Last month, Deep Silver unveiled its latest third-person action-adventure title, Echoes of the End, which is powered by the cutting-edge Unreal Engine 5. This release has prompted a thorough examination of its performance on PC, particularly given the engine’s reputation for demanding resources.
Benchmarking Performance
For our benchmarking process, we utilized a robust setup featuring an AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D, paired with 32GB of DDR5 RAM running at 6000MHz. The graphics cards tested included AMD’s Radeon RX 6900XT, RX 7900XTX, RX 9070XT, alongside NVIDIA’s RTX 2080Ti, RTX 3080, RTX 4090, RTX 5080, and RTX 5090. The operating system used was Windows 10 64-bit, with the latest drivers from GeForce and Radeon.
Notably, Echoes of the End lacks a built-in benchmark tool, so we selected one of the most demanding areas early in the game for our tests. It’s important to mention that performance varies significantly across different sections of the game, with some areas demonstrating much better optimization. For instance, the RTX 5090 managed to achieve framerates exceeding 60FPS at Native 4K in less demanding regions, highlighting the disparity in performance across the game.
Performance Insights
At 1080p/Ultra Settings, only the NVIDIA RTX 4090 and RTX 5090 could maintain framerates above 60FPS, particularly in the challenging benchmark area. However, it’s crucial to note that the overall game experience is smoother, indicating that it is not an “unoptimized mess” as some may claim.
When testing at 1440p/Ultra, the NVIDIA RTX 5090 consistently delivered framerates above 60FPS. In contrast, no GPU managed to sustain 60FPS during our Native 4K/Ultra stress test.
Performance scaling with in-game graphics settings proved to be somewhat limited. Switching to High Settings yielded a performance boost of approximately 24-33%, while Medium Settings offered a modest increase of 8-13%. Interestingly, Low Settings did not significantly outperform Medium, suggesting that players may not find substantial benefits in lowering graphics quality.
Addressing Performance Issues
Despite the demanding nature of certain areas, it’s worth acknowledging that Myrkur Games has made strides in addressing the game’s previous stuttering issues. While minor traversal stutters remain, the lengthy interruptions that plagued earlier versions have been resolved, showcasing the developers’ commitment to improving the player experience.
Overall, Echoes of the End stands out as a small-budget game that exceeds expectations, largely thanks to the capabilities of Unreal Engine 5. The game boasts impressive graphics, with consistently excellent lighting and stunning environments, despite some minor animation hiccups. This achievement underscores the growing trend of studios opting for UE5 to enhance their visual storytelling.
In summary, while Echoes of the End performs better than many other titles built on Unreal Engine 5, players should be prepared for some demanding segments. For those seeking to enhance performance, the game supports both NVIDIA DLSS 4 and AMD FSR 3.1, providing options for smoother gameplay. Although minor stutters persist, they are significantly less disruptive than those found in previous titles, such as Oblivion Remastered.
Enjoy your gaming experience!
John is the founder and Editor in Chief at DSOGaming. A passionate advocate for PC gaming, he actively supports the modding and indie communities. Before establishing DSOGaming, John contributed to various gaming websites. While his roots lie in console gaming, particularly with the beloved 16-bit consoles, the allure of PC gaming ultimately captured his heart, primarily due to the revolutionary 3DFX graphics card, Voodoo 2. John has also authored a thesis on “The Evolution of PC Graphics Cards.”
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