Animation is a form of art that enables an individual to create moving images to showcase an idea. Bringing various art forms like images or other visuals, placing them in order, and sequencing them eventually gives an illusion of an animation. With time, the definition, implementation, and results of animation have evolved drastically, leading to the expansion of this art into various sectors.
With time different techniques of animation came into existence, some of which are stop motion, CGI, and 3D animation, which is considered the latest add-on in the series. Be it entertainment, education, or advertising, the field of animation has enabled everyone to create stories and share ideas through different ways of visualization.
With time, the animation everyone witnessed as kids started transitioning into more eye-appealing graphics. This became possible with the technologies that got introduced with time, and the impact is visible in the present-day games. Be it Uncharted or Spider-Man, today’s games are both a treat to watch and fun to play.
Herein, in this write-up, we will be discussing the importance of animation and how it plays a crucial role in enhancing video games.
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Animation has become the core of video games and everything an individual experiences while playing the game, good or bad, heavily depends on the visuals. With technological advancements, the line between video game visuals and movies is getting thinner. It has become quite difficult to spot differences between movie visuals, and video game visuals. The reason for this is quite simple: movies have set a bar for video game visuals.
Ensuring the right amount of VFX, CGI, or animation in the games can bring astonishing results in the outcome of the game. The vast landscapes and realistic and interactive NPCs make the gaming experience 10 times more engaging for the users. Henceforth, the importance of ensuring the right amount of animation elements in games becomes an essential part of the whole game development process as it directly leads to the user and his preference.
We know why animation is crucial for video games today, but to get more clarity on the role of animation in video games and how it enhances the user experience for the users check the following points:
One of the most obvious benefits that game animation brings to the gaming world is providing an engaging experience to the users. From a realistic environment to interactive NPCs, animation enables the players to engage in the game.
The actions and decisions the players make throughout the game work as feedback for the game. With each action, the game progresses based on the decision the player took previously.
With the use of the right animation elements in appropriate areas, the character’s expression can be enhanced. This leads to a better connection of the players with the story arc and the characters.
Here is the list of 5 types of animation used in video games today:
As the name suggests, character animation refers to the animation and design of characters’ movements, including running, walking, fighting, jumping, and other actions. If one ensures to work effectively on these elements alone then it can enhance the gaming performance by 5 times.
Creating a beautiful environment in the game is equally important to creating playable characters and NPCs. A character can only be as good as the environment it is placed in and this is why ensuring an overall decent environment, which includes water, forest, land, and other objects can do wonders for your game.
Being the traditional form of game animation, this 2D form of video game rendering has been used a lot till the early 2000s. The animation is usually conducted with the help of hand-drawn characters or images, placed together to give the users a feel of watching an actual video.
Games that involve the side screen gameplay or the early mobile game applications, which usually didn’t require much of a big production were mostly developed with the concept of 2D animation.
With time a transition was necessary in the video games and then came the existence of 3D animation. This helped the game developers to render games in 3-dimensional space, providing an enhanced feel of controlling characters in video games. Moreover, this form of video game animation is considered one of the most preferred.
Henceforth, it is no surprise that this form of gaming animation is considered the most reliable one compared to 2D animation, for the obvious reason of providing a more realistic gaming experience.
In the end, the user interface of the game should be on point because it is usually the first interactive element the user experiences when the game starts. One of the examples can be the menu screen where the user can choose their desired option from ‘play’, ‘controls’, etc.
Check the table below to get a clear picture of the pros and cons of animation:
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
| Makes the game appealing to the player | Very time consuming |
| Engages the player | Complex in nature due to technicalities |
| Gives eternal creative freedom | Mentally exhausting due to repetitive processes |
| Animation is flexible and can be altered for better outcomes | Relies heavily on technology |
| Enhances the overall gaming experience | Requires high-end software leading to more production cost |
The use of animation tools is very subjective and can vary from person to person which software they rely on to animate a game. Blender or Maya, both are considered the most reliable tools for animating 3D games. If you are also seeking tools to ease your game animation process then choosing any of these tools can work for you. Besides this, some animators also use rigging tool that helps in creating 3D skeleton models, and on the other hand, big production companies also use motion-capturing technologies to give a more realistic approach to the characters.
In short, there are many ways and tools one can opt for animation and bring out astonishing results for the game environment and characters.
By now you must have understood everything about animation, and its role in the gaming industry. Overall, it can be stated that animation plays a huge role in enhancing a video game and making it more impactful for the users. However, if you are looking for the best 3D animation development or 2D animation development then you can contact us at BR Softech.
If you are looking for the best 3D animation development and 2D animation development services then you can consider BR Softech. Being a renowned game development company, BR Softech offers impeccable game development services with our in-house experienced developers who look forward to providing the best possible services globally.
BR Softech, with over 12 years of providing astonishing gaming services also provides leading 3D and 2D animation development services. Choose BR Softech and get the following benefits:
Here are some of the top tools that you can use for video game animation:
Unity
Adobe Animate
Adobe After Effects
Autodesk 3ds Max
Adobe Character Animator
Blender
Maya
In the world of animation, timing and spacing are considered the most important elements that are responsible for creating an illusion of objects and props moving within the laws of physics.
Following are the top games showcasing the best types of animation in the gaming industry according to IMDB:
Lego Marvel Super Heroes
Dying Light
Jujutsu Kaisen: Cursed Clash
Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero
Lego Jurassic World
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
LEGO Fortnite
Yes! Video games use animation which eventually becomes the soul of the game. If the animation of the game is decent enough then the user will surely engage in it.
