Friday, March 29

What is a graphics engine? | Digital Trends Spanish


During these days, Epic Games launched the long-awaited graphics engine Unreal Engine 5, which promises to surprise the video game industry, considering that several major productions will use it, such as the next Tomb Raider and The Witcher 4.

However, it will not only be graphic benefits that can be seen with this tool, but also other features with which its developer company ensures that we will be facing the real step to the new generation of video games.

Of course, the first thing is to be clear what we talk about when we refer to a graphics engine and what is its importance when developing a title.

What is a graphics engine?

In simple words, a graphics engine is a set of programming routines that allows you to design, create and produce the operation of a video game.

Within the aspects that a graphics engine includes, there is –for example– the rendering of graphics that we see on the screen; the development of physics that allow us to observe how the collisions between the objects that appear in the images are generated; the artificial intelligence used by the characters; and the way lighting effects are perceived by players, among other aspects.

All these elements are worked on through this tool, so its peculiarity is that it is not necessary to have a special graphic engine to be able to develop any type of video game in particular. In other words, we can make a first-person title like a sports title with the same technology.

In fact, the above has been illustrated, for example, with Frostbite, which is a graphics engine that was developed by EA Digital Illusions and with which works such as the Battlefield saga and the famous FIFA.

Obviously, the development of a graphics engine costs your investment, so companies make a significant economic effort for its development. After that, the companies allow other developers to use it, sometimes paying a price or for free, requiring some aspects such as the payment of a royalty after achieving certain sales.

What are the best known graphics engines?

Next, we will review some tools that have become known in the industry, thanks to the high-quality productions that have been achieved thanks to the graphic engines they have.

Unreal Engine

It is the predecessor to the latest version of the technology created by Epic Games and has the possibility of supporting any platform, so video games can be created that are destined for PC, Virtual Reality, mobile, etc.

As for the best-known games, the range ranges from recognized productions such as Fortnite, through Gears of War or even the controversial Street Fighter V.

Its first version was created in 1998 and has become a benchmark when it comes to graphics engines.

CryEngine

Crytek is behind this tool, making its debut in the first Far Cry. Its specialty is 3D environments, so there is also a wide range of titles that have used it.

In that sense, we have from productions with high graphic quality such as Crysis 3 or others such as The Journey.

FOX Engine

This cross-platform tool was developed by Kojima Productions, making its title debut with the famous Pro Evolution Soccer 2014.

Its development began after Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patiots, and it was sought to obtain the “best video game engine in the world”.

Regarding its name, it takes reference to the military unit that appears in the Metal Gear franchise.

frost bite

As mentioned above, it was developed by EA Digital Illusions and has had a significant evolution, currently being in version 4.

Like other engines, it also has the characteristic of being multiplatform and being able to cover different video game styles, which is why we’ve seen it both in First Person Shooters and in productions from the world of sports.

Among the emblematic games that have used it are Battlefield: Bad Company 2, Medal of Honor: Warfighter, the FIFA saga, among others.

Anvil

It is a graphics engine created by Ubisoft Montreal in 2007, and that also allows the possibility of developing titles for multiple platforms.

In that sense, the particularity of this tool is that it offers innovative features at the time, such as a dynamic weather system and striking artificial intelligence when it comes to crowds.

Regarding the video games that have been developed based on this engine, there are mega-productions such as the Assassin’s Creed saga, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Siege, Immortals Fenyx Rising, among others.

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