If you need more proof that Unreal Engine 5 is set to dominate video game development this generation, then glance at the new tech demo for Layers of Fear. The latest instalment of Bloober Team's iconic horror series has been rebuilt entirely in UE5, and it shows.
Featuring ray tracing, HDR, 4K resolution, and Unreal Engine 5-only features including Lumen for dynamic lighting and Niagara visual effects to create particle effects in real time, Layers of Fear (2023) just jumped to the top of my most wanted list. And I'm not even a huge horror game fan. (This is up there with Lords of the Fallen's use of Unreal Engine 5.)
In a statement co-developer Anshar Studio's lead programmer Tomasz Bilnicki, said that “Creating games with Unreal Engine 5 is a great opportunity for the whole team, as it means our game development process can skyrocket in quality. It has an incredible power when it comes to the implementation of dynamic lighting, shadows, and potentially beautiful worlds for players to explore.”
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(Image credit: Bloober Team)
(Image credit: Bloober Team)
(Image credit: Bloober Team)
(Image credit: Bloober Team)
(Image credit: Blooder Team)
(Image credit: Bloober Team)
It's Epic Games' outstanding game engine that I'm here for, however, and as our Unreal Engine 5 review reveals this is the toolkit everyone needs to learn and explore. Interestingly, Epic Games' new Unreal Editor for Fortnite, that was recently used to recreate GTA San Andreas in UE5 to enable players to experience GTA in Fortnite, will be the way many will now be able to cut their teeth in game development.
It looks like Layers of Fear (2023) is turning some of the tools of Unreal Engine 5 into gameplay activities too, as the new remakes will feature The Lantern, "a useful tool that will prove essential in confronting the fears that lurk within the game’s story" says the press release.
The new Layers of Fear for PS5, Xbox Series X and PC will feature Unreal Engine 5 remakes of Layers of Fear, Layers of Fear 2, as well as all DLC’s, but it will also include an entirely new chapter called The Writer that brings all the terrifying tales together.
Ian Dean is Editor, Digital Arts & 3D at Creative Bloq, and the former editor of many leading magazines. These titles included ImagineFX, 3D World and video game titles Play and Official PlayStation Magazine. Ian launched Xbox magazine X360 and edited PlayStation World. For Creative Bloq, Ian combines his experiences to bring the latest news on digital art, VFX and video games and tech, and in his spare time he doodles in Procreate, ArtRage, and Rebelle while finding time to play Xbox and PS5.
