inFamous Second Son's Director Explains Why The Game Runs At 30fps | TheSixthAxis (original) (raw)

We spoke to inFamous Second Son’s director recently, and in our interview he explained exactly why Sucker Punch have chosen to make the game run at a frame rate of 30 frames per second with a 1080p resolution, rather than aiming for 60fps.

Instead of asking him why the game was 30fps, we chose to ask exactly what the game would be like, and what it would’ve lost if they had gone for 60fps instead.

“Resolution.” replied Nate, continuing with “I mean, that’s the easy answer, right? That’s what PC games do.”

“I wouldn’t want to compromise any of the particle effects, as I think that’s what makes Delsin’s powers look alive and real… and you can’t sacrifice any of that” said Nate, suggesting that a higher frame rate could be detrimental to this effects system. “Cruising around town and using those abilities is the chief joy of the game, so that’s not going to be it, and we’re certainly not going to cut down on the detail in the world.”

“What would you expect would go away in a game? Resolution seems like the obvious thing.” was the question posed by Nate to us, and we mentioned how they might have to reduce the people on the streets. “You need people on the streets, or you don’t feel like the hero, unless you’re saving people, you’re just some crazy super killer.”

So, resolution could naturally be affected by attempts to have a higher frame rate, though particle effects and the amount of NPCs were clearly other problems Sucker Punch faced.

It’s obviously something they’ve experimented with, and while the PS4 is a powerful machine, they weren’t willing to cut back on any of the graphical effects purely to get it running at a faster frame rate. It’s clear they’ve considered these things, and made the best choices for the game.

You can see our full video interview tomorrow afternoon, which features even more interesting tidbits of information, such as why they chose to abandon Cole, how Delsin’s character evolved through Troy Baker’s acting and a message to beanie-haters such as our very own Tuffcub.