Newsgroup: it.comp.giochi.action
Titolo: DARKSIDERS II: DEATHINITIVE EDITION su PC

 
Cosa cambi rispetto alla versione attuale... bhoooo.
Forse è tipo GOTY ovvero con tutto all inclusive e basta... chi può
dirlo...

 dirlo...
 
Basterebbe leggere ANCHE qualcosa di piu' serio di minkioplayer. :D
 
While a third Darksiders instalment has yet to be confirmed, the 
franchise's new custodian - Nordic Games - appears to be testing the 
waters for a sequel with a remastered Darksiders 2 on PS4 and Xbox One, 
'hilariously' dubbed the Deathinitive Edition. The conversion is in 
good hands too, with developers Gunfire Games consisting of many 
ex-Vigil Games staff, who previously worked on the two existing 
Darksiders releases. And there is the sense that this remaster is 
perhaps laying the groundwork for some kind of new sequel: rather than 
just convert the existing title, the team delivers a substantially 
improved lighting model fit for the current-gen platforms, along with 
higher resolution textures and remodelled geometry.
 
The Deathinitive Edition has clearly had a good deal for work put into 
it, but the enhancements come at a price - specifically a capped 30fps 
in line with the original console releases. In comparison, the original 
PC release easily runs at 1080p60 with max settings enabled on 
relatively meagre graphics hardware. So with that in mind how much of 
an actual upgrade are we looking at? And is the leap in graphical 
quality in the Deathinitive Edition enough to deliver a better 
experience than the existing PC release, despite the lower frame-rate?
 
Image quality is certainly improved on the PS4 and Xbox. Both consoles 
render natively in 1080p, while the developer's previous use of an 
edge-detect and blur solution to tackle aliasing is replaced with a 
more refined post-process anti-aliasing technique. Jaggies were never a 
major issue in the original PC game, and Gunfire Games' new 
implementation works well in providing a clean image with few 
artefacts, though we do see some mild texture blurring in play.
 
The jump to 1080p naturally results in a much sharper and polished 
image over the last-gen console versions of Darksiders 2, but the 
biggest improvement comes with the extensive remastering of core 
assets, which brings out more detail in the expansive world on offer. 
The use of higher resolution textures allows for fine details to fully 
resolve at full HD, whereas the original artwork begins to pixelate and 
blur at resolutions above 720p on the existing PC version.
 
In terms of the remastering effort, environment details are further 
fleshed out. For example, rock faces feature increased geometric 
complexity, while additional trees and foliage are spread across the 
landscape. While many areas of the game feel a little barren - such as 
plains of Charred Pass - these changes help to better fill out the 
sparser locations throughout the game. Draw distances are also improved 
over the original PC version of Darksiders 2, with shadows and LOD 
transitions occurring less aggressively than before. That said, pop-in 
is still an issue at times when the engine is streaming in data as the 
player rides through different locations, with shadows and grass the 
most noticeable culprits.
 
The other major change to the familiar world in the Deathinitive 
Edition is a complete reworking of the lighting model. Light sources 
are repositioned across many scenes and extra lights are added, casting 
additional shadows across the environment and characters. Ambient 
lighting is also more prominent, adding to the level of depth in 
dimly-lit areas. The use of physically-based rendering also enhances 
the level of three-dimensionality in the presentation, while materials 
such as stone, leather, cloth and metal look more realistic, without 
compromising the stylised look of the core artwork too much.
 
These upgrades bring the core visual standard more into line with 
current generation titles and add a layer of realism to the stylised 
artwork not seen in the standard Darksiders 2 release. However, the 
overall look of the game isn't a complete match on PS4 and Xbox One, 
with some substantial differences.
 
Take the lighting model for example. While both versions feature 
similarly placed light sources and use of physically-based rendering, 
lighting is much brighter on Xbox One and frequently too dark on PS4, 
despite gamma settings matching up nicely between the two versions. 
Right now it's not immediately clear which version features the 
'correct' lighting set-up intended by Gunfire Games, but PS4 seems to 
feature a closer tonal match to the original game.
 
Elsewhere, we also see the occasional missing shadow on the PS4 game, 
along with a reduced level of snow in the opening stage of the game, 
both of which are likely oversights as opposed to actual downgrades, 
though the situation is a little odd. That said, both consoles are a 
match in many areas with texture resolution, filtering and the use of 
alpha effects appearing identical. The PS4 also gains an advantage 
through the use of higher resolution shadows, with these elements 
appearing visibly rougher on Xbox One.
 
Performance is clearly more stable than the last-gen consoles versions 
of Darksiders 2, mostly providing a more consistent gameplay experience 
with fewer interruptions in the way of judder or screen-tear. However, 
the fact that we are still seeing some frame-rate drops and torn frames 
at all is disappointing, especially considering the 30fps cap. Perhaps 
the reworked lighting model, and the switch to a physically-based 
rendering set-up is simply too demanding to allow for a consistent 
60fps update within the confines of the existing - albeit significantly 
enhanced - engine.
 
However, what's clear is that while the Xbox One version of the 
Deathinitive Edition seems to possess fewer visual anomalies than its 
PS4 counterpart, it's the Sony console that takes point on delivering 
on its 30fps target. Frame drops are more commonplace on Xbox One in 
busier areas, and in this sense, its overall performance profile is 
more in line with the original Xbox 360 game - albeit with 
substantially reduced levels of screen-tear.
 
By comparison, the original PC game is easy to run at 60fps on low-end 
hardware, and even old cards such as the GTX 460 net you 1080p gameplay 
between 80-90fps when v-sync is disabled. With v-sync on, a mostly 
solid 60fps is possible and the results transform the look and feel of 
the game: motion appears much smoother, while the controls feel more 
responsive. Judder is an occasional issue, particularly during moments 
when the engine is streaming in data, but even here performance is 
considerably better than both last and current-gen consoles. Assuming a 
PC version of the Deathinitive Edition is on the cards, it'll be 
interesting to see just how much of an additional burden the game's 
enhancements incur.
 
Darksiders 2: Deathinitive Edition - the Digital Foundry verdict.
 
The Deathinitive Edition of Darksiders 2 is certainly an interesting 
release. The decision to extensively rework core graphical features 
completely transforms the look of the game, with the use of 
physically-based rendering and upgraded assets and lighting creating a 
more striking title that stays faithful to the stylised art design of 
the original. The end result is a game that is better suited to full HD 
resolution, with extra depth and detail fleshed out with the jump in 
pixel precision. Of course these enhancements do come with a 
substantial compromise in the form of a 30fps cap. Performance is 
certainly much improved over the last-gen versions of the game, and the 
mostly solid frame-rate during combat makes intense boss encounters and 
busy action sequences more enjoyable to play. Stuttering due to the 
engine streaming data when exploring the world on horseback is 
distracting though, while the appearance of any tearing at all is 
disappointing bearing in mind the frame-rate limitation.
 
Out of the two consoles, the PS4 offers up a more stable experience 
under load, though tearing is more prominent in general traversal. 
Higher resolution shadows are also welcome here, though the lighting 
model appears unusually dark compared to the Xbox release. Meanwhile, 
anomalies such as missing shadows and pared back snow lead to a more 
inconsistent presentation overall. Right now the PS4 game is a better 
choice overall due to the more stable frame-rate and better shadow 
quality, although the Xbox One game offers up a more striking 
presentation due to much brighter lighting set-up and fewer graphical 
bugs. It'll be interesting to see if the PS4 version changes or 
improves with subsequent updates.
 
However, from a gameplay perspective, the original PC version still 
provides the best gameplay experience due to its ability to run the 
game at 60fps with almost contemptuous ease. The higher frame-rate 
delivers a more fluid presentation, along with lower latency controls. 
There's also a charm in the way the artwork is presented using the old 
shading model, although the lower resolution textures show their 
limitations when displayed at 1080p - and generally there's less depth 
to the image overall. In that respect, we are presented with two 
choices here - enhanced visuals via the console Deathinitive Edition, 
or much improved frame-rate on PC. Or at least that's the case for now 
- this Steam page suggests that the Deathinitive Edition is also headed 
to the PC at a later date, so the possibly to experience Gunfire Games' 
remastered take on Darksiders 2 at 60fps could be an option further on 
down the line.