VIDEO: Dark Souls 2’s next-gen visual upgrades shown off

Bandai Namco has for the first time shown off the visual differences between the upcoming next-gen version of Dark Souls II and its last-gen predecessor.

Chief among the changes is the implementation of 60fps and 1080p. PC players will be used to this, but console gamers will see a big difference. There’s also been a significant visual upgrade. The videos below compare the PS3 game with both the new PS4 version and the current DX9 PC release.

What isn’t shown is the new PC build, based on DX11. Nor does the trailer reveal to what extent the previously cut lighting features have or have not been restored.

In a separate interview, the game’s global producer Atsuo Yoshimura told Gamasutra that the belief that original Dark Souls designer Hidetaka Miyazaki was not involved in the sequel – leading to complaints that it was a ‘B-team’ produced title – are not strictly accurate.

We know that some fans are saying that this is not the real Dark Souls because Miyazaki-san is not involved in the actual development, blah, blah, blah. The answer is – to me, it’s no. It’s sharing the same DNA. It’s from the same franchise,” he said.

And although Miyazaki-san is not the director of the game, his title – when you see it in the credits, his title is ‘supervisor’, but I believe he’s more than that. Because every time we make changes to the game, we always ask him not for his approval, but his comments, and we try to maintain the time the core element, sticking with the original idea that Miyazaki-has come up with, for Dark Souls II.”

An update for existing owners, bringing with it a few tweaks and upgrades. Was released earlier this week. Dark Souls 2: Scholar of the First Sin proper will be released next month.

Here are videos from both IGN and GameSpot: