BurnOutBrighter
Banned
If "DLC" was the word for last gen, this gen it's going to be "downgrade" 
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Dark Souls 2 Lighting changes/Downgrade
- Thread starter Moral Panic
- Start date
The thing is, 4 years into development and 2 months before release they suddenly think "oh man it feels too much like a survival horror?" With those pic/gif comparisons, it looks like there are two totally different builds of the game going on simultaneously. The top running gif looks like it's at 60 fps.
mickcenary
Member
Hmm...
There's a bit of hyperbolic disillusionment in here. Not to say that we're not all entitled to some outrage, but once you accept that all the delicious stuff we were shown was basically a lie and indeed too good to be true, you can also move on and see that DS2 will still be a very decent looking game for what it is. The bait and switch is inexcusable and very low, but to extrapolate on that and take stabs at the quality of the entire game or lose faith completely is pretty rich.
I think how late in the game it is and our recent exposure to next-gen has coloured our perceptions a bit too much. DSII was developed in a bubble devoid of "next-gen" consoles or like specifications. Sure, PC may be the lead platform, but From's target was always going to be governed by "current-gen" machines.
The reality of the situation is that you may as well view DS2 as being developed for the same stage in "current-gen" machines' life-cycles as DS1 was.
There's a bit of hyperbolic disillusionment in here. Not to say that we're not all entitled to some outrage, but once you accept that all the delicious stuff we were shown was basically a lie and indeed too good to be true, you can also move on and see that DS2 will still be a very decent looking game for what it is. The bait and switch is inexcusable and very low, but to extrapolate on that and take stabs at the quality of the entire game or lose faith completely is pretty rich.
I think how late in the game it is and our recent exposure to next-gen has coloured our perceptions a bit too much. DSII was developed in a bubble devoid of "next-gen" consoles or like specifications. Sure, PC may be the lead platform, but From's target was always going to be governed by "current-gen" machines.
The reality of the situation is that you may as well view DS2 as being developed for the same stage in "current-gen" machines' life-cycles as DS1 was.
Haven't even bothered on my old laptop. From what I've read you need a special fix and the game still is an unoptimized mess in comparison of what its rendering really.
FS does Gameplay and makes up in technical skill with some really nice art direction. The engine / gfx have never been FS's strong point.
You pretty much did.
Give me a break. This isn't Red Dead or GTA or Skyrim. It's not the PS3's fault any more than it's Obama's. This falls squarely on FROM's shoulders.
You are correct. Giant Bomb's quick look goes up at 9 pm tonight, so I assume the embargo lifts at midnight.
heh. I just asked him if there's a ps4 version being built on, all he said was there's interest, but we don't know for sure.
Relaxed Muscle
Member
Yes, they're filled with grey lighting now.
What's the point of the damn mechanic then?
Game oficially casualized.
Comfort Jones
Banned
Yeah we aren't in the hyperbole zone at all now lol.
Metroid-Squadron
Banned
Some say that the 360 version runs better but suffers from screen tearing.
360 has better framerate, but more tearing and apparently some other lighting bugs
PS3 version has worst framerate, but no tearing as it's v-synced.
jim2point0
Banned
I'd say it can be a looker. And I've no doubt that Dark Souls 2 will still have SOME nice looking areas. It's just a shame to see footage that went from really amazing to really bland.
Comfort Jones
Banned
Oh he said they don't want to make it brighter thus the entire game is "casualized".
That area in the beta had more competent enemies than almost any section I can think of in Dark or Demon's Souls. I'll be pretty surprised if the game isn't harder than Dark Souls.
That area in the beta had more competent enemies than almost any section I can think of in Dark or Demon's Souls. I'll be pretty surprised if the game isn't harder than Dark Souls.
Chance Hale
Member
The darkness aspect was one of the most talked about new level mechanics(well, aside from tomb of giants in the first game) so to have it removed at the last minute is certainly odd. Not even mentioning the entire visual aspect of the game that is now lacking. Just a real shame unless something else is up.
Ain't no way that shit is on consoles. (I agree it can look great tho)
Please actually read what I posted instead of drive by posting console warrior bullshit.
Krusenstern
Banned
So what? That's how the game can look. Even if it's only on one platform.
That's the interesting part to me, they wouldn't be talking about an entire mechanic if it was only contained in a 'vertical slice' kind of build for press only.
ricardo_sousa11
Member
When I first saw the trailer I thought it would be impossible to have those graphics on PS3.
But then I got my hopes high, as I kept seeing footage....
...Only to have my hopes crushed
I don't think ill buy it, it was gonna be my last Ps3 purchase (aside from the PS+ games), and now its gone....It just lost all its "magic" for me...
But then I got my hopes high, as I kept seeing footage....
...Only to have my hopes crushed
I don't think ill buy it, it was gonna be my last Ps3 purchase (aside from the PS+ games), and now its gone....It just lost all its "magic" for me...
When I first saw the trailer I thought it would be impossible to have those graphics on PS3.
But then I got my hopes high, as I kept seeing footage....
...Only to have my hopes crushed
I don't think ill buy it, it was gonna be my last Ps3 purchase (aside from the PS+ games), and now its gone....It just lost all its "magic" for me...
your lost
mickcenary
Member
When I first saw the trailer I thought it would be impossible to have those graphics on PS3.
But then I got my hopes high, as I kept seeing footage....
...Only to have my hopes crushed
I don't think ill buy it, it was gonna be my last Ps3 purchase (aside from the PS+ games), and now its gone....It just lost all its "magic" for me...
Man.
This thread.
These posts.
If a bit of visual flair and a newly introduced mechanic that's hardly integral to the game is Dark Souls' "magic" to you, then... Yeah. No words; no nice ones, anyway.
These shots are fake.
Krusenstern
Banned
What's "fake" about them? They're 100% real.
jim2point0
Banned
In what way are the screenshots I captured of Dark Souls while playing Dark Souls fake? (not DET, those aren't mine).
jim2point0
Banned
mickcenary
Member
This is a review embargo, yep?
EatinOlives
Member
Yep, and then we can hound EpicNameBro for his answer as to why there's the lighting downgrade.
stanleyc415
Member
I really hope like everyone has said that this is just Console footage and not PC footage. There's a 1 month delay so hopefully the PC release will have the lighting and what not.
Gherid__lacksGPS
Banned
Perfect.
PC will be fine. There's no reason to be so fucking pessimistic over it. As someone mentioned earlier you need to set up the lighting to bake it anyway. It's not entirely an on / off switch, but it's not like everything needs to be fucking re-lit by hand. Torch mechanics can still exist in console land too, it's just significantly less relevant now - or at least it's looking that way.
Also, the comment on how it has / had a more survival horror vibe...I'd honestly be ok with that, in fact I welcome it with regards to a tonal / atmospheric context. As long as it's functioning mechanically as we would want it - and it's looking like such is the case.
Krusenstern
Banned
And then he will try to justify the lighting downgrade with some pointless arguments and excuses. And after that my respect for him will decline and I see his reputation suffering from what he just said when I slowly realize that he has become just one of Namco's marketing tools.
(I hope not)
PS3 version, January 2014:
PS3 version, retail build:
Yeah, it looks like garbage.
No more excuses - the truth is right here. This image doesn't show the enormous amount of texture downgrade from the reveal demo which is widespread over that entire stage, but the lighting change and its inferiorities are here.
(Keep in mind it is completely pointless even lighting the torch so to most players it will be presented dull and grey, as will the next room, which will look a whole lot worse.)
Sounds like your mind is made up already.
Krusenstern
Banned
I went full pessimist at that moment.
Console warrior. Nice. I'm just as disappointed by the downgrades as the next fan, but to state that the problem stems from the limitations of the PS3 (or 360) is nothing more than blind speculation with no basis in fact. I welcome proof to the contrary. From has a track record of releasing games with technical issues; until proven otherwise, that's about the best speculation we have: a little bit poo on all platforms thanks to From.
jim2point0
Banned
I still have hope for ENB. But a lot of these content creators that made their name with Dark Souls probably want the hype and interest in Dark Souls 2 to continue so they can still make videos and people will watch them.
If he does say it's due to a shift in the gameplay direction.... I'm going to be extremely worried about the PC version because the dull as fuck lighting will be present there as well.
Cannon Goose
Member
I wonder if people who are supposedly in the know like ENB have seen the PC version.
It's either going to be a technical issue or they're going to say the torch gameplay wasn't working out blah blah blah.
Either way the solution is definitely inadequate. If it's a tech issue then it's just sheer incompetence that they've realized it this late in the game. I know delaying the game would have been a huge deal but sometimes it's the right thing to do. It clearly wasn't entirely ready.
If it's a design choice then they could have fixed the problem in so many better/different ways instead of just butchering the entire look of the game by gutting the lighting engine.
Can't wait to hear the rationalization behind this mess though. It's certainly going to be interesting!
Either way the solution is definitely inadequate. If it's a tech issue then it's just sheer incompetence that they've realized it this late in the game. I know delaying the game would have been a huge deal but sometimes it's the right thing to do. It clearly wasn't entirely ready.
If it's a design choice then they could have fixed the problem in so many better/different ways instead of just butchering the entire look of the game by gutting the lighting engine.
Can't wait to hear the rationalization behind this mess though. It's certainly going to be interesting!
Cloud Strife
Member
Will they post reviews right then? Or later?
I don't even think they have to be paid to be wrong. It's fairly common that every new high profile game ends up being GOTY at first and garbage a few months later. A game as deep as a Souls game needs a lot more time to form elaborate opinions and think if it really is better than the previous game or not.
I don't know, maybe I'm wrong about this, but I feel like it's weird to claim that half a game you played is better than your billion playthroughs of the first one, like I've seen happen.
I don't know, maybe I'm wrong about this, but I feel like it's weird to claim that half a game you played is better than your billion playthroughs of the first one, like I've seen happen.
Clockwork5
Member
So there were some who actually thought the ps360 version would look like the reveal?
Have you actually seen a FROMsoft game before? Have you ever been to a place called Blighttown?
SMH. The real world people... Come back.
Have you actually seen a FROMsoft game before? Have you ever been to a place called Blighttown?
SMH. The real world people... Come back.
I'm pretty sure if a company shows footage of the game running on the consoles and claims its the game people might get excited and expect that in the product.
I DONT KNOW I GUESS THATS FUCKING CRAZY or something.
EatinOlives
Member
You do know people played that demo on PS3s during expos/trade shows, don't you?
Clockwork5
Member
Next time wait until it exsists.