Many developers have received the wrath from fans due to the ‘Ubisoft Downgrades’ in video games. The video games’ final product doesn’t exactly look polished as compared to the gameplay videos released by the developers. The ‘Ubisoft Montreal’ and ‘From Software’ are some of the gaming software facing downgrades’ issues.
What are Ubisoft Downgrades?
Ubisoft has been targeted for graphically downgrading the games. This means that some of their final video games do not exactly look as good as the company’s gameplay videos.
In 2012 at its E3 press conference, Ubisoft had managed to hold many gamers’ attention for the visual work of the first hacking-centric open-world third-person shooter game. However, in May 2014, when the game was released for PC, PlayStation 4, and XboxOne, the players were disappointed because the game was not as good-looking and graphically impressive as promised.
Top 5 Games that witnessed Ubisoft Downgrades
Here is the list of the top five games that Ubisoft downgraded.
1. Watch Dogs
This series of action-adventure games developed and published by Ubisoft has been targeted the most for downgrading the games. The first game Watch Dogs released in 2014, was the most awaited one. Ubisoft released the early footage of the gameplay in 2012. It was shown off at E3 2012, a year and a half before it was officially released. The video had outstanding graphics and lighting effects which were clearly missed by the final game.
The trailer demonstrated a new level of open-world gameplay. It showed a stunning simulation of Chicago; however, most of the graphical effects did not make it to the final game. Due to the bending of trees due to randomized weather, shadows cast by the trees not matched with the sun’s position are some of the few minor but essential details that Ubisoft missed out on in the final game. The light effects were clearly missing.
The above Ubisoft Downgrades were blamed upon the hardware. Unfortunately, this also affected the PC release. Even the highest settings on the PC couldn’t stand up to the E3 2012 video. If the PlayStation or Xbox Versions were not ready to debut the game’s graphics, Ubisoft could have delayed the release date of the Watch Dogs instead of disappointing the fans.
2. The Division
The action-adventure game published by Ubisoft in 2016 also seems to have been graphically downgraded. The first trailer of the Divison came out at E3 in 2014. The gameplay video was a spectacular example of future graphics. It had some fantastic dynamic scenes with snow that melted over time and particle and weather effects. Characters were full of Polygons, and textures were sharp. However, the final game doesn’t have the sharp graphics promised by the trailer.
The car damage and weather effects are pulled down in the final game. The feeling of New York City on the brink of collapse was missing. The snow effects have also been toned down, and for example, the snow doesn’t accumulate on clothes like it did in the initial video release.
However, the lightning technology and global illumination look incredible, better than the trailer, too. Even though the game is a bit graphically Ubisoft Downgrades, it still looks pretty impressive.
3. Rainbow Six Siege
This online tactical shooter video game developed by Ubisoft Montreal was released worldwide on December 1, 2015. The gameplay video was released in 2014, which grabbed the attention of many gamers. It laid its emphasis on real-time environmental destruction. Lightning and reflection, even in the nighttime, were excellent. However, these effects did not make it to the final game leading to another classical Ubisoft Downgrades. They were significantly toned down, including the hostages’ look.
However, the environmental destruction was on point from a gameplay perspective.
4. Far Cry 3
Far Cry 3, a first-person shooter developed by Ubisoft, was released in 2012. The gameplay video was released in June 2011 at E3 2011. The gameplay video had covered all details in the background, including the underwater scene, which was quite impressive. However, these minor details are not visible in the final game. The trailer promised excellent animation and detailed background, which were missing in the final game.
However, Compared to other games, Far Cry 3’s Ubisoft Downgrades were negligible. They did provide an awesome storyline with good graphics back in 2012.
5. Far Cry 4
Developed and released by Ubisoft in 2014, Far Cry 4 was the successor of Far Cry 3. The trailer was released a year prior to the release. The trailer had minor details like the dust blowing due to strong winds, elephants in the water, or objects vehicles in which the characters could fit into. However, these details were absent in the Final game as Ubisoft Downgrades placed on it.
Related Questions
What are the reasons for Ubisoft Downgrades?
Console limitations: Given Ubisoft Montreal’s senior producer of Watch Dog 2, the downgrade happened due to unfinished console hardware. In his words, “One thing to remember is that the first showing of Watch Dogs came in summer 2012 before anyone knew what the Next Gen of consoles and hardware would be. We did our best at the time to predict what that would be and always were forward that this first showing was running on a very powerful PC.”
What is E3, and why do games look better in it?
E3 is short for Electronic Entertainment Expo. E3 is a trade event for the video game industry. The Developers, publishers, have an opportunity to advertise their upcoming games to the press. All gameplay videos are released at E3 versions as their graphic quality is excellent. However, most of the computers are not able to display the games in such high-quality graphics. Thus, most gamers are not able to enjoy such video games.
See Also
- Sony removes Cyberpunk 2077 from PlayStation Store!
- Red Dead Redemption 2 vs. GTA 5: Which is the Best Open World Game?
References
- The Guardian. Mistakes from Watch Dogs. TheGuardian.com. Published 6 July 2015.
- Cinema Blend. Ubisoft response to Watch Dogs Downgrade. CinemaBlend.com. Published 7 March 2014.
