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CryENGINE VS Panda3D

Compare CryENGINE VS Panda3D and see what are their differences

CryENGINE logo CryENGINE

The most powerful game development platform is now available to everyone. Full engine source code.

Panda3D logo Panda3D

Panda3D is a video game development engine and rendering software. It is developed and maintained by the Carnegie Mellon University Entertainment Technology Center.
  • CryENGINE Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-04-18
  • Panda3D Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-12-22

CryENGINE features and specs

  • High-Quality Graphics
    CryENGINE is renowned for its cutting-edge graphics and rendering capabilities, enabling realistic environments and character models, which can significantly enhance visual appeal.
  • Real-Time Lighting
    The engine offers advanced real-time lighting features, including dynamic shadows and global illumination, which contribute to more immersive and visually stunning scenes.
  • Sandbox Editor
    CryENGINE’s Sandbox Editor is highly intuitive and user-friendly, offering a powerful WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) environment that speeds up the development process.
  • Integrated Physics Engine
    The engine comes with an integrated physics engine known for its realistic simulation of physical interactions, which is crucial for creating believable gameplay experiences.
  • Support for Multiple Platforms
    CryENGINE supports multiple platforms, including Windows, PlayStation, Xbox, and VR devices, making it versatile for various types of game development.
  • Strong Community and Resources
    There is a strong community of developers and comprehensive documentation available, providing ample resources for troubleshooting and learning.

Possible disadvantages of CryENGINE

  • Steep Learning Curve
    Despite the user-friendly interface, CryENGINE has a steep learning curve, particularly for beginners, which can make it challenging to fully leverage its capabilities without significant time investment.
  • Performance Requirements
    The high-quality graphics and advanced features demand substantial hardware resources, which can limit accessibility and increase development costs.
  • Less Popularity
    Compared to other engines like Unreal Engine and Unity, CryENGINE is less popular, which means fewer plugins, third-party tools, and a smaller talent pool of experienced developers.
  • License Costs
    While the engine offers a free tier, commercial use can incur significant licensing costs, especially for large projects, which can be a barrier for indie developers or small studios.
  • Sparse Updates
    Updates and new features are not as frequent as other engines, which can result in longer periods before bugs are fixed or new functionalities are introduced.
  • Complex Scripting
    The scripting in CryENGINE can be complex and less intuitive compared to other engines, which may slow down development for programmers not familiar with its architecture or programming languages.

Panda3D features and specs

  • Open Source
    Panda3D is entirely open source, which means you can tweak the engine to fit your specific needs and contribute to its development.
  • Python Integration
    It is designed to be used with Python, making it an excellent choice for developers who prefer Python and benefit from its ease of use and quick prototyping.
  • C++ Support
    For performance-critical applications, Panda3D allows you to write parts of your code in C++, providing a good balance between ease of use and execution speed.
  • Extensive Documentation
    The engine comes with comprehensive documentation, tutorials, and a strong community, which can ease the learning curve for new users.
  • Complete Development Environment
    It includes everything needed to create a game, from rendering and physics to asset management and sound, providing a one-stop solution.
  • Toolchain Compatibility
    Compatible with many other tools and libraries, allowing for great flexibility in development workflows.

Possible disadvantages of Panda3D

  • Steep Learning Curve
    Despite the extensive documentation, beginners in game development might find it challenging to understand and use all of Panda3D's features.
  • Limited Graphics Capabilities
    Compared to more modern game engines like Unreal Engine or Unity, Panda3D's graphics capabilities are somewhat outdated and might not support cutting-edge visuals.
  • Smaller Community
    While Panda3D has an active community, it is smaller than those of more mainstream engines, possibly leading to fewer resources and third-party plugins.
  • Performance Overhead
    Being primarily Python-based can introduce performance overheads compared to engines built entirely in lower-level languages like C++.
  • Manual Resource Management
    Asset and resource management require more manual effort compared to some other engines that offer more automated solutions.

Analysis of CryENGINE

Overall verdict

  • CryENGINE is a solid choice for developers focused on creating graphically intensive and immersive games. However, it may have a steeper learning curve compared to some other game engines and could require more system resources due to its high-performance features. It's particularly effective for developers who prioritize visual fidelity and have the technical expertise to leverage its advanced features.

Why this product is good

  • CryENGINE, developed by Crytek, is renowned for its high-quality graphics and powerful rendering capabilities. It provides realistic lighting, detailed environments, and complex particle effects, which make it a preferred choice for developers aiming to create visually stunning games. The engine also offers tools for AI, physics, and animation, making it versatile for various game development needs. CryENGINE has been used in popular games like the Crysis series, highlighting its ability to handle large, open-world environments efficiently.

Recommended for

    CryENGINE is recommended for experienced game developers and studios that aim to produce high-end, visually impressive games and have the resources to invest in powerful hardware and learning the engine's more complex systems. It's also suitable for projects that demand advanced rendering and graphics capabilities, such as first-person shooters or open-world exploration games.

Analysis of Panda3D

Overall verdict

  • Panda3D is a good engine, especially if you are looking for a free, open-source option that allows rapid development with Python. Its comprehensive feature set and extensive documentation make it a strong choice for educational purposes and indie development projects.

Why this product is good

  • Panda3D is a powerful, open-source game engine, known for its flexibility and support for Python and C++. It is particularly appreciated for its ease of use, making it suitable for both beginners and experienced developers. The engine is well-documented, has a strong community, and supports a wide range of features including real-time 3D rendering, physics, and sound. Additionally, it is cross-platform which allows developers to publish their games on multiple operating systems with minimal hassle.

Recommended for

  • Beginners in game development looking to learn 3D game development using Python
  • Indie developers who want a free and open-source engine with full access to the source code
  • Educational institutions and students needing a user-friendly engine to learn game development concepts
  • Developers looking for a cross-platform development tool

CryENGINE videos

CryEngine 5.6 Released

More videos:

  • Review - The Future Of CryEngine
  • Review - CRYENGINE 5.6 Tech Trailer

Panda3D videos

Panda3D Game Engine -- The Others Game Engine Series

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to CryENGINE and Panda3D)
Game Engine
81 81%
19% 19
Game Development
79 79%
21% 21
3D Game Engine
85 85%
15% 15
Gaming Software
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare CryENGINE and Panda3D

CryENGINE Reviews

Game Engines: A Comparative Analysis
CryEngine, developed by Crytek, is synonymous with cutting-edge graphics and realism. It has been the engine of choice for visually stunning games like the Crysis series. Offering real-time dynamic lighting and reflections, CryEngine is a powerhouse for developers aiming to create visually groundbreaking experiences.
Source: medium.com
The Best Gaming Engines You Should Consider for 2023
CryEngine also provides plenty of free learning resources, although their effectiveness is debatable. Gaming giant Ubisoft maintains an in-house modified version of CryEngine from the original Far Cry called the Dunia Engine, which is heavily used in their later iterations of the popular Far Cry series.
What Are the Best Game Engines?
CryEngine is a cross-platform engine. You can use it to create photorealistic first-person games, especially shooters. CryEngine is used in all games from CryTek, as well as other studios. As mentioned above, CryEngine was licensed and reworked to create Amazon Lumberyard.
The Top 10 Video Game Engines
In addition to the engine itself, CryEngine also provides plenty of free learning resources. Tutorials, forums, and documentation give you the tools you need to get started. Because of the power behind the engine, there’s a bit of a learning curve. YouTube and the official CryEngine resources are your friends, here.
11 tools to get you started making video games
Learning tools: CryEngine has a number of free tutorial videos that cover everything from installing the editor and walking you through making a simple Flappy Bird-like game to more complex things like compiling a custom configured version of the engine.

Panda3D Reviews

Top 6 Python Framework for Game Development | by Ankur Kumar | unikaksha | Medium
Panda3D is a Python framework for 3D rendering and games that is open-source. It’s a free engine for real-time 3D games, simulations, visualizations, and experiments. Its extensive feature set is flexible enough to adapt to different processes and development requirements. All of the graphics card’s capabilities are apparent through an easy-to-use API. Panda3D combines the...
Source: medium.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Panda3D seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 2 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

CryENGINE mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of CryENGINE yet. Tracking of CryENGINE recommendations started around Mar 2021.

Panda3D mentions (2)

  • Pyxel: A retro game engine for Python
    Panda3D [0] (which is what Ursina uses under the hood) and Pygame can both run on the web due to PygBag [1]. Truth be told you can build a game on any tool, obviously the tool you choose will help shape the game you make - but it's more about keeping at it then the underlying technology. Personally I really like Panda3D and feel like it doesn't get enough attention. It's scene graph [3] is interesting because it... - Source: Hacker News / 11 months ago
  • Unity’s New Pricing: A Wake-Up Call on the Importance of Open Source in Gaming
    It's not as monolithic as you'd think. There are lots of engines out there but their communities aren't very vocal compared to Unity, Unreal, and especially Godot's community. Take a look at: https://itch.io/game-development/engines/most-projects And https://www.gamedeveloper.com/blogs/the-generous-space-of-alternative-game-engines-a-curation- If you look at both of these you'll see just how many engines there are... - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing CryENGINE and Panda3D, you can also consider the following products

Unreal Engine - Unreal Engine 4 is a suite of integrated tools for game developers to design and build games, simulations, and visualizations.

Godot Engine - Feature-packed 2D and 3D open source game engine.

Unity - The multiplatform game creation tools for everyone.

Blender - Blender is the open source, cross platform suite of tools for 3D creation.

Urho3D - Urho3D is a lightweight, cross-platform rendering and game engine implemented in C++ and released...

Stencyl - Make iOS (iPhone/iPad), Android, Flash, Windows & Mac games without code using Stencyl.