A game engine is an architecture that game developers use to make a game. In game engines, the components used can be reused to build the framework of the game. In simpler terms, a game engine is dedicated software for creating and designing games.
Game engines provide the developers with more time to focus on the key features and elements of the game such as character looks, facial expressions, and models and how entities and objects of the game will interact. This means that before game engines, the process of designing games was a lot more difficult. It meant that all games would have to be made from scratch making it consume a lot more time and a whole lot expensive. In this article, we are going to look at the similarities, differences, and features of Unreal vs CryEngine.
Sometimes, new game engines have to be designed. This happens when the game is created is so different that there is no existing game engine that will work. A game engine allows developers to add things such as physics, rendering, collision detection, scripting, artificial intelligence, and inputs. There are many games engine making companies. Different engines have different strengths and weaknesses as each of them has its own style and user. Some are more geared toward non-programmers and beginners.
The most crucial requirement for a new developer is the support community and learning curve. If a game engine has a good support community, then it makes the learning more fun and interesting. Choosing an engine with steep learning curve might lead you to lose interest in game development. Let’s see how Unreal vs CryEngine unfolds.
Unreal vs Cryengine Main points to consider
| Features | Unreal Engine | Cryengine |
|---|---|---|
| System requirement | Mac or Windows with Graphics card and 8GB RAM | Windows with 4GB RAM and Compatible graphics card. Does not support MAC |
| Learning curve | Little difficult to learn for beginners. Well documented | Very difficult to learn and badly documented |
| Platforms Supported | All Known gaming platforms | Supports most of the major platforms |
| Source code access | Full source code access for free | Full source code access for free |
| Game quality | Best quality among game engines | Quality is good in 3D, but not in all game formats |
| Languages | C++, visual scripting with blueprint | C++, C#, visual scripting with flow graph |
| Asset store | Unreal marketplace is very resourceful. | Marketplace with limited assets. |
| Best Course | Learn Unreal, Hire Unreal Engine tutor | Learn CryEngine |
| Cost | Free till you earn $3000 with your game. 5% royalty after that. | Free till you earn $5000 with your game. 5% royalty after that. |
If you are totally new to game development, check out our post on How to make a game?
CryEngine vs unreal engine: Detailed comparison
UNREAL Game engine
Unreal was developed by Epic Games under a man known as Tim Sweeney in 1998. For the past two decades, Unreal has been used to develop games from all genres. Worldwide popular games such as Splinter Cell have been developed using Unreal. Newer games such as Final Fantasy 7 have also been developed using this game engine.
The latest version of Unreal is version 4.21 and was released in November 2018. Like previous versions, the latest was also created with a 3D game in mind, and this is why Unreal is great for 3D titles. It is important to note that it also supports 2d game development.
It is also the game engine with one of the best dynamic lightings that will fully immerse you into a virtual gaming world. However, one of its stand-out features is that you do not need to have any coding knowledge to create a game using Unreal. This is because Unreal comes with Blueprint. The Blueprint is a group of tools and features that you can use to create all aspects of the game without having to write a single line of code. This is what makes it so great for beginners.
With all these great features of this engine, it is surprising that Unreal is free. They give you the full game engine package with all features for free. They did this to encourage software and game development in schools. To make money however, they have a fair system. Unreal takes 5% of your total revenue when you ship your game. They take this cut forever. This rule though only applies after you have made game sales worth over $3000, which is a fair deal.
The Unreal is a powerful game engine. It has the following key features.
Supports both 2D and 3D development
Many games today are in 3D. However, for Indie developers, 2D game development is essential. Unreal game engine provides a smooth and great workflow for these game models and this is why almost all Indie game developers use it. Moreover, it is often that, games made with unreal look really cool. No matter 2D or 3D, all games made with unreal look a class apart.
Unreal uses WYSIWYG editor
It has a ‘what you see is what you get’ (WYSIWYG) editor which is very convenient and efficient for game developers since testing during development is made very easy.
Supports both programming language and visual scripting
As we know by now, to use a game engine, you have to have some bit of coding knowledge. The problem comes in when you know a language that is not supported by your game engine. Unreal ensures that even if you are not well versed with C++, you can make a game with the visual scripting tool. Blueprint is the name of the visual scripting tool of Unreal and is well documented for new beginners.
CryEngine Game Engine
If you’re a gamer, then the CryEngine is not a new term for you. There are many games that have been made through this powerful game engine. It is designed by a German developer known as Crytek. CryEngine has been used to make many AAA games in the past and are constantly improving. If you are a gamer then you should have definitely come across CryEngine logo when playing games in your PC or Console.
CryEngine is known for its aesthetically pleasing and high-quality, high-resolution games. Over time, they update their system so that new consoles are supported. Some of games made with CryEngine are: Sniper – Ghost Warrior 2 and Snow Warhorse. Such games are registered under a third-party license. Large game companies such as Ubisoft also use this game engine. Ubisoft maintains an in-house, heavily modified version of CryEngine from the original Far Cry called the Dunia Engine, which is used in their later iterations of the Far Cry series.
The CryEngine like all other game engines has slowly been improved through the many versions it has starting from CryEngine 1 to V. The version 1 was used for the first release of Far Cry. It was the first version of the game engine to be released by Crytek and was demonstrated at Electronic Entertainment expo. After its great reception, it was quickly made into a game. Later, Crytek released an improved version 1.2 which included better graphics and controls. A 1.3 version was released soon after and improved on HDR lighting.
The CryEngine 2 was used in the worldwide popular game known as Crysis. It was released in 2008 by Crytek. This version was first licensed out to an urban communication company and the purpose of this was to create a program where clients would be able to model exactly how a building would look like before construction. This licensing was done in 2009 but later changed ownership in 2011 when another company, the Simpsons, took over. Later in 2012, it was licensed by Ringling College which became the first educational institution to license Cryengine 2 for educational purposes.
The CryEngine 3 was released in 2009 and was being used for development of Windows, PS3, Xbox360 and Wii games. Later that year, a demo of a 3D version of the CryEngine 3 was released. The CryEngine 3 was slowly modified to create custom maps and mods. Crytek used this version to bring back the original Crysis game to consoles as they were first only made for PCs. In 2011, a play station and Xbox version of the game was made available to the public
The CryEngine 3.6 to 4 is unique and has little similarities with its previous versions. It added a support for Linux operating system and increased their platforms to consoles such as the PS4, Xbox One and Wii U.
The final version of the CryEngine to be released is the CryEngine V. It was released in 2016. This game engine version was unique because it allowed the users to view the source code such after paying a certain amount of money. Later in 2017, a 504 version was released to make some improvements on the 5.0 such as a Vulkan API render engine as beta, substance integration and new C# palettes.
CryEngine uses WYSIWYG editor
It has a ‘what you see is what you get’ (WYSIWYG) editor which is very convenient and efficient for game developers since testing during development is made very easy.
It Uses C++, C# and lua for programming and has a visual editor
As we know by now, to use a game engine, you have to have some bit of coding knowledge. The problem comes in when you know a language that is not supported by your game engine. Scripting in CryEngine can be done using C++, C# and Lua. Therefore, game developers can use the language they prefer.
Flow Graph is a visual scripting system that is embedded in the CryEngine Sandbox Editor. The main advantage of the Flow Graph Editor is that users do not need to have any scripting or programming knowledge
Supports both 2D and 3D development
Many games today are in 3D. However, for Indie developers, 2D game development is essential. CryEngine is great for Indie developers since it is especially tailored for 2D game models. CryEngine game engine provides a smooth and great workflow for these game models and this is why almost all Indie game developers use it. Unlike newer game engines that work in pseudo 2D where a 3D world is represented in two dimensions, Cryengine works in actual 2D that is expressed in pixels. This is the reason we say it is tailored for both 3D and 2D game models.
Conclusion: Unreal vs Cryengine
Both these game engines have been around for a long time. But both were available only to the closed group of game developers that worked with the respective company. CryEngine is a great software for 3D game developers but the lack of support community makes it difficult to debug errors in CryEngine. Unreal is a more complete package between both these engines. If you plan to go indie or want to get a job in the gaming industry, Unreal is the best choice. Unreal is the winner of Unreal vs CryEngine battle.