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Arc System Works' Persona 4 Arena is a 2D Fighting game based off of the cult classic JRPG, Persona 4. The game has a gorgeous Anime art style and happens to be my latest gaming addiction. Here are some of my observations about the animation techniques used by the developers to make the game such a treat to watch.
- Overview:
The game uses 2D sprites for the characters, which are placed on top of layered, 3D Rendered backgrounds. When the camera pans around the stages, objects in the foreground move more dramatically than those in the back. This gives the visuals a nice sense of parallax. The game also makes use of particle systems for dust clouds on running characters, and hit sparks during combat.
- The Arcsys Sprite Process:
Arc System Works is known for creating fighting games with some of the most detailed, fluid, high resolution 2D sprite work in business. In order to achieve this, the developer uses a unique process to ensure quality and timely completion.
Each character is made up of around 1000 unique frames of animation. In a game with 13 characters, creating this much art is no easy task. For this reason, Arcsys uses Toshimichi Mori's trademark 3D Rotoscoping method.
Step 1: Characters start as 2D concepts and each pose is drawn by hand.
Step 2: A 3D model of the character is made and posed according to the concept drawings.
Step 3: 2D Line-art is generated based on the 3D model. This is used as a guideline for the final sprite.
Step 4: Colour, light, shadow and additional details are applied to each frame.
Step 5: Each frame is converted into a dot image (the sprite itself).
- Animation Style (With Respect to the 12 Principles of Animation):
Persona 4 Arena's visuals exemplify all aspects of the 12 basic animation principles. The characters all have unique appeal, and their designs are very much rooted in solid drawing thanks to the use of 3D models. Anticipation can be seen in the characters as they prepare to jump, and their bodies stretch as they reach the height of their jump (this helps portray a sense of height). All attacks are very exaggerated and most of them follow very blatant arcs. Every animation contains some sort of subtle secondary action, for example: clothing/hair movement or changes in facial expression. Finally, heavy attacks feel weighty due to their long follow-through.
-The importance and influence of good animation in a fighting game:
In a fighting game, any move performed by a character can be broken up into 3 phases.
- Startup: The time it takes for the move to become active.
- Active Frames: The duration of the attack that is harmful to opponents.
- Recovery: The time it takes the character to return to neutral after the move's active frames end.
When a character is touched by an attack they enter one of two phases:
- Blockstun: If the attack is blocked, the defending character is stuck in a blocking animation for a set number of frames, then returns to neutral
- Hitstun: If the attack connects, the player getting hit is stuck in a recoiling animation for a set number of frames.
Why is this important?
Let's say character A hits character B with a heavy attack and character B blocks. If the blockstun caused by said heavy attack lasts less time than the attack's recovery, character B can punish character A for doing the unsafe attack as long as his attack is fast enough. Conversely, if character A's heavy attack causes blockstun that lasts longer than his attack's recovery, he can follow it up safely with another attack.
Similarly, If character A's attack connects with character B (and is not blocked) and it causes hitstun lasting longer than the attack's recovery, character A can follow up the attack and produce a combo. A combo is a series of attacks which if performed consecutively after the first hit lands, cannot be blocked. This is a cornerstone of almost every modern fighting game and is 100% dependant on numbers of animation frames. In high level fighting game competition, this is referred to as the study of Frame Data.
In competitive play, it is often best to opt for the safest (least punishable) attack unless a hit is guaranteed. A move's frame data is responsible for determining how safe or unsafe it is. In addition to damage, hitbox size, and unique properties, frame data is directly responsible for how strong any given move is and is instrumental in balancing a fighting game.
All un-labeled images were captured by myself. If you'd like to see Persona 4 Arena in motion, check out one of my match videos. Warning: May contain a bit of NSFW language. This tends to happen during heated fighting game sessions.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWSbwv1uFao&feature=relmfu
PS: I'm the guy with the Katana.
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