Why is this game so dark?

[Nihil]

So i get it.
Cyberpunk theme is always about neon lights and 80's-90's imagination of future. Dark future.
But aside the bugs this game has a freeeeaking huge immersion breaking issue.
That you have to choose between:
- Do you want to play a game with graphics and visuals you can see around the internet, as advertised? With shiny lights and goergous sunsets and bright colors?
- Or do you want to actually see anything to be able to play?

You could argue with "just always skip time till it's daytime". But you know, it is called Night City for a reason. Even at daytime many parts of the map are covered under shadow and you can't see anything. Many main missions do take place in basements without a single light bulb shining.

My issue is that if you want to play the game and see where you are going, you need to tune down that pesky brightness slider. But if you do soo till the point you can see anything, the colors are not so bright, not so beautiful, and the whole screen gets this well known white coating.

So independently from my rig capabilities, i have to decide between looks and playability?

[Nihil]

Originally posted by Dr.Abscondus:

Originally posted by H.honor:

I hate it when you crouch and ♥♥♥♥ gets dark for no reason

It does that because the game is indicating that you're in stealth mode and can't be seen.

Well you know that you are not visible anyway by crouching. And that you are not detected by anyone :)

[Nihil]

Originally posted by Spirit:

Originally posted by Nihilus:

as I said....it is independent of day and night cycle. If you stay in the inner city, it has many many places which are underground and/or not touched by sunlight. Maybe your eyes got used to it. Just as mine. But in the end, whenever i see a screenshot on the internet about people bragging how beautiful this game looks, i instantly see the trick in the picture.

Maybe screenshot some of the areas youre referring to? There are definitely some black areas with little to no lightning and you have to use your scanner to find a light source - but its nowhere near as pervasive as you've described. Seems pretty subjective.

Now i have found a nice spot to demonstrate.

This is with 1.09 gamma
https://i.imgur.com/fp3wU9f.png

This is with 0,75 gamma
https://i.imgur.com/TOheYB8.png

This is the 0,75 gamma in the menu and how you can see that even with this setting, the colors are not that bright anymore
https://i.imgur.com/GOb9PiO.png

You see even the sample picture is visible as hell (as written, should be BARELY visible) but the place were i'm currently is still dark as hell. No lights nothing.
And if i go outside with a 0,75 gamma, the whole world looks like sh***t

[TSE Imperator]

Originally posted by Nihilus:

You see even the sample picture is visible as hell (as written, should be BARELY visible) but the place were i'm currently is still dark as hell. No lights nothing.
And if i go outside with a 0,75 gamma, the whole world looks like sh***t

Yeah dang that is dark. I don't remember that scene being so pitch black when I was there.
Weird. Wonder why they don't give us a stealth sacrificing flashlight.

[Nihil]

Originally posted by Spirit:

Originally posted by Nihilus:

You see even the sample picture is visible as hell (as written, should be BARELY visible) but the place were i'm currently is still dark as hell. No lights nothing.
And if i go outside with a 0,75 gamma, the whole world looks like sh***t

Yeah dang that is dark. I don't remember that scene being so pitch black when I was there.
Weird. Wonder why they don't give us a stealth sacrificing flashlight.

Yeah or at least a nightvision cyberware? I mean...it is usually basic stuff in these kind of games.

[TheBonfire]

HDR helps. I finally got it calibrated at 1.55 tone mapping and 817 peak brightness. Looks phenomenal. No blowouts, no dark issues.

This game has one of the best HDR implementations (once calibrated). Sadly SDR is really squashed (bad tone mapping) in this game.

[Skeletor]

Change brightness, disable film grain

[SvartSol]

Find an ICC profile for your monitor, OP. Google the make/model# + ICC profile.

Try here [www.tftcentral.co.uk]

[water is not ice]

I play with Nvidias color control turned up to full saturation - 100. Really helps. Then turn gamma up. I feel like most games these days have a really washed out color palette

[Nihil]

Originally posted by Skeletor:

Change brightness, disable film grain :papyrus:

Already tried, and film grain is always the 1st thing i desable (don't even get it why they always force it on games) But thx anyway :)

[Nihil]

Originally posted by SvartSol:

Find an ICC profile for your monitor, OP. Google the make/model# + ICC profile.

Try here [www.tftcentral.co.uk]

thx will try

[Justice]

Disagree game is not dark as you describe. Quite the opposite sometimes the sun is shining so bright I can't see anything.

[Nihil]

Originally posted by Nihilus:

Originally posted by SvartSol:

Find an ICC profile for your monitor, OP. Google the make/model# + ICC profile.

Try here [www.tftcentral.co.uk]

thx will try

i didn't described....i showed.

But thanks for your valuable feedback :D

[Doom]

Originally posted by Nihilus:

So i get it.
Cyberpunk theme is always about neon lights and 80's-90's imagination of future. Dark future.
But aside the bugs this game has a freeeeaking huge immersion breaking issue.
That you have to choose between:
- Do you want to play a game with graphics and visuals you can see around the internet, as advertised? With shiny lights and goergous sunsets and bright colors?
- Or do you want to actually see anything to be able to play?

Some LCD panels have issues with "Crushed blacks", usually that affects IPS monitors. That might be what you're experiencing. i'd recommend to try adjusting gamma till you see something or test if your monitor has this issue.

[niconico]

Originally posted by TheBonfire:

HDR helps. I finally got it calibrated at 1.55 tone mapping and 817 peak brightness. Looks phenomenal. No blowouts, no dark issues.

This game has one of the best HDR implementations (once calibrated). Sadly SDR is really squashed (bad tone mapping) in this game.

+1 :)

[Blitz4]

It's painful. It's like I need an eye implant irl to make the game brighter. It's too bright in the sun and out of the sun it's too dark.

What setting do I change to make that contrast not that great. Even if I turn the gamma up/down in game, the colors out of the sun are washed out.

The game is fine. But in combat. The difference between light and dark is too great. It's not realistic.