BioShock level redone using Unreal Engine 4

An environmental artist in the U.K. worked on the upgrade as a final-year project for school.

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BioShock is still a great game even after all these years, but the graphics do look a bit dated in Unreal Engine 2.5, especially now that UE4 is available. To remedy that, a U.K. environmental artist decided to model and texture almost all of the assets from the game's Medical Pavilion level in the latest Unreal Engine, with some stunning results.

Ross Littlejohn posted about his project (via Kotaku) in the Unreal forums, showing off a video and some new screens. His personal page also has some additional screen shots. He is currently majoring in computer games design at Staffordshire University.

His Facebook page also reveals some upgraded graphics work for Metro 2033. If you liked these older games, it is a nice trip down memory lane seen through the lens of the latest Unreal tech.

Contributing Editor
From The Chatty
  • reply
    April 20, 2016 6:55 AM

    John Keefer posted a new article, BioShock level redone using Unreal Engine 4

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      April 20, 2016 6:59 AM

      UNFFFFFFFFF


      Keef, this is what I really hope that bioshock collection is.

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      April 20, 2016 7:12 AM

      Maybe my memory of Bioshock is off, but that doesn't look like a huge upgrade. I credit the excellent artwork of the original game--still holds up

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        April 20, 2016 7:17 AM

        I think it looks a bit softer and the lighting is much better.

        The original tended to have a waxy look in many parts. It worked well with the art deco styles they used because the lack of crispness in the edges and general rounded feel of everything was fitting. It is almost weird to me to see how crisp the art deco stylings are in the video.

        I think the look is maintained for the most part, but the differences are there.

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        April 20, 2016 7:28 AM

        I think this is the case for me too, I am sure it looks better, but that is what my memory of the game looks like. I think the original game would still hold up today because of its overall style. Not knocking this artist at all though, his version looks great.

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        April 20, 2016 7:54 AM

        [deleted]

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        April 20, 2016 10:00 AM

        [deleted]

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          April 20, 2016 2:52 PM

          Ok, if those are actual comparison shots then I really cannot tell you which is the original and which is the remake.

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            April 20, 2016 3:04 PM

            [deleted]

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              April 20, 2016 3:06 PM

              Ok, I see what you did there. It's definitely possible to see the differences side by side with the remake now, the lighting is softer in the new version, and there are glows.

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      April 20, 2016 7:17 AM

      I originally bought this game on DVD. I would like to buy a remastered version because I never finished it and I always had issues with the fucking SecuROM afterwards.

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        April 20, 2016 8:45 AM

        I'd buy a remastered version in a heartbeat if they swapped out the last hour or so of the game.

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      April 20, 2016 9:25 AM

      Sure is a lot of HUGE dust particles in there. Pretty neat project. Makes me want to play Bioshock again

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      April 20, 2016 3:21 PM

      Too bad 2K never made a semi-open world Bioshock game during Rapture's hey day. That would have been pretty damn awesome.

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      April 21, 2016 3:02 AM

      The lightning is way too aggressive. So aggressive that it in my opinion distracts from the overall scene, and removes that sense of gloominess that the original had.

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