Unreal Engine and Blender are two popular software tools used by game developers. They each have their own unique features and roles in the game development process. If you’re new to game development, choosing the right software can be challenging. This guide will help simplify the decision-making process and assist you in selecting the most suitable software.
Unreal Engine is a 3D game engine developed by Epic Games. It’s open-source and has been used to create popular games like Fortnite, Octopath Traveler, Mortal Kombat, and Fallen Order. On the other hand, Blender is a free 3D modeling program that focuses on creating 3D assets, rigging, sculpting, and animation.
Typically, Blender is used to make 3D assets that are later imported into Unreal Engine for game development. Here is a useful source for Free Blender Models.
Both software tools have different uses in game development and can be used together. However, if you need to choose between them due to limited resources, the following guide can help you make a decision.
- Pricing: Both Blender and Unreal Engine are free and open-source. Unreal Engine has a 5% royalty fee on commercial products after reaching $1 million in gross revenue. This fee is usually not a concern for most indie developers, so it shouldn’t deter you from using Unreal Engine. However, if you prefer to avoid any fees and support Epic Games, Blender is the better choice.
- System Requirements: Consider your computer’s capabilities when choosing software. Unreal Engine generally requires a more powerful setup, including a high-end GPU like the RTX-2000 series. If you have a modest PC or don’t mind missing out on Unreal Engine’s advanced features, Blender is a suitable option.
- Game Development: Blender no longer includes a built-in game engine, but you can use UPBGE, an open-source fork of the old Blender game engine, to create games within Blender itself. UPBGE uses Python, a beginner-friendly programming language. However, it’s not ideal for larger games. Unreal Engine is a robust game engine used by AAA companies and utilizes C++. While C++ is more challenging to learn, it offers advanced capabilities and includes Blueprints, a visual scripting interface for those who prefer to avoid extensive coding.
- 3D Modeling and Texturing: Blender excels in 3D modeling with its advanced tools for procedural modeling and non-destructive editing. However, its texturing tools are limited, and professionals often use third-party software like Substance Painter. Unreal Engine’s modeling tools are not as powerful as Blender’s but are still usable. Unreal Engine users have access to the Quixel Megascans library, providing realistic 3D assets and PBR materials and you can find here Free 3D Models. Additionally, Unreal Engine 5 introduces the Nanite system, which enhances the display of high-polygon scenes.
- Animation and Rigging: Blender offers extensive resources for keyframe animation and rigging, including 2D rigging capabilities with Grease Pencil. Unreal Engine provides Python scripting support for accurate character rigging. While Blender’s rigging system is more developed, Unreal Engine offers pre-modeled and pre-rigged 3D human assets called Meta Humans, which can be easily set up and animated.
- Rendering: Blender includes two rendering engines: Cycles and Eevee. Cycles provides accurate lighting and high-quality photorealistic renders but relies on CPU performance. Eevee sacrifices accuracy for speed and is a real-time rendering engine. Unreal Engine 5 introduces Lumen, a powerful global illumination and reflections system that produces photorealistic scenes. Lumen requires an RTX-2000 series GPU, but it offers real-time rendering capabilities and cinematic tools for cutscene creation.
In conclusion, if you focus on asset creation, character modeling, and rigging, Blender is best.