A Skyrim modder with the handle Jonx0r recently uploaded a proof-of-concept mockup of Dark Souls 3's starting area (opens in new tab) in the cutting-edge Unreal Engine 5, literally shined a new light on it. The modder explains that he pursued the project as a way to learn the ins and outs of Epic's new engine.

Epic's Unreal Engine 5 middleware, like Unreal Engine 3 and Unreal Engine 4 before it, is backed by its powerful graphical capabilities, and developers like CD Projekt and Bioware are looking to future They are ready to take the game industry by storm, jumping off their in-house technology to adopt the new engine for their projects. We got our first glimpse of the possibilities with the Matrix Awakens demo, which was unveiled in conjunction with the 2021 Game Awards.

Unreal Engine 5 is also an easy-to-use tool for hobbyists and indie developers, many of whom are using it to recreate classic game landscapes like the village of Riverwood (open in new tab), the starting point of Skyrim, in the current generation. Unreal. While there is always the risk of stepping on the original game's art style with a remake project, it is not a high-stakes proposition for independent modders to reinterpret classic scenes with new technology. This is not to say that the "Demon's Souls" remake will be swept in as the new "default," but rather while the original languishes on the PS3 without online support (the "Demon's Souls" remake haters are clearly logged in).

And Jonx0r has created something very clean and interesting here. As far as I can tell, they imported the maps, models, and animations directly from Dark Souls 3 itself, and the main visual change is the advanced lighting in Unreal 5. Firelink really pops with the new lighting and shadows, especially in the center of the shrine I especially like how the bonfire in the center of the shrine cuts against the newly darkened interior. Also great are the little ripples in the puddles of water in the shrine and Iudex Gundyr's arena. Minor quibbles.

Overall, Jonx0r does an excellent job of representing the alternate Firelink Shrine in 2023. If you want to see more of their work, you can check out Jonx0r's YouTube channel (opens in new tab) and Nexus Mods (opens in new tab) pages.