Ratchet & Clank-Inspired Dash Effect Made in Unreal Engine 5

Amit Mehar, a 3D Artist and Unreal Engine enthusiast whose detailed breakdown on creating an appealing afterimage effect was recently featured here on 80 Level, impresses us once again with a new exciting project.

This time, the creator paid tribute to Insomniac's 2021 Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, setting up a UE5-powered recreation of the game's "Phantom Dash" ability. According to the author, the final result was achieved through the use of Niagara, the engine's VFX system, utilizing static meshes with world position offset.

For comparison, here's how the effect looks in the game itself:

Previously, the artist also detailed a neat way of dissolving static and pre-fractured meshes using the dynamic fracture setup and showcased a cool experiment with a snow setup and a dynamic system. You can find all these experiments and more by visiting Amit's Twitter page.

For those unfamiliar, Niagara is Unreal Engine's next-generation VFX system that lets one create and preview particle effects in real-time.

With it, digital artists gain the ability to develop additional functionalities independently, without relying on a programmer. Versatile and flexible, the system allows aspiring creators to start by modifying templates or behavior examples, while advanced users can create their own custom modules.

Attached below are some detailed tutorials explaining the nuances of Niagara:

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