Image Battle

Summary for Complex Scenes

When it comes to generating complex scenes, a clear gap emerges between models that achieve flawless photorealism and those that struggle with common AI pitfalls. The ability to render coherent scenes with multiple subjects without anatomical or logical errors is the key differentiator.

Key Findings

• 👑 The Kings of Coherence: The top-performing models in this category are unequivocally those that master photorealism and avoid tell-tale AI artifacts. The clear winners are FLUX.1 Kontext Max, Imagen 3.0, and Imagen 4.0 Ultra, which consistently produced images indistinguishable from real photographs.

• 🎨 Artistic Champions: For users seeking stylized or illustrative outputs, Midjourney v7 and ChatGPT 4o demonstrated exceptional creativity. They successfully translated complex prompts into unique art styles, often achieving perfect scores for their creative vision and execution.

• ☠️ Common Failure Modes: The biggest challenges for many models in this category were:

  • Anatomical Errors: Malformed hands and distorted faces plagued many otherwise good images.
  • Gibberish Text: Models frequently failed to render legible text on signs, posters, and chalkboards, instantly breaking realism.
  • Logical Incoherence: Some models produced physically impossible scenes, such as a smoking ship underwater.

• 🤔 Adherence is Crucial: Several models produced technically brilliant images that scored poorly simply because they missed a key component of the prompt, highlighting the importance of careful prompt interpretation.

In short, for reliable, photorealistic complex scenes, the Google and Flux models are the top choices. For creative illustrations, Midjourney and ChatGPT 4o lead the pack.

General Analysis & Useful Insights

Analyzing the generations for the Complex Scenes category reveals clear patterns that separate the best models from the rest. The challenge lies not just in placing multiple elements in a frame, but in making them interact believably.

The Photorealism Divide

The most successful models achieve a level of photorealism that is virtually perfect. For instance, Imagen 4.0 Ultra's depiction of a busy city intersection (generation_id=1385) is a masterclass in realistic lighting, texture, and atmosphere. Similarly, FLUX.1 Kontext Max's gritty and believable medieval battlefield (generation_id=1591) shows an incredible grasp of realism.

In contrast, many other models produce images that fall into the "uncanny valley." They might look good at first glance but reveal their AI origins through unnaturally smooth skin (as seen in DALL-E 3's family cooking scene) or a sterile, overly-perfect composition.

The Classic AI Stumbles

This category brutally exposes the classic weaknesses of AI image generation. The models that consistently avoid these pitfalls score the highest.

• 😱 Mangled Hands & Faces: This remains a major issue. A beautiful, cinematic image of an astronaut and diver playing chess from DALL-E 3 was ruined by a severely malformed hand, dropping its score to a 3. Likewise, Midjourney v7 produced a nightmarish vintage classroom scene (generation_id=989) with grotesquely distorted faces, resulting in a score of 2.

• 🚧 Gibberish Text: In scenes like classrooms or city streets, text is unavoidable, and most models fail spectacularly. Replicate's Flux 1.1 Pro Ultra received a score of 2 on the classroom prompt because the chalkboard was filled with nonsense. A major exception was ChatGPT 4o, which impressively rendered legible and correct text in the same prompt, a rare and valuable capability.

• 🤯 Logical Breakdowns: The most amusing failures came from a complete misunderstanding of the prompt's logic. Recraft V3's attempt at an underwater scene resulted in a ship emitting smoke while submerged, an impossible scenario that earned it a score of 2.

Prompt Adherence is Non-Negotiable

A technically perfect image is useless if it doesn't match the user's request. Midjourney V6.1, for example, generated a stunning sci-fi image of two astronauts playing chess (generation_id=607). The quality was high, but because the prompt specifically asked for an astronaut and a deep-sea diver, it failed the core requirement and received a score of 4. This highlights that the top models not only create great images but also listen carefully.

Best Model Analysis by Use Case

Choosing the right model for complex scenes depends heavily on your desired outcome. Here are my recommendations based on the analysis.

🥇 For Flawless Photorealism

If your goal is an image that is indistinguishable from a professional photograph, with perfect realism and no AI artifacts, these models are in a class of their own:

• FLUX.1 Kontext Max: The top scorer in this category. It consistently delivered flawless, realistic images, such as its perfect 10/10 score for the Medieval battlefield (generation_id=1591).
• Imagen 3.0 & Imagen 4.0 Ultra: Google's Imagen models are powerhouses of realism. They both achieved perfect scores on multiple prompts, like the incredibly detailed and coherent watering hole scene from Imagen 4.0 Ultra (generation_id=1383).
• Nano Banana (2.5 Flash): A surprisingly strong contender that produced multiple perfect 10s, including a stunning long-exposure city shot (generation_id=1241) that was both technically and artistically brilliant.

Best for: Professional mockups, marketing materials, concept art, and any scenario where believability is paramount.

🎨 For Creative & Artistic Interpretations

When you want a unique, stylized take on a complex scene, some models excel at thinking outside the photorealistic box.

• Midjourney v7: This model is a creative genius. Its ability to generate a detailed isometric "Where's Waldo?" style for both the Bustling market scene (generation_id=977) and the Beach scene (generation_id=991) was a brilliant and perfectly executed interpretation of "complex scene."
• ChatGPT 4o: Showcased incredible stylistic versatility and a rare ability to handle text. Its charming children's book illustration for the classroom prompt and its beautiful medieval tapestry style for the battlefield prompt were both perfect 10s.
• Midjourney V6.1: While it sometimes struggled with adherence, its artistic quality is undeniable. The epic, painterly style it brought to the night festival (generation_id=613) was a work of art.

Best for: Illustrations, concept art, fantasy scenes, and projects where a unique aesthetic is more important than photorealism.

⚠️ Models Requiring Caution

For prompts involving complex scenes, especially with people, some models consistently struggled and should be used with caution:

• Grok 2 Image: Frequently produced images with distorted faces, low detail, and an overall blurry, dated AI look. It had the second-lowest average score in this category.
• DALL-E 3: Despite moments of artistic brilliance, this model was heavily penalized for frequent and severe anatomical flaws and logical inconsistencies, earning it the lowest average score in this challenging category.