Some game engines promise great things and some deliver. There are many factors that one considers when giving praise to game engines - graphics, scalability (system requirements), stability (online and offline), versatility for multiple developers to use it and make more games . . . I'm sure you can think of more. I think that Valve's "Source" game engine is among the best. What would be some of yours?

I love what they've done with the place.

I agree 1,000%!!!

As a fellow fan of Tchaikovsky, I knew you would.

(I always loved his 6th Symphony Pathetique. Just gorgeous.)

The first time I saw Unreal on a Voodoo3, my mind was blown.

Currently, I still find the latest Arma engine impressive. Can't wait to see what they are doing with Arma3.

You are absolutely correct!

Unreal 2, Dunia, Freespace 2 Open.

for me

cryengine = jaw dropping graphics
arma2 engine (cant remember what the engines called) = for sheer scope of what can be done in it system wise.
valves source engine = best all rounder i think in terms of what you can do and graphics

IL2/FB/PF/AOE/BOE and '1946' - it's all from 'IL2' actually.

IL2 '1946' now...and I fly at least one mission every day.
Today I flew a Panther, 'quick' missions, I've discovered, are great.
It's never the same, I have flown this game for hundreds, probably thousands of hours.
Over about 12 years, at least a mission every day, that's a lot of enjoyment from one game.

The people who've put their time, efforts and talent into this game, the MOD makers are my true heros.
Given me, and unknown numbers of simmers, so much....it's hard to express my thanks.

I've built 2 computers, just to play this game, over a period of over a decade...since IL2 first came out.

Yep....no game will ever compare, not even close.

Unreal 3

Lithtech

Unity.

Real Virtuality (Arma series)

4A Engine (Metro 2033)

RAGE (GTA4, Red Dead Redemption, Max Payne 3)

Source/Unreal engines because of their versatility and that tons of games use them


The one that I'm least impressed with is Gamebryo (TES & Fallout series); but I think that's more Bethesda's fault than the engine (I've only played Bethesda games that use it). Still love the games tho!

REDEngine 2 (Witcher 2)

Cliffs of Dover engine, controversial I know but if you look past the flaws you see a huge wealth of untapped potential as it was designed to last another ten years like it's predecessor unfortunately we will never see it

Clausewitz. I'm constantly surprised at what Paradox manage to get it to do.

Graphics rarely impress me but I'm not actually a game enthusiast (just meticulously aspiring to be one if you take my sig into account) so take my opinion with a grain of salt. However, 2 games come to mind:

One is more than a decade ago. I think it was an arcade jet game, F-22 Lightning II, voxel engine?

The other is Crysis 1 (cryengine)

I have an idea what kind of engine will blow my mind in the future. It is an engine that simulates cloth with accurate collision (real game time).

CryEngine 3 - watch the Star Citizen trailer and weep because it's so beautiful.

Unreal Engine. Still remember stepping out of that spaceship and thinking "Whoaaaaaa...".

FSX. Add in a ton of addons and it becomes an amazing experience. You can fly from Paris to New York and still marvel at the details of your local airport.

ArmA series. I have walked across Chernarus many times playing DayZ and the general "feeling" of the scenery is amazing. Vast expanses, great lighting, beautiful.

CryEngine series. 'Nuff said.

I think for the sheer number of planes on screen at once it has to be BoB and more effectively BoB2, still amazes me the size of the battles, I'm not in them for long though

For immersion and the feeling that I'm flying would be the RoF engine as that just takes me back to 1918 and sucks me in.

ROF definitely has the best engine for any of the current flight sims IMHO. DCS World's engine is ok but it needs a lot more optimization.

Real Virtuality
Source
IW Engine (for all the dust particles/flying debris, not overly impressive otherwise)