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

Games with great animations

Threi said:
That was one that came to my mind actually, when i had SSF4 deejay frame data vids i played his super/ultra over and over in slow motion because the detailed animation in his movements blew my mind.

But yeah its not to say 3s animation is "bad", but lets just say "love", "feel", and "charisma" don't really do much for me as actual arguments.
Click to expand...
You know, I almost laughed at your first statement, but after seeing that DeeJay video I have a strange newfound respect for both the character and Capcom.

Even watching Makoto rage repeatedly slightly amazed me.
 
I'll throw my hat in with the Assassin's Creed crowd.

I didn't get an HD monitor for my 360 until several years into the generation, so I never got to appreciated HD graphics, but AC was on of the first "next-gen" games I played that ACTUALLY looked "next-gen" (not counting Kameo and it's thousands of onscreen characters, drool). Thanks to the animation and the environmental detail that game was crazy even on an old CRT.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, I felt that the Witcher 2 had fantastic visuals in many ways, but the lack of equally fantastic animation was very disappointing to me.
 
Most of the ones I was going to mention are already here so I'll just add Critter Crunch to the mix. Fantastic sprite animation in 1080p and 60fps.
 
I'm a big fan of the Lost Planet franchise's animations, both the purposeful inertia player characters exhibit and the incredible animations much of the mechanical functions showcase. Reloads, throwing, VS walking/landing/weapon firing...etc. Love it all.
 
Finaika said:
Virtua Fighter`s animation is so robotic. Its like fighting people made out of cardboard boxes. Or maybe that is the appeal...
Click to expand...
You may be the only person to ever say this.VF5s appeal is the incredibly deep gameplay mechanics.
 
Zoramon089 said:
Except...I'm almost certain you're dead wrong...you can look at the artbooks and see the pages of handrawn frames that the sprites and animations are based on. And imo, smooth animation >>>> high res pixel art
Click to expand...
SFIII in general is godly, but this character is an exception. Look at that animation frame by frame and you'll see how messy the highlights on her legs are, appearing and disappearing between frames, while the head moves almost like that of a chicken.
 
Finaika said:
I know. This thread is about animation, not gameplay.
Click to expand...
It looks even better in 60FPS.
virtua-fighter-5-o.gif
 
Finaika said:
Virtua Fighter`s animation is so robotic. Its like fighting people made out of cardboard boxes. Or maybe that is the appeal...
Click to expand...
Some of it really is robotic. It seems to be really inconsistent in the animation departments, as it seems to contain smooth style, snappy style, and down right shitty animations all in the same game. Doesn't mesh well aesthetically, imo at least.

Also, didn't Heart of Darkness have really great in game animations? Its been awhile, so I can't call it for sure...
 
Nearly all of the best examples have been mentioned - so I'll mention Halo Reach.

The campaign, cutscenes etc are all extremely well done - as many shooters are these days. However the level of detail in the multiplayer is amazing. Reloads and melee attacks are superb and satisfying. Of course assassinations are super smooth and brutal. But my favourite animations are in the detail of jumping/landing, watching a Hunter protect their face while lining you up, or nearly everything the Elites do.

Certainly not the best animation in any game ever, but extremely well done and impressive given that all of the animations carry directly over to online MP/Firefight.
 
abstract alien said:
It really is. As unlikely as it is, I still wish for a 3DS remake/sequel :^(
Click to expand...

so im not the only one to have played this game? the animation is pretty good, but the game is mediocre.

ill add a vote to ghost trick. not only is the animation really great looking, it complements the characters and plot of the game really well.
 
cj_iwakura said:
I think Vanillaware are the kings, as far as 2d animation goes.
Click to expand...

They win only by default since Capcom gave up in 1998

but yeah they're one of my favorite devs for sticking with it
 
kokujin said:
I thought they stopped making DOA games after 4.
Click to expand...

Nah, that's a kata for the beach volleyball game, alot of animation was taken from DOA4. They made DOAD on the 3DS and it hints at DOA5 at the end, so the series isn't totally dead. Hopefully never again on a portable.
 
DR2K said:
Nah, that's a kata for the beach volleyball game, alot of animation was taken from DOA4. They made DOAD on the 3DS and it hints at DOA5 at the end, so the series isn't totally dead. Hopefully never again on a portable.
Click to expand...
Forgot about the beach games.
 
arglebargle said:
so im not the only one to have played this game? the animation is pretty good, but the game is mediocre.

ill add a vote to ghost trick. not only is the animation really great looking, it complements the characters and plot of the game really well.
Click to expand...
I completely blacked out ghost trick until release, so I saw little to no footage of the game. The animation came completely out of nowhere, surprising me in the best of ways. So full and fluid. Yeah, you can make the claim that its canned animations mostly, so it should look good, but even in comparison it still has some of the best animations I've ever seen in a game. They took full advantage of it, and that is what I like to see.
 
abstract alien said:
I completely blacked out ghost trick until release, so I saw little to no footage of the game. The animation came completely out of nowhere, surprising me in the best of ways. So full and fluid. Yeah, you can make the claim that its canned animations mostly, so it should look good, but even in comparison it still has some of the best animations I've ever seen in a game. They took full advantage of it, and that is what I like to see.
Click to expand...

if i wasnt clear, i was calling deadly creatures mediocre. i haven't actually finished it yet, but ive been playing a few levels every few months in between other, better games.

ghost trick, on the other hand, i like a lot: animations, characters, puzzles. the game had many great aspects. i am a big phoenix wright fan, and i couldn't let a new shu takumi property sneak up on me. i am terrible at blackouts. currently, i'd like to be avoiding dark souls screens and info, but then i get bored at work and can't help myself.
 
arglebargle said:
if i wasnt clear, i was calling deadly creatures mediocre. i haven't actually finished it yet, but ive been playing a few levels every few months in between other, better games.

ghost trick, on the other hand, i like a lot: animations, characters, puzzles. the game had many great aspects. i am a big phoenix wright fan, and i couldn't let a new shu takumi property sneak up on me. i am terrible at blackouts. currently, i'd like to be avoiding dark souls screens and info, but then i get bored at work and can't help myself.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I gotcha. It is a pretty mediocre game when it comes to execution, but the theme was one that actually helped it a lot in my opinion. The last level was really good though. Honestly, I felt that, while playing from level to level, they progressively got better and more technically sound. Could have just been me getting into it though, but I think that was the case.

Ghost Trick is a real treat animation wise. I don't know how I pulled a blackout being such a phoenix phan myself, but I was floored by how smooth it ran.
 
AAK said:
Damn, how big is that team? Rivals the animation in Shank.
Click to expand...
Its just Noogy.
He also did the intro and outro animations in Jazz Jackrabbit 2 and the animations for the Lori character in a JJ2 expansion pack.

Nick Stadler did the majority of the ingame sprites and a lot of the animation is super good but I don't have any gifs on hand.
 
DR2K said:
http://www.gifsoup.com/view/476021/helena-o.gif[IMG]

DOAX2[/QUOTE]

Maybe it's the gif, but it doesn't look as good as katas in the first Soulcalibur :
[url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIIpeYPH39A[/url]
Click to expand...
 
Capcom, Nintendo, and Valve on average tend to have the best animation in their games.


Think of all of their games series as a whole and you'll notice that most of them have great animation.

Also Third Strike is much better animated than 4 which seems to be using a lot of tweening in comparison.

Also no Punchout! Wii? Really?

PunchOutWiiDocStaring.gif


EDIT - God what a shitty GIF. It can't do the game justice at all.

cj_iwakura said:
I think Vanillaware are the kings, as far as 2d animation goes.
Click to expand...

Animating the most difficult objects /= most fluid animation.

The animation in their games range from choppy to average.
 
Lijik said:
Its just Noogy.
He also did the intro and outro animations in Jazz Jackrabbit 2 and the animations for the Lori character in a JJ2 expansion pack.

Nick Stadler did the majority of the ingame sprites and a lot of the animation is super good but I don't have any gifs on hand.
Click to expand...
JJ2 desperately needs a rerelease in this day and age of digital distribution. Beautiful game in more ways than one.
 
the games that really stunned me back in the days where the first splinter cell games. such a smooth transition between walking, running, climbing, shooting. I think i never seen this before.

most of the thread consists of cutscenes, which is of course an animation, but i prefer ingame animations over motion captured stuff. Another game that comes to my mind is red dead redemption, while gta4 felt a little clunky rdr nailed it. Iam curious how they will refine the system with gta5/vc2/sa2.
 
[Nintex] said:
There's Leon reloading his bolt action rifle.
th_25hlm9y.gif

wow.
Click to expand...

One of the most satisfying weapons ever made, in one of the best games of all time.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

  • Poll
Are even great video games a product of their time?
40
537
MayauMiao replied
Which game has the coolest animations - in your personal opinion?
2
73
1K
Danjin44 replied
Incredible facial animations in new indie game "I Have No Change"
32
694
archangelmorph replied
Games with great postgame content
2
52
4K
I collect VHS tapes replied
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Switch 2 - 720p handheld/1080p docked with DLSS, 30fps. Full game on cart.
2
53
964
Deerock71 replied
Top Bottom