Summary
Video games are more than just about numbers and players' reflexes. The way they feel is just as important. Take first-person shooters, for example. The tightest controls, balance, and level design mean nothing if the shooting lacks impact. Death animations play a big part in this.
Whether they be ragdoll physics or pre-determined, the games below all have satisfying death animations that make killing enemies feel so good. It says a lot about the older games on this list that their animationsstill impress after all these years, showing that there’s a lot more than graphical detail that makes a game feel good to play.
This legendary FPS did more for the genre than most other games of its ilk.It had a more realistic mission structure and level designthat took the genre out of the labyrinths ofDoomandQuake. It also gave N64 owners another reason to be happy with their purchase over the PS1.
It is necessary to point out how great and varied the death animations are. Enemies react to every shot that hits and their death animation is influenced by where the final bullet lands. Some of them are drawn out and there is even an opportunity for enemies to slump against walls.
RoboCop: Rogue City’sdeath animationsreflect the extreme violence of the first film. Bullets tear enemies apart like wet paper and blood splatters everywhere. It would be one thing if enemies just rag-dolled like in other modern FPS games, but their body parts land in multiple locations.
Bullets and explosions are just one part of the death animation equation. Players can grab and throw enemies back with more force than any other human, either smashing them against the environment or into other enemies like bowling pins.
In a game likeDoom,enemies do not so much die as turn into puddles of goo. The original two games could not do much with their sprites but enough was left to the imagination. The 2016 game and its sequel,Doom Eternal,introduce mechanics that make the violence even more visceral.
Melee takedowns encourage players to get up close and personal to take out enemies in absurdly violent ways. Insides are pulled out through enemies' mouths and stomachs and one takedown even has the Doomslayer poke out an enemy’s eye with its own leg!
TimeSplittersgames are allpacked with contentand many playable characters. The third game went for a cartoonish, slightly exaggerated art style to coincide with its more comedic bent. The death animations were similarly exaggerated.
Enemies pop up in the air with a shotgun blast or dramatically drop to the floor with a well-placed headshot. There is also one where the enemy clenches their stomach, looks at the blood on their hands, and then slowly falls to the ground.
The cartoonish art style is an interesting juxtaposition to the blood and gore found in this title. It was the first in the series to receive an M-rating and have so much violence.
TheFar Cryseries is all about finding creative ways to dispose of enemies, whether that be by the environment or by the main character’s bare hands.Far Cry 6features a variety of complex and brutal takedowns centered around knives.
What makes these so disturbing is how the enemy often grabs at the player before they are fully eliminated, trying in vain to reach back or grab the arm with the knife. It is close in comparison to the takedowns fromThe Last of Us Part 2, a game notable for itsultra-realistic violence.
Sometimes death animations are more iconic than they are good.Halo: Combat Evolvedis on par withGoldenEye 007andCall of Duty 4: Modern Warfarein terms of influence in the genre and cultural impact. This makes almost everything about it memorable, including the death animations.
In particular, the way enemies flail around after an explosion is both funny and iconic. Once humanoid enemies pop into the air from a grenade or rocket launcher they wave their arms and legs around like they are swimming. They do this for however long it takes for them to hit the ground.
