Shadow Warrior 2 Developer Comments on PC Visuals and DRM

The original Shadow Warrior is an iconic PC game which followed the crazy antics of Lo Wang, a bodyguard for Zilla Enterprises. Some time ago, the developer Flying Wild Hog revisited the title and released a sequel which beautifully honoured the original game’s chaotic combat and humorous tone. Thankfully, this was a successful project and the developer isn’t too far away from unveiling Shadow Warrior 2. Even though they’re a PC focused developer and known for creating visual masterpieces like Hard Reset, consumers are suspicious due to the actions of other major studios. Recently, Flying Wild Hog were asked to clarify if the final version would look identical to the pre-release footage. The developer “KriS” explained:

“It’s not downgraded. Actually, we added tons of new GFX features and content. For example, we have added volumetric fog and light shafts (from Pax East 2016), we added real-time reflections (from Quacon/Gamescom 2016), enabled real-time shadows for a lot of lights (from Quacon/Gamescom 2016)…”

This is fantastic news and alleviates some people’s concerns regarding the game’s graphics. Additionally, I have to commend the developer for communicating in such a transparent manner and looking after their customers. On another note, the studio was asked about DRM and if any kind of additional layer would be enforced as a way of reducing piracy. KriS added:

“We don’t support piracy, but currently there isn’t a good way to stop it without hurting our customers. Denuvo means we would have to spend money for making a worse version for our legit customers. It’s like this FBI warning screen on legit movies.”

Honestly, it’s so refreshing to see a developer adopting such a mature and honest attitude. Denuvo may make pirated versions harder to create, but the DRM has finally been cracked and it really impacts on the legitimate customer’s experience. Flying Wild Hog acknowledge this very important fact and understand that hefty DRM is not the answer. The best way to kerb piracy is to provide other benefits such as achievements and collectable trading cards. If you wish to support a company who genuinely cares about the PC, I’d recommend giving Flying Wild Hog some attention.