Unreal Engine 3 builds levels, CryEngine 3 builds worlds; such is the difference between the two technologies as seen by Crytek CEO Cevat Yerli.
“The question developers once asked was; ‘how do you build a level?’ I think today the question is more about how developers make worlds,” he’s told Develop.
“If you look at creating fantastic large open worlds, then our engine is the ideal choice. If you want to develop games with small spaces, then you can do that with Unreal Engine 3 – not that I’m saying you can’t do that with CryEngine 3 – it’s just that our engine has been built to create big worlds.”
“Our engine is achieving things that people thought were not possible on consoles.”
Crytek’s seen a lot of interest from developers, CryEngine boss Carl Jones adds, and luring them away from using Epic Games’ engine has apparently not been a difficult task. The tables are turning, he suggests, “I think a lot of [studios] are looking to expand their horizons and are looking at our engine as the next best step for them. CryEngine gives studios more freedom to develop large, open-area environments and that’s what a lot of studios are looking for these days.”
