We think the fans are really going to love the new visuals, they are going to notice details that they didn’t before – which showcase a wide range of characters and stages (such amazing locations to be fighting in!) When you add up the real-time reflections combined with the new lighting system, you get a very compelling look and feel that stays true to the style of KI but ‘ups the bar’ in regards to the game being a visual showcase. We are now able to get realistic bounce and fill lighting on the characters and we are using strong rim lighting (from behind) to further pull the characters out from the background. Characters now composite into the scenes in a way that is really believable – allowing for good integration/compositing while maintaining readability – especially important in a fighting game. Once in place, our stages were completely re-lit utilizing the new tools while characters received updates to their lighting probes, which allows them to interact with the stage lighting. We met as a team to ideate and decided to use a system that allowed us to obtain dynamic lighting for the game, but work with our existing game engine. Our lighting system was very specialized, and it was time for an overhaul. In order to do this, we had to overhaul the tools and the pipeline and we’re really happy with the results and how we are utilizing the graphic power of the Xbox One. Early in development of S3, we knew that we wanted to raise the bar on many levels and have a deep passion for delivering on ‘next gen’ visuals. KI S1 had a “deep black” look that many fans really loved, and we’ve gone back to it (with a ton of upgrades!), so you’ll see deeper darks and more “mood” throughout all the stages.Īs technology advances, graphics are becoming more and more powerful and the gamers have come to expect stunning visuals on today’s console hardware. We can’t wait for our fans to see the enhancements of KI’s visuals! Not only will Season 3 feature this new lighting, but we’ve gone back and re-lit everything for Season 1 and 2 as well. In terms of visuals, we are adding new graphics technology reflection tech for the stages re-introducing screen space color adjustments that work with gameplay adding an all-new dynamic lighting system that provides greater realism and interaction for the characters and stages. The biggest change is the lighting system. So if you tuned into the Killer Instinct World Cup a few weeks ago you heard that Iron Galaxy has given the game a bit of a face lift in the graphics department. We are excited to be adding several new elements to KI Season 3 that we believe really improve the overall experience, and I’m going to be speaking to the ‘Art side’ of things today. Killer Instinct Season 3 Graphic Upgrade. Rukari from ultra-combo posted an article today about what upgrades we can expect thanks to Killer Instinct’s Art Director, Chad Greene, giving us all the details: