A game developer on Twitter shared what could be the first next-gen demo of a potential Superman open-world game using Epic Games' Unreal Engine 5.
According to GamesRadar, the said demo was created using UE5's "Matrix Awakens" demo. While it doesn't look like a Superman game at all, the mechanics being shown off will definitely not look out of place in such a game. Here are two videos from Twitter user volod:
The #UE5 CitySample told me that it wants to turn into a #Superman game when it grows up...#IndieGameDev #gamedev #games pic.twitter.com/7BwAOt3KVF
— 𝕧𝕠𝕝𝕠𝕕▿ (@volodXYZ) April 6, 2022
As you can see there, volod uses a playable character model and makes it fly just like Supes will-fast and low through a dense city while chasing after bad guys or just roaming around. And in the next video, you can also see what attacks using UE5's Chaos Physics system could look like:
Bonus clip #UnrealEngine5's chaos physics system living up to its name... pic.twitter.com/s2d4cbED9w
— 𝕧𝕠𝕝𝕠𝕕▿ (@volodXYZ) April 6, 2022
Speaking to Kotaku, volod said that the demo was created using his background as a VFX designer for films. He also mentioned how a special developers' license from Epic Games allowed him to play around with the engine a year ahead of its public release, which was today.
While experimenting with the engine, he said that if he can find "an interesting gameplay loop" that can connect to the flight mechanic, he would consider putting together a demo he'll release to the public. The only catch is that it will not have an official association with Superman, obviously a multi-million-dollar IP.
For now, there were specific problems that volod noticed while creating the demo. He said that there were times when assets just wouldn't load quick enough as his "Superman" whizzed about the city, which could be solved with tech such as Microsoft's DirectStorage in the future, alongside other upcoming game dev solutions which may or may not exist.
Read also: Unreal Engine 5 Officially Debuts via Epic Games with Impeccable New Game Making Tools
Why There Haven't Been Any Open-World Superman Games
Superhero games are experiencing a renaissance in this gaming generation, with Insomniac's "Spider-Man" series and Square Enix's "Guardians of the Galaxy" headlining the fray. But noticeably, there's never been an open-world Superman game ever. There have also been several Batman and other DC Universe games lately, but there are still no Supes.
Still, there were rumors of a canceled open-world Superman game that IP owner Warner Bros have been trying to bring forth since 2013. This was, according to YouTuber MathChief, DC's purported answer to Marvel and Insomniac's "Spider-Man" on the PS4, which also took a lot of inspiration from the Webhead's interpretation of its NYC open-world:
Warner Bros was said to have canceled their Superman game right after hearing pitches from multiple developers. Soon after, rumors of another game called "Superman Unbound" popped up, which was set not in Metropolis but a city on Supes' homeworld of Krypton.
But like Warner's Superman game, "Unbound" was canceled for simple reasons: Supes' immense powers were "too much" for current-gen game engines to run. And this is where Epic Games' Unreal Engine 5 could come into play, which is already being used to develop several next-gen AAA games.
Related: 'The Witcher's' New Game Confirmed by CD Projekt Red, Switching to Unreal Engine 5
This article is owned by Tech Times
Written by RJ Pierce
