Immortals Fenyx Rising is not just an open-world title; it is a case study on how the Ubisoft Anvil engine can be pushed to its limits to render a painterly aesthetic. The game abandons the gritty realism of sagas like Assassin's Creed to embrace a vibrant color palette and a painterly style reminiscent of classical Greek pottery. This approach is not merely artistic but responds to technical pipeline decisions that optimize performance without sacrificing visual identity.
Modeling Pipeline: From ZBrush to the Anvil Engine 🎨
The workflow for mythological creatures, such as the Cyclops or the Griffin, begins in ZBrush with high-polygon modeling that captures organic details and imperfect symmetries typical of classical sculpture. Subsequently, these models undergo a retopology process to meet the demands of the Anvil engine. Here, the technical challenge is to maintain the expressive silhouette of the original sculpture while reducing the polygon count for real-time rendering. The painterly textures are generated in Substance Painter, using custom brushes and materials that imitate oil and tempera. The key lies in the use of normal maps and ambient occlusion that simulate the depth of brushstrokes, allowing bright colors and gradients to remain vivid even at the open-world render distance.
Visual Optimization: Particles and Sustained Performance ⚙️
The biggest technical challenge of Immortals Fenyx Rising is the management of constant magical particles. Every divine ability, from Daedalus's wings to Hephaestus's attacks, releases hundreds of sprites and flashes. To prevent frame drops, the Ubisoft team implemented an aggressive Level of Detail (LOD) system for effects, reducing particle complexity as the camera moves away. Additionally, the Anvil engine's global illumination was adjusted to prioritize chromatic contrast over realistic shadows, allowing the saturated tones of Substance Painter textures to dominate the scene without the need for costly reflection calculations.
How the Ubisoft Quebec team managed to emulate the aesthetic of matte painting and chiaroscuro in the Anvil engine without sacrificing real-time performance during the open-world exploration of Immortals Fenyx Rising
(PS: optimizing for mobile is like trying to fit an elephant into a Mini Cooper)