Witcher 3 - Review Roundup # 1

kopija said:
This PC "downgrading" talk confuses me.
Should not the console versions be downgraded since they have inferior hardware compared to "recomended" PC sysreq?
Their HW is basically close to minimum PC sysreq.
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The line of argumentation goes like this:
Creating assets is fucking expensive. Making two sets of assets (consoles and HQ on PC) or even 3 (XBOne is a bit slower than the PS4) is not feasible due to budget restrictions, etc. So they'll only deliver the lowest common denominator, which is XBOne graphics. The other platforms get higher resolutions and higher frame rate.

Gamestar for example wrote that the PC version usually runs on 60 fps @1080p on a modern PC. The console versions run at 30 fps.
 
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Gorath said:
The line of argumentation goes like this:
Creating assets is fucking expensive. Making two sets of assets (consoles and HQ on PC) or even 3 (XBOne is a bit slower than the PS4) is not feasible due to budget restrictions, etc. So they'll only deliver the lowest common denominator, which is XBOne graphics. The other platforms get higher resolutions and higher frame rate.
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Also not just the assets. At certain point, the decision is taken on limitations of lighting, effects, foliage, shaders, etc, and the whole game is made to look good based on those parameters. They would have to make not just two sets of models, but assemble and tweak the whole game twice. WOuld be a nightmare.

There are maybe some good effects that could make a big improvement that could be switched on without much difficulty.
 
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Gorath said:
The line of argumentation goes like this:
Creating assets is fucking expensive. Making two sets of assets (consoles and HQ on PC) or even 3 (XBOne is a bit slower than the PS4) is not feasible due to budget restrictions, etc. So they'll only deliver the lowest common denominator, which is XBOne graphics. The other platforms get higher resolutions and higher frame rate.

Gamestar for example wrote that the PC version usually runs on 60 fps @1080p on a modern PC. The console versions run at 30 fps.
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From their managing director;

"Are all the textures and models the same?
Yes, there is only one version, otherwise we wouldn’t be able to make the game in time. We would have to take it all apart, and then build it and test it on three different platforms at the same time, which is impossible to do. Therefore, we have one common basis, and then transfer it to other platforms.
We manage it differently on platforms with less memory. Less complex models are loaded; it all depends on what is going on on the screen at the moment. To sum up, there are only a few differences between PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. They are not aimed at changing the configuration; instead their purpose is to solve certain problems."
 
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Great statement, now do they use or not Wolfenstein can_go_12K (j/k) textures? Or ZX Spectrum textures are being upscaled?
Not answered.
 
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I think at this point, it's very tricky for CDPR, because they have a sort of obligation to deliver an equal product across all platforms. At least, that what it seems like going from the comments that have been quoted from them.

So, having the PC able to look 100x better than the consoles for this particular game, would open a whole new can of worms, from both Sony, Microsoft and the console gamers themselves.

I hope that CDPR releases a free DLC to upgrade the visuals for PC users, or perhaps the Ultra settings really are ultra on PCs, but it seems that they're in a bit of a bind at this moment to do anything.
 
Fluent said:
So, having the PC able to look 100x better than the consoles for this particular game, would open a whole new can of worms, from both Sony, Microsoft and the console gamers themselves.
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Basically you're saying PC audience should suffer because of pathetic hardware that's not PC?

Great logic. Next thing at the market - noone's buying new CPUs nor GPUs - why would they when the software can run on 5 years old machines and there is no sound/graphics/performance gain on new ones!

All consoles are good for is killing technological advancements.
 
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There is another thread about graphics in TW3. Can we keep this one just for reviews?
 
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joxer said:
Great statement, now do they use or not Wolfenstein can_go_12K (j/k) textures? Or ZX Spectrum textures are being upscaled?
Not answered.
Click to expand...

This just in: latest The Witcher 3 gameplay screenshot shows obvious downgrade!!! :biggrin:
 

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Just read the Guardian review and it seems to confirm that CDPR have been having issues with the underlying graphics engine:

But there are problems too. Battles have neither heft nor grace and, often, the game groans under the weight of its technological ambition (its world is, supposedly, twenty per cent larger than rival, Skyrim). Textures pop in and the frame-rate drops agonisingly. One intermittent bug sends your horse flying into the air. Dismount while hovering, and you can fall to your death. These shortfalls may be addressed post-release (and the game, arguably, is no less stable than the bug-rich world of launch-era Skyrim), but for now they slightly dampen its brilliance, even if they cannot quite spoil the sheen of its unrivalled cinematic storytelling.
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They still give it 5/5 though...
 
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Thaurin said:
This just in: latest The Witcher 3 gameplay screenshot shows obvious downgrade!!! :biggrin:
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Hah, that might end up being made real by a mod at some point. Reminds me of the "ultra-low" settings tweak/mods for Skyrim that let you run it on some extremely low end (well below min spec) systems - even some "netbooks."
 
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joxer said:
Basically you're saying PC audience should suffer because of pathetic hardware that's not PC?

Great logic. Next thing at the market - noone's buying new CPUs nor GPUs - why would they when the software can run on 5 years old machines and there is no sound/graphics/performance gain on new ones!

All consoles are good for is killing technological advancements.
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joxer, If you took the time to actually comprehend my post, you would realize that it's not MY logic here. I'm simply taking a guess based on what CDPR said in a quote as to why the graphics are the same for all systems.

That doesn't mean I agree with it. I hope I'm wrong and CDPR releases an Ultra Settings DLC for free for all PC users. We'll just have to see how it plays out.
 
Do you really?
I don't want DLC! I don't want season passes and other modern crapware and bloatware.

Make a game, pack and patch it up, set a price, sell it to me then leave me alone and go making another (full) game.
 
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joxer said:
Great logic. Next thing at the market - noone's buying new CPUs nor GPUs - why would they when the software can run on 5 years old machines and there is no sound/graphics/performance gain on new ones!
Click to expand...

That is what happened on the last console generation. I kept the same PC for many years because the consoles kept everything within that limit. Probably some people are pleased for that. I prefer to face upgrades and push gaming forward like in the old days.
 
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Thaurin said:
This just in: latest The Witcher 3 gameplay screenshot shows obvious downgrade!!! :biggrin:
Click to expand...

I have to say, a beautiful pixel art version of that scene would be interesting to see, and could be quite nice looking in its own way. =)
 
Vickery said:
Just read the Guardian review and it seems to confirm that CDPR have been having issues with the underlying graphics engine:

...

They still give it 5/5 though…
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Not a surprise. That's the attitude that gave super-buggy FO3 and Skyrim such sky-high reviews. That spin tends to benefit big developers and isn't generally offered to indies, so I guess this is a sign (for better or worse) that CDPR has "arrived".
 
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I never trust any review if the title isn't yet available to consumers ;) Especially perfect score reviews.
 
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And I hope that TW3 will be great but even I don't trust 10/10 or 5/5 scores!
 
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Hopefully it's fantastic but perfect?
 
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