Good: Noby Noby Boy
Why: It's pretty much the primary game mechanic.
Bad: Ken's Rage
Why: While the game does demand over-the-top gory sequences, muscle movement doesn't contract. It's more evident when in a closer view or cut scenes.
Timing and Motion
Good: Skull Girls
Why: The animations are hand drawn and made frame-by-frame, allowing for fluidity in motion despite being a 2D fighting game.
Bad: Darksiders
Why: Even if War is a superhuman being, a lot of his movements feel lightweight considering the character can easily lift and throw cars, not to mention by the same notion attacking enemies would tear them apart or at the very least send them flying.
Anticipation
Good: Amnesia
Why: The game was specifically designed to be as frightening as possible, so it does everything in its power to prepare everything, including yourself, for anything that might happen.
Bad: Left 4 Dead
Why: This game boasts a mechanic where zombies can show up from anywhere, even through the walls. While at first glance it may seem like it's full of moments with anticipation, one only needs to remember that in animation this is referring to the need of preparing the viewer for an action. Surprises without suspense do not make for good anticipation.
Staging
Good: Final Fantasy 7
Why: This scene alone offers several moments of staging, from Aeris's prayer right down to Sephiroth's descent and the Materia bouncing off the pillars and in the water.
Bad: World of Warcraft
Why: This was supposed to be a very iconic moment within the game and yet it made Arthas's death feel very anti-climactic quickly followed up by Tirion and Bolvar arguing, losing a lot of points for attachment.
Follow Through and Overlapping Action
Good: Assassin's Creed 2
Why: This should come to no surprise, being Assassin's Creed. Fluidity in Ezio's actions and clothing enhance the suspension of disbelief even through gameplay.
Bad: Shadow of Rome
Why: The game itself is very chaotic, leaving very little room for finesse in movement. My picking this example helps to prove my point further since there is nothing that flows on Agrippa with the gorilla costume.
Solid Drawing
Good: Robot Arena 2
Why: This game's primary mechanic is to construct your own fighting robot, with each component carrying its own weight. This would definitely have an impact during actual fights especially if your robot was constructed with no balance.
Bad: Skyrim
Why: I think this clip would speak for itself.
Straight Ahead Action and Pose-to-Pose
Good: Rayman Origins
Why: Entirely hand drawn, this would naturally require the artists to adhere to preparing animations using straight ahead action, as eccentric as the characters can be.
Bad: Digimon World
Why: It may be forgiven for being an old game, though you can tell animations can be really choppy with nothing in-between the key frames.
Arcs
Good: Punch Out!!
Why: It's a boxing game, so well done arcs are mandatory. It certainly delivers.
Bad: Jade Cocoon
Why: It is ironic a game designed by the Ghibli team would be a bad example, but you can certain see animations here can be very erratic and unnatural.
Exaggeration
Good: Curse of Monkey Island
Why: It felt like cheating using this example. LeChuck offers one of the ideal examples of exaggerated action, especially since the Curse of Monkey Island was done in such manner...
Bad: Escape from Monkey Island
Why: ... Unlike its sequel. The jump to 3D really hurt this game since you couldn't really exaggerate animations as much, if at all.
Slow in and Slow out
Good: Fallout 3
Why: The VATS system introduced a system where fighting scenes and kills can be enhanced simply by changing the speed and angle of the view without breaking the flow of the game.
Bad: Overlord 2
Why: It is meant to be comical, yes, but I've seen bigger enemies than the overlord move much faster than he does, even when he was unarmoured as a child. That's not to mention most of the other characters.
Secondary Action
Good: Shadow of the Colossus
Why: Part of why this game took nearly five years for completion was for this very reason: the lead designer required the colossi AND Wander to be as animated as possible to enhance the feel of enormity and ineptitude, respectively.
Bad: Oblivion
Why: Again, the notorious lack of secondary action in this game is abysmal. Just look at their faces when talking.
Appeal
Good: Skyward Sword
Why: You wouldn't expect this from a Zelda game, but Groose alone has managed to become a very popular character with fans by the way he looks and acts. Also, nice hair.
Bad: Final Fantasy XII
Why: As the Final Fantasy delved more into the realistic all its characters have become less appealing, some even bordering the uncanny valley. Speaking in archaic dialect doesn't help either.
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