p image, while Xbox One's native resolution comes in at around 1440x1080, as before.
Even so, those running on higher-end GPUs reap a few enticing rewards here - and not just in the frame-rate stakes.Ĭlearly, the theme for Ubisoft's latest series instalment is refinement over revolution, and as such we see this Dunia-engine-powered title share many similarities with Far Cry 4. Equally, there's a sense Ubisoft's comfort with the hardware is only growing at this stage, and the entire package is drawing much closer to a maxed-out PC experience. I would give FAR CRY PRIMAL a 7.5 to 8 (out of 10) depending on how much you enjoy the Far Cry "formula", and if you play it in "SURVIVOR MODE".Ubisoft's second Far Cry title on current-gen consoles adds plenty of visual extras over Far Cry 4 Primal is a better-looking game for its use of volumetric lighting, but also impressively upholds a sturdy 30 frames per second. Shacknews gave Primal a "6 out of 10" back in Feb 2016, but this was before the "SURVIVOR MODE" was patched in (AKA the best way to play the game). MY PRIMAL LAPEL PIN (I literally wear my love for this game on my jacket).
Jason gave each tribe a distinctive vibe: from the Wenja's haunting ram's horn to the screaming death whistles of the Izilia tribe.ĮYE OF THE TIGER, BABY! PRIMAL is best played in "SURVIVOR MODE": MY SOUNDTRACK (file it under "F" for "FUCKING AWESOME")įittingly, the FAR CRY PRIMAL soundtrack features a lot of percussive instruments and real-life sounds, and it was composed by BAFTA award winner Jason Graves. Last weekend, I came across a rare soundtrack in the wild - FAR CRY PRIMAL's OST on vinyl, still sealed - and it made me want to revisit one of my favourite games in the FAR CRY series.