Been around since 2005, until now, the name Unity is no longer strange among connoisseurs of gamers and game developers around the world. It is the leading game engine that enables game developers to create real-time interactive 2D and 3D content for mobile devices, computers, consoles, and even augmented and virtual reality devices. An innovative, comprehensive set of tools and the most innovative technologies integrated and constantly updated make this platform like a jar of honey for any aspiring game developer looking to transform their game ideas into reality and make money from them. Speaking of numbers, you’ll want to know that more than half of today’s most popular mobile games are created with unity game development features. Over five billion downloads per month in 2020 is a testament to the success of apps developed by creators using Unity. More than 60% of developers choose Unity over other available game engines in the market. So, what does Unity have to offer and how do they work? Let’s find out below.
Outstanding features and innovative technologies for game development
To make impressive game projects as desired, any developer would require the most versatile and complete set of tools and up-to-date tech for the needs of content, rendering, animation…and editing. Unity is the perfect game engine that is suitable for any game genre from RPG, survival game to platformer, from single-player to multiplayer. With this comprehensive built-in toolkit on single modular platform and collection of IDEs, you can rest assured that your innovative product will be deployed in the best condition and only your imagination is the limit.
The scripting language used to build games with Unity is C#. It is known to be an extremely powerful and versatile object-oriented programming language that allows stable coding. Taking C# as the primary programming language, Unity enables game creation for even beginner developers. Low-entry creators can easily learn from a wealth of tutorials that are suitable for all levels, as well as a large community that allows them to access, exchange and learn from leading developers. Unity also provides a fully integrated IDE environment with supporting tools like Visual Studio and so on.
In addition, in new versions, Unity regularly updates and enhances the integration to the .NET world. The latest version of Unity provides developers with the .Net Standard 2.1 Scripting API, making it quicker to access essential and popular features. Instead of using specific features on the engine interface, the Scripting API exposes those components that allow you to tweak the nuances and properties of the object through code.
Game architecture and objects
Unity gives developers the ability to compose clean game architecture and easy-fetch. When leveling in each game, creators can create different scenes. In each of these scenes, the objects are fully provided from the background, characters, accessories, and so on, to set up to suit the level. The object hierarchy, including a parent-child relationship, makes it easy to add multiple objects at once. You also get access to a huge stockpile of assets. There, you not only can search for desire objects, but also add them to your collection, apply specific game genre templates, effects, or anything else you want. Especially when you are not very familiar with coding, you can get objects and effects from the repository, or use the Inspector tool to change the properties of the objects without worrying about rewriting or editing the code.
2D &3D Graphic and Rendering
As mentioned at the start, Unity is a world leading game development company providing interactive 2D and 3D game solutions. That means there are no barriers or limits to creating a fabulous graphic game project with your own art style.
Specialized toolkits allow you to create terrains and graphics to your liking within the engine, and API commands allow for different options that best suit for each type of graphic. For example, with 2D graphic creation, you can use the Sprite sheet cutting tool for characters, props… taken from bitmap images. This tool will help you to define the composition of the image for a particular sprite layer and then render the graphic with the SpriteRenderer. Setting up and processing 3D graphics is supported by Unity with powerful and amazing tools that allow you to customize materials, lighting, shading with Shader Graph or post effects with Visual Effects Graph.
Looking specifically at rendering pipelines, Unity provides Built-in and Scriptable Render Pipeline (SPR). The built-in rendering is still available, but is no longer so popular. Instead, most developers chose SPR, the more modern pipeline – done through C# and allows scripting and customization of the render loop. Depending on device performance, developers can choose between Universal Rendering Pipeline (URP) and High-Definition Rendering Pipeline (HDRP) for deployment.
The successful acquisition of Weta Digital with award-winning VFX tools and technology and Ziva RT in late 2021 is proof that the Unity game engine is the perfect toolkit for game creation. The aforementioned great support with high quality, versatile tools allow the rendering in Unity-developed games to look truly beautiful with spectacular, expensive, and smooth effects that wow any world gamer.
Animation Tools
The Unity game development engine gives creators the ability to animate the engine itself, applicable to both 2D and 3D graphics. Developers can not only rotate, adjust positions, add skeletons to 2D objects, create physical interactions with high realism. The Animator system supports the transition of animation frames according to an intuitive chart, making the animation smooth and appropriate. Similar to the above, you can also access these features from the Scripting API dynamically. At the end of 2019, Unity added Vivox, a cross-platform text and voice communication engine with 3D localized audio technology, making its toolset unrivaled for the operation of images.
Virtual Reality & Augmented Reality Capabilities
Even with new technologies like VR & AR, Unity gives you the ability to test your games and allows developers to create apps using these technologies for Android and iOS. Currently, you can use the XR interactive toolkit.
