During game development, we often refer to fighting games as the best example of where real-time animation can be pushed due to the genre typically concentrating on only two characters in an enclosed arena, though unfortunately most often in terms of “We can’t do that – we’re not making a fighter…”.
As noted on the previous movies, these recent screens of SFIV point towards some pretty animation-intensive details, sporting bone scaling, cloth and an impressive detailed facial setup, as well as what must be some form of muscle deformation to maintain volume in the limbs. On top of all this is a look-at system between not only the two main protagonists but also the crowd of onlookers – something that will become standard in the near future to overcome the lifeless gaze of previous-generation videogame characters.
Similarly, this Team Fortress-esque video displaying the cartoony facial setup for EA’s Facebreaker looks worth keeping an eye on too. Most impressive of all though, is that the game is made by the “developers of the critically acclaimed Fight Night Round 3″ despite them all being fired a few months ago…
Jonathan Cooper is a Scottish