A clip viewed millions of times on Twitter shows what appears to be real life footage taken from a train station.
The clip, shared on Twitter, shows a staircase and platform at a train station at day and night, captured in astonishing detail.
But, as Twitter has asked, is it actual video footage, scenes from a video game or something else?
The Claim
A tweet published by gaming news account ModernWarzone, posted the footage on May 9, 2022, with the caption "Is this real life or a video game?"
Is this real life or a video game? pic.twitter.com/M6SGRyfYIQ
— ModernWarzone (@ModernWarzone) May 9, 2022
The Facts
The clip could at first glance be mistaken for video footage.
However, while it isn't actual footage, it's not from a video game either, as the post suggests.
The video was created by Italian 3D environment artist Lorenzo Drago, using a mixture of real-life film and photography from a train station in Toyama, Japan, alongside computer-generated effects.
It was made using the Unreal 5 engine, a state-of-the-art software package for creating visual, audio, physics and other effects in 3D productions.
Drago posted a series of photos and video detailing his work on ArtStation, a portfolio site where computer and visual artists can showcase their content.
In a post on the site, Drago said: "For this project, I wanted to get as close to photorealism as possible. I used camera matching to get accurate proportions and made careful use of reference."
Although the footage isn't from a video game, the technology it was created with is already being used in the video game and entertainment industries.
In 2021, the release of a new sequel in The Matrix film franchise was accompanied by an Unreal Engine 5 gaming demo which showcased the power of the new software.
The demo was introduced by and starred the film's actors, Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss.
The hugely popular Fortnite video game also used the technology as part of its launch for the PS5 and Xbox Series X gaming consoles.
The Ruling
Half True.
While the clip shared on Twitter isn't from a video game, it was created using a state-of-the-art software used by game designers called Unreal Engine 5.
FACT CHECK BY NEWSWEEK
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
