Why can’t video games make walking/running look realistic?
A lot of movement animation is captured live with peoples' actual body movements ([Example](_URL_0_)) and then these are applied to the character's animation when moving in-game. The problem comes because many states/actions can make the player run faster/slower (such as sprinting vs. walking, as…
The Short Answer
A lot of movement animation is captured live with peoples' actual body movements ([Example](_URL_0_)) and then these are applied to the character's animation when moving in-game. The problem comes because many states/actions can make the player run faster/slower (such as sprinting vs. walking, as well as changing directions in many different angles) and the studio can only capture so many animations to account for that. After that it comes down to using mathematics to calculate where body parts should be, or trying to find the "most appropriate" animation for whatever action a player is doing and a lot of the time this isn't perfect, and thus things like running animations are not perfect with the speed that the feet move in, etc.
Analysis
Key Concepts: Animation, body, comes
This explanation focuses on animation, body, comes and spans 125 words across 4 sentences. At 74% above the average History explanation (72 words), this is one of the more thorough answers in this category, reflecting the complexity of the underlying question.
What This Answer Covers
The explanation opens with: “A lot of movement animation is captured live with peoples' actual body movements ([Example](_URL_0_)) and then these are” It then elaborates by explaining the root cause, ultimately building toward a complete picture across 4 connected points.
How This Compares in History
Ranked #73 of 500 History questions by answer depth (top 15%). This places it in the comprehensive tier — the top quarter of most thoroughly answered questions. Questions at this depth typically involve multi-faceted topics requiring nuanced explanation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a simple explanation for why why can’t video games make walking/running look realistic?
A lot of movement animation is captured live with peoples' actual body movements ([Example](_URL_0_)) and then these are applied to the character's animation when moving in-game. The problem comes because many states/actions can make the player run…
How detailed is this explanation compared to similar History questions?
This is one of the most thorough answer at 125 words, ranked #73 of 500 History questions by depth. The key concepts covered are animation, body, comes.
What approach does this answer take to explain why can’t video games make walking/running look realistic?
The explanation uses root cause analysis and concrete examples across 125 words. It is categorized under History and addresses the question through 2 analytical lenses.