O3DE vs Godot: Which is the better engine?
When it comes to game engines, there are a lot of options to choose from. However, two of the most popular open-source ones are O3DE and Godot. So, which one should you use? Here’s a look at some key differences between the two engines to help you decide.
UI:
One of the biggest differences between these two engines is their UI. Both are very similar in terms of basic layout. Both have an inspector on the top right and both have an outliner on the top left. However, Godot’s outliner, also known as “scene,” has more importance and more features to it than your typical outliner.
Despite O3DE’s similar UI, O3DE has a cleaner UI element approach with its menu bar and inspector panel on the right side of the screen. This can be helpful if you’re coming from another engine like Unity because it will feel familiar. However, Godot takes a different approach with its UI elements that can be customized to your liking, but it is still a little bit confusing from the first look. This can be more flexible but may take some getting used to if you’re not used to it.
Winner: Both
Ease of usage:
Both engines have very similar workflow at least from the outside but even on the inside they are not much different, but difference beings in the core concept of each engine, Godot work as a node where you crate a node and you create other things inside that node.
O3DE, on the other hand, is composed of sub-modules known as Gems. You may add features and functionality to a project as you create it by adding Gems that provide those features and functionalities. Gems may range from assets like materials, textures, and models to development tools like Script Canvas (a visual script editor) and complete runtime systems like the Atom renderer, AI, and Physics.
It is hard to say which one is better because core concepts are fairly easy to understand in both game engines.
Winner: Both
Community:
When it comes to community support, both engines are fairly new, so they might not have as large and active communities as other game engines like Unreal and Unity. However, Godot’s community seems to be bigger, probably because it has been around since 2014, while O3DE’s has been around since only 2021.
So, as a result, Godot’s has way more tutorials and guides and the community will be more likely to help you with any problem, but that doesn’t mean that O3DE’s community can’t solve your issues, it just means that Godot has a bigger community, so more people might see your issue, but you can join O3DE’s discord if you are seeking a solution to an issue.
Winner: Godot
Programming:
As mentioned earlier, one of the main differences between these two engines is that Godot uses its own scripting language called GD Script, while O3DE also supports an easy-to-use language called Lua. but the difference begins in the visual scripting area. Visual scripting is another method of programming that requires little to no typing or text. However, both game engines have visual scripting, but O3DE’s have a way better visual scripting than Godot’s. This means you can make a game without programming, but it is harder to do in Godot than in O3DE.
Winner: O3DE
In conclusion, Godot leads in terms of community and ease of use, but O3DE certainly has its advantages in terms of flexibility and visual programming support. It really comes down to what you prioritize and which engine feels better suited for your needs.
