8 Games That Bring Out The Best Of Unreal Engine 5

I remember being blown away by the Unreal Engine 5 tech demo back in 2020, and then again with The Matrix Awakens in 2021! But honestly, even with all the big AAA games using it over the last couple of years, it still feels like we’re in the early stages of UE5. We’ve all quickly learned what to expect: games look absolutely stunning, but are often held back by frustrating technical issues – that annoying stuttering when shaders load is a real problem. So, while I’m super excited for upcoming games like The Witcher 4, Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra, and Ballad of Antara, I’m also trying to keep my expectations realistic. It’s a mix of excitement and cautious optimism!

Many games made with Unreal Engine 5 haven’t performed well on typical computers and consoles, but there are some outstanding exceptions. The games listed below showcase the engine’s potential with beautiful graphics, detailed environments, and realistic lighting, proving that UE5 can deliver amazing results when used effectively. They stand out as some of the best examples of what the technology can achieve.

Okay, so these aren’t necessarily the prettiest games built with Unreal Engine 5 out there, but they’re the ones I’ve found that run really well on my gaming PC without needing top-of-the-line hardware. They hit a sweet spot between looking good and actually being playable, which is what I care about most!

Fortnite

Testing Grounds At The Tip Of The Spear

As a huge fan of what Unreal Engine can do, I think Fortnite really showcases its power better than almost any other game. It makes sense, though – it’s made by Epic Games, the people behind Unreal Engine! They’re constantly updating Fortnite and adding all the newest engine features super quickly, so you’re always seeing what the engine is truly capable of. It’s an ever-changing game, and it’s amazing to watch it evolve.

As soon as Fortnite switched over to Unreal Engine 5, it was seriously impressive. It was the first game on consoles this generation to fully use all the new tech – Nanite, Lumen, and Virtual Shadow Maps – and still run really smoothly. Of course, the mobile version is different. It’s on an older version of the engine because it needs to run on phones, so it can’t handle all that fancy stuff.

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2

More Of A Showcase Than A Game

When it comes to visually stunning games made with Unreal Engine 5, Ninja Theory’s Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 stands out, even though it came out over a year ago. Now that it’s available on PS5, more players can experience what many consider the best-looking game of this generation. While the graphics are incredible, the game intentionally limits how much freedom players have to explore, likely to maintain its visual fidelity.

With stunning, lifelike environments and incredibly realistic characters who visibly react during battles, Hellblade 2 feels more like a playable movie than a typical video game. It’s also an impressive demonstration of what the Unreal Engine 5 is capable of.

The Finals

Environmental Destruction? Not A Problem

The Finals stands out as one of the few games built with Unreal Engine 5 that truly focuses on letting players destroy the environment, something gamers still don’t see often in 2025. This destruction is a key part of how the game is played, and while it might not be quite as chaotic as the large-scale battles in Battlefield 6, it comes pretty close.

Like with their game ARC Raiders, the developers at Embark Studio have made a smart choice with The Finals: they’ve focused on a distinctive art style and smooth gameplay rather than pushing the most demanding features of Unreal Engine 5. This results in a fast-paced, well-running multiplayer game that looks great, and many players wouldn’t realize it’s even powered by Unreal Engine 5.

Split Fiction

It Just Works

Considering how demanding Unreal Engine 5 games are on PlayStation 5 and many PCs, it’s impressive that Split Fiction runs so smoothly for two players at the same time. This latest co-op game from Josef Fares and Hazelight Studios keeps the action split across two screens for almost the entire game, yet still consistently delivers a fluid 60 frames per second on consoles.

Okay, so Split Fiction doesn’t use every single fancy feature of Unreal Engine 5 – things like Nanite and Lumen aren’t fully in there – but honestly, the way it performs is amazing. And get this: it’s an online game, so you can play with friends no matter what system they’re on! The graphics, gameplay, and performance are all top-notch, whichever platform you choose. I’m seriously impressed.

Silent Hill f

Say f-arewell To Stuttering

Most people weren’t sure what to expect from Silent Hill f, the first game from new studio NeoBards Entertainment. However, it’s a welcome addition to the Silent Hill series and suggests a promising future, especially following the success of the Silent Hill 2 Remake. What’s more, the game is remarkably well-made for an Unreal Engine 5 title, consistently running smoothly at 60 frames per second even on the standard PlayStation 5 without any noticeable performance issues.

As a fan, I have to say the graphics in Silent Hill f are seriously impressive – they really rival SH2 Remake! Even though a lot of the game takes place in tight, foggy spaces, it still looks amazing. What’s even more incredible is how smoothly it runs. They’re using some cutting-edge tech like Nanite, Lumen, and Virtual Shadow Maps, and honestly, it’s a game-changer. I haven’t seen anything look this good without any stuttering before!

Manor Lords

Scale Above All

While not originally built using Unreal Engine 5, Manor Lords was first developed in Unreal Engine 4 and then upgraded to UE5 to improve its graphics and performance. This transition demonstrates the significant benefits of updating game engines. As the game is still in Early Access, Manor Lords is expected to improve even further before its official release, but it’s already remarkably impressive due to its massive scale.

Despite switching to the Unreal Engine 5, Manor Lords runs surprisingly well, even when players build large cities with thousands of inhabitants or engage in massive battles. While it doesn’t currently use all of UE5’s advanced features like Lumen and Nanite, and may not for some time, this actually helps maintain smooth performance.

Satisfactory

Dream Big, Build Bigger

Satisfactory was initially created using Unreal Engine 4, but was successfully upgraded to Unreal Engine 5 during its Early Access phase. While the game doesn’t take full advantage of all UE5 features – it has limited use of Nanite and doesn’t use Lumen – it’s consistently highlighted as one of the best examples of UE5’s potential and is frequently commended for how well it runs.

I’m totally addicted to Satisfactory! It’s all about building these crazy factories in a huge open world, and you can get seriously into detail – I’m talking thousands of moving parts! What’s really impressed me is how well it runs, even on my slightly older PC. I’ve played for hours and hours without a single slowdown or glitch, which is a huge relief because a lot of games made with Unreal Engine 5 just can’t handle that.

ARC Raiders

Massive, Gorgeous Maps With No Drawbacks

Embark Studios, quickly becoming a leading game developer, recently released ARC Raiders, a popular new game built with Unreal Engine 5. The game looks fantastic and runs smoothly, but the developers, similar to the game The Finals, chose to limit the use of some advanced graphical features like Nanite and Lumen. While some graphics fans might not love this decision, the game maintains consistent performance even with large maps and up to 21 players, making it a worthwhile trade-off.

What’s really interesting about Embark is their commitment to smooth gameplay over flashy graphics, and ARC Raiders perfectly demonstrates this approach. More game developers could benefit from prioritizing what works best for their games, instead of trying to include every possible feature right from the start without carefully considering the results.

2025-12-05 23:07