Quick Look: Dark Souls II (PC)

Not working.

Who cares what it looks like vs PS4/XB1 as long as it plays well. This game isn't about WOWZOMG graphics its about the gameplay first and foremost. Looking great is just a bonus.

Wait, so I haven't kept up with the downgrade stuff too much except for seeing the video from a couple months before the game came out with the dev talking about and showing the great new lighting engine and how you'd need the torches to see in certain areas. This version still doesn't seem to have that stuff.

So I might be wrong, but is my understanding correct that in all these videos where Brad and Vinny have been confused about why all the torch mechanics are there, and why there are all these sconces to light,(when the areas aren't really dark) and why there's the whole relay time limit thing where they thought they'd open up secrets; Is the actual reason for that stuff being there all because of the special lighting they took out and now those things are pointless?

If so, I definitely understand why people were pissed and it's even crazier how much Brad was downplaying this stuff the whole time, considering the first few videos they did with this game they spent a ton of time trying to figure out all that torch relay stuff which might just be there because the devs left it in from when you needed it in older builds to light up a whole area or something.

This is clearly a better looking game than on the 360, but never in my 120 hours did i fell that the graphics or frame-rate subtracted from my time with Dark souls 2 on the 360.

Agree 100%, but cue PC fanboys gizzing all over this video. (That said, I'm also a PC gamer, but not a moron like so many other PC gamers.)

@olemarthin: You should play the PS3 version. I have over 300 hours on one character alone in that version, so I know when I say the framerate and the load times, especially, significantly impact the game. The fucking load times... the load times... fuck 'em. PVP in the Brotherhood of Blood is probably 50% load times.

Brad used the term 'night and day', which I find ridiculous. It isn't night and day. Night and day would be a snes version of dark souls 2 vs the pc version. It has noticeable improvements... in some/most areas, but the overall visual aesthetic is extremely similar/pretty much the same; not 'night and day'. This is surely the best way to play the game, but some people want to believe the console version is primitive in comparison, which is just silly. Just trying to bring things into perspective.

Also, the only huge difference I've noticed is the shiny armor/weapons (which looks really nice). The rest of the improvements seem more like a polish than an overhaul.

The framerate on the PS3 version is rubbish. I'm one of the crazy people who owns both console versions.

The only problem with the PS3 version is the slow load times and menu stalling. The framerate never once dropped below 30 for me. But hey, if solid 60 makes you all happy down there, there ya go. Now you can quit whining.

Also never want to hear Brad say "buttery smooth" again.

At least Brad has the decency to talk to Shalquoir. I love Shalquoir, freaking love Shalquoir. I wanna cuddle with Sweet Shalquoir all day long.

It pleases me greatly that I chose the PC as my gaming platform all those years ago. Now please fix this video so that I can actually watch it. Thanks.

Why would you want the mace ? =o It's just a bad club...

Is it me, or has the video quality gone significantly downhill recently?

Compressing these videos so that it's only about 2GB for an hour of 60fps footage means that everything is just a blurred, smeared mess.

With many of the current gen titles, and everything on PC running at 1080p now, I don't know why we're still getting 720p footage either.

I remember when @vinny used to say that their goal was to provide the best quality video of any gaming site to subscribers, and other than the framerate, I might as well be watching a YouTube video these days.

In fact, when you consider that the YouTube version is 30fps, it's actually higher bit-rate than the subscriber videos now.

Thats what 60 fps always looks like to me (like a dv camera being moved around quickly). So I guess it must be right (or wrong, depending on your perspective).

@fredchuckdave: Ditto here. No video loading.

Is this a AR dark souls thing why i cant play the video ?

I bet me from two weeks into the future is having a blast with this, that bastard :(

So nice

@heatguyj said:

Yah yah, silky smooth!

Click quality before clicking play, change to Progressive; High. Worked for me, but I had to reload when I'd already clicked play and the quality button lost those options.

YMMV

compared to the 7 year old consoles that DS2 is on I am not blown away by the PC version. Sure runs better and loads better but 7 year old consoles duder

Am I the only person who thinks 60 FPS is not necessarily a good thing? I think it can really look awful in games like this and I think 30 FPS looks way better. Is it just me?

Dynamic light source? Dynamic light source. Dynamic light source!!

This is a natural effect when looking at 60 FPS stuff in videos for the first time. Your eyes and your brain simply aren't used to it. Most people got the same effect, for example, when watching The Hobbit in 48 FPS. You also get the same effect if you look at, for example, the 60 FPS Metal Gear Solid 5 trailer. It'll go away after a while.

The PC was the lead development platform, I thought people working in the business having a large interest in the game would know.

Load times are fine on 360...

It's only because you're not used to it. Same with going from a 60hz screen to 120hz or like getting a new pair of glasses.

But isn't that a good thing? I hear a bunch of people who are used to 60 fps puking in their mouths when they see a 30 fps game. Not every game is going to be 60, ever. Some awesome games will only run at 30. Why would I want to get used to 60 or 120 when it's only going to make me think less at these awesome games.

@karkarov:

Its mostly because its recorded 60fps and you are not controlling it.
When playing the difference is even greater and one can really feel and see the improvements with the smoother and quicker controls.

Ne pas marche....

@pyrodactyl:

No joke, i can not play LA Noire because its hard locked to 30fps.

I get nauseus because its like playing a slideshow..so yeah its kind of a bitch in a rare occasion but 99% of the other games i play offer 60fps so its all good in the end.

Direct link to mp4 if the player isn't working

http://v.giantbomb.com/2014/04/08/vf_darksouls2_pc_ql_040714_3500_4000.mp4

I suppose this will be the version the speed runners use, with those load times.

I think crystal lizards are Brad's white whale. He just gets so irrationally angry every time he fucks up at killing them!

Yes.

So many 30FPS plebs in these comments oh god I think I'm going to be sick

This is why I was hoping "next gen" would mean more solid framerates at 1080p rather than pure visual boosts. There's a world of difference in experience just having a smoothly running game - control inputs aren't hampered, and it really is more visually striking just seeing it all run like butter.

And yet we still need to wait another 2 weeks

༼ つ ◕_◕ ༽つ

I actually prefer less than 60 as well. I get motion sick/get a headache from higher fps. You can pleb my butt.

I guess brad needed a hand :D.

p.s. I REGRET NOTHING!!!

Hmm 18 peak players on Steam so far interestingly enough, according to steamcharts. So the phantoms appearing near the bonfire may not be live.

This is also a great demonstration in how much you bone yourself by locking onto your enemies. Vinny has learned the righteous path and spoken the gospel.

Look at around 48-49 minutes in and see how locked on movement works when facing off against a stronger enemy, you can only circle around, go towards or away from the target. Skip the lock on for just one moment, at and behind the enemy attacking it from the back while it recovers from its slow strong attack, you win.

Even better demonstration of how bad it is to want to lock onto a target at all times, the boss encounter in the last few minutes!

The blind leading the blind continues

Congrats you're a horrible human being.

We need slimline, customisable PC's under our TV's, not PS4's.

Bah, yea this wasn't designed for PC first. IF it was they wouldn't be using this terrible console ui for the PC version. There is no reason why PC can't have multiple consumables mapped to like 1-4 for example instead of having to cycle through all your items individually. Shame.

Everyone's just focusing on the graphics which is whatever. It's PC UIs that PC gamers want not PC games with console UIs.

@somejerk: Same was said of Titanfall, which has numerous performance issues on PC. These words are not indicative of quality.

I'm pretty sure the ui limits and such, as not being able to quickly use items as numbered selection would do is a design choice that would be around even if it was PC first.

Looks great nice and smooth, don't think I will bother finishing my PS3 run after seeing this (haven't finished as I got deep in Rocksmith'14 and Diablo 3 expansion).