Metro Exodus on Stadia looks as good as Xbox One X - but doesn't run as well
One of the best single-player first-person shooters of the generation, Metro Exodus is an ideal match for Google's Stadia platform. Developer 4A Games not only has a pedigree for excellent multi-platform releases, it's also exhibited strong support in the past for Linux - the underlying platform on which Stadia is based. The question is, just how has 4A chosen to make use of the system's Intel-based CPU and 10.7 teraflop GPU and is the expectedly superior level of performance we expect delivered by Google's cloud-based servers?
Let's cut to the chase - there's one thing above all others that I respect about this version: the coreimage quality. Stadia pushes a native 3840x2160 in every shot I've tested - no small feat given the demanding nature of the engine. And while I can't 100 per cent rule out dynamic resolution scaling, it's been very consistent at that top number - I can't fault it. So in this respect, it's a key improvement over the last Stadia title I tested - Final Fantasy 15 - which operated at just 1080p. The bottom line is that if you're using Stadia with Chromecast Ultra and you have the Pro subscription, you are getting 4K and Metro Exodus does look stunning.
The pay-off for a narrative-focused game like Metro Exodus is clear. From the pulse of specular highlights in its damp metro tunnels to the crisp snowy overground, everything pops that much more. The story gets propelled to a greater height this way. Certainly much more so than PS4 Pro's 1440p delivery, it puts Stadia essentially on the same level as Xbox One X. Sadly, there's no quality or performance modes at all in the settings. You just have options for motion blur intensity, and that's it. It's is a one-size fits all approach which, again like FF15, means you've got to be onboard with the developer's choices. This is well pitched though. In a multiplayer FPS, yes, it may have been better to priority to aim for a higher frame-rate - seeing as we're stuck at 30fps here. But in this case, it works. You can expect a supremely sharp presentation all round.
Post a Comment