Alright, buckle up folks — or don’t — because who knows where this ride’s gonna take us. So here’s the thing: CD Projekt Red and Epic Games are doing a little dance, and apparently, it’s a big deal in the open-world gaming scene. They’re calling it The Witcher 4 Unreal Engine 5 Tech Demo. Phew, mouthful, right? Anyway, it’s one of those things where gamers who love sprawling worlds are buzzing with excitement. Not real gameplay, but kinda like a trailer. You get to peek into what might be, you know?
Ciri’s our star here — taking a short break from monster-pounding, and winds up in Kovir. Never heard of it before? Same. It’s one of those secretive places that shy away from battles but trades like its life depends on it. Imagine tough landscapes where the townsfolk always side-eye you because… old habits die hard.
Now, forget the plot for a second. Let’s dive into the techy bits — cause frankly, that’s what they’re jazzed about. Unreal Engine 5 is the engine under the hood, and they are flaunting it around at 60 frames-per-second on a PS5 like it’s no biggie. Spoiler: It is. The tech’s open-source for developers! Like handing out a shiny gadget to all your tech buddies, saying, “Go wild!” Nice gesture, innit?
Oh, and quick breather here! I gotta say, while watching the showcase, I kept thinking about how the sound of horse hooves would fit into a metronome beat. Anyway, there’s this clip of Ciri’s horse, Kelpie. She’s a beast (literally and figuratively). Picture this tech where muscles ripple and react like life-like sculptures. Roach, her predecessor, was cool — but Kelpie’s got jazz hands, metaphorically speaking.
Now, ease into the idea of Fast Geometry Streaming. Sounds like a space-age racer, but actually, it’s tech that makes moving between snow-kissed peaks and leafy valleys as smooth as licking a melting ice cream cone. You barely notice it, which means it’s doing its job. Frankly, it’s great that it doesn’t draw attention to itself while you’re trying to avoid monster jaws.
The forest scenes might also steal your heart. Picture foliage so real you might ditch the game just to watch digital leaves sway. ‘Nanite Foliage’ gives us this dense forestry that’s lush and teeming with life, without your PC turning into a toaster oven. Seems like they’ve coins for trees too, who would’ve thought?
Oh wait, almost skipped a beat here — the Unreal Animation Framework. It’s like giving NPCs a caffeine shot. They’re buzzing around, crowding Ciri, each doing their thing, and showing sass. Villages and towns feel like bustling bee hives now, absolutely dripping with stories waiting to be told.
And finally, the Mass Framework. It’s crowd management tech, helping simulate thousands of not-so-clumsy NPCs. Picture Ciri bumping into a guy with apples, and chaos ensues with rolling apples and kids swooping in to snag a free snack. Real people moments like this make the game feel like it’s breathing. Anyway — or wait — maybe that’s all I got. Enjoy diving into that tangled world when it comes!
