Can You Make AAA Games with Unity?

When we think of AAA games, titles like The Last of Us, Red Dead Redemption 2, or The Witcher 3 often come to mind. These are massive productions with incredibly detailed graphics, complex mechanics, and long, incredible narrative.

But can Unity, a game engine historically associated with mobile games and indie developers, handle AAA game development? The answer might surprise you.

What Defines a AAA Game?

Before exploring Unity's potential for AAA game development, let’s clarify what a AAA game actually is. The term ‘AAA game’ typically refers to titles created by large studios with extensive budgets, big teams, and high production values. These games are considered flagship products for companies, often taking years to complete and requiring millions of dollars. In short, AAA games represent the best that the industry has to offer in terms of visual quality, gameplay, and storytelling.

The cost of AAA game development, according to the CMA report, can go up to $1 billion, depending on the game’s complexity. Take for example, Call of Duty and Grand Theft Auto, they required over $250 million in development costs.

Why are AAA games so expensive to make? The simple answer is because these projects involve multiple teams working across various areas such as art design, coding, voice acting, and marketing.

Unity Game Development: A Brief Overview

Unity is one of the most widely used game development engines globally, known for its flexibility, ease of use, and strong community support. Developers use it to build everything from simple 2D mobile games to complex 3D environments and VR experiences. Over the years, Unity game development has advanced significantly, with the engine becoming increasingly capable of handling more sophisticated projects.

Unity offers an intuitive interface and a vast library of assets, which makes it popular among small studios and indie developers. Its cross-platform compatibility and relatively accessible pricing model make it a go-to for developers of all sizes. 

However, when it comes to AAA game development, Unity isn’t always the first engine that comes to mind. But that does not mean it can’t. Unity is fully capable of developing AAA-quality games. Games like The Heretic and Cities: Skylines are examples of AAA games made with Unity.

Unity's Growing Capability for AAA Games

While Unity originally catered to smaller projects, its capabilities have expanded significantly. The most recent versions of Unity offer tools like the High-Definition Render Pipeline (HDRP) and real-time ray tracing, which allow for lifelike lighting, shadows, and detailed environments. These features have brought Unity much closer to the visual quality often associated with AAA games.

For instance, Unity's HDRP allows for advanced rendering techniques, making it easier to produce visually stunning games. Additionally, Unity’s Visual Effect Graph gives developers the ability to create complex particle systems, contributing to the immersive experiences typically found in AAA titles. Unity’s Data-Oriented Technology Stack (DOTS) also allows for more efficient game performance, which is crucial for large, complex games.

Another major advantage for Unity developers is its Asset Store, which provides pre-made models, textures, animations, and other resources that can drastically speed up game development.

Top 3 AAA Games Built with Unity Engine

While Unity is not yet the industry standard for AAA games, there have been several notable titles that highlight the engine’s capabilities. These examples demonstrate that Unity is more than capable of handling complex game mechanics, stunning visuals, and immersive gameplay experiences typically expected from AAA games. Here are some examples of AAA games built with Unity engine:

Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout

Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout, released in August 2020, is a colorful, battle royale game built with Unity, where players compete in fun, chaotic obstacle courses. Developers used Unity’s built-in physics engine to create dynamic and unpredictable interactions between the jellybean-like characters as they navigate these wacky challenges. 

Unity’s asset store was essential for sourcing 3D models, animations, and other elements, saving time and resources during development. The game’s real-time physics and seamless multiplayer functionality were made possible by Unity, allowing for smooth gameplay and a fun, engaging experience. Unity helped deliver the charm and unpredictability that makes Fall Guys so beloved.

Ori and the Will of the Wisps 

Ori and the Will of the Wisps is not only visually stunning, but it also delivers highly engaging and challenging gameplay. As a 2D platformer with ‘Metroidvania’ elements, the game offers tight, responsive controls that allow players to execute precise movements, which are critical for navigating its beautifully designed environments. Unity’s capabilities shine through in the fluidity of Ori’s movements, from double jumps and dashes to gliding through the air with a graceful fluidity that feels natural and responsive.

The gameplay centers around exploration, combat, and puzzle-solving. Players control Ori, a small spirit creature, as they traverse a sprawling interconnected world filled with hidden paths, dangerous enemies, and cleverly designed puzzles. The game encourages players to revisit areas with new abilities, making exploration feel rewarding. 

Subway Surfers

Who doesn’t know Subway Surfers? It’s one of the most popular and addictive endless runner games developed by KiLoo and SYBO, and believe it or not, it’s made with Unity! The game’s vibrant graphics, smooth controls, and fast-paced action are all powered by Unity’s flexible game engine, which makes the gameplay experience feel seamless.

In Subway Surfers, players take on the role of a character running through subway tracks, trying to outrun the inspector and his dog. With simple swipe controls, they dodge oncoming trains, jump over barriers, and collect coins along the way. Power-ups like jetpacks and coin magnets add to the fun, making each run feel fresh and exciting.

The Future of Unity in AAA Game Development

Unity is gradually becoming a viable option for AAA developers. The constant updates to the engine and the introduction of advanced tools like HDRP and DOTS make it more competitive with other AAA game engines. Unity also offers greater flexibility and faster iteration times, making it appealing to game studios looking to innovate in their development process.

As more studios explore Unity’s potential, it is likely that we will see more AAA games developed with Unity in the coming years.

So, can you make AAA games with Unity? 

Absolutely, though it requires some additional effort and know-how. Unity has proven itself as a powerful tool capable of producing complex, visually stunning games. However, making a AAA game with Unity may require more customization and optimization compared to other engines.

Unity’s recent advancements have positioned it as a strong contender for large-scale projects, and as more developers look for ways to streamline the development process, Unity offers an attractive combination of flexibility, scalability, and cost-efficiency.

For studios interested in exploring Unity for their next game, whether it’s a mobile title or a full-scale AAA project, Devoted Studios can help. Learn more about our Unity game development services on our Unity Games Service Page.

At Devoted Studios, we’ve been part of developing cutting-edge games in Unity, delivering polished experiences across genres. We’ve demonstrated that Unity can meet the demands of high-quality production. Our work includes collaborations on games like The Sandbox: Hell’s Kitchen and Coin Hunt World, showcasing Unity’s capabilities in handling complex mechanics, beautiful visuals, and smooth gameplay across devices.