Daniel Vávra, creator of the Kingdom Come trilogy and Warhorse Studios co-founder, has voiced strong criticism of Unreal Engine, claiming its limitations hinder the development of complex, open-world games. He suggests this engine's shortcomings are a significant factor in The Witcher 4's reported troubled production. Vávra contends that Unreal Engine struggles with detailed environments, specifically citing its past difficulties rendering realistic vegetation, even with Nanite technology. He points to internal CD Projekt Red discussions, reportedly relaying that scenes rendering flawlessly in REDengine have proven problematic in Unreal Engine, contributing to the game's production challenges.
Vávra highlights the prevalence of custom game engines among open-world developers, questioning CD Projekt Red's decision to switch to Unreal Engine, given their established and successful REDengine. He also notes the high-end hardware requirements of Unreal Engine, resulting in substantial system costs that may exclude many players.
Despite the criticisms of Unreal Engine, anticipation remains high for the upcoming Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, launching February 4th. This sequel promises enhanced graphics, refined combat, and a historically-rich narrative continuing Indřich's story. This post will cover the latest details, including system requirements and estimated playtime, and provide download instructions upon release.
