Animation Gameplay Essentials - Episode 4/5 : Attacks
- Vanessa
- Sep 2
- 5 min read
When animation becomes body language
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I've animated attacks in several games, often in realistic contexts based on mocap. But it was never the core of the gameplay, until Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown.
Four years of keyframe combat, more than 80 enemies with unique mechanics... Let's just say I had time to tackle many scenarios, from magical slaps to titanic assaults. And most importantly, to refine my vision and structure a real methodology.
Because one thing is certain: a successful attack is never just about its visual strength. It tells a story. It expresses an intention. It creates a sensation.
Each attack is a language. Not just a movement, but a silent conversation between the player and the game. A flying creature doesn't attack like a heavy guardian, and the player must understand this instantly.
Animation doesn't serve to shine. It serves to make you feel.
📖The 5 ingredients of a successful attack
Reactivity
The player presses a button, they expect something to happen immediately. The delay between input and animation start must be ultra-short, unless the gameplay deliberately relies on latency (charged attack, slow boss).
A reactive attack is an attack that gives the player the feeling of total control.
Anticipation
Anticipation gives style, weight, personality. But too much anticipation, and the player has already taken a hit before finishing their animation.
It's a fine balance: enough for the movement to be readable and expressive, but not to the point of slowing down gameplay. A heavy attack can have marked anticipation, but it must be compensated by clear visual feedback.
Readability
The player must instantly understand what's happening: who's attacking? In which direction? What's the range? Is it dangerous?
A good attack animation is an animation that speaks without explanations. Think in clear silhouettes, exaggerated key poses, rhythm contrasts.
Visual Impact
This is the moment when the attack really "punches". Impact relies on a strong pose at the moment of contact, well-timed visual effects, sound feedback, and sometimes a pause to accentuate the feeling.
Interruptibility
The player must be able to chain, cancel, or launch another action according to the game's mechanics. Animation becomes a system: it must integrate into a flow, not just exist alone.
A good attack is an attack that knows when to exit the stage.
🔍 Spotlight on Expedition 33: Mastered impact by Sylvan Kim
In Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, turn-based combat allows more room for staging than in real-time action games.
Here, the priority isn't immediate reactivity to player inputs, but visual presence and readability of attacks, particularly enemy ones. Each movement must make an impression, reinforce the game's artistic identity and transmit the dramatic intention of the scene.
It's in this context that Sylvan Kim's work stands out. His attack animations are rich in detail, perfectly timed and precisely respect the three fundamental phases:
Anticipation : build tension and clearly announce the upcoming action
Impact : deliver power with sharp timing and a strong pose
Recovery : conclude the action smoothly, without breaking the overall rhythm
Turn-based combat allows pushing the spectacular further here: marked visual effects, expressive poses, style variations according to enemy type. But this freedom never comes at the expense of understanding. Each NPC attack remains perfectly readable, even in the most visually loaded moments.
What catches attention is how Sylvan infuses clear intention into each attack. Rhythm, tension and release are calibrated so that even without direct player input, each NPC movement has weight, style and remains perfectly readable.
This variety brings the bestiary to life and reinforces immersion. The result is work that proves you can combine spectacle and gameplay clarity when animation is guided by strong intention, and that even without direct input constraint, every frame counts to tell something.
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To see Sylvan's excellent work, visit his profile: : www.linkedin.com/in/sylvan-kim-s71797142 or his Instagram : Sylvan Kim (@sylvan_kim) • Instagram photos and videos
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💡Tips and method: my toolbox
The 5 questions before Maya
In what context does this attack exist? Stealth, open combat, duel, general melee?
Who gives this hit and why? The character's intention guides everything else
Player or NPC? The same attack won't be prepared the same way
What reaction should I provoke in the player? Fear, satisfaction, tension, surprise?
What should it chain with? Idle, other attacks, dodges?
These 30 seconds of reflection save me hours of rework later.
Field approach according to project
Assassin's Creed : lethal efficiency. Assassinations are quick, precise, definitive. Their strength comes from their technical simplicity.
Ghost Recon CQC : tactical brutality. Mocap alone isn't enough. You need to exaggerate intention, work body-to-body contacts so the player feels the psychological impact.
Prince of Persia : readable exaggeration. 80+ different enemies, fast gameplay. In this context, better a stylized and clear animation than a realistic but confusing movement.
The art of reference
Always start from a reference, never settle for it.
Whether mocap, video or direct observation, reference gives the movement's DNA: intention, natural rhythm, body subtleties you can't invent.
But beware the trap: sticking 100% to your reference will give you realism, not gameplay.
Reference should be your raw material, not your final objective.
Validation questions
What does this attack say about my character? If I can't answer in one sentence, the intention isn't defined enough.
What's its purpose in the combat system? Spatial control, guard break, combo setup? It must have a unique function.
Does the player understand the intention in less than a second? Information must be immediate and clear.
⚠️ Errors, traps and red flags
If your perfect Maya animation has never transformed into a strange creature in-game, you haven't yet discovered the magic... and the whims of gameplay ^^
The red flags that don't lie
🚩 "My anim is perfect in Maya but doesn't 'punch' in game" → You optimized for beauty, not gameplay impact. Test in context immediately.
🚩 "Timing will be adjusted at integration" → Gameplay dictates duration, not aesthetics. Animation must adapt to the game's tempo, not the reverse. Otherwise, it's a bit like dancing waltz to metal.
🚩 "My mocap reference is perfect, I'm not changing anything" → Mocap gives a base intention, not gameplay animation. It must be adapted to rhythm, readability and game intentions.
🚩 "All my attacks have the same intensity" → You need hierarchy: basic hits (frequent, subtle), medium attacks (impactful), finishers (spectacular).
Production traps
Too literal reference syndrome: "I film myself hitting and copy." That gives realism but not gameplay. A reference is a starting point, not a solution.
Symmetry obsession: "I need a right AND left version!" Not necessarily. Symmetry is visual comfort, not always necessity. Your enemies aren't all ambidextrous...
Isolated masterpiece syndrome: An attack can be perfect in Maya... and totally unusable in game. I block, integrate, test. If it doesn't chain, it's not ready, regardless of curve beauty.
✨ Key takeaways
There's no perfect attack.
There are only relevant attacks, adapted to their context, character and gameplay function.
The real question isn't "how to animate an attack", but "what does this attack say about the character and how does it serve gameplay?"
A successful attack disappears behind intention, emotion, impact.
When the player no longer sees the movement but lives the action, you've succeeded.
Gameplay animation is the art of the invisible in service of experience.
Want to create cool Gameplay Attacks?
Next article: Episode 5: Reactions
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The images used in this article are the property of their respective rights holders and are presented for illustrative and commentary purposes within the scope of non-commercial use.
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