http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/02/26/dark-souls-2-engine-created-with-next-gen-in-mind
The new engine for Dark Souls II was created with next-gen consoles in mind. During a trip to From Software’s office in Tokyo that resulted in our Making Dark Souls 2 feature, the game’s programmers explained to IGN how Dark Souls II is the studio’s first step into the future of console and PC gaming.
“We always had in mind the next generation, such as DirectX11 and next generation hardware when creating our technology, and also challenged ourselves as programmers to simultaneously create for the new generation,” explained Ando-san, a programmer at From Software.
While the Souls series is known for its nightmarish creatures and scenarios, the developers still wanted to keep the design somewhat grounded in reality. As he explained, “The thing we prioritized when re-creating our engine was, as a concept, taking the graphics to a more photo-realistic look, and in order to fulfill this, we had decided to discard our old engine and create a new one.”
Ando elaborated, “Some of the things we prioritized when creating the engine was actively take in new technology such as deferred rendering and physical-based rendering to increase the flexibility of graphic creation, and really pursue the photo-realism and lighting.”
