Train2Game students can get a first glimpse at Unreal Engine 4 from Epic Games in a huge feature published by Wired.  It contains the first details about the engine that’s hotly tipped to appear alongside next-gen consoles.

“There is a huge responsibility on the shoulders of our engine team and our studio to drag this industry into the next generation,” said Epic Games’ design director Cliff Bleszinski, who last month provided advice to Train2Game students during Make Something Unreal Live.

“It is up to Epic, and Tim Sweeney in particular, to motivate Sony and Microsoft not to phone in what these next consoles are going to be. It needs to be a quantum leap. They need to damn near render Avatar in real time, because I want it and gamers want it—even if they don’t know they want it.”

It isn’t the first time Bleszinski has called for Avatar like visuals for PlayStation 4 and Xbox 720 consoles.

Epic Games founder Tim Sweeny is more reserved, but hints that they’ll have a hand in suggesting the performance for next-gen consoles.

“We’re much more in sync with the console makers than any other developer is. That means we can give detailed recommendations with a complete understanding of what is going to be commercially possible.” he said.

Read the huge Unreal Engine 4 feature and see images of what it looks like over at Wired.

There’s more Unreal Engine 4 news here on The Train2Game Blog.

What are your initial impressions of Unreal Engine 4? What do you think it needs to bring to the table?

Leave your comments here on The Train2Game Blog, or here on the Train2Game forum.