Everyone knows that digital graphics, and increasingly video games, are capable of some incredibly realistic effects.
But we're used to seeing that power spread relatively thin across massive landscapes, filled with explosions and monsters.
Not, say, a single Parisian apartment.
‘Unreal Paris' by Dereau Benoit does exactly that. Benoit is a a level designer who has been able to capture a stunning amount of detail and realistic light effects in this scene, using just the off-the-shelf graphics software Unreal 4.
The world was made as a portfolio showcase - and judging by the way the internet as reacted, it worked. The way the light reflects off the wooden table, and the shadows on the scuffed living room rug… it’s all stunning, every inch of it. No, there are no moving parts, actors and lighting - and it uses pre-rendered textures. But wow.
With this Benoit shows just what is possible if you take modern CGI's raw power and focus it on a single, simple task.
You can even go there yourself and walk around if you want to thanks to a downloadable build on Benoit’s website. It’s not quite as impressive as the video, but it’s still a hauntingly realistic work of art.