Top Games of 2024 Made with Unreal Engine

Epic Games’ game development tool, Unreal Engine, has become the go-to choice for game developers, offering ever-improving features, visual capabilities, and flexibility. Whether it's the long-standing Unreal Engine 4 or the incredible new tools of Unreal Engine 5, this engine powers many of today’s games, from AAA titles to indie projects.

As 2024 draws to a close, we look back at some of the top video games released this year that used Unreal Engine, showcasing how the engine continues to dominate the gaming industry.

Palworld

One of the most surprising hits of 2024 was Palworld a survival, monster-collector shooter game created by Pocketpair. The fondly coined “Pokémon with guns” video game sold 1 million copies within eight hours of early access in January, and by the end of February, this number had risen to 15 million copies sold on Steam and 10 million on Xbox alone.

The game originally began development in Unity before transitioning to Unreal Engine 5 to support the expansive open-world environments Pocketpair needed to create.

Palworld by Pocketpair (Photo: Steam)

Tekken 8

Tekken 8, the eighth entry in the iconic Tekken series, is a fighting game developed by Bandai Namco that released to universal acclaim from critics, earning a score of 91/100 on Metacritic for its PC release. The game has been praised for its impressive visuals, polished mechanics, and commitment to honoring the series’ legacy while innovating within the genre.

Notably, it is the first shipped fighting game developed using Unreal Engine 5, utilizing the engine’s capabilities to create real-time sequences, allowing for some incredibly seamless transitions from cutscenes to gameplay.

The game showcases smooth animations and highly detailed character models, with expressive facial animations and high-resolution textures. The developers achieved an unmatched level of detail across characters and environments, capturing the intensity of each battle. Dynamic stages also respond to player actions, such as knocking over street carts, adding another layer of immersion and storytelling.

While Unreal Engine 5 powers the graphical enhancements, Bandai Namco used its proprietary systems to manage core gameplay mechanics. This approach allowed the team to deliver fast-paced, responsive combat that feels familiar to *Tekken* fans while blending technical precision with stunning visuals.

Tekken 8 by Bandai Namco (Photo: Bandai Namco)

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth

The second installment in the remake of the beloved Final Fantasy VII, titled Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, is an action role-playing game developed by Square Enix and released in February 2024. Originally announced in 2022, Rebirth continues the Final Fantasy VII remake series, offering a modern reimagining of the classic game.

The development team chose to use a custom-built version of Unreal Engine 4, which helped to create significant improvements to party dynamics and combat systems.

Visuals were also a major focus, with the engine allowing the team to create detailed character models and dynamic environments that capture the original world’s dystopian aesthetic in high detail.

The remake was a faithful yet modernized release, appealing to both long-term fans and new players.

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth by Square Enix (Photo: Square Enix)

Senua's Saga: Hellblade II

In May, Ninja Theory released the next installment in Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, which received positive reviews.

Building on concepts from the first game, the sequel elevates storytelling and visuals to new heights, immersing both Senua and the player in the character's psychosis.

Powered by Unreal Engine 5, the team introduced dynamic weather systems, realistic physics, and a revamped combat system.

The game recreates the Iceland-inspired landscapes using Unreal Engine 5’s Nanite and Lumen technologies. The developers also used the MetaHuman framework to achieve lifelike facial rendering, with realistic skin shading and expressive eyes that deepen the emotional impact of Senua’s journey while prioritizing performance.

Senua's Saga: Hellblade II by Ninja Theory (Photo: Steam)

Black Myth: Wukong

Released in August 2024, Black Myth: Wukong became a breakout action RPG, earning an 8/10 score from IGN and over 700,000 reviews on Steam with an “Overwhelmingly Positive” rating.

Developed by Game Science, Black Myth: Wukong draws from the 16th-century Chinese novel Journey to the West by Wu Cheng'en.

The six-year development saw the team grow from 7 to 40 members, and by release, it had a reported budget of $70 million.

The game showcases the technical and visual capabilities of Unreal Engine, with photorealistic visuals, realistic lighting, and immersive animations. Utilizing Nanite, Lumen, and the engine’s rendering capabilities, the game supports fluid combat, complex boss fights, and unique mythological characters.

Black Myth: Wukong by Game Science (Photo: Steam)

Silent Hill 2 Remake

Silent Hill 2, originally released in 2001, is a classic in survival horror, known for its psychological depth, chilling atmosphere, and memorable gameplay.

The highly anticipated remake, developed by Bloober Team and published by Konami Digital Entertainment, was released in October 2024.

Using Unreal Engine 5, the remake leverages real-time rendering, Lumen for dynamic lighting, and Nanite for detailed geometry. Iconic to Silent Hill is its dense fog; Bloober Team recreated this using volumetric fog and light shafts, heightening the unsettling atmosphere that this game is well-known for.

These advancements bring the fog-laden streets and eerie interiors of Silent Hill into the modern era, appealing to long-time fans while introducing a new generation to its classic horror.

Silent Hill 2 Remake by Bloober Team (Photo: Steam)

The Future of Game Development with Unreal Engine

Unreal Engine has become the preferred choice for developers, not only due to its technical advancements but also because of its accessible tools, suitable for solo developers and large AAA studios alike.

With robust support and scalability, Unreal Engine offers artists a wealth of community resources for learning and collaboration, while assets available in the Unreal Engine Marketplace provide valuable opportunities for teams. Its ease of use and developer tools make it an ideal choice across diverse genres, giving developers what they need in order to to create immersive open-world games, atmospheric horror experiences, or intricate fighting games.

Unreal Engine’s support for real-time rendering, detailed environments, and realistic character tools empowers developers to achieve extraordinary visual and technical results, regardless of genre.

Final Thoughts

This year has seen some incredible games released, both visually and gameplay mechanics wise. It is an exciting time for indie developers, as powerful engines such as Unreal Engine are being democratized and knowledge is becoming more available through online platforms such as YouTube, Epic Forums and Reddit.

Titles like Palworld demonstrated Unreal's ability for large-scale, open-world experiences, while Black Myth: Wukong set new standards for realistic lighting and environments for RPGs. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and Silent Hill 2 Remake reinvented classic games with modern rendering and atmospheric effects, enhancing their storytelling impact. Meanwhile, Tekken 8 and Senua's Saga: Hellblade II showcased real-time character realism, pushing boundaries in fighting and narrative-driven games. Together, these titles solidified Unreal Engine's role as the go-to tool for gaming in 2024.

We can’t wait to see what upcoming video games will be released in 2025 using Unreal Engine!

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