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DC Universe Online graphics, gameplay improved for PS4 launch

UPDATE: Watch the first before and after trailer.

UPDATE: ProSieben, the European operator of the game, has shared with Eurogamer the first video of what iconic locations in DC Universe Online will look like after Game Update 31. And here it is:

Watch on YouTube

ORIGINAL STORY: Superhero MMO DC Universe Online is undergoing hefty surgery in preparation for its arrival on PlayStation 4 at some point during the console's launch window.

Game Update 31 will involve "a sweeping, game-wide graphical update" and a "remastering" of the game's central core levelling mechanic. It's "without doubt the biggest technical update we have ever done", executive producer Larry Liberty declared, cape flapping in the crime-scented wind.

"And I'll keep the biceps?"

"Most notably, the level of detail on textures will be increased throughout the game on PC and PlayStation 4, and that's perhaps nowhere more obvious than when observing the Earth from the Watchtower.

"We have also taken the opportunity to rebuild areas like Centennial Park in Metropolis and Robinson Park in Gotham City so that the visuals there better match the story being told. And, we have corrected and improved hundreds of details in the environmental geometry throughout the game to bring a better, seamless experience to all players, and these changes will be in effect on all platforms, including the PlayStation 3."

The core game alterations are particularly focused on the early part of DC Universe Online, on character-levels 1 to 30. No surprise really, given that's what level the majority of PS4 players will be.

There should be a better levelling flow, and more useful toys will open up to you earlier on. Side quests will also be replayable.

Developer Sony Online Entertainment is riding the crest of PlanetSide 2's success at the moment - another game coming to PS4. It's also got the ambitious EverQuest Next MMO in development. That's a PC game for now, but it's a shoo-in for a PS4 release some day.

Watch on YouTube