Which Video Games Have the Most Lifelike Character Animation?

As computer consoles become ever more powerful, more games are being released that take advantage of the extra processing power to create some truly stunning graphics. The character animation in some of the latest games is nothing less than incredible. Here are some of games that have been released over the last few years that have contained the most lifelike character animation.

Battlefield III

(Photo credit: psygeist)

This first-person shooter was released in October 2011 by EA Digital Illusions CE and sold five million copies in its first week. To give you an idea about how good the graphics are, in the pre-launch trailer real footage was mixed with footage from the game and spectators were asked to decide which footage was real and which was not.
The soldiers are incredibly lifelike, which is partly due to the modelling system that is used, as well as the developers’ use of Frostbite 2 and ANT technology to create realistic graphics.

Metro 2033

(Photo credit: THQInsider)

‘Metro 2033’ was developed by 4A Games and released in March 2010. Set in Moscow in a post-apocalyptic future, it is a first-person shooter where the player fights off some very realistic mutants. The game is incredibly graphic and the attention to detail superb, making the characters really come to life.

Fallout III

V.A.T.S. shown being used. Real-time action is stopped and the player can see the probability of hitting each enemy body part through percentage ratio. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

One of the most impressive features of this role-playing game from Bethesda Game Studios that was released in October 2008 is that when you attack an enemy, they react differently depending on how you attack them and where they get hit. This attention to detail makes the game seem incredibly lifelike and is part of the reason it has proved to be so popular.

Kinectimals

 (Photo credit: Colony of Gamers)

The animals featured in this Xbox 360 classic are incredibly realistic, so that it almost feels like you have a real pet walking around on your TV screen. In addition to the excellent graphics and attention to detail, the animals can also interact with the players, recognise them and play games with them to make them feel even more real.

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Two Worlds II

Two Worlds II was created by Reality Pump and came out in November 2010. It is a role-playing game where players take their characters on quests, and the animation is incredibly detailed. One of the main features is that players can customise the appearance of their characters, including their skin colour and shape, making them seem even more lifelike.

Deus Ex: Human Revolution

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

‘Deus Ex: Human Revolution’ is a role-playing game set in the future. Not only are the characters very lifelike due to the level of detail in the high-definition graphics, but the storyline and relationships are shaped by decisions that are made by the player, adding another level of realism.

Character Animation will Continue to Improve

The above games are some of the titles that have pushed the boundaries when it comes to creating realistic characters. And as games consoles continue to improve, we are likely to see yet more titles released that blur the lines between animation and reality.


Guest Author: John is a writer for Animazoo Motion Capture who manufacture some of the worlds most advanced mocap suits for use in character animation.

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