Some may lament the upgrade to the Xbox Series X, concerned with leaving games behind and moving forward into an exciting and turbulent future for video games. Luckily for owners of the multiformat indie survival title Conan Exiles, Funcom has launched an updated version of the game for Microsoft’s new system.
This update doesn’t simply plop Conan Exiles into the current generation, however. The Series X version will also include an array of graphical and performance updates (there are no console commands for that). Some are quite significant, and are sure to have you gathering resources and hunting with the best of them on the Series X (as the trailer published on Xbox’s official YouTube account makes clear).
7 Choices Between A Performance Mode And A Quality Mode
The Series X version of Conan Exiles includes a Performance and Quality Mode. The latter mode will allow you to play at 4k resolution with 30 FPS, while the former instead offers the opportunity to enjoy the game at 1440p resolution with 60 FPS.
The Performance Mode in particular is a real boon, considering the 30 FPS sluggishness that you had to deal with on the Xbox One S. Of course, the other option is also very nice for people who prefer the stunning 4k resolution to a higher frame rate. Regardless of which camp you belong to, these resolution and frame rate updates were sorely needed and will be welcomed by all.
6 Sharper And More Realistic Shadows
Nothing will take you out of a moment like gazing down at the ground and seeing jaggy and blurry shadows. The Xbox Series X update not only includes better shadows, but it renders them from further out. Next time you’re mounted upon your steed on the precipice of a cliff, you’ll be able to look down and see a mural of beautiful shadows across a tree-laden landscape.
Shadows are always pretty taxing in the performance department, but luckily, the Series X can handle it. When that Demon Spider is about to attack you, at least you can enjoy the view before being sent back to your spawn point.
5 More Visual Clarity On Game Objects
All of the textures in the game have been given a generous a fidelity increase. This means that new stylish armor or ferocious weapon that you’ve just acquired will look even better now. The Series X Version has also upgraded the water material, so that it looks more like free-flowing water (a simple but incredibly effective feat when pulled off well).
No longer will your eyes be assaulted by questionable textures, unfortunate details that can let down the most visually-impressive titles when viewed at close quarters. With so many objects in the game, you’ll be picking up and crafting even the worst gear (or perhaps a kiln or two, with those hardened bricks) just to see how it looks on your exile.
4 Less Pop-In And More Way More Foliage
In a lot of open-world titles, it’s common to see objects and textures popping into existence here and there. Conan Exiles has also been guilty of this. Not for long though: the Series X version of Conan Exiles includes an increased draw distance, which will allow you to load in more game objects and textures at once from further away. Funcom has also increased the foliage density, which will make the world look more vibrant and full.
This means that the amount of pop-in that you encounter will be drastically decreased. Not only that, but the quality of assets rendered at a certain distance has also been increased, so the things that you’ll see in the distance will be better looking as well.
3 Livelier Magical Effects and More Clarity In Dark Areas
Advanced effects like bloom and anti-aliasing will look much better on the Xbox Series X. If you’re in it for those stunning post-processing tricks, you’ll want to make sure that you’ve got this version of Conan Exiles. Everything will look infinitely less muddy and far clearer and more impressive.
While not everybody is a fan of post-processing effects, this is a huge buff to the visual clarity and will have you gawking at environment objects. Nobody said that you had to Survive, Build and Dominate in a drab environment, after all.
2 New Immersive Lighting And Fog Effects
Another tremendous technical step forward taken by this version of the game is the utilization of volumetric lighting. This technique essentially treats light as a series of rays rather than a flat lighting projection. This leads to some truly stunning visual effects, and when combined with similar fog effects, it can lend a huge amount of dynamism and realism to a game’s world.
These advanced effects are very resource-intensive too, so being able to take advantage of them is a huge plus. These changes make exploration a treat for the player. The next time you take a trip to the Deep North, in fact, you might be surprised at how much better it looks.
1 Background Objects Rendered With More Detail
On other systems, you’d take a look off into the horizon and notice that the craggy peaks in the distance are merely bumpy silhouettes plaguing the skyline.
In the Series X version of the game, the developers have increased the quality of the larger elements you’ll see at a distance. Instead, then, the skyline will be filled with hills and mountains that look truly detailed (more games of this sort should do this when it comes time for more current-gen remakes). This is very nice, because seeing blurry and half-rendered background objects can really take you out of the game.
NEXT: Best PS4 Survival Games
