And then a Twitter user dropped a bomb- question-that sparked fierce debates among gamers. “Is it just me or do all Unreal Engine 5 Games kinda look the same?” was the tweet that brought in so many reactions: on one side saying yes, on the other side calling it lazy, and other hardcore defenders of UE5 as if it were their own child. Let’s dissect the situation.
Technically, that tweet backs the claim that whatever was backed by the side-by-side comparison looks like four different Unreal Engine 5 games. At first glance, a very weird artistic similarity washes over the games, as if they all went to one art school and received one assignment. The lighting systems, in fact, the texture quality and environment compositions all mix up into some artistic soup of ‘same.’ But is the blame on the engine? Or is it modern game design?
Someone even replied, “It’s because of the art direction.” And honestly, that probably is the correct answer. Unreal Engine 5 is a tool, so to blame an art tool for all paintings made with it all looking the same is wrong. It’s the style of the artist that matters. But let’s think about this: If developers do depend too heavily on UE5’s default settings or assets without refinement, anxiety sets in for some.
Then they said, “Who cares if the game is good?” And sure, gameplay will always come first. But, let’s be honest; there is some visual appeal to the games too. If all AAA games start looking like some carbon-copy of that UE5 tech-demo of 2020, players will lose interest real fast. Some players have started calling it the “new piss filter.” For context, that was a moniker given back in the mid-2000s to some weird yellow tint shown on games.
Then again, there’s a bunch that do not feel the same. Fortnite and the recent FNAF games misuse UE5 and do not look alike, says one user. And they are right-Fortnite is cartoony style, and FNAF has that spooky ambiance. So maybe the problem is not in the engine but in the way some studios treat it. Another silly response comes back, “Bro expected deserts to be rainbows,” which is fair: Of course, four desert levels compared are going to look similar.
With that, performance issues also arise. Loads of comments surfaced complaining that UE5 titles “run like ass,” which is indeed a whole other issue,” pushing hyper-realism always remained cool until your frame rate crashed down into single digits. Some gamers have even argued that the push for realism is stifling creativity in games. Honestly, they might just be onto something. When every game’s out there chasing the same ultra-detailed look, everything winds up being blurred.
The other side is actually saying UE4 had that build-up of criticisms, yet we ended up with Persona 3 Reload and Shin Megami Tensei V, which look nothing alike. So perhaps, maybe it’s just that some devs aren’t pushing the engine far enough for it to stand out.
Now, at the end of it all, Unreal Engine 5 is just a tool. It’s up to developers to use it in ways that set their games apart from others. If they don’t? Then you’re going to have to sit through a lot of “Wait, didn’t I already play this?” moments, and no one likes that.
This is to say that UE5 games might be leaning into a similar aesthetic right about now, and it’s not the engine’s fault. It’s all down to the creative minds using this tool. Let’s hope studios start building more unique stuff with it because otherwise, we’re staring into a very shiny, very same-y future.
