While the PlayStation 4 Pro may not be the most powerful console on the market anymore, Sony’s first-party teams have always done an outstanding job of blurring the lines between more powerful boxes. And judging by Digital Foundry’s early analysis of God of War, it sounds like Sony Santa Monica is poised to steal back the PlayStation presentation crown from Uncharted 4 and Horizon: Zero Dawn.

In a gushing report – with video analysis embedded above – the tech experts describe the title as “one of the cleanest 4K games available on the platform”, and that’s despite it using a checkerboard rendering solution similar to that employed by Guerrilla Games. But it’s not just the resolution that dazzles; it’s the art assets, too.

“Kratos himself is extremely detailed and beautifully shaded, with lots of fine detail across his clothing and accessories,” the site writes. “The various characters are similarly detailed and consistent in quality throughout the footage we have. On top of that, the world itself is extremely cohesive with visual elements working together to create something natural yet fantastical.”

Digital Foundry also pours praise on the effects that the release is using, including plenty of pyrotechnics that add a bit of pizzazz to the combat. The lighting also gets plaudits, as does the outstanding use of motion blur. It’s sounding like a visual treat to say the least, and the good news is that the gameplay’s drawing similar acclaim. Who ever doubted the Sony Santa Monica team?

[source eurogamer.net]