The Dunia Engine is a software fork of CryEngine designed by Kirmaan Aboobaker while working at Crytek. Sharing the source code of CryEngine, the Ubisoft Montréal development team heavily modified it for use in Far Cry 2. A revamped and revised version of the Dunia Engine is utilized for James Cameron’s Avatar: The Game. Assassin’s Creed II and Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood also uses Far Cry 2’s foliage technology, though the Dunia Engine itself is not used for game development (instead opting to run on Anvil).
In developing Far Cry 2, Ubisoft Montreal altered the CryEngine to incorporate destructible environments and a more realistic physics engine for better functionality. This altered version was named the Dunia Engine, which was showcased with Far Cry 2 in 2008. Written in C++, the Dunia Engine continued to be enhanced, such as adding weather systems. This engine became the basis of all future Far Cry games, as well as James Cameron’s Avatar: The Game, also developed by Ubisoft Montreal.
Far Cry 3 used the Dunia engine 2 introduced by Ubisoft along with the game in 2012, which had the goal to refine the performance of Dunia-based games on consoles and to integrate more complex graphics rendering features such as global illumination. Remi Quenin, one of the engine’s architects at Ubisoft Montreal, stated that Dunia Engine as of 2017 includes all fundamental elements for game development such as physics, day/night cycles, and dynamic sound etc. Little of the first CryEngine code stayed in the recent form.
What are the features of Dunia Game Engine?
- Dynamic weather and day/night cycles allowing developers to bring more life in the game.
- Dynamic and realistic fire propagation.
- Volumetric lighting and Radiosity for global illumination
- Enhanced Physics engine for mobility of game assets.
- The engine supports the dynamic sound system.
- Real-Time Foliage Re-growth in the game, making the scene looks livelier.
- Weapons wear and tear options provided by the engine
- Better handling of Non-scripted enemy A.I.
- For special effects compatible with amBX technology
Games Developed in Dunia Engine
The fifth main installment in the Far Cry series, Far Cry 5 was developed using Dunia Engine by Ubisoft Montreal in 2018. Far cry 5 is a first-person shooter game taking place in Hope country. Players get the chance to control the unnamed junior deputy sheriff who becomes trapped in the city.
In 2009 Ubisoft Montreal using Dunia engine developed James Cameron’s Avatar: The Game. It is a third-person action video game based on film Avatar by James Cameron.
Here's our list of top five game programming books you should read.
Game Engine Black Book: DOOM: v1.1
The book Game Engine Black Book: DOOM: v1.1 is just a masterpiece from Fabien Sanglard as it describes not only the details of how the code works, but also some interesting history and trivia. The description of hardware capabilities, audio/video interfaces, and design decisions behind them is quite interesting.
If you're not a programmer the book is still interesting - it explains lots of neat tricks, plenty of photos, quotes, and backstory about how the game was developed.
Game Programming Patterns
With over 85% 5-start reviews on Amazon, readers agree that Robert Nystrom's Game Programming Patterns is a must have for any software developer. It has a crystal clear look at how to be the benevolent architect of a very complicated software/game without getting lost.
The author presents the architecture of a game in an easy to understand matter not from an academic perspective but from experience. The book contains code examples written in C++, well organised and written so cleanly that it feels like pseudo-code.
Beginning C++ Through Game Programming
With Beginning C++ Through Game Programming, Michael Dawson builds your knowledge from the ground up. This book not only is easy to understand and teaches well, but it is focused on the very subject to learn C++ for game programming.
When it comes to game programming, C++ is the name of the game.
Blood, Sweat, and Pixels: The Triumphant, Turbulent Stories Behind How Video Games Are Made
This is highly recommend book for anyone who likes history of videos games, or just likes good stories. Blood, Sweat, and Pixels: The Triumphant, Turbulent Stories Behind How Video Games Are Made captures the complexity of game development that anyone can pick up and enjoy.
If you have even a passing interest in gaming be sure to pick this one up. (reader's comment)
Foundations of Game Engine Development - Volumes 1, 2
The volume 1 of the book discusses the mathematics needed by engineers who work on games or other virtual simulations. The volume 2 explores the vast subject of real-time rendering in modern game engines.
The book is packed with great C++ code snippets and examples. You have tried-and-true methods that can be incorporated into any game engine and source code is not specific to any API or framework.