Bellring Games has unveiled Mistfall Hunter, a PvPvE extraction RPG that embraces a dark fantasy aesthetic. The title uses Unreal Engine 5.4 to implement real-time global illumination, a technical resource that defines the game's oppressive atmosphere. The decision to use version 5.4 of the engine responds to the need to manage multiple dynamic light sources without sacrificing performance in multiplayer encounters.
Workflow between Maya and ZBrush for souls-like animations ⚔️
For combat animations, the team relies on Maya, where attack transitions have been programmed with precise frame windows, emulating the characteristic rigidity of the souls-like genre. Each strike requires an animation commitment that cannot be easily interrupted, which affects gameplay design. Concurrently, ZBrush is used for sculpting the world's creatures. The initial high polygon count is later retopologized for UE5.4, allowing models to retain microscopic details in armor and organic textures, optimized for the Virtual Shadow Maps system.
Optimization challenges in an extraction RPG 🎯
The biggest technical challenge for Mistfall Hunter is maintaining a stable 60 fps in a PvPvE environment with up to 12 simultaneous players. Real-time Lumen global illumination is costly, so Bellring Games has opted for a hybrid system that prioritizes direct light in combat zones and reduces bounce quality in peripheral areas. Additionally, using Nanite for scene geometry allows loading high-fidelity instances without affecting memory, a necessary balance for the dark fantasy to feel dense without collapsing the framerate.
What specific technical challenges has the Unreal Engine 5.4 engine imposed on the development of verticality and asymmetric encounters in Mistfall Hunter, considering its dark fantasy PvPvE nature?
(PS: shaders are like mayonnaise: if they break, you have to start all over again)