Game Engines

                                           Game Engines

What is a game engine?
A game engine is the basic software framework used for the development of video games. The core functionality typically provided by a game engine includes a rendering engine for 2D and 3D graphics, a physics engine or collision detection (and response), sound, scripting, animation, artificial intelligence, networking, streaming, memory management, threading, localization support, and a scene graph.


What is a rendering engine?
The rendering engine is what gives the game a more realistic makeover. It changes a solid, blurred block into a crate or a brick wall when it is rendered. It also allows the object to respond back. Such as if a light source is shining on a wet surface or is shining on a car then the surface of that object will either reflect the light back or lighten up its surface and create a shadow behind it from where the light cannot get.

What is a physics engine?
A physics engine is what makes the game move and react like real life. an example of this is if I push a chair then I would expect it to move away from me. or if I was to shoot a glass window then I would expect it to smash when the bullet hits the glass. The movements of people and the trees are also to do with physics. if the wind blows you would expect the leaves to blow in the direction the wind is blowing.

What is Artificial intelligence (AI)?
Artificial intelligence is the intelligence exhibited by machines or software. It is also the academic  field study which studies how to create computers and computer software that are capable on intelligent behavior. The central  problems (or goals) of AI research include reasoning, knowledge, planning, learning, natural language processing (communication), perception and the ability to move and manipulate objects.

Examples of game engines:

Unreal Engine: Unreal engine is one of the best game engines around with extremely good graphics compared to the other game engines. It is going to be the most highly used game engine for the new consoles (PS4 & Xbox One). Games that have used Unreal engine are:
Gears of War
Unreal Tournament series
Duke Nukem Forever
Rune: Halls of Valhalla
X-COM: Enforcer

Unity: The Unity game engine is free and one of the most easy to use game engine that can make some really good games. It hasn't really been used for major games other than a few but with the new Unity 5 game engine out which has some pretty good running and graphics capability. Games that have used Unity engine are:
Battlestar Galactica Online
Dead Trigger
Angry Birds epic
Interstellar Marines
Kerbal Space Program

CryEngine: CryEngine is the only game engine that can truly compete against Unreal Engine. There are most likely others but CryEngine is by far the best. When Unreal 3 and CryEngine 3 released, CryEngine had better visual effects and ran a lot smoother than Unreal 3. When CryEngine 4 is released the gaming industry will have a major surprise with the graphics it will have to offer. Games that have used CryEngine are:
Crysis series
HomeFront series
Sniper: Ghost warrior series
State of Decay
Ryse: Son of Rome