Ok y’all know the drill by now.Â
A lot of games came out this year  and I have seen all of them.
Yes, all of them. Don’t question me. Some of those games had some amazingÂ
animation in them and I want you to  know about it. So here’s a list of some ofÂ
my favorite game animation I saw in 2022. And it seemed like that “categories”Â
thing worked pretty good last year,  let’s do that again. First up! Seems an appropriate place to start. It’sÂ
where all animation started, if you think about it. And if 2D is good enough for Émile(s)Â
Reynaud and Cohl, it’s good enough for us. (Sorry, that joke was for, like, me and  maybe eight other people watchingÂ
this? They LOVED it, though.) The stylistic variety of 2D games that just  dropped on us in a singleÂ
year is a heck of a thing. There was that children’s book illustrationÂ
aesthetic of The Cruel King and the Great Hero. We got some cartoony antics with Blast Brigade. We got this wonderfully comfy bubble gumÂ
vibe from Melatonin, who thought they could  release a game in the last two weeks ofÂ
December and sneak it past me, the fools. And we got this incredibleÂ
period look from Card Shark. But strewn amongst this absolute buffet ofÂ
cool aesthetics, there were a of couple games  with animation that really deserveÂ
special mention. One of them was Cult of the Lamb The dissonant combination of “unsettling subjectÂ
matter” and “cute art style” has been done before.  Plenty of times. But this game’s executionÂ
on that combo is one of the best I’ve seen,  to the point that they’re able to swingÂ
between the extremes of cutesy and disturbing  in a blink without ever compromising onÂ
either element. And the game’s bouncy,  expressive animation plays a bigÂ
role in stabilizing this mixture. Your lamb’s motion is pitch-perfect,Â
from the springy-ness of their run,  to the cheerfully sinister expressions onÂ
their face, to the satisfying snappy-ness  of their attacks, even just the sweet littleÂ
sway of their idle. But it’s not just your lamb;  you can see that polish everywhere. YourÂ
followers, your enemies, the environment…  every little detail has been so carefullyÂ
considered, and the result is just gorgeous. My undying compliments to the team at Massive Monster. I’m going to have to startÂ
paying closer to y’all from now on. But there is no way we’re leaving theÂ
2D category behind until we talk about Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course Sometimes “more of the same” is theÂ
best possible thing you could hope for. Cuphead was a singular event in game animationÂ
history. A game which imitated the look of 1930s  American animation, and did so with a levelÂ
of care and stylistic authenticity that no one else has ever attempted and no one
else will probably ever top. I mean, hand-drawn and inked animations on actual paper, layered over real watercolor
painted background art. All of this set to live recorded big band
music! There is nothing else like it. And now The Delicious Last Course
is just giving us more. The animation is just as delightful asÂ
before, beautifully imitating the timing,  spacing and unique style of exaggerationÂ
that makes that rubber hose era of American  animation so distinctly recognizable.Â
I am still GARBAGE at the game,  but that’s ok. I’m just glad we all get to enjoyÂ
a little more of this wonderfully-unique thing. And speaking of games which adopt the aestheticsÂ
of earlier technological eras, let’s move on to Even within the medium of pixel animation - itselfÂ
a subcategory of 2D animation when you get down to it - there’s so much interesting aesthetic rangeÂ
being thrown at us all the time! In 2022 alone, we got the 8-bit inspired style of Infernax,  paying homage to Castlevania with a fewÂ
extra gory flourishes sprinkled on top. We got Souldiers, looking like aÂ
lovingly-thorough remaster of some  PS1 classic that never existed but should have. We got Moonscars, a gorgeously bleakÂ
production with player movement and  attacks that have all of the fluid detailÂ
of rotoscoped work but with none of its  sluggishness. These moves are quickÂ
and responsive and MMM. Very good. And speaking of snappy attacks, we also got JackÂ
Move, a turn based RPG with some great style and  what might be one of my favorite basic attackÂ
animations of the year? Just look at this punch.  BAM. Satisfying. But there were a few particular highÂ
points that I want to call attention to,  even more so because one of themÂ
tried real hard to evade my notice. River City Girls 2 Again, the NERVE of these peopleÂ
releasing their game on the 16th of December. Thought I’d be too distracted trying to get
this video finished to notice,  did you? Well your game’s animationÂ
is great and I SAW it, so HA. I sang the original game’s praises in 2019,  and this sequel’s animation is just as fun.Â
All of those inventive move sets are still here,  now with more playable characters and a bunchÂ
of new enemies, just piling on more animated  personality by the truckload. Still the bestÂ
animation the Kunio-kun series has ever had. And, hey, if you want to see even moreÂ
from this game’s animation director,  he also (somehow) found time to make a VampireÂ
Survivors-like Hololive fan game this year,  just for FUN. And it turns out it’s actuallyÂ
really good? So maybe give that a look too. But now that River City Girls has officiallyÂ
failed its stealth check, I am ready to talk about Cursed to Golf Cursed to Golf is not like a lot of theÂ
pixel animation games I highlight here;Â Â it is not filled to bursting with flashyÂ
animation that is demanding your full  attention at all times. This animation knows whenÂ
to get out of the way, and that’s for the best;  you are playing high-stakes purgatoryÂ
golf. You have bigger concerns. Instead, the animation fills the cracks, and itÂ
consistently does so with so much charm  and appeal. The way you respawn teleportÂ
to your ball in a variety of silly ways.  This absolutely beautiful ledge teeter.Â
The bounce on your little golf cart. The animation in this game just wants toÂ
give you a little smile between those tense  rounds of roguelike golf for deadÂ
people, and it does so beautifully. But when it comes to pixel animation games makingÂ
you smile… well, this year it’s pretty hard to top Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge Using animation to create contrast betweenÂ
character personalities is always important,  but when your main cast already looks likeÂ
palette-swapped versions of each other, that need  for characterization contrast becomes absolutelyÂ
critical. And the animators on this game have  risen to that challenge. Just look at how distinctÂ
and character-appropriate those runs feel! The amount of animated appeal coming offÂ
of this game is higher than any previous  TMNT game has ever managed, whichÂ
is no small feat! I mean, sure,  this game is clearly setting out to deliver aÂ
weapons-grade potency of nostalgia for those  old 8 and 16-bit turtle beat-em-ups, but theÂ
amount of animated charm it delivers while doing  so is not a product of mere nostalgia. ThatÂ
is just some quality animation work. Every part of this game is engineered to delight,  animation included, and itÂ
succeeds. 10 out of 10, no notes. But speaking of delightful weirdos,Â
let’s move on to our next category… Some games simply refuse to neatly fit intoÂ
one of my little categories, but we shan’t  hold that against them. And there were quite aÂ
few more vying for a spot in my list this year. Tinykin, for example, is aÂ
wonderful little Pikmin-y  platformer with a 2D/3D hybridÂ
look that is just delightful. And I don’t think I have ever seen a game commitÂ
SO HARD to an aesthetic concept as RPG Time: The Legend of Wright. I mean…Â
look at this thing. Bonkers. But, while both of these games have someÂ
very good animation that achieves  everything it needs to within eachÂ
respective game’s chosen aesthetic,  neither of them deliver onÂ
animated personality quite like Young Souls It was, apparently, a very good yearÂ
for well-animated beat-em-up games,  but I can’t think of another gameÂ
that looks quite like this one,  and certainly not with this much style. OrÂ
character! Just a couple minutes after hitting  Start, I already adored these twins, largelyÂ
thanks to just how very expressive they are. I love how stylistically distinct this gameÂ
looks in motion. The dynamic pose work,  the snappy timing… for such a small team,Â
1P2P Studios sure have managed to make this  2D/3D hybrid look good. Another little studio IÂ
apparently need to start watching more closely. If you are into the idea of a co-opÂ
beat-em-up with a chip on its shoulder,  a slightly more serious tone and personalityÂ
to spare, Young Souls will deliver. But ok, enough dabbling in 3D, let’sÂ
go ahead and dive all the way in. Because we have got a LOT to talk about. And let’s  go ahead and start with the heavyÂ
hitters, the Triple-est of the As. Because every year brings us aÂ
bunch of new big-budget games  vying for the throne of “most high fidelityÂ
realistically-rendered human character animation”. This year we saw a very impressive showingÂ
from Asobo with A Plague Tale: Requiem. And the remake of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2Â
showcased some more impressive pre-rendered work  from Blur Studios, and their in-engine stuffÂ
was certainly no slouch either. It never is. But in 2022, it is pretty hard to top StrikingÂ
Distance Studios’ in-engine results in The Callisto Protocol The thing about attempting photorealisticÂ
human animation is that it’s not just an  animation challenge; animation like this is aÂ
truly multi-disciplinary feat. Because you can capture  an actor’s physical and facial performance andÂ
polish that animation data to a near-perfect  recreation of reality, but without good lightingÂ
and good shader work… without skin that reacts  to light or creases in just the right ways,Â
without eyelids that deform in just the right  way as the pupil moves beneath them… without all
that extremely good technical artistry from  very skilled specialists, the whole thing canÂ
break at any moment. And the results this team  has managed in these cinematics - in real-timeÂ
cinematics, no less -Â are quite impressive. Of course, when your goal is to present aÂ
perfectly real-looking CG human - no matter  how skilled the artists or impressiveÂ
the tech - there is still no avoiding the  uncanny. Fortunately, that doesn’t alwaysÂ
have to be a bad thing, which brings us to The Quarry Supermassive Games has been delivering some reallyÂ
impressive work with the Dark Pictures Anthology,  and it’s frankly silly I haven’t given thatÂ
work a mention in these annual roundups sooner. Now, these games are not going to fool you intoÂ
thinking you’re looking at live actors filmed on a set. I mean, neither are Callisto Protocol or CallÂ
of Duty, that’s not my point. I’m saying that,  in Supermassive’s genre horror games, it doesn’tÂ
matter that the characters look a little uncanny,  because the uncanny is what these gamesÂ
THRIVE on. As I said in 2019 of Remedy’s  work in Control: when the entire vibeÂ
of the game is off-kilter by design,  a realistic human character feeling slightlyÂ
unsettling only feeds into that vibe. These actors are deliveringÂ
some fantastic genre acting,  the lighting and cinematography areÂ
on point… it is just effective work  from a studio that has gotten very good atÂ
turning limitations to their advantage. Naturalistic 3D Animation doesn’t have toÂ
look as expensive as possible to be great.  And to further demonstrateÂ
that fact, let’s talk about SIfu. So many games have taken influence from martialÂ
arts films over the decades, but I’ve never played  a game that actually felt so much like one.Â
And not because it replicates the aesthetic or  fighting styles (although this game certainly doesÂ
those things too), but because it captures the  moment-to-moment narrative of combat choreographyÂ
in those films. The precisely-tuned flow of  picking apart a wave of oncoming attackers oneÂ
after another, the rapid succession of problem,  solution, problem, solution. The importance ofÂ
improvisation, and the ways the environment shapes  every encounter and offers unique solutionsÂ
to that nonstop barrage of new threats. The animation on all of these moves looks great,Â
the mocap has been pushed and exaggerated in all  the right ways to sell the speed of these actionsÂ
without losing that sense of grounded physicality,  and they’ve done some really fantastic cinematography workÂ
using the gameplay camera to frame the action  and emphasize impacts. This is the kind of gameÂ
that relies on effective animation to even work,  and fortunately, Sifu’s animation achievesÂ
everything this game needs to thrive. Just because your game’s animationÂ
style is grounded in realistic  physicality doesn’t mean there isn’tÂ
room for a little exaggeration or even  stylistic flair. And few games inÂ
2022 demonstrated that better than God of War: Ragnarok To literally no one’s surprise, this game’sÂ
animation rocks, and in all of the same ways IÂ Â already covered with its predecessor. TheÂ
gameplay animation is just as satisfying  and attentive to character and terrifyinglyÂ
polished. And the cinematic work is just as  thoughtfully delivered. Whether it’s a momentÂ
of quiet tension or loud spectacle or intimate  vulnerability, these performers are puttingÂ
in some fantastic work. And this animation  team - which is packed with some of the mostÂ
skilled artists and engineers in this entire  industry - is delivering at 100% of theirÂ
potential. It is incredible to behold. In any given moment, whether you’re inÂ
a story scene or in the thick of gameplay,  these characters are so fully-realizedÂ
and sincerely performed and cohesively  presented. The fact that any of us areÂ
finding ourselves emotionally invested  in God of War characters is a real achievementÂ
by a lot of people. Sony Santa Monica remains  a force to be reckoned with, and I’mÂ
not seeing any signs of that changing. But while we’re on the subject of studios beingÂ
very good at what they do, let’s talk about Elden Ring You know what I love about
From Software’s animators? They always know exactly whereÂ
the animation budget needs to go. As I have said in previous videos, FromSoftÂ
games rarely feature the most polished or  expensive-looking animation in the AAA space.Â
There are always some rough edges here and there. I mean, they only just recently started actuallyÂ
animating NPCs’ mouths when they talk in conversation.  And that still doesn’t look very good! But that’s ok.
Because this animation team knows where the time and money needed toÂ
go. And because of that, the animation in  Elden Ring is able to achieve what it REALLYÂ
needs to, which is combat clarity and tone. The gameplay animation in EldenÂ
Ring is functionally superb. This  studio has gotten so good at designing enemyÂ
movesets and animating clearly-telegraphed  attacks that it’s astonishingly rare to find examples
of enemies that feel completely unreadable in  an unfair-feeling way. These boss movesetsÂ
are some of their most impressive work yet,  and the cinematics preceding some of theseÂ
fights are some of the most unsettling,  spectacular and wonderfullyÂ
weird things I’ve seen all year. FromSoft may have quite a few imitators theseÂ
days, but none of them has ever been so brazen  as to have one of their biggest spectacle setpieceÂ
bosses they have ever made spend the entire battle  riding a tiny horse. I don’t know how this teamÂ
manages to balance their unique blend of horror,  grandeur, melancholy and comedy soÂ
effectively, but I love them for it. FromSoft’s animation team always knows where toÂ
put their budget. And it’s a good thing they do,  because their games would absolutely fall toÂ
pieces otherwise. I can't wait to see more. Speaking of things falling to pieces, though,
did y’all play Aperture Desk Job? It was basically a tech demoÂ
for Valve’s new Steam Deck,  but even if you don’t have one, thisÂ
little game is worth your time anyway,  just for the delight of seeing Valve’s animatorsÂ
deliver yet another perfect comedy robot. GlaDOS and Wheatley were both fantasticÂ
demonstrations of how much personality you can  convey with only a few moving parts. And now GradyÂ
is here to continue this tradition of Portal games  having some of the best-animated comedic deliveryÂ
in all of video games. He’s basically an eyeball  and one arm (and a bunch of great line reads from NateÂ
Bargatze), and that’s all these animators need. Man, I hope Valve does more with Portal. Even justÂ
a tech demo in this setting is a special treat. But while we’re on the subject of robots… Horizon Forbidden West I started this channel one year too late toÂ
compliment the animation in Horizon Zero Dawn,  so it was real nice of Guerilla Games to goÂ
back in and make another one just for me. You’re going to spend so much time fightingÂ
robot animals in Horizon games that those  animals better look good, and boy do they.Â
A lot of the animators on this project have  actually posted reels of their work here onÂ
YouTube (you’re looking at some of that right now),  and I recommend looking those up just toÂ
appreciate some of the great work being done here. But the human animation has seen some improvementsÂ
too. The first Horizon game made use of a BioWare-style  modular conversation animation system to handleÂ
the enormous quantity of dialog exchanges,  and that worked quite well. But whenÂ
they dropped that in the Frozen Wilds  DLC and instead switched to using performanceÂ
capture for every branch of every conversation,  the difference was HUGE. Seeing every littleÂ
exchange performed by an actor making specific  acting choices for each line, seeing theseÂ
characters thinking and listening and  reacting to each other as they talk… it was aÂ
major improvement. But I was curious if they’d  be able to expand that bespoke treatment to aÂ
full size game. And it turns out: yes. They can. Congrats to the team at GuerillaÂ
for managing to push animation  that was already looking great even further. Speaking of games with goodÂ
creature animation, though,  they went and released another dangÂ
Monster Hunter this year, didn’t they? Ok its an expansion, but still. Hey Capcom? Can you give me like one year offÂ
from having to come up with new ways to say  Monster Hunter’s animation is good? I’m runningÂ
out of new ways to say the same nice things. Can I just copy-paste some of the nice thingsÂ
I said before? I’m gonna do that. [clears throat] Monster Hunter has always had some ofÂ
the most inventive and appealing-looking boss  creature animation in the business. TheseÂ
are games which invite you to study and  internalize each monsters’ body language toÂ
improve, and that can only work because of  how carefully-tuned the animations on theseÂ
creatures are. Additionally, the weighty,  expressive attack combo work for every weapon typeÂ
remains phenomenal, and the fact that the fact  that these games deliver on this much functional,Â
style while also offering dozens of little goofy,  completely unnecessary touches likeÂ
these will never stop delighting me. Also cats still make you food. Why are the restÂ
of the games not doing this yet? Did Capcom pull a  Warner Bros and patent it or something? Every gameÂ
needs this. And until every game has it, Monster  Hunter is going to keep winning Game Animation ofÂ
the Year by default. Cat made food; contest over. But while we’re on the subject of cats,  there’s one more game in this category which IÂ
absolutely must talk to you about, and that is Stray I don’t know if I have ever seen such aÂ
clear-cut example of animation selling a game. This is a game from a small team. And as such,Â
there are places where the animation might have  a rough edge of two, but it doesn’t matter evenÂ
a little bit. Because the animation on this cat  is so well-observed and so authentic-feeling thatÂ
cat-lovers took notice and the game kinda blew up. There are a lot of other games that have catsÂ
in them, but surprisingly few of them actually  attempt to animate real cat behavior. We don’tÂ
tend to animate cats as they are, we animate  the idea of cats, the human personalities we’veÂ
collectively projected onto cats over the years.  But this game tries to capture the real thing, toÂ
present how a cat actually moves and communicates,  from the fundamentals of its body mechanics toÂ
the subtleties of how it expresses with its tail. Real cat behavior can be pretty inscrutableÂ
unless you are really familiar with the animals,  and it is abundantly clear that these animatorsÂ
are. And that authenticity resonated. The simple  novelty of playing as a cat who actually feelsÂ
like a cat had enormous appeal, it turns out,  and there might be a valuable lesson in that. IÂ
can think of quite a few animals that are widely  beloved but rarely presented with this levelÂ
of care when we make them a game’s primary  focus. It could be there are some very largeÂ
potential audiences we’ve been ignoring. A huge congrats to BlueTwelve StudioÂ
for your success with this one. You gave  us something we did not realize we wereÂ
craving, and that’s a pretty rare feat. But at last, it is time for our final category... You could not turn in any direction in 2022 without  some colorful game trying toÂ
charm you. And succeeding. Kirby and the Forgotten Land has some of theÂ
cutest Kirby animation you have seen AND some  of the WILDEST Kirby animation you have everÂ
seen. I don’t know how to put to words the... ...delighted trepidation I would feel every timeÂ
I encountered an object with THIS prompt. I can’t decide if I’m happy about this, but... I amÂ
smiling? So your guess is as good as mine. But then, on the only-slightly-more-realistic side  of the stylization spectrum, you’ve alsoÂ
got Bayonetta 3, serving up some absurdly  stylish combat with all of the inimitableÂ
flair Bayonetta has taught us to expect. Meanwhile, back in cartoon land, theÂ
player character in Time on Frog Island  has probably my favorite run animation ofÂ
the year? It has this wonderfully bouncy  quality that also feels tightly-wound inÂ
a way that I just love. You know you’re  looking at some good animation when aÂ
basic run is enough to make you smile. But if we’re going to talk aboutÂ
animation that makes you smile,  then I have to give some special recognition to Trombone Champ Yes I am 100% serious when I say thatÂ
Trombone Champ’s animation is great.  SIMPLE, yes, but also - just like theÂ
animation in Say NO More and Untitled  Goose Game before it - a vitalÂ
ingredient to this game’s comedy. The awkward toots and blats of yourÂ
trombone are already very funny,  whether you are playing well or not. TheÂ
silly art and background elements behind  the note track of each song amplify thatÂ
comedy. But the piece that puts this all over  the top is your happy little performer overÂ
there to the right, dynamically following the rise and  fall of your off-key notes, swaying withÂ
enthusiastic, defiant glee all the while. This animated depiction of your very bad brassÂ
solo completes the joke Trombone Champ is telling,  and any animation that can successfully pull thatÂ
much weight in an experience deserves recognition. But as long as we are recognizing excellence,  let’s go ahead and give Arc SystemÂ
Works their annual trophy for DNF Duel I have spent a lot of words praising this teamÂ
over the years, so I'm gonna try to make this quick. Arc System Works figured out the precise alchemyÂ
required to pull off this incredibly-convincing  anime look with Guilty Gear Xrd almost a decadeÂ
ago now, and they have been tricking people into  thinking they were looking at hand drawn spritesÂ
ever since. DNF Duel continues this tradition  with yet another payload of fighting gameÂ
animation that is just a feast for the eyes. Of course, I wouldn’t go so far as to call thisÂ
an escalation over their previous offerings. The  style is a little more stripped down and simpleÂ
this time around, not too far off from the look  of Guilty Gear Xrd, actually. But the magicÂ
trick still works. So I guess ArcSys will have  to settle for merely continuing to do better atÂ
this than literally anyone else in the industry. But speaking of fighting gameÂ
animation that deserves some kudos… MultiVersus In past videos, I’ve stated thatÂ
a character’s animated incarnation  in a Smash Bros game should be a nostalgicÂ
celebration of that character’s history,  capturing the essence of that character,Â
making them feel instantly familiar. Now I wouldn’t go so far as to sayÂ
that MultiVersus is better at this  than Smash Bros, because some characters areÂ
translated and executed on more successfully
than others, I think. But there is someÂ
real great stuff in here,  including one of the most inventiveÂ
character move sets I have ever seen. You can play as Tom & Jerry in this game,Â
and most of their attacks involve Tom either  trying to put Jerry in harm’s way ORÂ
taking a swing at Jerry and missing,  hitting your opponent instead. And that is aÂ
REAL clever idea very well executed. IÂ Â can think of no better way to instantlyÂ
convey what Tom & Jerry are about as a  duo. And this bit of brilliance is enoughÂ
to ensure that I'm going to be checking in on  MultiVersus from now on just to see what newÂ
characters are looking like. Very well done. But let’s shift focus to other battle mice in Moss: Book II This is the best little mouseÂ
you're going to find in video games,  and she appeared in what ended up beingÂ
one of the best animated games of 2018. Well I’m happy to report that theÂ
animation in this sequel looks every  bit as good as the first. The way theseÂ
little rodents scramble and throw all of  their tiny weight into their actions doesÂ
so much to preserve an appropriate sense  of scale in this world. Richard Lico andÂ
his team have done wonderful work here. In fact, if you’re curious to see whatÂ
animating a character like Quill looks like,  Lico actually posted a video demonstrating hisÂ
animation process a while back, and it’s a great  little 101-level introduction to animating aÂ
3D character using his kinda unusual but very  effective workflow. I’ll link it down below andÂ
I recommend giving it a look. It’s pretty great  seeing an industry veteran opting to freelyÂ
share some of his knowledge and experience. ...wait, that just reminded me. Ok, now we’re gonna talk about
Masahiro Sakurai’s YouTube Channel. Yes I know it’s not a game, who cares. So! Masahiro Sakurai, creator of KirbyÂ
and director of the Smash Bros series,  made a YouTube channel this year, and has spentÂ
the last several months using it to teach the  basics of game development. Just brain-dumpingÂ
all of the knowledge he’s accrued over the decades in  high quality, easily-digestible, beginner-friendlyÂ
videos posted publicly for free where they can be  accessed by as many people as possible.Â
Seemingly just because he feels like it! This is a wonderful thing. And it should becomeÂ
a trend. Of course, I know better than most  that it takes a lot of time and a non-zeroÂ
amount of money to create this kind of thing,  which is why you don’t see a ton of individualÂ
gamedev veterans opting to tackle this sort of  project. But they shouldn’t have to. GameÂ
studios everywhere should be funding little  internal projects like this, especiallyÂ
the big studios who have the resources to  spare and a lot of veterans on staff with aÂ
wealth of experience and knowledge to share. Heck, if you’re wanting to get that kindÂ
of initiative started where you work,  I will HELP you. Just reach outÂ
to me. I would love to help make  there be more things like whatÂ
Sakurai-san has created here. If you haven’t already, go subscribe toÂ
his channel. It is a wonderful initiative  from an industry legend who has aÂ
lot of valuable knowledge to share. Anyway, speaking of… uh, someÂ
kind of Nintendo-based segue Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope It has been really fun to see MarioÂ
characters put into the hands of more  animation teams outside of Nintendo.Â
You can always feel that team’s  unique fingerprints and stylisticÂ
sensibilities on the resulting work.  And Ubisoft’s Mario + Rabbids crossoversÂ
have been an especially delightful blend. I LOVE how the Mario characters look inÂ
these games. Their motion is a little looser,  a little squishier, more exaggerated, but notÂ
so exaggerated that it stops feeling like a  Mario character. It honestly looks great onÂ
them. And the rabbids have always had some  of the best goofball slapstick animation inÂ
gaming, so of course they still look great. We don’t see a lot of this extra-cartoonyÂ
3D animation work in this medium,  so games like Mario + Rabbids are a pretty special  treat. Kudos to the teams at UbisoftÂ
Milan and Paris for their work here. But this wasn’t the only top tier showcase ofÂ
Mario animation 2022 gave us. Because we also got Mario Strikers: Battle League This YouTube channel began with me singing theÂ
praises of Next Level Games’s animation team,  and for good reason: they are extremely good atÂ
animating Nintendo’s core roster of characters. These animators have not missed a singleÂ
opportunity to squeeze character into every  action, even the ones that are likely going to goÂ
unnoticed in the chaos of play. I am constantly  spotting all these little character touches, andÂ
I’m reasonably certain that distraction is causing  me lose more often. But it’s all so fun to lookÂ
at that I haven’t yet found it in me to care. This is a very polished showing from a teamÂ
who frequently outdoes Nintendo at animating  their own characters, and yet another fantasticÂ
demonstration of how much character-based variety  you can pack into a list of actions sharedÂ
by a big cast. Phenomenal work as always. But there is still one more game that deservesÂ
recognition this year, and that game is Potionomics. This indie gem has been charming a lot ofÂ
people, and for good reason. These characters are  delightful, and the level of animation fidelity,Â
personality and sheer expressive appeal they’re  delivering in considerable quantities is prettyÂ
incredible coming from this small of a team. Making great animation for games - at ANY scale -Â
is always an art of delivering the most bang  for your buck, of prioritizing where to spendÂ
your limited budget for maximum impact. Or,  put another way: making great game animationÂ
means finding ways to strategically constrain  scope so you can avoid wasting resourcesÂ
needlessly. And this game is very good  at optimizing its bang per buckÂ
and making every animation count. The way they present conversation exchanges usingÂ
a library of looping “emotion” poses (basically  a more animated version of Persona characterÂ
portraits)... the way they carefully stage every  scene so the animators can focus on tuning eachÂ
pose to a single camera angle… the way they have  characters pop into a lively gesture as a meansÂ
to transition from one pose to the next rather  than creating a thousand bespoke transitionalÂ
animations from every pose to every other  pose... there’s just a lot of smart decisionsÂ
here, and the results speak for themselves. This game is a joy to look at and just aÂ
treat in general. Huge props to everybody at Voracious Games; you’ve already made meÂ
love every character you’ve introduced me to,  and I’m excited to see where you go from here. But I think that is finally all of them!
Were there any games I missed? Obviously not. I was testing you.
Like I said: I saw every game. But if you do still wish to argue
a case for the animation of  some other 2022 game, you may formally submitÂ
your appeals in the comment section below. Now if anybody needs me, I have like four videos inÂ
progress that need finishing, so I’m gonna go and uh… yeah. Thank you for watching, and I hopeÂ
you have a lovely 2023! See you next time! [♪♪]
Great video from one of my favorite YouTube channels I love Dan's passion for animation. A lot of really well animated games coming out every year and I look forward to seeing all the ones I might've missed.
I concur with one of the youtube comments.
With a tenth of the budget of a Naughty Dog game, they're still able to make you feel very emotionally invested in their characters, the eyes in particular were very impressive, almost uncanny valley level of good at times.
Funny how even today and on next gen not even one game comes close to the animation quality of tlou part 2.. In game and facial animation in cutscenes are still the best. It's quite hard playing tlou 2 and than going back to another game and animation really feel stiff in comparison Wonder if some people felt the same. Think the only one that can beat naughty dog is naughty dog.. Wonder when they will finally show their first ps5 game. (that isn't a remake or live service)
I'm not saying it should win any GOTY awards or anything like that, but I can't help but feel like COD gets shafted on things like this. The details put into it's weapon animations are great.
A rare Dan upload, it's always fun seeing him talk about animation. Shame he uploads rarely but hey at least we have the gaming videos to enjoy
Can I find a list of all games shown?