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Due out on April 7th, Dark Souls 2 makes its PlayStation 4 and Xbox One debut with Scholar of the First Sin - a new edition that tweaks enemy positions, adds a new thread to its story, and ties together all updates and DLC chapters released so far. Part remix, part remaster, both platforms also boost its visuals and frame-rate to a level we haven't seen before on console. We can expect texture updates and a bump to 1080p of course - but comparisons with last-gen also show some surprising twists elsewhere.For this analysis we're looking at the gold master PS4 code, letting us form a clear impression of the end product ahead of its release, though the obligatory day one patch could perhaps see minor improvements at launch (with our menu reading version 1.00, calibrations 2.00). Early access at this stage comes with some caveats that fall into line with Bandai Namco's marketing strategy for the title - specifically that we focus on the Forest of Fallen Giants area for now, though it's fair to say it's a sizeable chunk of the game that gives the engine a firm workout.
The early sentiment is this: Dark Souls 2 on PS4 is not entirely flawless in its delivery, but nevertheless, it is the best-looking incarnation of the game to date. A pixel count shows up a perfect 1920x1080 resolution, something we also hope to verify on Xbox One on launch. That's also backed by post-process anti-aliasing that matches the FXAA technique seen on the existing PC release. Compared to last-gen standard, the upgrade in clarity from 720p is considerable.
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