DirectX 11 high-end GPUs used to good effect

BioWare reveals Dragon Age II PC exclusive visuals

Dragon Age II developer BioWare discussed graphics technology improvements to the RPG sequel which will be exclusively available on the PC platform.

With the release of latest RPG blockbuster due tomorrow in the US and Friday in Europe, developer BioWare has posted a two-part series of updates on the technology of Dragon Age II.

The first post discussed general lighting and character rendering technology which represent "base improvements to the engine" which will appear in all versions of the game, including on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 consoles.

However the second post explains a raft of improvements due exclusively on the PC platform thanks to the DirectX 11 API in Windows and higher end GPUs.

One of the major goals of the team was to make the game look great on all platforms. Having accomplished that, we started researching what additional features we can offer to our users that have invested on higher end PC hardware," wrote BioWare poster Andreas Papathanasis.

The advanced features include dynamic lighting with BioWare posting screenshots of what the DirectX 11-powered spell effects look like.

Another feature is tessellation, a major feature of DirectX 11 which Papathanasis said is used to smooth out terrain and increase the detail on surfaces like walls, floors and pillars. 

Papathanasis also discussed further technical features such as screen space ambient occlusion and diffusion depth of field, for more information and screenshots check out the BioWare Blog post.

Check Also

Westcoast acquires Spire Technology

Westcoast has acquired UK IT components distributor Spire Technology.  The deal for 100% of the …