It has nothing to do with contrast. The bone crushes blacks like crazy. Some average joe might think it looks better but it's not. It's showing you less detail. Whatever is underneath that darkness can never be seen no matter how much you up the brightness
60fps games look like soap operas because game developers and movie makers don't have the balls to change that perception. If all you saw was 60fps content for a year you would think 30fps looks like the crap it truly is.
It sounds like the game was dumbed down... MK without a focus on the items doesn't sound appealing at all. If I want a racing game I will play Gran Turismo. MK is about shooting turtles at your friends and setting up traps
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