Mar 4, 2011 4:32 PM

Gallery: Epic Shows Off Its Unreal Vision of Gaming's Future

01
subsurface-scattering
"Subsurface scattering" in Unreal Engine 3 allows light to reflect off many different layers of a character's skin, increasing the realistic look of the face.
02
billboard-reflections
The next version of Unreal Engine 3 has "image-based reflection," allowing for very crisp or very blurred reflections, depending on the surfaces involved.

03
depth-of-field
Bright pixels that are far away from the game's "camera" will take on the shape of the camera, producing a film-like effect.
04
depth-of-field-2
Another view of the film-like "depth of field" camera effects in the latest version of Unreal Engine 3.

05
dynamic-reflection-shadows
Shadows can block the reflection of light, as they do in real life.
06
high-quality-shadows
Epic has done a great deal of work improving the realism of shadows and the way they interact and reflect off different surfaces.

07
multi-sample-anti-aliasing
Multisample anti-aliasing allows for more natural-looking hair on game characters.
08
multi-sample-anti-aliasing-2
The technique also allows for what Epic calls "organic, billowing" wisps of smoke, like from the Samaritan's ever-present cigarette.

09
shadowed-point-light-reflections
The interplay of shadows, light and reflective surfaces is the element that Epic Games stressed the most about its next-generation Unreal Engine 3 technology.

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