Epic Games presented all of the latest Unreal Engine 5.2 information in a tech demo rendered in real time. Even if we are not ahead of video games' future, we are still dangerously close: are we seeing the next Forza Horizon? Probably not, but a racing game with this kind of graphics would make players' eyes pop.
Every single mechanical component has been digitally recreated and the movements calculated in real time, including suspension compression and tire deformation while walking on an accident and irregular.
The Rivian R1T's interaction with water puddles and the realistic rendering of everything speak for themselves, as it is the real protagonist that you'll be able to fabricate in this demo: a lush, incredibly detailed forest that was created by the Megascan team as a result of a meticulous photogrammetry effort. Nanite is now a necessity for anyone seeking a high degree of realism.
Substrate shading is a key feature of the vehicle, which allows for a much more realistic appearance, such as when the bodywork is damaged or damaged by mud.
The unique shading mechanism shown in the demo is mainly its performance optimization, considering that its weight on the hardware is practically identical to that used by the previous Unreal Engine shading system. Level designers will be able to add or remove entire natural or architectural structures in a completely procedural manner in the final segment.
A rock element may be moved...
...the road changes on the fly.
Once new elements are added to the scene, they may be moved to other locations that are more congruent to artistic needs: the rest of the environment will respond in a dynamic and equally procedural manner to the new elements, according to the author. These are all tasks performed by graphics and programmers, who will have to create these "dynamic and procedural assets" specifically to benefit from the new tools.
This demo will never be a game, but we are still looking at the videogame creations of the future when Epic Games will finally offer them from the first day of development.
