Best and Worst Animated Moments
After talking about voice acting, I've just though about this.
What are some of the best and worst animated moments?
I can think of:
really interesting animation when carver first pulled a gun to Clem's face - I noticed she blinked carefully, tried to inch her head away, scrunched her face up as to detest
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A few moments:
When Kenny beats Carver to death. You can tell, despite the talk she makes to get there, Clementine wasn't expecting this scene with the flinches she takes. After it's finished, the way she shakes away any doubts wraps up firmly that she isn't the same person as the one we saw in Season 1.
Basically the entirety of this scene. Specifically during and after Lee's beating.
Kenny and Katjaa when they're talking about Duck before killing him. I don't remember seeing anything like this in terms of emotion in Season 2 or 3. The distraught on Kenny's face throughout is painful.
Sorry in advance for the GIFs!
Oh boy, this is a really good idea for a thread! I'll share my personal favourites from Season One and Season Two, as moments that made me go 'wow' from how well executed they were.
Season One
One of my favourites is this tiny bit of Lee slumping after revealing his bite to Clementine. The amount of detail in his face and the way he visibly deflates is just staggering, to me, and is a really haunting moment. Admittedly, it's a really tiny thing, but it hit me like a truck when I saw it - it was like a physical representation of Lee giving up. It really works with the rest of the scene:
(Apologies for how abrupt the GIF is, heh.)
In a close second place for Season One, I thought this optional scene where Lee gets shot by the stranger was animated stunningly, and it really made me poop myself when I - ahem - accidentally got it during my first playthrough. The look of alarm on Lee's face, and the way all the stuff gets knocked off when he crashes into the chest of drawers, is so well done.
Season Two
I don't like the scene itself, but the final shot of Jane getting stabbed is really horrible, and that's a credit to the animators. The way her motions got slower, the horrified look on her face and the way she started feebly scratching his face, was a really freaky moment. I think my breath hitched when I first saw it, and I was kinda in disbelief. That one is below:
As a runner-up, this scene where Luke and Clem low five always makes me go 'aww', and it's not half shabby in how it's executed! Usually, when Telltale animates skin to skin contact, there's a lot of awkward clipping. But this is one of the few scenes where it doesn't seem to occur.
*Seriously, this is one of my favourite scenes in the entire series. I think something's wrong with me ;-;)
Another really well-done scene, in my mind, is when Matthew gets shot and Luke pulls Clementine to the ground and out of harm's way. The way she kind of nuzzles up to him a little bit, the way a child would when there was a traumatic experience - despite her tough exterior - was a really touching moment. Kudos to you, Telltale.
Sorry if I went a bit overboard. Some of the animations in these games are just too awesome, though.
But yeah, seriously, sorry for all the GIFS.
The scene where Clementine pulls her gun on the dying Lee. Her trembles, her hesitation, and her facial expressions are all huge highlights of arguably one of the saddest scenes in the entire series.
Season Three's opening in episode 1 in the house is probably the smoothest animation we've ever seen from Telltale.
Off-topic, but as an artist, I really love that profile picture. Did you create it?
If not, how did you find it and who is the creator?
It's some of the concept art Telltale shared for A New Frontier. They shared it on their Twitter, I do believe. Here's the link to the full picture. I thought it was really cool, so I decided to make it my profile picture. While I do try to draw, I'm not very good. I wouldn't dream of sharing any of my drawings, eheh.
During the bandit raid when Ben tries to run over to the RV. A bandit takes a shot, narrowly misses him, and Ben just immediately does a 180 and dives back behind cover. I don't know why, but I always found that animation to be quite memorable.
Other noteworthy scenes:
Lee dropping Ben. One thing I really like about that is, regardless of how the player feels, it's abundantly clear that Lee didn't enjoy doing that to Ben at all. He can't even bring himself to watch Ben hit the floor; he just looks away before impact. And this isn't strictly character animation, but I love how when you drop him, the camera shifts to Ben's perspective for a few seconds, and you just see Lee looking back at him sorrowfully as he falls.
The Clem, Kenny and Luke tag team to disarm Carver. Clem jumping on him/shooting him, Kenny punching him in the face, then Luke moving in from the side to take his gun, all in one fluid motion. It looked pretty badass, not gonna lie.
All the fight scenes with Randall in the Michonne miniseries. Smashing his arm in a boat wheel, then slamming his face into a table? Good shit. Whacking him upside the head with a shovel? Good shit. Repeatedly smashing his face into a workbench? Good shit. Also, what happens to him if you attack Norma at the beginning of episode 2-- Sam sneaks up behind him, smashes him in the leg with a lead pipe, Michonne kicks him in the mouth, then he tries to crawl away, only for Sam to strike him in the face with the pipe, finally knocking him out.
Javier killing that dumpster walker. Fuck what anyone else says, that is hands down one of the best zombie kills in the entire damn franchise. I also like how they played it straight with the gunshot leaving Javier completely dazed.
Danny's jumpscare in the barn, when you open the stall door and he's just sitting there with that creepy-ass smile and the gun pointed at your face. Lee grabs the gun away from him just as he fires, which temporarily stuns Lee for a second.
When you go with Pete at the end of episode 1 and he gets attacked by a walker. Clementine breaks the walker's hand off, and Pete just casually yanks the hand off of his shirt before beating down the walker. Pete was just too good for this awful, awful world.
When you're walking through the herd at the end of No Time Left. Lee bumps into that one zombie and it looks back at him like "watch where you're going, asshole"
The tower collapse in episode 2 of Michonne. That whole sequence was great, but seeing the tower come down takes the cake. Honorable mention to Randall's reaction: "Son of a fuckin' gun..."
Norma's death in Michonne. Euuughhh.
Lee vs the Stranger. A relatively short fight, but it always stood out to me. The Stranger desperately trying to shoot Lee while he's holding the gun back, the Stranger making a mad dash for the gun, Lee charging him into the closet, and Clementine shooting him.
Nate vs Wyatt. Nate trying to pull him out of the car, Wyatt closing the door in his face, Nate smashing the window open and trying once again to pull him out, which ends with Wyatt smashing his hand into a broken piece of glass. Also, Nate's reaction to it: "FUCK! AH, SON OF A BITCH!"
Oh yeah, flare gun guy from Michonne. That death... that fucking death. And what happens afterwards if you didn't bring Pete with you makes it better; the second guy runs over, you end up using flare gun guy as a human shield until you get close enough, then you throw his body at the second guy and stab him right through the eye.
As for not-so-great animations, I can't really think of any right now. I'll get back to you later on that.
The scene in which Clem has to sew her arm back up. It's too gruesome for my tastes, but her facial expressions are more expressive and unique than she ever is from episodes 3 through 5.
Every moment from when Carlos gets shot to when Sarah runs away. The tension is built so well, and anything erratic feels natural. Except maybe Clementine, briefly.
Lilly's facial expressions in both versions from the point where Carley has finally pissed off Lilly to the extreme.
Lee's face as he sees Clem eat human meat.
Javi and a few others from the moment when he stepped inside to when he was consoling his mom.
Clem as she took Javi hostage.
Lee and Kenny during the Save Ben variant of Kenny's sacrifice.
Clem when talking to AJ in Wellington, or about his middle name to Jane (especially the fact that they animate the Jamie-related lines differently based on what name you chose for AJ). On that note, Clem when she discovers Jane dead up to the end of the flashback.
Clem when feeling friendly towards Javi if he backed her up about shooting the guy who gave he bad bullets.
Clem during the alone flashback.
MAYBE Clem after the car crash in the Kenny flashback, but definitely at about the part where he says that he can't feel anything.
And my personal favorite, the scene where Clem escapes from Winston.
I'd like to kind of elaborate myself. I'm talking about the animations from a design perspective, asking questions like:
does this animation show true to the character? Perhaps reveal something unique?
How dynamic yet realistic was the motion?
How was the camera-framing, as if it were in the drawn-out storyboard process? Were there "defining" views? Was it carefully thought-out to show a specific perspective or thoughts of a character? Was it impactful towards the mood?
Just some rambling, kind of inspiration from professional movies and animations. This artistic kind of thinking just interests me.
Clem sewing herself up takes the cake for best animated character moment. Why more characters couldn't be as expressive as that more often? Well, we probably know why.
Then there's Kenny's lip quivering and nostril flaring when he's looking at his dead family. Just silently crying. Really good stuff.
I mentioned in another thread the quick but poignant expression Lee makes before telling Clem Duck was bitten.
This expression instantly tells you what he's thinking: "I can't believe I have to tell the little girl these things. Why God, why are you making me do this to her?"
I can think of some really bad ones, too. Those sudden, jerky run animations that looks so fake good example when the other survivors are running up the belltower in Around Every Corner and when Troy slaps Clem (I paused it, she doesn't even react to it and his hand doesn't even properly connect. To make matters even more insulting, her mouth doesn't move when she tries to explain herself.)
Damn, wish my game ran as smoothly as that high five gif... like ever.
Oh god, just noticed Carver's head/ear/hair clipping through his jacket collar. yeesh.
When gabe ran to kate it looked so slow and unreal. Shouldve made him run way faster
The worst I can think of is episode 2 after one of Ben's friends turns and tries killing Lee, they cut to his face and it's all distorted or something. Specifically at 27:07
In the drug store, when Clem pushed the table. Her eyes looked so funny.
Lee killing and leaving the stranger to turn. It always stood out to me that even with one arm he was willing to save Clementine.
Lee killing and leaving the stranger to turn. It always stood out to me that even with one arm he was willing to save Clementine.
Agreed. Easily one of the few highlights of that episode.
I gotta track that down cuz it sounds hilarious.
Yeah, that was definitely the high point of that scenario. It legitimately scared me the first time I replayed for it.
Swiggity Swooty, Cumin fo dat booty!
You knew what, I didn't even think about that.
Gotta love David's face on the thumbnail.
That reminds me of two other things I forgot to mention: Nate showing up in Wyatt's story, period. Again, not fully animation related, but they're both memorable to me.
If you got out of the car, you see those headlights come out of the trees and slowly pull up to the car as you make your way back. It's a perfect "oh shit" moment, if you ask me.
And if you stayed in the car, Wyatt turns off the light, then the camera pans over to the truck's headlights, parked right outside the car.
Gotta love how the bottom half of his body is clipping through his torso
There aren't many good animated scenes, but the Intro with javiers family in ANF was the best directed and animated scene in all TWD episodes.
Gotta love how David sounds relaxed at 4:50
And that's exactly why. The fact that Nate pulls open the door barely 3 seconds afterwards just added to it.
What's worse is I hacked at Mr Parker's leg enough times before the prompt to fully cut off his leg and stalled so we left him with his almost cut leg and he still talked as if he didn't just get his leg cut right before the bone when we were leaving him
I don't know if it's the worst but something funny I noticed earlier watching my sister play.
When Javi has Kate in his arms wounded after arriving in Richmond, as he's moving, Kate's neck is flopping all over the place like it's made of jelly. It's one of the funniest ones I've seen.
The best I would have to say Clementine sewing her wounded in S2 Ep 1. Really messed up but it was so well done it takes the cake for me.
I have to say that the fight scenes with Javi vs walkers has been pretty damn good. There are some pretty sweet shots, especially when they take over the area where the underpass is blocked by cars.