• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Dark Souls II - Graphics Comparison - PC Preview

D

Durante

Member
CountAntonius said:
I'm ecstatic. All I wanted was a good PC version running on Steamworks. The dream is alive!
Click to expand...
Yeah, I'm not ecstatic, but the PC version seems at least equally competent compared to the majority of last-gen PC ports. In that, they succeeded. Also, texture resolution seems greatly improved in quite a few instances compared to what I've seen in console screenshots.

Still, the level of ambient lighting in some of the areas is a shame. I wonder if something can be done about that. Also, the ambient occlusion implementation looks rather bare-bones in that video.

Revs said:
Loading times are amazing:) It takes Brad like 4 seconds to teleport, on standard HDD.
Click to expand...
Load times are often CPU limited on last-gen consoles, in addition to I/O limits. Probably what's happening here.

LiK said:
He mentioned he would implement new lighting if needed in a previous DS2 thread ;)
Click to expand...
Erm, no. In fact, I explicitly said that changing all the assets (because this is an asset change, not a systemic change) would be beyond most modding efforts, and certainly not something I'd like to attempt.

Totobeni said:
modders like Durante, ENB Boris and other should leave From on their mess this time, the first time Durante fixing the port was ok because it was first PC port job for From, but now?
Click to expand...
There is no mess. By all indications it's a competent port.

Toxi said:
Christ From, you treat your PC audience like shit: First you release a non-functional port of Ninja Blade. Then you release a crippled Dark Souls that is only saved by the efforts of one of your fans. And then you give us hope you're finally looking at the PC as a main audience... Only to lie through your teeth to us while giving the bare minimum of what we expect from a port, and only then after a bizarre information black-out.

Would it kill you to just be real with us?
Click to expand...
The things they explicitly promised for the PC version are:
- higher resolution (1080p)
- better framerate (60 FPS)
- better textures

They delivered exactly what they promised.
 
K

Kinsei

Banned
cpp_is_king said:
So you're saying I shouldnt' be stoked to play a fucking amazing game? Because let's be honest, that's exactly what it is, even on the console.
Click to expand...

Honestly, after everything that they did, I do think that. It's not like what I or the poster you quoted thinks should matter to you in the slightest though.
 
SargerusBR

SargerusBR

I love Pokken!
Durante said:
Erm, no. In fact, I explicitly said that changing all the assets (because this is an asset change, not a systemic change) would be beyond most modding efforts, and certainly not something I'd like to attempt
Click to expand...

LET HOPE BE REBORN UNDER THE NAME DESPAIR
 
Z

zephervack

Member
Seanspeed said:
There was never any false footage or doctored images.

It was simply downgraded as time went on. Its completely different.
Click to expand...

lol

RhzbSs9.png
 
D

DrROBschiz

Member
Durante said:
Yeah, I'm not ecstatic, but the PC version seems at least equally competent compared to the majority of last-gen PC ports. In that, they succeeded. Also, texture resolution seems greatly improved in quite a few instances compared to what I've seen in console screenshots.

Still, the level of ambient lighting in some of the areas is a shame. I wonder if something can be done about that. Also, the ambient occlusion implementation looks rather bare-bones in that video.

Load times are often CPU limited on last-gen consoles, in addition to I/O limits. Probably what's happening here.

Erm, no. In fact, I explicitly said that changing all the assets (because this is an asset change, not a systemic change) would be beyond most modding efforts, and certainly not something I'd like to attempt.

There is no mess. By all indications it's a competent port.

The things they explicitly promised for the PC version are:
- higher resolution (1080p)
- better framerate (60 FPS)
- better textures

They delivered exactly what they promised.
Click to expand...

True

Still a punch in the gut for those of us that fantasized about what could have been after the reveal

It was so damn pretty. See you in 3-4 years when the next souls game actually delivers the goods

At this point ill happily take the PC upgrade on my PS4 i guess. Still a great game just not a s pretty as we hoped it would be
 
M

Metroid-Squadron

Banned
I've already reported this game on Steam for fraud, the reason given being false advertisement.

I urge everyone to do the same. There's no reason why we should accept scamming practices from deceitful companies.
 
M

Moral Panic

Member
Disappointed but not surprised. Hard to fathom how all the work that went into the e3 trailer and TGS trailer and gameplay was thrown out. But whatya gonna do eh?
 
S

Shengar

Member
What happened if its turned that the lightning engine they used from the past promotion material are actually assets from Demon's Souls 2 and Sony forced From to take it off?
Oh god, of course no ignore me of my Demon's Souls 2 wet dreaming

==========

The lack of that lightning engine looks disappointing, but I never look forward to that so its okay. I'll probably ended up double dipping and played mainly on PC since my imported CE haven't even arrived right now :^)
 
P

patapuf

Member
Seanspeed said:
It wasn't supposed to be a 'port'.
Click to expand...

Port or not they were not going to release two different versions of the game. Even if the PC was the lead platform the 3 versions were always going to be the same gameplay wise.

Not having feature parity over all platforms is extremely rare for multiplats.

Edit: it's likely the lighting never existed outside of the demo.
 
G

Grief.exe

Member
I don't think From, or even Namco for that matter, had any intentions to mislead us with their material.

Around mid January, they had a pretty consistent message and were only showing actual release console footage.

There have been some inconsistencies, such as journalists still running TGS footage into February, screenshots not reflecting the actual version. These seem to be tertiary to their main marketing push and can be chalked up to ignorance rather than ill intent.

Not all the marketers working at Namco, or those involved in putting the Amazon store page together will be following the game as religiously as we are. They will not realize that using TGS marketing material will not perfectly reflect the final game.
 
M

Moral Panic

Member
Grief.exe said:
I don't think From, or even Namco for that matter, had any intentions to mislead us with their material.

Around mid January, they had a pretty consistent message and were only showing actual release console footage.

There have been some inconsistencies, such as journalists still running TGS footage into February, screenshots not reflecting the actual version. These seem to be tertiary to their main marketing push and can be chalked up to ignorance rather than ill intent.

Not all the marketers working at Namco, or those involved in putting the Amazon store page together will be following the game as religiously as we are. They will not realize that using TGS marketing material will not perfectly reflect the final game.
Click to expand...

Why didn't they update their official website or tell any of their stores/partners to replace their old material?
 
S

Shengar

Member
Metroid-Squadron said:
I've already reported this game on Steam for fraud, the reason given being false advertisement.

I urge everyone to do the same. There's no reason why we should accept scamming practices from deceitful companies.
Click to expand...

Err....what? By what mean it is a fraud if this is what they promised explicitly to the press:

Durante said:
The things they explicitly promised for the PC version are:
- higher resolution (1080p)
- better framerate (60 FPS)
- better textures

They delivered exactly what they promised.
Click to expand...


It is you own fault for being fall to promotional, bullshots footage. If you're not taking promotional content with massive grain of salt, then you must doing it wrong.
 
Z

zephervack

Member
Seanspeed said:
I don't get what's so funny.

Perhaps you don't understand what a downgrade is. Or a doctored image.
Click to expand...

How are those not doctored images, the retail product doesnt look like that.

usS28GN.png


The videos of the preview build were doctored to receive media attention and hype.
 
D

DrROBschiz

Member
Grief.exe said:
I don't think From, or even Namco for that matter, had any intentions to mislead us with their material.

Around mid January, they had a pretty consistent message and were only showing actual release console footage.

There have been some inconsistencies, such as journalists still running TGS footage into February, screenshots not reflecting the actual version. These seem to be tertiary to their main marketing push and can be chalked up to ignorance rather than ill intent.

Not all the marketers working at Namco, or those involved in putting the Amazon store page together will be following the game as religiously as we are. They will not realize that using TGS marketing material will not perfectly reflect the final game.
Click to expand...

I just want to know the point where they decided to scrap the original vision and why.

No reason they couldn't have delivered that on PC and wowed people. Im guessing they hit a damn wall in development and the deadline necessitated the change in quality.
 
M

Metroid-Squadron

Banned
Grief.exe said:
I don't think From, or even Namco for that matter, had any intentions to mislead us with their material.
Click to expand...
Sure, that's why they created a tech demo that far surpasses the actual game and showed it at every trade show possible. Not to mention still using it to promote the PC version to this very day.
 
S

Seanspeed

Banned
patapuf said:
Port or not they were not going to release two different versions of the game. Even if the PC was the lead platform the 3 versions were always going to be the same gameplaywise.

Not having feature parity over all platforms is extremely rare for multiplats.
Click to expand...
I know. But when the entire game's development seems to have revolved around the 360/PS3 versions to such an extent that the game gets massively downgraded and looks a bit poo by 2014 standards on the PC, its very hard to not roll your eyes at the 'led on PC' claims we've heard, even if it is technically true.

BF4 is a game that was led on PC and it shows.
 
U

UrbanRats

Member
At least this time we clearly got to see actual graphics BEFORE release.

Still a shame though, i'll wait for a decent sale i think, i'm not sure.

Also lol @ their "this engine was built for next gen" and "PC lead platform".. ok.
 
C

Cassius

Member
It looks nice for what it is, but it's a real shame how we were fed target footage of a game that looked considerably better than what was released.

I'll wait for a significant price drop.
 
H

Heman

Member
Really, really disappointed at the pc reveal. With the talk about PC being lead and the reveal trailers I kept hoping.
They misled me with those initial trailers, plain and simple.
 
P

Persona7

Banned
DrROBschiz said:
I just want to know the point where they decided to scrap the original vision and why.

No reason they couldn't have delivered that on PC and wowed people. Im guessing they hit a damn wall in development and the deadline necessitated the change in quality.
Click to expand...

You have to take in account that they have to continue supporting the console and PC versions of the game. Look at how many patches Dark Souls got over time. Two completely different versions of the game could cause issues and cost more overall.
 
T

Totobeni

An blind dancing ho
Jonm1010 said:
It's a misrepresentation of the final product without so much as a peep from From without enormous community pressure and From still kept pre-downgraded images on the back of the retail box.
Click to expand...

I'm actually just surprised by people that are still denying the false advertising that happened here (and say they were no false footage or bullshots).I mean it's ok if they like the game or the developer but come on.
 
M

_machine

Member
Grief.exe said:
I don't think From, or even Namco for that matter, had any intentions to mislead us with their material.

Around mid January, they had a pretty consistent message and were only showing actual release console footage.

There have been some inconsistencies, such as journalists still running TGS footage into February, screenshots not reflecting the actual version. These seem to be tertiary to their main marketing push and can be chalked up to ignorance rather than ill intent.

Not all the marketers working at Namco, or those involved in putting the Amazon store page together will be following the game as religiously as we are. They will not realize that using TGS marketing material will not perfectly reflect the final game.
Click to expand...
Agreed, in fact a couple of previews in Finnish magazines showed already in January (though they were released in feb) that the graphics had undergone a downgrade and mentioned it in their reviews as well.
 
TeddyShardik

TeddyShardik

Banned
marrec said:
He he he, poor From Software... it's not good enough to just make a seemingly great followup to a good game anymore is it?

I'd be hype for the PC release, but I just bought it on the 360 somehow.
Click to expand...

Well, it's kinda their own fault to be honest. They set expectations way to high especially for the PC audience. Had the game originally been shown off like it is now I doubt there would be this much negativity.

Someone just fucked up, be it FROM or Namco.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Digital Foundry: Sea of Thieves Goes Multi-Plat: PS5 and Xbox Series X/S Tested!
2 3 4
190
9K
Physiognomonics replied
Digital Foundry: Gran Turismo 7 vs Forza Motorsport - The Duel - Digital Foundry Graphics Breakdown
11
994
The Fartist replied
Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora PC vs PS5 Graphics, Optimised Settings, FSR 3 Breakdown
2 3
120
7K
Zathalus replied
Digital Foundry: Kingdom Come Deliverance on Switch - The Most Ambitious Switch Port Yet? - DF Tech Review
2
50
3K
Heimdall_Xtreme replied
Digital Foundry: EA Sports WRC: PC/PS5/Xbox Series X/S - DF Tech Review - An Engine Change for Better or Worse?
2 3
105
7K
MadchesterManc replied
Top Bottom