Difference Between Unreal Engine and CryEngine
The Unreal Engine is a game engine. Unreal engine is coded and written in C++ and it features a high degree of portability. Since then it has been used in various other games such as stealth, fighting games, role-playing games (RPGs) and Massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs). Unreal Engine provides two methods that are C++ and Blueprints Visual Scripting, to create new gameplay elements. CryEngine just like the Unreal Engine is a game engine. CryEngine is coded and written in C++, Lua (a lightweight, multi-paradigm programming language created primarily for embedded use in applications) and C# (a general-purpose, multi-paradigm programming language which surrounds strong typing, vital, declarative, functional, generic, object-oriented (class-based) and component-oriented programming which is in use in applications).
Unreal engine
- Unreal Engine is a game engine (which is also called as the source-available software game engine) developed by the prominent games company i.e. Epic Games. Epic Games, Inc. which was (previously known as the Potomac Computer Systems and later it was known as Epic MegaGames, Inc.) is an American video game developed by a developer which is based in Cary, North Carolina.
- This engine was first showcased in the year 1998 for the first-person shooter game “Unreal”(developed by Epic MegaGames, Digital Extremes, and Legend Entertainment which was published by GT Interactive in May 1998). The C++ programmer programs their favorite IDE (usually Microsoft Visual Studio or Apple’s Xcode) whereas the designer designs the Unreal Editor’s Blueprint Editor.
- During that time on September 4, 2014, Epic released its updated and current release i.e. Unreal Engine 4 which is designed for Microsoft Windows, Android, etc. Its release was also free for schools and universities which include personal copies for students who are enrolled in accredited video game development, art, and computer science, simulation such as liquid or smoke, architectural and visualization programs.
CryEngine
- CryEngine just like the Unreal Engine is a game engine that was developed by the German game developer Crytek (a German video game and software developer based in Frankfurt, Germany that goes by the name Crytek GmbH).
- This game engine in its previous initial version was used in Far Cry (a franchise of first-person shooter video games, currently published by Ubisoft), it is continuing its further updates simultaneously supporting new consoles and hardware for their games.
- Many of its popular third-party games like Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2 and SNOW have been used to arrange its licensing under the name Crytek. At that time, some of the following rumors from various unknown reports state that in April 2015 it was told that Amazon had bought the license from CryEngine for 50 – 70 million dollars. That being said, during that time Amazon started reworking on its own and also extended its version of CryEngine under the name of Amazon Lumberyard in February 2016.
Head To Head Comparison Between Unreal Engine and CryEngine (Infographics)
Below are the top 9 differences between Unreal Engine vs CryEngine
Key differences between Unreal Engine and CryEngine
Both are popular choices in the market; let us discuss some of the major Difference
- Unreal Engine 4 abbreviated as (UE4) is a brand new engine that has some unbelievable graphical abilities like advanced dynamic lighting capabilities and a new particle system that can support up to a million particles at one time in a scene.
- CryEngine being considered an extremely powerful engine that has the graphical capabilities to surpass those of Unity and UDK but is as good as in terms of Unreal Engine 4, the highest level of lighting effects, realistic physic controls, developed animation techniques etc.
- It’s believed that the most valid reason why people chose to use Unreal Engine 4 is that the engine gives its users full access to source code which is licensed to developers for 5% royalty on resulting revenue if it exceeds $3000 per quarter.
- For CryEngine, the best part is its marketplace that’s online and enables its developers to access, operate individual assets from thousands of materials, sounds and 3D objects which is fully owned by the community. Crytek’s library assets are available there as well for the users to pick on.
- Unreal engine fully allows the texture/material artist or Visual effects artist just like a creator who can feel imaginative to create beautiful effects from the beginning.
- CryEngine has a difference in opinion which glorifies it with its rendering scenes of nature such as its features are incredibly detailed in its vegetation, weather effects and it’s the Cry Engine that enables that.
Unreal Engine vs CryEngine Comparison Table
Below is the topmost comparison:
| UNREAL ENGINE | CRYENGINE |
| Unreal Engine also called as a source-available game engine that was developed by Epic Games. | CryEngine is a game engine which was designed by the German game developer Crytek. |
| Unreal engine is specially coded and written in C++ and it also features a high degree of portability. | CryEngine features are coded and written in C++, Lua, and C#. |
| The unreal engine was initially a base for i.e. first-person shooter game Unreal. | CryEngine was initially used in Fr Cry (overall versions have been published by Ubisoft). |
| Unreal engine has a history of a really strong development community which has added to a lot of support. | CryEngine has a small history of development community added to its users’ support. |
| Unreal engine stands better in terms of ranking i.e. Unreal Engine 4 is ranked 2nd s compared to CryEngine. | It stands slightly below in terms of ranking i.e. CryEngine is ranked 7th as compared to CryEngine. |
| Its console targets are PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. | Its console targets are Xbox One and PS4. |
| The latest version supports HTML5, Magic Leap One and virtual reality, PlayStation VR, Google Daydream etc. | The latest version i.e. CryEngine 5.4 now supports DX12 and Vulkan. |
| Unreal engine has its way of allowing the texture/material artist or Visual effects artist to create beautiful effects from the beginning. | CryEngine has a spark with its rendering scenes of nature such as its features are incredibly detailed in its vegetation, weather effects and it’s the Cry Engine that enables that. |
| It’s had its initial release in May 1998. | CryEngine has had its initial release on May 2002. |
Conclusion
Unreal Engine vs CryEngine is always considered as the AAA standard engine. Both Unreal engines vs CryEngine have the tools to help create the desired graphical interface you need. With regards to the Unreal engine, there are lots of tutorials available which can assist you to learn quickly, while CryEngine 5 has few resources out there so it’s a bit of a stretch to learn how to use it. Overall, Unreal engine vs CryEngine seems pretty good for their capabilities.
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