The Matrix Awakens tech demo shows us what's possible

This story about what's possible, boiled down, in 1:34 minutes.

What's the fuss?

A new tech demo related to the new Matrix film is blowing us away for how realistic is looks. It may be a glimpse into how our gaming future will look eventually.

The situation

Unreal Engine is an extremely powerful software tool that graphic artists can harness to bring 3D worlds to life for almost any medium.

• Originally developed in the 90s for the 1998 first-person shooter game Unreal, the engine has gone through numerous iterations that have led to it being the most popular game engine for developers.
• Unreal Engine has also been heavily utilized in the film and television industry, such as in Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Ford v. Ferrari.

At this year's Game Awards, among the numerous announcements included the release of an Unreal Engine tech demo based on The Matrix films called The Matrix Awakens.

• The demo stars Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss as they presents players with a simple question: will advancements in technology allow us to change our reality?
• Theoretical assumptions aside, the demo quickly puts players in an action-packed car chase within a photorealistic city and many are having trouble distinguishing whether they're playing a video game or playing real-life.

Boiling it down

The incredibly impressive visual fidelity of the tech demo may be the next step of what video game graphics can be.

• It seems that the graphical advancements between each console generation has diminished further with time.
• Given that this demo is only available on console (i.e. Xbox and PlayStation), perhaps it's an indication of a massive graphical upgrade for the next generation of consoles.

In the demo, Keanu Reeves presents us with an interesting thought as he magically transforms into his younger self: how digital faces can allow actors to virtually become "immortal".

• Given we have seen de-aging done beautifully in past films such as The Irishman, perhaps the practice will allow aging actors to remain relevant longer.

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