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[Moral Panic]

NOTE:Comparison videos below show the changes from PS3 version to PS3 version!

Figured this was newish news, and people outside the OT deserved to know about it.

People playing Dark Souls 2 early have shown that in the current build there are some significant lighting changes which greatly (imo) change the aesthetic of the game from it's initial reveal and the PS3 gameplay shown since then. Of course since the game isn't officially out yet, it is still subject to change, but I think it's good to get the news out there.

Comparison videos

PS3 version, January 2014
From 3:49 to 5:08 (no spoilers)
From 2:22 to 2:37, torch gameplay (no spoilers)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3MdOBH-jDc&t=3m49s

PS3 version, March 2014
From 6:15 to 9:40 (no spoilers)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbBwp8MB5js&t=6m50s

Images

UPDATE2:
Game is out! New comparisons: (Removed some to reduce size)

Found footage of the mansion of the dragons. There's no way anybody anywhere can't claim this game hasn't been completely gutted. Just look at this shit, LOOK AT THIS SHIT:

UPDATE:
Some new Images just showing how stark the changes are:

Before on top/left, now on bottom/right

More:http://imgur.com/a/iCHZD/

 

[Spazznid]

Here we go again!

Popcorn.gif

 

[abstract alien]

I thought the initial reveal was PC footage

 

[Winternet]

The series was never meant to be a graphical showcase.

 

[PairOfFilthySocks]

The PC version better have those visual effects.

 

[Moral Panic]

I thought the initial reveal was PC footage

The comparison videos in the OP are both PS3 gameplay.

 

[Darklord]

This looks compressed as fuck. Is that a screenshot off a stream?

Also, superior PC version sounds about good right about now.

 

[Y2Kev]

The series was never meant to be a graphical showcase.

Not really the point...

That's a pretty stark downgrade. I guess they baited and switched.

 

[pixlexic]

Is this a fair comparison though? one set of images looks contrasted all to hell with the saturation blew out.

 

[Keyser Soze]

The series was never meant to be a graphical showcase.

Maybe not technically, but artistically there are many standout designs.in the souls games.

 

[DJwest]

GAF loves Souls series and everybody hates Ubi so this won't reach 100 pages lol

 

[Midou]

Are the people playing saying anything like this, or just people looking at compressed streams? I was avoiding OT for fear of spoilers.

 

[Claude Kenni]

Light Souls

 

[kinggroin]

Yeah I noticed it instantly with the latest media. So used to it now.


How sad is that?

 

[Forkball]

Lighting is for casuals.

But yeah, Dark Souls II is uh, fairly ugly. Fortunately it has a distinct art style, but that can only go so far.

 

[Keyser Soze]

This looks compressed as fuck. Is that a screenshot off a stream?

Also, superior PC version sounds about good right about now.

It's on Imgur, which compresses everything to hell and back

 

[popyea]

It looks like an aesthetic improvement to me for the most part. Even if it loses some of the initially advertised dynamism, the look feels closer to what I like. So the good cancels out the bad for me.

 

[Shengar]

aren't that pictures basically a comparison between PC version and generation 7 console?
EDIT: So are they not or are they? I'm confused here :/

 

[Ostinatto]

why FROM, Why'r you doing this to us....

 

[Kade]

The one picture has the 360 B button so it might be the PC version or something.

 

[Koeta]

waiting for April 25th to see the real Dark Souls 2
<3

 

[Nintyb]

It's obvious there was a downgrade and I'm sure for very good reason. The 360 and PS3 are getting a bit long in the tooth and they possibly couldn't keep up that lighting across the entirety of the game at an acceptable frame rate.

Regardless, I'm content with playing it on 360 for what is sure to be an amazing game. Graphics enthusiasts can get it on PC.

 

[EVOL 100%]

First pic is kinda fugly imo. I got what they were going for but I think it works better on paper. No excuses for the last pair though. Bit shitty move if the first batches were supposed to be 360/PS3 shots

 

[Go_Ly_Dow]

I wonder if this trend is intentional or not. Do they show us a smoke and mirrors version to trick us (marketing) or because they genuinely believe they can achieve those visuals on consoles (optimization)?

If it's the former then it needs to stop. Such bullshit.

 

[Moral Panic]

aren't that pictures basically a comparison between PC version and generation 7 console?

Watch the videos, they are both PS3 gameplay and show the same changes.

 

[Fried Food]

it's like the discarded the new engine completely lol

WTF FROM

 

[Usobuko]

GAF loves Souls series and everybody hates Ubi so this won't reach 100 pages lol

With Namco (terrible) choice of screenshots for promotion, people just don't have that high expectations. Well, at least that's what I think for the mass.

 

[Raide]

Some places look amazingly atmospheric, others look like the lighting is missing. It seems to be more obvious on larger open rooms, since the more confined stuff has shadows and reflections all over the place.

Dark Souls had a similar thing though, so nothing major. Some places looked amazing, other were fairly average but it was the overwhelming gameplay that drowned all of that stuff out. Even on the PC version with graphical tweaks, some places looked average.

Maybe this is the legacy of last-gen. They did mention recently about it being a Next-Gen engine, so hopefully they have some lighting tweaks etc.

 

[Violater]

The series was never meant to be a graphical showcase.

Well they threw that out the window when they talked about graphical upgrades.
But you are right, even with those upgrades it was no showcase, but the recent downgrade should not be ignored either.

 

[jackmurray]

Looks better to me. More like a Souls game. All that fancy lighting talk never really sat well with me, if this is what they had to do to get the framerate playable it is fine by me.

 

[A.D. Skinner]

I'm only able to go off of the Mirror Knight screens as this is the part I tried out at Eurogamer and the 2nd shot looks terrible compared to what I played. Assuming it was PS3 I played...

 

[Stet]

Looks better to me. More like a Souls game. All that fancy lighting talk never really sat well with me, if this is what they had to do to get the framerate playable it is fine by me.

You're right, it looks like a Souls game rather than a Dark Souls game.

 

[Ferr986]

Arent the first screens from the IGN reveal, that was running on PC¿

Watch the videos, they are both PS3 gameplay and show the same changes.

one screen has the B button from 360, that has to be PC

 

[PairOfFilthySocks]

Watch the videos, they are both PS3 gameplay and show the same changes.

Considering how more and more PC users are using dual shock 4s, Playstation controller icons in games are probably no longer an indicator that a game is running on playstation hardware.

 

[Vizzeh]

Im skipping the PS3 release, I love the series but will wait it out for a PS4 version with hopefully an upgrade on aesthetics and graphics.

 

[Pooya]

<tinfoil hat time/> they turned it off so the eventual next gen port looks like a substantial upgrade

it was actually playable on various expos on real hardware, strange it's gone now. Framerate apparently isn't any good despite this removal anyway.

 

[kinggroin]

Looks like the dynamic lighting responsible for the crazy shadow casting is out.

If you guys watch at 55 seconds from the old vid, I can understand why they removed it.

Dark Souls is gameplay first, and it looks like the way the shadows behaved with the old lighting was not going to allow you to tackle enemy encounters without having a seizure. Honestly, it looks like it got in the way.

 

[iceatcs]

Look better, more darker and less shiny.

 

[Akuun]

it's like the discarded the new engine completely lol

WTF FROM

Holy shit, it's like they dropped most of the real-time lighting effects entirely. It's like looking at a PC game on high/max and then turning the graphics down to minimum.

On one hand it just looks like Demon's/Dark Souls 1 (which I never minded graphically), but I'm very surprised that they did this, considering the new look is something they touted so much. I have to say it's disappointing if this is how it's going to look, though.

I'm also worried that some stylistic/atmospheric touches that were based around the "new" lighting system would be lost through this change. It certainly looks like a lot of the wall textures seemed to rely on lighting to look good. They just kind of look like ass without it.

 

[RoyalLaFlame]

Age of Downgrades: Bait and Switch


That's quite a downgrade :/

 

[skynidas]

Why the name of the bosses are different in those shots?

One says mirror knight, which i think is supposed to be the name.

But the other one says looking glass knight??

Weird.

 

[Moral Panic]

Considering how more and more PC users are using dual shock 4s, Playstation controller icons in games are probably no longer an indicator that a game is running on playstation hardware.

So you are saying the Playstation Access video where they state they are playing on PS3 is a lie?

 

[Ghazi]

I'm only able to go off of the Mirror Knight screens as this is the part I tried out at Eurogamer and the 2nd shot looks terrible compared to what I played. Assuming it was PS3 I played...

I never got to play it, but man I'm so disappointed there. The lightning in that scene/battle looked so cool.

 

[hamchan]

If these new screens are from the 360/PS3 version then that makes sense.

 

[elhav]

Will quote Klyka from the OT to pay the proper respects

We should all shed some...light on this situation.

Yeah I think it's obviously to improve performance, and I much prefer solid performance than better lighting. On PC I'm sure we will have better lighting.

 

[Clear]

FROM do have a track record for cutting out graphical features and then reimplementing them via patches. I'm pretty sure that on initial release Demon's Souls characters cast no shadows, and they only reappeared following a patch.

 

[kinggroin]

You guys don't think it could simply be for gameplay reasons like I stated earlier?

 

[eot]

Why the name of the bosses are different in those shots?

One says mirror knight, which i think is supposed to be the name.

But the other one says looking glass knight??

Weird.

They just changed the name, they did the same with another boss.

 

[paperspace]

Look better, more darker and less shiny.

It's the opposite.

It looks way brighter.

 

[Nibel]

Is this really a downgrade or maybe just changes in art direction?