Every great video game – from the smooth mechanics of Among Us to the cinematic depth of Fortnite – begins with a game engine. For anyone pursuing a future in game art design, the question isn’t whether you’ll use one, but which one will shape your creative journey.
Two names dominate the conversation: Unity and Unreal Engine. Both are powerful, both are industry giants, and both have inspired thousands of careers in the game development industry. But if you’re starting, how do you decide which one best fits your goals?
Let’s break down the strengths of each, compare how they’re used, and explore why understanding both can set you apart – especially if you’re studying at a creative powerhouse like Vancouver Institute of Media Arts (VanArts).
What a Game Engine Does?
A game engine literally is the core of game development. It offers everything one needs to bring a designer’s imagination to life, through graphics rendering capability and physics simulation, to sound design and animation control. Regardless of whether you are making a 2D indie game or a realistic 3D world, your engine dictates:
- Appearance of your game (graphics, lighting, textures, etc)
- Mechanics, movement, interaction. How it works (mechanics, movement, interaction).
- Its performance (optimization on PC, console, or mobile)
The most crucial step when starting to learn is to make the right choice of engine to equip skills that can help you reach your long-term career goals.
Unity: The Startling Origin
Unity is popular among beginners and indie developers due to its accessibility and versatility. Its simplistic interface and huge asset store is best suited to one-off prototypes, mobile games and small scale projects.
- Simple to learn: Ideal to first-time game developers.
- 2D and 3D flexibility: Appropriate when working on simple and moderate projects.
- Cross-platform compatibility Games can be played on mobile, PC, console, and VR.
The flexibility of Unity enables it to cater to the needs of students researching across a range of game art design projects, including both simple mobile games and interactive VR experiences.
Unreal Engine: Visual Excellence and Movie Effectiveness
Unreal Engine is unmatched in its realism and cinematic quality. Developed by Epic Games, Unreal is used to drive some of the most beautiful and technologically sophisticated games in the world – Fortnite or The Matrix Awakens. Unreal is known for providing breathtaking graphics and real-time rendering, utilizing the same technology that produced hits such as Fortnite and Final Fantasy VII Remake.
The reason why Unreal is the professional solution to serious game artists and designers is the following:
- Real-time Rendering and Photorealistic Graphics
The rendered pipeline of Unreal Engine brings stunning realism. Using the Lumen lighting system, Nanite geometry and the new shading systems, the artists can create real-life worlds that react dynamically to the light and movement.
Students at VanArts are taught to utilize them to create full-body 3D worlds and characters that are lifelike and are touchable the type of projects found in AAA studios.
- Blueprint Visual Scripting
The Blueprint system of Unreal enables an artist to visually create logic to drive gameplay, without the need to have profound knowledge of code. This renders it a perfect entry point of creative students who would prefer to specialize in design and storytelling as opposed to pure programming.
The instructors of VanArts are all professionals in the industry, and they assist students in the building of the interactive levels, character behaviours, and cinematic sequences with Blueprints and assist learners in getting the skills that they can use in the real production.
- In-house Animation and Cinematic Tools
Unreal has inbuilt animation tools including camera tracking to motion capture integration. It is not only applied in the gaming sector, but also in film, television, and virtual creation, which means graduates of VanArts have an upper hand in various sectors.
Learners obtain first hand experience of the real time animation processes and understand how Unreal is currently transforming the production processes of movies and games.
- Career Prepared and Industry Certified.
Unreal Engine is the preferred choice among the leading studios as Epic Games, CD Projekt Red, and Naughty Dog. It is also popular in architectural visualization, experience in the metaverse, and virtual production.
Industry Presence: Unreal is a dominant force in AAA game development, unless you require photorealistic graphics or console-first experiences, in which case Unreal is the default. It is also gaining increasing popularity in motion pictures, television, and architectural visualization. Employers of Unreal artists are also seeking technically advanced applicants who are not afraid of complex pipelines and high-performance requirements.
That is why VanArts focuses on Unreal training throughout its Game Art and Design program – training students not only to make beautiful art, but also to succeed in an actual production pipeline.
Which Game Engine Should You Choose as a Beginner?
Your choice depends on your goals and the type of experience you want to create.
| Choose Unity If… | Choose Unreal Engine If… |
| You want a faster learning curve and simpler interface. | Photorealistic graphics and cinematic quality are your top priority. |
| You are interested in 2D or mobile game development. | You aim to work on AAA console/PC titles or high-end simulations. |
| You prefer to program in the easier-to-learn C#. | You are comfortable with C++ or want to use the Blueprint visual scripting system. |
| You want a massive library of affordable assets for rapid prototyping. | You want the most powerful out-of-the-box rendering tools. |
At VanArts, you’ll not only master Unreal’s tools – you’ll learn how to think like a game designer, collaborate in teams, and present your work like a professional artist.
Final Thoughts
While both Unity and Unreal have earned their place in the gaming industry, Unreal Engine stands out as the benchmark for professional game art and design – especially when it comes to cinematic visuals, immersive environments, and next-gen production workflows.
If you’re passionate about game art design, storytelling, and creating worlds that captivate players, VanArts gives you the foundation to start that journey.
Explore the Game Art & Design Diploma at VanArts and step into the world of Unreal – where creativity meets next-gen technology, and imagination becomes reality.