Cyberpunk 2077 In Unreal Engine 5 Offers a Glimpse Of What CD Projekt Red Was Trying To Pull Off

ign.com:

Since the release of Cyberpunk 2077, fans have held mixed feelings about the game, which was released in a buggy state after being delayed multiple times. While many players still love Cyberpunk 2077, some fans have taken it upon themselves to improve the somewhat controversial title.

In a recent tech demo, YouTuber and developer Enfant Terrible reimagines the world of Night City using Unreal Engine 5. According to the video’s caption, Enfant Terrible utilized tools like environment megapacks from the Epic Marketplace, the MetaHumans Creator from Epic, VFX, and Zbrush to create an impressively realistic world with graphics that rival the original Cyberpunk 2077.

.@SaherTarek_Art presented a cool cyberpunk scene made using Unreal Engine 5 and UE Marketplace, CG Trader, and KitBash3D's assets: https://t.co/UmkfaZmn8a#unrealengine #unrealengine5 #UE5 #cyberpunk #gamedev #indiedev #3dart #cyberpunk2077 #rendering pic.twitter.com/bttrwzXx4m

While this stunning reimagining is just a fanmade demo and sadly won’t ever see an official release, CD Projekt Red recently announced its shift to Unreal Engine 5 for its upcoming title The Witcher 4. If the studio’s work with Unreal goes well, perhaps it will split from REDengine 4, which was used for Cyberpunk 2077, giving way to more projects that could look like Enfant Terrible’s beautiful demo.

Despite the original Cyberpunk 2077's bug-filled gameplay, we gave it a 9, praising its “beautiful cityscape” environment and impressive amount of player freedom. The game recently received a next-gen upgrade and is due for an expansion at some point during 2023.

Amelia Zollner is a freelance writer at IGN. Find them on Twitter: @ameliazollner.