The Importance of Style in a Post-UE5 World

What the talk is about

Illia Palochkin explains why style becomes the main way to stand out in the age of Unreal Engine 5. He recalls art history: the camera and photography made realism easy to achieve, and artists had to find other sources of value. Games face a similar moment now. Nanite, Lumen, Megascans and MetaHuman remove technical barriers, so there is a risk of generic, interchangeable projects. Using screenshot quizzes, he shows how alike realistic shooters look and analyses memorable stylised games. He describes style as deliberate simplification of light, colour, shape and materials that supports the theme, emotion and gameplay readability. He closes by urging unique characters, thoughtful UI and fonts, and real meaning behind the visuals. Useful for artists, concept artists and art directors.