A fan-made video has recently emerged, showing what Cyberpunk 2077's Nighty City may have looked like if it were developed in Unreal Engine 5. The 2020 sci-fi RPG from CD Projekt Red has received no shortage of criticism since its release, including upset over its graphical fidelity and general polish, both of which were significantly lower than many expected. These elevated expectations were arguably a result of CD Projekt Red's overly ambitious marketing, and although mods can enhance Cyberpunk 2077's graphics, it will likely never be exactly what the Polish developer initially promised to consumers.
Cyberpunk 2077 may have underdelivered in part due to technical limitations during its development, but the gaming industry is already advancing. Recently, Epic's new games engine Unreal Engine 5 has been shown off in a number of cinematic trailers and demos, including the playable The Matrix Awakens. The engine boasts considerable processing power and is expected to usher in the next generation of highly detailed, photorealistic video game graphics. A broad assortment of both AAA and independent studios are developing their next projects in Unreal Engine 5, which indicates that the system will play a major part in the landscape of modern video games. Although the gaming world has barely scratched the surface of what is possible with this tool, unofficial projects like a recent stunning Portal Unreal Engine 5 remake hint towards a promising future.
Portal is far from the only game to be partially reconstructed in Unreal Engine 5, however, as Cyberpunk 2077 was recently recreated in the advanced game engine, and the results are gorgeous. In a video published by the ENFANT TERRIBLE YouTube channel, Night City is shown as a significantly more vibrant, bustling, and realistic cyberpunk metropolis. Ray-traced reflections bounce off numerous surfaces, skin textures are believably rough and uneven, and assorted visual effects bring the sci-fi landscape to life. The video mostly showcases isolated cinematics and animations, but it does include a few brief gameplay sections as well.
Beautiful as it is, this video may hurt just a bit for Cyberpunk 2077 players. Although Cyberpunk 2077 is mostly fixed after its many substantial patches, it doesn't look nearly as good as it does in this Unreal Engine 5 remake, though this can of course be attributed to its age, as the game began development many years ago with last-gen systems in mind. As such, the promise of a true new-gen, science-fiction RPG from the developers of The Witcher will go unfulfilled for the time being.
On the bright side, this video shows there is a lot to be excited about when it comes to Unreal Engine 5. Cyberpunk 2077 didn't deliver on its lofty promises at launch, but further patches and improvements could still end up delivering the game many hoped for. While the game's future is uncertain, it's looking hopeful for any upcoming cyberpunk-themed games built in Unreal Engine 5, and the future of advanced video games looks promising.
Source: ENFANT TERRIBLE/YouTube