Watch_Dogs creative director, Jonathan Morin, answered a number of questions on Twitter recently. Jonathan is currently unsure whether the PC version will feature any specific GFX (regarding physics,shaders, and lighting effects), despite the fact that the PC will ‘push the details better‘. Before pointing your gun at Jonathan, know that he’s unsure about it, although Nvidia has already teased some PC specific graphical features such as TXAA and HBAO+. Still, it’s clarified whether the PC version will pack better shaders, physics (though we may see some PhysX love as Nvidia is behind this game) or lighting effects.
As Jonathan said when a fan asked him about the aforementioned details:
“So far I said I am not sure we have PC specific GFX. I do know PC push the details better. So until I get the detail I ask for I would say your statement is incorrect. “
The good news is that Ubisoft will reveal more about the PC version in the coming days. Moreover, we can expect some PC footage from Watch_Dogs as well as the final system specs (Jonathan claimed that those released earlier weren’t final).
Jonathan also claimed that Watch_Dogs will not max out PS4, despite the fact that the game’s AI is said to be more advanced than other titles. Now why is that interesting for PC gamers? But because the next-gen console versions – like it or not, that’s the reality – will affect the PC one. This is due to developing a game for multiple platforms. So if PS4 is not maxed, does this mean that Xbox One is the culprit and the one responsible for the noticeable downgrade?
When a fan asked whether Watch_Dogs maximizes the potential of PS4, Jonathan replied and said:
“We do push quite a lot but this is the very beginning of a generation… We will have years of fun with those.”
Jonathan had earlier added that the game’s AI is more advanced than the one featured in other titles.
“In other games they tend to do their job, investigate & fight… In WD they have more going on between invest/combat.”
What’s also interesting is that Jonathan has never mentioned Xbox One in his tweets. Will the game look identical to PS4 on Microsoft’s console? That’s something no one knows. And why hasn’t Ubisoft shown that particular version in action?
All in all, this feels like damage control and nothing more. While it may be true that Jonathan is not certain about any specific PC GFX, he claimed – a while back – that the PC version will be identical to the E3 2012 version that was showcased. And that version packed better physics than the recent builds of Watch_Dogs that were showcased (the same applies for the latest trailers that were from the PS4 build).
It will be interesting to see whether the PC version will look similar to the game’s E3 2012 build. And while we are at it, couldn’t Ubisoft increase the image fidelity if it does not push PS4 to its limits? I mean, you know, Jonathan claimed that PS4 wasn’t maximized. So what was the reason of downgrading the game? Figures.
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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