It seems that the issue of "downgrading" graphics will always bother some gamers. Moreover, indignation is caused not only by the obvious discrepancy between the release version and early trailers, as, for example, in Crackdown 3, but also by subtle, unobtrusive deterioration. For example, this week players made a fuss on Reddit because of the faded image of Red Dead Redemption 2, although, as it turned out, Rockstar Games made the corresponding changes back in the fall.
The deterioration was indicated by a Twitter user under the nickname Darealbandicoot. He posted screenshots of the same scene taken in different versions of the game - 1.00 and 1.06 (the latest). As you can see, in the image on the right, the shadows aren't as deep, the dark colors are less saturated, and overall it doesn't look as contrasty. This is because the developers turned off ambient occlusion, a realistic lighting technique that changes the intensity of light depending on whether the rays intersect with other objects. For clarity, users have made a GIF file with these pictures.
Darealbandicoot later posted several more pairs of screenshots, one of which was from version 1.03. It is easy to notice the absence of some shadows and the general pallor of the picture. The players concluded that the graphics were worsened even before the release of the last patch.
A Reddit user under the pseudonym gmdagdbc drew attention to the fact that they started talking about the downgrade in early December. Even then, the players published comparison shots on the GTA Forums (on several, because of the disappeared shadow, it seems as if the tram is floating in the air). Thus, they agreed that patch 1.03, released on November 27 (a month after the premiere), is to blame for everything. It brought support for Red Dead Online and, according to the developers, improved performance and overall stability, as well as fixed many bugs. Some, however, then complained that in the "vanilla" version of the download is faster, and the change of weather is not so fast.
The players did not find any mention of a change in the lighting system in the notes for the latest update. DualShockers contributor Lou Contaldi suggested that the changes could be due to the difference in time of day and weather conditions, but gamers continue to blame updates. Some have suggested turning off internet access, reinstalling the game from disc, and turning off patch downloads (this applies to both PlayStation 4 and Xbox One).
Meanwhile, beta testing of Red Dead Online continues, which, according to the head of Take-Two Interactive Strauss Zelnick (Strauss Zelnick), started even better than Grand Theft Auto Online in terms of user engagement. The online component receives regular updates, with the latest adding new costumes and accessories that will be available for a limited time, and the Spoils of War competitive mode. There is no word on a full release date.
Source: 3dnews.ru