Well, deep inside we all knew that both From Software and Namco Bandai would give us the dumbest PR statements about Dark Souls 2’s “downgrade-ation”. And alas today, From Software told MCV the reasons why the final build of Dark Souls 2 looks worse than its early builds. Before continuing, we strongly suggest grabbing some popcorn because this is going to be gooooood.
As From Software told MCV, the studio struggled to offer the visuals that are present in the final version.
“Throughout the game development process, a game is constantly being balanced not only in game playability, but also in the realm of resource management. A developer is always challenged with creating the most rewarding gaming experience while delivering continuity in graphical quality, gameplay dynamics, and balance within the game. The final version of Dark Souls II displays the culmination of this delicate balance and we’re very proud of the positive media and fan reception for the game.”
This all sounds like mumbo-jumbo to most of us. Or like PR nonsense. I mean, fans want to know why the game’s lighting system was downgraded. If the earlier builds were playable on old-gen systems like PS3 and X360, then why did From Software decide to ditch it? And if those versions were not playable with that lighting system, will that decision affect the PC version?
This statement should also make you start doubting all the pre-release media and demos publishers release for their games. As From claims, everything can change in the last minute, therefore there is no guarantee that the game will look as good – when it gets out – as it did prior to its release.
All in all, this is what most of us expected. It’s disappointing but in this time of age, developers and publishers seem less and less honest. Not that you didn’t know that already, but still.
John is the founder and Editor in Chief at DSOGaming. He is a PC gaming fan and highly supports the modding and indie communities. Before creating DSOGaming, John worked on numerous gaming websites. While he is a die-hard PC gamer, his gaming roots can be found on consoles. John loved – and still does – the 16-bit consoles, and considers SNES to be one of the best consoles. Still, the PC platform won him over consoles. That was mainly due to 3DFX and its iconic dedicated 3D accelerator graphics card, Voodoo 2. John has also written a higher degree thesis on the “The Evolution of PC graphics cards.”
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I’m still gonna get the game though because it was pretty great when I played it. This is quite bad on From’s part though.
If nothing else, their ridiculous marketing gimmick of encouraging people to treat the game as some hallowed device spoken of in hushed tones around fucking candles at midnight has been revealed for what it truly is. Not so convincing in this situation, huh?
We must be seeing the barriers of gaijin-facing PR from japanese companies in all their stereotypical wackiness right now. Still, is it so hard for someone in contact to grow some balls and wrangle an actual explanation?
I’m confident the game will still be good, one way or the other. But the pc version is gonna need that month.
this type of dishonesty (false ads) will effect even honest developers. from last year till unknown future i will never believe any footage of any game. everything is fake/cgi/pre rendered until it proves it’s not. (50days delay for PC version and not as good as announced graphics = no buy)
I hope the PC version looks as good as the demos. I mean, there’s no reason to downgrade in a constantly evolving system that runs freaking Battlefield 4 1080p60fps on Ultra.
Running it at around 90fps 😀 so yea , hopefully they get PC ver. right.
Also it’s pretty obvious , they had to downgrade console bec it was just too weak , while it was working good in some places , in some others it probably didn’t so they removed it for more constant 30 fps and thus more balance in gameplay, who would like another blighttown anyway… PC version will be dirt cheap to get , it already is atm , and it won’t need to be a beast to run DS2 at max settings.
I’m not holding my breath . If PC version was truly anything like the initial demo then they would’ve addressed it in interview . Sadly , once again consoles have held back PC . And not just in any old fashion where latest console gets older after a year or so and then starts hold back the potential of high end PCs but instead , this time gamers are screwed by last gen ancient consoles that are even less powerful than crappy laptops available .
I’m pretty sure you’re right and PC version would be a port of the screwed console version. Damned devs.
False advertisement is ilegal.
Seriously tho, they don’t wanna outright say they used Maxed PC footage for ALL their ads cause thats what they did haha.
The downgraded lighting, LOD, framerate, etc. Its all because they were still working w 256 megs of ram while a PC has a shitton more lol.
Is it not that obvious? They do this with many games. Even recent Watch dogs footage show console gameplay at a much lower quality for the sake of performance.
i agree. i would start calling it false advertisement if the pc version doesnt look like that since thats all they showed. however, april 25th wiill be a tense day. we shall see what they really show for the pc version. i would be very mad if we get the ps3 version of the game then they announce a next gen version with all th elighting back in.
Haha DS 2 definitive “suck it losers” edition , it’s very possible yeah.
Goodnight, sweet prince.
http://i.minus.com/iqKlfRFV9WByZ.gif
And they announced this statement several days ago?! Why announce this and why did it take them so long if there is no technical details whatsoever, only PR bs.
After the TERRIBLE job they did with the PC release of Dark Souls, I expect NOTHING from Dark Souls 2. At least my opinion of it can only go up, and if its a ugly clunky mess (just like the first) no skin off my back I’ll just know better this time.
More respect for Witcher 3 .
It would be amusing if they’re being so secretive because the PC version will be amazing and they don’t want to kill the game’s console sales. But in reality I expect it to look exactly the same as the console versions except with higher resolution options.
They’re just making a very clear argument for why people should never, ever, EVER, EEEEVEEEER preorder a game or buy it on launch day.
Wait till the saps get it, beta test it, and post online about how their experiences went.
Then when the flamez begin, you pile on in a gasoline soaked parka and roar, “DIAF!”
Gonna quote TB on his Deus EX: The fall critique (subsequently changing some of my previous opinions):
” (…) This should be relevant for PC gaming, you release a game on PC it should run like a PC gaming then.
Incredible…I look at this gif and ask Why why and why??… 🙁
Pretty much no game looks like their E3 videos now days, some PC games get very close if they released the assets for it like Crysis 3, AC4. We know Crytek can do this quality, they fixed Crysis 2 and Crysis 3 shitted on everything else graphically even now.
Crysis 2 modded is probably one of the best looking games to date, even Crysis 3 doesn’t use as much tessellation, in fact no game uses it so well as Crysis 2 modded does.
vanilla C2 and C3 even with their updates don’t use tessellation at all ,only pom or pom+accurate pixel displacement mapping
OR wait ,i think that C2 had some very tiny -and shitty- tessellated objects but not nearly as good as modded crysis 2 ,crysis 1 could achieve that quality if it were DX11 ,but to be DX10 ,its mods are AWESOME ,fully matcheable to next-gen consoles games.
It would be awesome to see bf4 mods ,frostbite 3 will never squeze pc’s because is a console engine ,even if DICE says the contrary ,we’ll know it is.
It does use a lot of Tessellation(walls, water, alien objects, rubble), POM is only used on the ground like vehicle tracks in the mud because it’s angle dependant, which is the limitation with POM since it’s just a 2D texture not geometry.
Crysis 1 has software tessellated water.
The level editor says the contrary
It’s pre-tessellated in Crysis 2, that’s what you see in the mod SDK. CE3 newer builds added DX11, realtime tessellation within the editor.
Oh then sorry for spread misinformation and thanks for educate me.
=D
I shall wait and see the PC version…But this fake advertising must have an end…