Well, deep inside we all knew that both From Software and Namco Bandai would give us the dumbest PR statements about Dark Souls 2’s “downgrade-ation”. And alas today, From Software told MCV the reasons why the final build of Dark Souls 2 looks worse than its early builds. Before continuing, we strongly suggest grabbing some popcorn because this is going to be gooooood.
As From Software told MCV, the studio struggled to offer the visuals that are present in the final version.
“Throughout the game development process, a game is constantly being balanced not only in game playability, but also in the realm of resource management. A developer is always challenged with creating the most rewarding gaming experience while delivering continuity in graphical quality, gameplay dynamics, and balance within the game. The final version of Dark Souls II displays the culmination of this delicate balance and we’re very proud of the positive media and fan reception for the game.”
This all sounds like mumbo-jumbo to most of us. Or like PR nonsense. I mean, fans want to know why the game’s lighting system was downgraded. If the earlier builds were playable on old-gen systems like PS3 and X360, then why did From Software decide to ditch it? And if those versions were not playable with that lighting system, will that decision affect the PC version?
This statement should also make you start doubting all the pre-release media and demos publishers release for their games. As From claims, everything can change in the last minute, therefore there is no guarantee that the game will look as good – when it gets out – as it did prior to its release.
All in all, this is what most of us expected. It’s disappointing but in this time of age, developers and publishers seem less and less honest. Not that you didn’t know that already, but still.
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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