Today’s video games are nothing short of magic. The characters look almost as natural as real humans, the animation and effects are something to gawk at, and the soundtracks are masterpieces. These assets make up a totally immersible world where casual and hardcore gamers can tune out the real world for a while.
So what holds all of these elements together? How do game developers create, organize, and store everything in one place? It’s called a game engine. However, what exactly is a game engine? This article will explore what a game engine is and why they’re important, plus introduce you to the top two engines used today.
Game Engines Explained
Developers primarily use a game engine as a tool to produce video games. However, sometimes, they’re used to create television shows and movies. These engines contain what is known as the core coding and functionality of a game. They are what renders the game in 2D or 3D. Additionally, their libraries carry collision and physics attributes. Also, they contain the audio and soundtrack, cinematics, and scripting.
You must know how to code, build, modify, and update engines. Typically, developers use C++, C#, or JavaScript to code their engines. In years past, developers customarily constructed engines for one specific game on one platform. Today, developers use them for a particular game or can modify them for a more general purpose. Game engines are often added to and built upon as time goes by, and companies use new versions to release more recent games.
Why Game Engines Are Needed
Before game developers implemented game engines, most games used basic machine language. In 1986, when Activision released Garry Kitchen’s “GameMaker,” consumers began to see what game engines could accomplish. This developer engine is one of the earliest all-in-one environments. It can design virtually every asset needed, including moveable objects, music, and graphics.
GameMaker was a leap toward modern engines, but people could only use it on the Commodore 64 and a few other early consoles. Luckily, arcade games also saw an advance toward today’s machines, this time in the 1990s.
Early coin-operated arcade games didn’t use engines as we know them today. A popular engine was SEGA NAOMI. NAOMI stands for New Arcade Operation Machine Idea. Many 1990s and early-to-mid 2000s arcade games used SEGA NAOMI. NAOMI was unlike others at the time because other companies, such as Capcom and Namco, could use the NAOMI license.
Finally, with the advancement of better game engines, game companies could finally deploy their work on multiple platforms. This is something that would have taken much more time and effort 30-40 years ago, which was why it was rare to see a game created for more than one platform.
Today’s Standard
Many people in video games consider that there are two industry-standard game engines. These two engines are Unreal Engine and Unity. One can argue that most games are built using one of these game engines. However, some companies use lesser-known engines, or they create their own. More on both of those later. Let’s look at Unreal Engine first.
Unreal Engine
Unreal Engine was developed by Epic Games. It was initially showcased in a 1998 first-person shooter, or FPS, game, “Unreal.” The Unreal Engine, or UE, is written in C++ code and can be used cross-platform, including console, desktop, and virtual reality systems. Additionally, many films and TV shows use Unreal to power their products. Unreal was even named the “most successful videogame engine” in 2014 by the Guinness World Records.
With the “Unreal” game, we saw many exciting advancements in game development, including improvements in both graphics and audio. Also, the game came packaged with its own scripting language called “UnrealScript.” UnrealScript allowed fans to add modifications, or mods, to enhance their game. Today, developers allow players to use and implement their modded creations in many games. Allowing the gaming community to mod games keeps the game alive and adds replayability and longevity.
Notable Games Using Unreal Engine
- Fortnite
- Bioshock
- PUBG: Battlegrounds
- Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade
- Mortal Kombat Mobile
- Xbox One
- Recruit and train commandos, outlanders, constructors, and ninjas to take on the monster horde
- Create ridiculous weapons
- Build extravagant forts
- Co-op play
- Remastered in 1080p
- Revisit the cities of Rapture and Columbia and see them like never before
- BioShock, BioShock 2, and BioShock Infinite main games and all single-player DLC
- Includes director's commentary, Imagining BioShock
- Classic title reimagined for a new era
- Yuffie stars in her very own DLC adventure
- New characters added to the roster
- Perfect for retro fans and those new to the series
Unity
In 2005, Unity Technologies introduced Unity as a Mac OS X tool. Today, developers use Unity to power computers, consoles, and virtual reality setups. Unity is also a well-known choice for 3D games. Additionally, many popular Android and iOS mobile games are powered using Unity. At this time, Unity is used to develop over 70% of mobile games.
Independent game developers and beginner developers sometimes prefer Unity. However, due to Unity possessing a relatively smooth learning curve and an ability to write super-strict code, Unity is also a good choice for experienced programmers. Unity developers write in C#.
Notable Games Using Unity
- Hearthstone
- Pokemon Go
- Dall of Duty: Mobile
- Hollow Knight
- Ori and the Blind Forest
- Enjoy retro side-scrolling action with new, modern twists
- Dodge, dash, and slash with throwback 2D controls
- Travel through a wide web of interconnected worlds
- Follow paths and face enemies as you carve your own way forward
- Learn spells, gain strength, and increase speed as you make your journey
- Critically acclaimed
- Help Ori save the forest of Nibel
- Meticulously animated character performance
- Features a fully orchestrated score
Additional Game Engines
While Unreal and Unity are two of the most used, several other popular engines are used today. Some of these include:
- AppGameKit
- RPG Maker
- GameMaker
- Godot
- CryEngine
- Amazon Lumberyard (Open 3D Engine)
Game developers and publishers can create and publish regardless of machine or console. One set of assets is used for the Xbox, PlayStation, PC, mobile, and virtual reality machines. Others still rely on proprietary game engines to bring their digital world to life.
The engine a game developer uses usually comes down to experience and available resources. However, if available, some publishers and developers prefer to use their own in-house developed game engines.
Proprietary Game Engines
Bethesda Softworks is an excellent example of a top company using its in-house game engines. Bethesda, the publisher behind Fallout 4 and Elder Scrolls: Skyrim, uses the proprietary engine called “Creation Engine.” Bethesda’s newly released Starfield uses an updated version called Creation Engine 2. While Bethesda creates and updates its code for in-house games, it’s rare for other AAA game publishers to use the same practice. Instead, they may combine their proprietary engine and Unreal for various assets. Either way, it’s important to realize that many exist and are used today.
- From the creators of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Fallout 4
- Set in the year 2330 in worlds beyond our solar system
- Explore over 1,000 planets as a member of Constellation, space explorers searching for rare artifacts
- Pilot your own spaceship throughout the universe
- Customize your character's appearance, background, and distinguishing characteristics
Video Game Engines
With an understanding of what game engines are, it’s easier to see why they’re so essential. Without game engines, video games would continue to look like they did in the early arcade years. Many of those games relied on machine language. Building a game took more time and required a lot of creativity and, of course, technical expertise. Today’s game engines still need these attributes from developers, but they also allow for faster building and cross-platform publishing. You don’t have to use one to make your game, but using an engine makes it easier.
- Fortnite - Xbox One
- Xbox One
- Recruit and train commandos, outlanders, constructors, and ninjas to take on the monster horde
- Create ridiculous weapons
- Build extravagant forts
- Co-op play
- BioShock: The Collection - Xbox One
- Remastered in 1080p
- Revisit the cities of Rapture and Columbia and see them like never before
- BioShock, BioShock 2, and BioShock Infinite main games and all single-player DLC
- Includes director's commentary, Imagining BioShock
- FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE INTERGRADE (PS5)
- Classic title reimagined for a new era
- Yuffie stars in her very own DLC adventure
- New characters added to the roster
- Perfect for retro fans and those new to the series
- Hollow Knight - Nintendo Switch
- Enjoy retro side-scrolling action with new, modern twists
- Dodge, dash, and slash with throwback 2D controls
- Travel through a wide web of interconnected worlds
- Follow paths and face enemies as you carve your own way forward
- Learn spells, gain strength, and increase speed as you make your journey
- Ori and the Blind Forest
- Critically acclaimed
- Help Ori save the forest of Nibel
- Meticulously animated character performance
- Features a fully orchestrated score
- Starfield: Standard Edition - Xbox Series X
- From the creators of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Fallout 4
- Set in the year 2330 in worlds beyond our solar system
- Explore over 1,000 planets as a member of Constellation, space explorers searching for rare artifacts
- Pilot your own spaceship throughout the universe
- Customize your character's appearance, background, and distinguishing characteristics
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We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
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