Boundary Ray Tracing Benchmark Video Shows Future Graphics Possibilities
The idea of ray tracing has steadily appealed more seriously to some video game devs, some of whom have put forth Boundary. While Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare failed according to Activision, Boundary looks to approach an outer space FPS a bit differently.
Boundary is a first-person shooter set in outer space. Specifically, it sees players on two different teams engaging in firefights around important equipment in space. Satellites are the chosen maps so far, providing cover and narrow spaces to hide from other players in. The gameplay has players maneuvering through space in a fully 3D battlefield with very little sound. Only the players' own gunshots and a few other noises can really be heard. There seems to be faithfulness to its environment, and it looks like developer Surgical Scalpels is working to make it look even more stunning.
According to an interview with Boundary's technical director, the game has no singleplayer, even though it does have a narrative. That narrative places players permanently in space guarding resources, and the game goes out of its way to make space look gorgeous. The actual assets may be fairly minimal, but that doesn't mean the graphics aren't good. This is emphasized by a trailer that recently premiered with the express purpose of showing off ray tracing in the game. The trailer, called a Ray Tracing Benchmark, shows what the game looks like with ray tracing enhancing it.
The benchmark certainly makes the game look beautiful. The first part is a short sequence involving space pirates breaking into a space station. It shows off intense sunlight and spark effects, as well as light reflected off multiple glass shards. The reflection tech is impressive, as it is in games like Crysis Remastered with its ray tracing, and the small, but intense water effects are good too. This is mostly shown in water droplets up close on a phone.
Of course, all of this is in a cutscene that may not even be in the game. After all, the video only explores what's possible with ray tracing, not what's actually in the game. While ray tracing is apparently available even for Fortnite, which has a more cartoonish style, there's a good chance it won't make its way into most 3D titles for a while.
Then again, the rest of the video shows the same ray tracing used for scenes shown in a previous trailer. The difference is very clear when viewed between both trailers, and while the ray tracing version doesn't necessarily look better, it does look a bit cleaner. Seeing how ray tracing works in games like Cyberpunk 2077 will probably tell players what to expect from Boundary, at least in the graphics department.
Boundary is releasing in 2020 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
Reviewed by Unknown
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September 14, 2020
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