How does the Arkham City remaster stack up against original PC release on max settings?
The comparison PC gamers have been asking for since the Return to Arkham collection was announced.
Batman: Return to Arkham isn't being released on PC, which lead many to believe the remaster is just bringing new consoles in-line with what's been already available on PC since the original games' release.
To find out just how much of an upgrade it is, Digital Foundry put the original PC version of Arkham City side-by-side with the remaster. The PC version is running max settings, and aside from frame-rate, there are a couple of graphical differences.
The remasters are running on Unreal Engine 4, as opposed to Unreal 3 used in the PC version. In terms of character models, there are a few upgrades here in there, but like the video suggests, not everyone is going to like the end result.
There some improvements in lighting, too, with better skin shading applied to major characters that makes faces look more nuanced. Materials have been upgraded, too, clearly visible on outfits and clothes, but even then, not all materials look better.
World reflections appear more prominently in the remaster, most notably in the rain drenched streets. In some cases, such as the scene at the start of the game, the change in colour grading makes the remaster look inferior, thanks to missing lighting effects.
Many other parts of the game are compared, but overall it's not a clear cut. You can watch the video above.