'Dark Souls II' Graphics Downgrade Angers Gamers, Developer Responds [VIDEO]

Action RPG “Dark Souls II” was unplayable on consoles before its graphic downgrade, Forbes reported Thursday.

Interestingly enough, the 2014 title has both angered players and received positive reviews. Though the gameplay and plot are widely considered phenomenal, many users are upset over the vast difference between the actual game’s graphics and the appearance of “Dark Souls II” in preview trailers. Following gamer outrage on NeoGAF last week, players launched an online campaign targeting Namco Bandai’s U.S. and UK offices, alleging the preview footage displayed a much better game.

Pre-launch trailers of the title showed the game as more visually stunning, with crystal-clear graphics and a vivid color scheme. Though the actual version of the game still looks great, it’s not on par with the launch trailers. Check out the gameplay and launch trailers below and see for yourself.

On Wednesday, Tokyo-based From Software responded to player criticism. "Throughout the game development process, a game is constantly being balanced not only in game playability, but also in the realm of resource management,” From told MCV.

“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.”

Still, is it not misleading for a developer to show a better version of the game in trailers, while launching a downgraded version, without giving buyers a heads-up?

From Software’s “Dark Souls II” launched in North America on March 11 for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 and on March 13 in Japan. The follow-up to 2011’s “Dark Souls,” “Dark Souls II” has received critical acclaim, scoring a 92/100 on Metacritic and a 9/10 on IGN. “’Dark Souls II’ is a smart, massive, and incredibly rewarding sequel. It’s crammed with deep systems, tense encounters, and enough clever multiplayer and New Game Plus elements to make me want to restart the second I saw the end credits,” said IGN on March 10. “Not all of the tweaks and additions worked out for the best; the penalty for dying made the game almost unplayable, but with such great enemies and levels to fight and explore, Dark Souls II made 60 hours of pain and agony so much fun they flew by in a heartbeat.”

Polygon also praised the game, saying “’Dark Souls 2’ is unflinchingly ambitious in a way that few games are. Yes, the world is massive; yes, there are far more bosses than the last game; yes, I've spent dozens of hours playing, and I'm sure I still haven't seen close to everything. But where other open-world RPGs use that overwhelming size as an invitation to lose yourself in their world, with ‘Dark Souls 2’ it's a threat.”

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