• Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!

Best Running Animation

I love the way he moves about in Revengeance, though!
MGS+RISING+WALL+RUN+BULLETS.gif

I'm still a bit sour that the wall run didn't make it into the final game.
 
Is it me, or is Unity's running animation a step back from 3? It's like the torso isn't moving as much as it should, compared to the limbs.
 
Metal Gear Solid 5
That was the first game which came to my mind when reading the title of this thread. This game has one of the best animations I've ever seen.
A considerable part of it is probably due to the 60fps.
It make the animations feel and look much more realistic.
I noticed that when playing Assassin's Creed on consoles while interpolating the picture with my TV. Similar effect.
 
I'm still a bit sour that the wall run didn't make it into the final game.

Yeah, same. I was looking for an image that better represented the final game, but decided to go with this one since there is a wall-running sequence in the game, albeit a scripted one.
 
The climbing, since it's very limited, is the reason why it's so meticulously animated compared to the run cycle. And even then, i'd argue that other games also succeed at climbing much better with a ton of incredibly well made variations. Uncharted most definitely is stylized but it certainly isn't very unrealistic. Especially when it comes to the tiny details like how often Drake shifts his weight. The Order 1886 probably has the best walk cycle so far this gen because it's a blend of tiny variations so that it doesn't get repetitive which is pretty insane. The lack of required precision is why the devs created better animations in the first place, their mindset was very different.

We get all of that, different people have different priorities. so what is the problem here with people thinking mgs 5 has the best running animations since it is the most realistic looking one.

Already changing the subject? Climbing in Uncharted isn't realistic, but walking and running (you know, what we are discussing here?) definitely are in both Uncharted AND The Order.

No im not, Show me a running gif from uncharted/order that are as realistic as snake
 
Is it me, or is Unity's running animation a step back from 3? It's like the torso isn't moving as much as it should, compared to the limbs.
I would consider it a slight step back. Connor's full run cycle in AC3 had an occasional weight shift.

This is ACU, it has the typical buildup into the full run cycle but the run itself doesn't have something like Arno occasionally repositioning his upper body if you remain in a straight line like Connor.
No other AC protagonists has something like that. What they did transfer over is the mindset that the weight of the character must shift depending on several different directions.


We get all of that, different people have different priorities. so what is the problem here with people thinking mgs 5 has the best running animations since it is the most realistic looking one.
It's not the most realistic because of the reasons i've described. People in real life shift their weight and have variations on things like turning or jumping. People aren't designed to be one of the most responsive game characters.
 
It's not the most realistic because of the reasons i've described. People in real life shift their weight and have variations on things like turning or jumping. People aren't designed to be one of the most responsive game characters ever.

so what is the most realistic running animation in gaming then ?
 
so what is the most realistic running animations in gaming then ?
Specifically speaking about 3D 3rd person games:Noctis, Nathan Drake, Arno would be the top three imho for the reasons i've described. In terms of straight realism/believability.
 
Last night I booted Assassins Creed III, IV, Rogue and even Watch Dogs...

Damn, Ubisoft is really something else in how amazingly good their characters move and transition from normal walk to full speed, the fact that they also feel really good to control is a great plus.

But still, Connor has something to him from his general animations to how you can see his upper body react accordingly to the speed of his movement.

I like him so much more now.

these are actually kind of bad. the foot placement doesnt seem like it matches the speed of how fast the character is traveling. while playing its less noticable since you're normally seeing the character from behind so its harder to see in reference to the ground like in these angles.
I think what I meant is that during the game and moving around it really looks good (specially if you dash) but I would not be surprised if they adjusted the distance but could not re-do the animations in time so they leave it at that... at least they look and feel a LOT better than the ones in the original. (in the original the jump was weird and the falling animation... well, there was not falling animation)
 
Specifically speaking about 3D 3rd person games:Noctis, Nathan Drake, Arno would be the top three imho for the reasons i've described. In terms of straight realism/believability.

they react to terrains which is great but i don't find them as realistic as snake especially drake
 
Yeah, I'm going with this.

giphy.gif

You guys honestly like this???

It looks terrible to me, he moves way too slow for the kind of movement he seems to be doing, and that exaggerated pose.
And I can't tell you how much it bothers me all that plants clipping on the model.
 
they react to terrains which is great but i don't find them as realistic as snake especially drake
They react to terrains, obstacles, people, turning directions, many of these things have variations as well. I mean Drake has the real advantage here because his game is linear so they can really nail contextual animations.
 
The run animation looks so real and fluid in MGSV. My only complaint is upgrading your bionic arm to increase speed makes it look unrealistically fast. I wish they had created a flat-out sprint animation to succeed the previous run, but instead, it's just sped up.
 
They react to terrains, obstacles, people, turning directions, many of these things have variations as well. I mean Drake has the real advantage here because his game is linear so they can really nail contextual animations.

but the way they run are not as realistic, noctis looks well animated but super exaggerated. drake running is ok not as detailed as snake, maneuverability of snake is much much better and realistic than those two.
 
You guys honestly like this???

It looks terrible to me, he moves way too slow for the kind of movement he seems to be doing, and that exaggerated pose.
And I can't tell you how much it bothers me all that plants clipping on the model.

Yeah, I don't like it either - it's too OTT. His animation for changing direction is way too exaggerated, and like you say he's not moving quickly enough to need this ridiculous floor touch and scamper when he changes direction. The animation posted earlier from Flashback is more realistic.
 
I thought Watch Dogs was pretty good. I'd give my vote for MGS5 but my god the sound does my fruit in. The wind whislting past you is way too loud in my opinion.
 
I love the way he moves about in Revengeance, though!
MGS+RISING+WALL+RUN+BULLETS.gif

I'm still a bit sour that the wall run didn't make it into the final game.

I am so much more than a bit sour that MGR2 is never going to happen. I've wanted to shift my hopes to a Platinum made Jedi Knight / Force Unleashed type game building upon what we've seen in Rising... both seem impossible, though. So much for the "year of dreams".

Edit - To make this post more on topic, I'll just post another one of my favorites:

V3O1AE.gif
 
I am so much more than a bit sour that MGR2 is never going to happen. I've wanted to shift my hopes to a Platinum made Jedi Knight / Force Unleashed type game building upon what we've seen in Rising... both seem impossible, though. So much for the "year of dreams".

Who knows, EA might hire them to get the most of the SW contract.
 
but the way they run are not as realistic, noctis looks well animated but super exaggerated. drake running is ok not as detailed as snake, maneuverability of snake is much much better and realistic than those two.
They're animated in a way that is believable. If they were all part of the military than Snake would be the most realistic, but considering they're not, that's not what the mocap guys and animators are going for.
 
I dunno why but I really like that "open palmed, straight-laced" run

another character out of my mind who has a similar pose when running is Wii Fit Trainer

can't find a gif but here's a pic

Wii-Fit-Trainer-Joins-Smash.jpg


I just love that form of running, I dunno why
 
Far be it from me to defend somebody who can't be assed to post a game name, but that's Magus from Chrono Trigger and it actually is his running animation in-game... except it's more like a perpetually-floating dash, but still, OP's at least technically right in that it's a running animation.

Oh, I'm assed, bubba.
 
I dunno why but I really like that "open palmed, straight-laced" run

another character out of my mind who has a similar pose when running is Wii Fit Trainer

can't find a gif but here's a pic

Wii-Fit-Trainer-Joins-Smash.jpg


I just love that form of running, I dunno why
I have a gif of that animation... well, kinda.

NznZXy9.gif
 
First time I saw the COD4 running animation I was super impressed

And then MGS5's



I have always liked CoD's running animation since the first one. The animation is a little cartoony/exaggerated, but it is super easy to read as a run animation because of it.
 
Top Bottom