Verdict: Shattered Horizon not bad at all

[ClickClick5]

For those who are looking for a quite addicting and cheap ($20) game that has a wonderful Dedicated Server support system (Unlike Modern Warfare 2), Shattered Horizon (SH) is worth the purchase.

Not being set in a "modern" war zone, SH offers a new take on the concept of "zero gravity" and space fighting. Being the first game out of Futuremark Game Studios, the graphics are well done and the game can easily serve as a benchmark game too. That is if you have Vista or 7, for this game does NOT have any support for DX9...thus no XP.

I encourage those with the rigs that meet the min requirements to get this game...or at least check it out.

http://store.steampowered.com/app/18110/

~CC5

[derFunkenstein]

What's your system like, and how does it run? I'm curious how it scales down; they say a minimum requirement is a Geforce 8800GT or Radeon 3870. Those cards are pretty beastly to be minimum requirements. That seems to say that "if you have any mid-range card slower than a Radeon 5770, you might as well move along". I might be wrong, but a Radeon 3650 or 4670 is probably not enough.

[Kurotetsu]

As I mentioned in my front page post, I think this is the first pure DirectX 10 game I've ever seen. I'm interested in seeing how it looks (hopefully I'll be able to buy it soon).

[Philldoe]

Downloading it right now. Can't pass up a 20$ game that seems this good.

[ClickClick5]

I have a Q6600 at 2.6Ghz, 8GB ram, 4870 512MB and windows 7 64.

With EVERY setting maxed out, I get 10fps with my processor running at 36% and 870MB RAM used on a 32 player match.

With AO turned off and AA turned to 2x, and everything else on, I get 40-60fps.


Just watch the trailers on Steam (EDIT: watch the "Escalation Trailer")...mine looks like that. Again, I'm impressed.

[Philldoe]

Game runs fine with all of my settings jacked up and my system is similar to yours.

[ClickClick5]

My 4870 just does not like AO...at all. Even on Stalker: Clear Sky when I turn AO on, the fps performance just plummets. AO alone on SH takes me from 40-60fps to a near constant 24fps. AO to me though is just eye candy...I don't HAVE to have it enabled.

What's your system like, and how does it run? I'm curious how it scales down; they say a minimum requirement is a Geforce 8800GT or Radeon 3870. Those cards are pretty beastly to be minimum requirements. That seems to say that "if you have any mid-range card slower than a Radeon 5770, you might as well move along". I might be wrong, but a Radeon 3650 or 4670 is probably not enough.

From what I have been told, a 3850 will play the game (on low settings) but to get the full graphical features of DX10, something much better is STRONGLY recommended. Like I said, my 512MB 4870 playes the game just fine cranked up with AO off however. And I don't see the difference with anything beyond 2x AA in this game.

[Philldoe]

Well, after a bit of time in game. Yeah, it was worth $20.

[Airmantharp]

Tech Report article with ambient occlusion
Ambient Occlusion is not an Nvidia-only feature; you may be thinking it is because Nvidia added forced AO to their control panel a few revisions ago, enabling it in games that don't support the feature natively.

However, even on Nvidia hardware the performance hit is an estimated 20-40% and this may well be a feature that responds well to certain sorts of hardware design.

You're right, I was going only from memory, associating it with Nvidia. Leet Gamer, I don't know what you're trying to defend; I've already made my reasoning clear. And I'm fully aware that this isn't related to tesselation at all, I was just responding in kind.

[ClickClick5]

And here I bring photos!

Here is the game running with EVERY option turned on or at max setting:


Here is the game starting with AO off and at 2x AA and Double-Buffer VSync:


And the game running with the previous settings:





And this is running with my specs: Q6600 at 2.6Ghz, 8GB DDR2-800, 4870 512MB, Windows 7 HP 64bit, Creative XtremeGamer Audio. All drivers are current.

I'm not compiling at all! As long as my frames do not dip low enough so I notice a stutter, I'm content. I'm waiting for the Radeon 6xxx though...

[lethal]

Does this game have a single player mode or its all a multiplayer fragfest?

[ClickClick5]

Does this game have a single player mode or its all a multiplayer fragfest?

The game only consists of online live multiplayer. No story or bots.

[R1pper Ryan]

I'll give this a go from your reviews.

[ClickClick5]

Let us know what you think!

The first patch was released today too.

[R1pper Ryan]

I will. Sounds like it'll be just my thing

[roont]

grabbed this one last night. with everything maxed out it runs pretty sluggish on my 4670.

I can turn the settings down to get it to run smooth, but then... the settings are turned down. well.. it IS a futuremark game haha. why do i now have the irressistible urge to upgrade. hahaha.

[Philldoe]

I have 2 guest passes that are valid until 12/16/09. If you'd like one, PM me and add me on steam under der_philldoe.

[flip-mode]

grabbed this one last night. with everything maxed out it runs pretty sluggish on my 4670.

I can turn the settings down to get it to run smooth, but then... the settings are turned down. well.. it IS a futuremark game haha. why do i now have the irressistible urge to upgrade. hahaha.

What's the rest of your system specs?

[roont]

What's the rest of your system specs?

I forget exactly what model mobo, can check when i get home, but I have but otherwise

AMD Phenom II X4 940
6GB PC5400 DDR2 Kingston RAM
WD Caviar Green 1TB HDD
OCZ 750W PSU
plus the Sapphire 1GB 4670

and Im running Win7 RC.

no overclocking and all drivers and windows updates are current

[flip-mode]

AMD Phenom II X4 940
6GB PC5400 DDR2 Kingston RAM
WD Caviar Green 1TB HDD
OCZ 750W PSU
plus the Sapphire 1GB 4670
no overclocking and all drivers and windows updates are current

Yep, 4670 is definitely the weakest link. But you knew that already.

[roont]

Yep, 4670 is definitely the weakest link. But you knew that already.

So what does TR think? Should I go ahead and try to get a 5870? hahaha. i promised myself i wouldnt pay $400 for a video card anymore, but.. when you gotta upgrade you gotta upgrade.