Hi guys.
I am making this separate thread because in my discussions with many of you in PM's and some of the general his around the sub is an air of disappointment in the PC graphics that were shown in the recent set of screenies and the small video. I know I will get some down votes regardless from people who think I am trying to cause a conflict, or desperately hold onto the FANTASY regarding how the PC version looks, as if I am feeding a slowly waning PC Master Race Ego. But I promise you I am just trying to inform.
Anyway, here:
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3o13rh
You look at the footage, and you can tell that there are indeed many parts that look better than Xbox: the LoD/Draw Distance, the resolution, the texture quality. And yet, it still looks.."off". The environments look flat, bland, and washed out. It looks "better"...but in a weird way the Xbox One version seems a bit "better".
Well, looking through the footage, I have realized the technical reason for why this is.
The screenies and video of the PC version had no ambient Occlusion. At all.
Here are some examples:
http://i.imgur.com/pWXFGlw.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/K9UW39Z.jpg Notice the lack of shadowing at the edge of the player's hood, and the lack of occlusion in the corner t the right.
http://i.imgur.com/OMCdUAM.jpg This interior pic is tricky. It "seems" like there is some AO, but it is just normal shadowing in the corner. If there was AO, there would be black shadowing around the edges of the newspaper, and among the ripples of his clothes.
This likely means that the game's default high shadows are VERY good.
There may have been a visual bug in which when attempting to turn on HBAO+, the game build did not fully support game works, and thus failed to use any advanced occlusion technique at all. This would explain why there aren't any of the other game works effects in use in the vids/screenie (TXAA-replaced with non game works SMAA TX2, and lack of PCSS shadowing). Or the effect could have registered, but the layer wasn't rendering, which would result in an FPS drop but no visual gain.
If you have ever played a game with HBAO+ an option (such as AC 4, Unity, Syndicate, Witcher 3, Dying Light, ect) and then turned AO entirely off, you will be stunned by how much of a difference it makes. It makes the game look horrid, even with all other settings maxed out.
AC Unity is a good example of a game with great GI that, when maxed out, looks gorgeous, but as soon as you turn off the ambient Occlusion, everything looks off. (These screens are maxed out AC Unity at 1080p with HBAO+ and no ambient occlusion, respectively)
With AO:
http://i.imgur.com/Z9QXqUE.jpg Without:
http://i.imgur.com/D2Ipm0H.jpg
I am not trying to be all "PC mustard race", nor am I trying to cause a conflict. I am simply giving those whose hearts sank at the footage a chance to calm down and realize that the only way to truly see what the game looks like on the PC is to wait and play it yourself.
All I am trying to say is, please, please please please don't loose all your happiness just yet. Try to stay positive and wait until the game is working properly and rendering properly on your own screen before you loose all faith.
-Wolf
P.S, if you are like me and live on the east coast of the US, you may be experiencing upwards of 25 inches of snow. What a better way to get in the mood for some dark zone sweeping?

P.P.S, In terms of those PC 4k screens...Maybe they aren't so ridiculous after all. Look what I did to an xbox One screen with just some contrast changes, desaturation, and sharpening
Visuals of "After" use
this screen for reference:
Before:
http://i.imgur.com/t9WKjkK.jpg
After:
http://i.imgur.com/tjDzAyD.jpg