[DISCUSSION] Witcher 3 Screenshots and Artwork

[Jeeers]

Some PS4 beauty shots (not mine):

Bye bye semivolumetric clouds! This looks like some photoshop layer effect (Bevel/Emboss) , like the same principle (lightin filter) is used on W3 clouds. It is a flat texture (with alpha chanel) I guess, but with some "filter algorithms". I can be wrong anyway.
Not that I am complaining about clouds - far from it - I don't know any other game that has such weather effects.

 

[sviru]

Bye bye semivolumetric clouds! This looks like some photoshop layer effect (Bevel/Emboss) , like the same principle (lightin filter) is used on W3 clouds. It is a flat texture (with alpha chanel) I guess, but with some "filter algorithms". I can be wrong anyway.
Not that I am complaining about clouds - far from it - I don't know any other game that has such weather effects.

It looks horrible in comparison to the 2013... i wonder if the 2013 footage was prerendered... postprocessed... it probably was

 

[NucelarGen]

 

[Firecracker22]

Looks damn good. Can't wait see it firsthand on my PS4.

 

[sfaselin]

I can only agree with you When I saw the video today I thought - what a beautiful, nongeneric and distinctive character model!! Beautiful nose

I think she gets set on fire with a dead guy on a boat viking burial style on one of the trailers

 

[iz.podpolja]

"Obvious bad journalism" rather - those are PC vs PS4 comparisons )))

 

[Firecracker22]

"Obvious bad journalism" rather - those are PC vs PS4 comparisons )))

Videogame journalism is a funny concept. The term journalism has no place near videogames. The idea of it is just hilarious to me.

 

[Meretrelle]

Wtf happened here?

BEFORE:
http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1525/15257558/2504401-6535952199-ip9VU.gif
AFTER
http://i.imgur.com/cWf3DID.png

So, this is "optimization" and 'parity"? ROFL

 

[JackalJ]

How can people not like that scenery and sky? It beautifull. If CDPR never showed those early screenshots of what they had, in mind, back then. No one would complain. Honestly I think we should be glad we got such a good looking Open World game without that many loading screens.
I don't think the Umbra/streaming system is that advanced or capable yet to deliver us the graphics we saw back with the first screenshots/trailer.

 

[iz.podpolja]

Videogame journalism is a funny concept. The term journalism has no place near videogames. The idea of it is just hilarious to me.

Well... one can say as much about any reporting on cultural phenomena: especially cinema, theatre and visual arts in general. Journalism or no - factual accuracy is always appreciated though.

 

[Firecracker22]

Well... one can say as much about any reporting on cultural phenomena: especially cinema, theatre and visual arts in general. Journalism or no - factual accuracy is always appreciated though.

I agree. Videogames, Art, Movies, books, etc. are in the same boat. There's no journalism to be had there. There is press, however. Journalism is a fallacy when it's all about entertainment. Factual accuracy is important, but too many times that's confused with opinions and taste. Journalism is the wrong term, I think.

Journalism is about finding the truth at the heart of important issues, things that affect lives, society, economics, and governments.

Videogames, like movies, music, tv shows, and books...aren't anywhere near as important as real issues that journalism is all about. Covering entertainment just isn't on the same level. Games press, is probably the better term. Games journalist makes them sound like they're capable of being Walter Cronkite. So much of it comes down to opinions.

 

[MisterGibson]

After looking at the comparison pictures I think I've found out the main reason behind the downgraded look : parallax (or something similar). Here is an example of what it does :

Spoiler

As you can see it turns a flat texture into something awesome. How do you do that ? Well from my experience it's just a complementary file that comes with the texture and which creates that effect (further explanation : the mesh links to that "parallax" file). So it would be 100% consistent with CDPR announcement that textures are identical to all platforms because parallax is just an additional layer that you can include or not (I'd guess consoles don't have that particular parallax file).

Now give a quick look at this, especially the building on the right, and you'll see that the main difference is texture depth : http://polygamia.pl/Polygamia/51,96455,17905381.html?i=3
On the above picture you can see depth, the building looks awesome and real. On the lower picture the textures are identical but it looks flat and "gamey".

Same goes for the wall on the left here : http://polygamia.pl/Polygamia/51,96455,17905381.html?i=1

If you multiply that parallax effect with all the textures ingame you can have a quite different experience. Of course the lighting is also different and might not be to everybody's taste but that's easily fixable with sweet fx.

Now I'm not sure it's an explanation for grass too but at least it can probably put some light on a few things and the overall downgraded aspect.

And as a final point, a lot of cool effects like volumetric clouds, fire smoke or animal furs come from nvidia (see this : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SpPqXdzl7g) so it would explain why it's not on the latest trailers : 1st because consoles are on amd hardware (not nvidia), and 2nd because they want to show the game as it will be played by the majority (parity thing).
Call me an optimistic but overall I believe the vgx trailer look will be mostly achievable, with a few downs here and there probably.

 

[iz.podpolja]

Videogames, like movies, music, tv shows, and books...aren't anywhere near as important as real issues that journalism is all about. Covering entertainment just isn't on the same level. Games press, is probably the better term. Games journalist makes them sound like they're capable of being Walter Cronkite. So much of it comes down to opinions.

Agreed, with one remark: the difference to me lies more in the method than in the topic: ie journalism is about giving voice to various opinions and sides with a commentary (grately simplifying obviously) and reviewing is well about voicing your own opinion. The weight of the topic is a somewhat murky issue: you can afrer all treat gaming as a social phenomenon, and a part of a substantial industry and as such utilise the same tools journalism does. Anyway that is way off the topic of this thread

 

[savioeven]

Finally an Elf women that looks like francesca findabair ( a beautiful elven prostitute. ) . I am seriously going to lose all my orens.

Spoiler

here is the link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9uSJifYtuI

 

[Riven-Twain]

This is a teaser for the first extension of the game, isn't it ?

If, by 'extension', you mean the first DLCs, then, yes, it is.

 

[RedFire01]

Finally an Elf women that looks like francesca findabair

She doesn't look anything like Francesca Findabair.

 

[EKreuz]

And as a final point, a lot of cool effects like volumetric clouds, fire smoke or animal furs come from nvidia (see this : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SpPqXdzl7g) so it would explain why it's not on the latest trailers : 1st because consoles are on amd hardware (not nvidia), and 2nd because they want to show the game as it will be played by the majority (parity thing).
Call me an optimistic but overall I believe the vgx trailer look will be mostly achievable, with a few downs here and there probably.

I really, really hope you are right, but I doubt it. Excellent post in any event!

Some PS4 beauty shots of Kaer Mohren. Very flat, very unimpressive. :-

Spoiler

Spoiler

 

[Klavi]

We haven't seen a lot of him, but I'm glad that our favorite dwarf didn't lose his touch, at least. Even if he looks like he's tired of adventuring.

Spoiler

 

[delicieuxz]

Is there a screenshot of the Witcher 3 upgrade tree?

 

[Vigilance.492]