Unreal Engine 4 video explores the art of high-tech explosions

Where is Unreal Engine 4? Propping up a bunch of unannounced next-gen console games, apparently. Epic's Europe Manager, Mike Gamble told Edge . “There haven't really been any announcements of the games still under wraps [that use UE4] – as soon as they start going live, then you'll see suddenly see that we're everywhere again,” he said. “You'll be thoroughly sick of us!”

He reckons the big leap from cross-gen games to games developed to the higher min-spec of the new consoles will around Christmas, which will mean better looking games on PC as well. Will the explosions be quite as voluminous as those in the Unreal Engine 4 tech demo? Watch, as two people from Epic go inside the explosion to take cross-section slices, like an MRI scanner filleting a glowing orange brain.

This particular technique has been adapted to work in a pre-rendered cutscene environment, which is why it goes a bit wonky when viewed from other angles. 3D textures that move according to liquid physics will surely have practical applications. I eagerly await a Crysis-style 10,000 explosive barrel physics/explosion test or, failing that, more advanced version of the wobbly flesh cube .

Part of the UK team, Tom was with PC Gamer at the very beginning of the website's launch—first as a news writer, and then as online editor until his departure in 2020. His specialties are strategy games, action RPGs, hack ‘n slash games, digital card games… basically anything that he can fit on a hard drive. His final boss form is Deckard Cain.