Resident Evil 4 Slammed Over DRM That Makes It Run Worse

"The impact of a recent switch from Denuvo DRM to Enigma DRM was recorded last week in one YouTube video published by user ItalicMaze. Using a mod that allows you to restore the game's previous version, the video compares the two and shows the framerate dropping from over 140 in the earlier version to in the low 90s in the updated release, with both running on similar settings. The drop-off was even worse when Leon was in more action-heavy moments with lots of enemies."

"Digital Foundry circled back on February 11 and posted its own assessment, essentially backing up the preliminary data. Using specific settings to try to isolate the load on the CPU, the outlet found that the new DRM was likely causing increased strain. "In this scenario, an average 1.9ms of CPU time is sucked out of the game-which is pretty shocking," wrote Richard Leadbetter. "Immediately after the intro, we move into gameplay where the deficit shifts to a 20 percent drop in performance.""

"He calls the result "not acceptable" and points to a larger issue of publishers treating PC versions of games as "mutable testbeds" they can constantly iterate on, sometimes without regard for how changes will impact the overall user experience. The group also notes that when DRM is used, its resource requirements should be budgeted into the game's performance targets from the start, rather than being something added on top at the end that leads to a subpar experience."

Capcom replaced Denuvo DRM with Enigma DRM for the Resident Evil 4 remake three years after release. A YouTube video by user ItalicMaze compared the two versions using a mod that restores the previous build and recorded framerate drops from over 140 to the low 90s on similar settings, with larger declines in action-heavy scenes. Digital Foundry's follow-up testing found the new DRM increased CPU load, costing an average 1.9ms of CPU time and producing about a 20 percent performance drop after the intro. Steam users posted hundreds of negative reviews protesting the change.

Read at Kotaku