The Division: Snowdrop engine designed "to do things better, not bigger," Ubisoft details tech in new blog

Tom Clancy's The Division publisher Ubisoft has discussed in some detail the power of the shooter's underlying Snowdrop engine, and how it was designed to both optimise and unlock new potential in the new generation, rather than go bigger just for the sake of it.

It follows this Snowdrop engine tech demo video, which shows off trees and other effects. Check it out before pressing on, as the blog addressed Ubisoft's footage.

Over on the Ubisoft blog, Rodrigo Cortes, Brand Art Director at Massive Entertainment said, "The forest shots, turrets and giant flies that you saw in the trailer are not part of The Division. This video is a technical demonstration, to display Snowdrop’s full capacities as a new generation engine. Snowdrop is capable of creating a large range of varied universes, procedurally, and in an unprecedented level of detail.”

“Snowdrop was created in-house, at Massive, in response to a specific requirement: to do things better, not bigger,” Cortes went on. “Triple-A game development projects are growing in scope exponentially, so we wanted to be smart and not rely on brute force. We needed an engine that would support how we work in the studio, promote creativity, and allow the freedom to experiment and prototype.”

Ubisoft added that Snowdrop utilises a node-based development system, and covers all aspects of a project's creation - from AI rendering to mission scripting. It also runs in real-time, making everything playable and ready for testing, including The Division's complex light system. “Snowdrop is a dynamic, interconnected and flexible system where developers can create their assets quickly and interact with them in ways that have never been done before," Cortes added.

We've got some in-engine screens below. Let us know what you think.

Via MP1st.