Shadow Warrior 2, the highly anticipated first-person shooter that hit hard drives today, is focused on fun. But not to be missed behind the numerous weapon choices, over-the-top gore and edgy sense of humor is an indie release that is loaded with next-generation technology, thanks in part to a collaboration between NVIDIA and Flying Wild Hog, the game’s independent Poland-based developer.

Published by Devolver Digital, the outfit behind indie hits like Hotline Miami and BroForce, Shadow Warrior 2 is a another example of Devolver Digital’s reach in the indie scene. Flying Wild Hog, along with Devolver sister company Gambitious, was a part of the NVIDIA Indie Spotlight program launch with their game Hard Reset: Redux.

Our work with them on Shadow Warrior 2 has resulted in a game with stunning visuals that were aided by NVIDIA created or inspired technologies.

Pioneering NVIDIA Multi-Res Shading

Shadow Warrior 2 uses NVIDIA Multi-Res Shading, which includes simultaneous multi-projection (SMP) technology built into NVIDIA Pascal GPUs to project images into multiple viewports. It can, for example, decrease the resolution of a game’s graphics on the periphery of the screen, improving performance without harming image quality on the center of the screen where a gamer’s eyes are focused during gameplay.

This is the first time Multi-Res Shading technology has been used outside a VR application. By intelligently reducing the workload on the GPU, we gain a substantial amount of performance.

SUBHEAD: Using HDR to Boost Color, Contrast

Shadow Warrior 2 is also the first PC game to feature HDR (high-dynamic range). NVIDIA is driving the adoption of HDR in real-time 3D applications by working with developers to add the technology to their games. HDR expands the range of both contrast and color, so developers can display a wider and richer range of colors, much brighter whites, and much deeper, darker blacks.

For Shadow Warrior 2, NVIDIA provided sample code for HDR to Flying Wild Hog, giving them a great jumping off point for coding HDR. As they changed the code to make it their own, we supported them with advice and information. We even provided an HDR display for use during development.

Log on to GeForce Experience for Chance to Play for Free

GeForce gamers can experience these awesome visuals firsthand. Starting today we’ll be giving away over $50,000 worth of codes for Shadow Warrior 2 at random to registered gamers of GeForce Experience 3.0. Just download and log into the new GeForce Experience 3.0 to be eligible.

NVIDIA strives to push the pace of innovation in graphics technologies and help developers create more immersive and vibrant gaming experiences. We do it because we believe that it benefits the industry, developers and, most importantly, gamers.

NVIDIA’s investment and effort is significant, but that is a reflection of our commitment to gaming. Shadow Warrior 2 stands as a prime example of what can be done when a talented indie developer has access to technology and support from NVIDIA.

For more details, and all the latest news for gaming enthusiasts, see our full coverage of this announcement on GeForce.com.