Just… wow.
The video you’re about to see is not a real-life walkthrough of an actual flat in Paris – it’s a tech demo built on the latest version of Unreal Engine 4.
It’s astoundingly realistic, showing off a level of detail that just a few years ago would have been thought impossible, with life-like textures on everything from the wood of the furniture to the material on the living room sofas and the flat’s only bed.
But more than that, the engine appears to have nailed the lighting needed to convince the viewer they’re looking at something that isn’t computer-generated.
Engadget says the demo was built by CG (computer graphics) designer Dereau Benoît, and that it proves 3D technology can be used to create objects and environments that look more like photographs than computer graphics. Having watched the demo a few times by now, I have to say I agree.
As the video starts to play a message flashes up saying it’s a personal project rather than something Benoît would derive benefit from, but at the same time I’m pretty sure it won’t exactly hurt his career prospects. If I were looking to employ someone who could turn 3D graphics into something this realistic, he’d be top of my list of candidates.
That aside, the best takeaway from the demonstration is that games of the near future are going to look this good. Unreal Engine 4 is being used for a lot of upcoming game projects (via Giantbomb), as well as a few that are already out like Dying Light and D4. Other soon-to-be-released UE4 games include Dead Island 2, EVE: Valkyrie and, of course, Unreal Tournament.
Rejoice, all ye fans of visual whizz-bangery – shit’s about to get real, yo.
[Source – Engadget]
