KCD1 graphics and KCD2 graphics

[Adahn]

Hey ! Don't wanna be a boomer here, I have more than 200 hours on KCD1 and i'm very excited for KCD2.

But i wanted to see if someone thought the same : i kinda feel like the KCD2 graphics are more "gamish" as in one of the things that got my total attention in KCD1 was how realistic lightning and field of view is.

Of what i watched in KCD2, trees and lightening got a bit more "video game stylished" or is it me ? Even Henry face got this (to me). I loved that KCD1 felt RAW and NATURALISTIC, feels like KCD2 now has an ART DIRECTION somehow

I really don't mind if youre not agreeing with this, i'm almost looking for someone who can make me think otherwise !

[Mars Cariocecus]

I've watched Cohh stream last night and the graphics looked great, In my opinion an improvement over KCD1.

[brisket]

Originally posted by OBliQ:

Hey ! Don't wanna be a boomer here, I have more than 200 hours on KCD1 and i'm very excited for KCD2.

But i wanted to see if someone thought the same : i kinda feel like the KCD2 graphics are more "gamish" as in one of the things that got my total attention in KCD1 was how realistic lightning and field of view is.

Of what i watched in KCD2, trees and lightening got a bit more "video game stylished" or is it me ? Even Henry face got this (to me). I loved that KCD1 felt RAW and NATURALISTIC, feels like KCD2 now has an ART DIRECTION somehow

I really don't mind if youre not agreeing with this, i'm almost looking for someone who can make me think otherwise !

from what i've seen they look the same, obviously KCD2 looks a bit better but overall i don't think they changed much. tbf, there's not a reason to. cryengine has always looked good. it's just a matter of getting it to *work.*

[Adahn]

I'm not saying they look good or bad, i'm saying i can tell from KCD2 screenshots that its a videogame (really nice videogame) while kcd1 gets me somehow a bit more confused wheter its reallife or video game.

Here's a comparison.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXZrysYwoMA

[Strack Chen]

Yes, I understand what you mean. The visual and lighting style of KCD1 is very realistic, especially when walking through the forest—screenshots are almost photorealistic. In contrast, KCD2 looks more like a game—higher saturation, more vibrant colors, and a texture that feels more like an oil painting, somewhat similar to parts of RDR2 and The Witcher 3 in terms of color grading.

KCD2 has indeed made significant improvements in lighting and graft technology compared to the first game, but its“ color style” seems to have taken a different direction. The first game was clearly aiming for full realism, while the second one gives off the vibe of a mainstream AAA game. I'm not saying this is bad, but for a game with a realism-focused approach, I personally still prefer KCD1. After all, this isn’t a DnD world but a historical period that actually existed.

That said, it seems like very few people share our perspective. Hopefully, in the future, an ENB mod can bring back a look closer to the first game.

[Strack Chen]

I used to work in the visual rendering industry for a while. When my clients wanted to showcase complete realism, I would create a visual style similar to KCD1—cooler tones, realistic lighting, and minimal use of visual overlays. But when my clients wanted things to be more dramatic, I would do color grading, adjusting the visuals on top of the baseline.

I wouldn’t say this kind of color grading is good or bad—everyone has different needs. But KCD1 is that baseline, you know what I mean.

Of course, this might also have something to do with the engine KCD1 used. I know the first game was built on CryEngine, which excels at creating a realistic visual style (sometimes even better than ray tracing). It naturally enhances realism in ways that many other engines struggle to replicate. I’m not sure what engine KCD2 is using, though.

[Yuri]

KCD1 probably uses earlier version of cry engine.

Got excellent fps on my old rig on low settings. While KCD2 often got mediocre to low fps on same low settings.

So probably engine got more complicated in 7 years lol :)

[Skvor]

So what are your thoughts now?
Both games have a pretty wide range of lighting conditions. KCD2 has more variations and uses volumetric clouds and fog to set them apart even further. It has a wide range of rainy, cloudy, and overcast profiles so it is not always the nice postcard sunset as seen in trailers.
It is hard to get a direct comparison of the two games with equivalent scenarios. Yet, once you spend enough time and witness enough weather profiles, you will get the idea.

The art direction was probably the same. Stay as close to reality as you can.

I would agree that KCD1 has slightly more uniform textures in some areas and the lighting feels softer. I also feel that KCD2 got bolder and tries to capture the distinct character of all the light and weather conditions, whether it is a golden hour or bleak overcast noon. The greens in nature may look off at times, but so they did in the first game. Grass especially. Nature in reality looks completely different depending on the sun's position, sky color, or in shadow. It's hard to get right. but oh it's so vibrant.

[dimmsmile]

For me KCD1 looks more realistic and natural. KCD2 graphics more "plastic" and less serios with taste of unicorn (more saturated colors). 1 vs 2 = people vs plastic dolls :D

[corthew]

Originally posted by Adahn:

Hey ! Don't wanna be a boomer here, I have more than 200 hours on KCD1 and i'm very excited for KCD2.

But i wanted to see if someone thought the same : i kinda feel like the KCD2 graphics are more "gamish" as in one of the things that got my total attention in KCD1 was how realistic lightning and field of view is.

Of what i watched in KCD2, trees and lightening got a bit more "video game stylished" or is it me ? Even Henry face got this (to me). I loved that KCD1 felt RAW and NATURALISTIC, feels like KCD2 now has an ART DIRECTION somehow

I really don't mind if youre not agreeing with this, i'm almost looking for someone who can make me think otherwise !

Your settings for the game have a bit to do with it. I personally found that High looks better than Ultra in some respects. But each level you raise to adds a layer to the previous. If you have a decent system the game may have defaulted to ultra. Try lowering it a bit and see how that looks to you. ;)