The art of in-game ragdoll physics has seen multiple key evolutions since its original widespread conceptualization in 1998's Jurassic Park: Trespasser. The capacity to have non-player characters (NPCs) respond to impact and environmental changes has transformed fundamental components of gaming, notably fighting.
Some games, such as Octodad and Gang Beasts, have made overcoming slick ragdoll physics the goal of the game. Other games, on the other hand, take this dedication too far, with characters flopping to the ground at the smallest stumble over a curb or minor touch from a truck. Regardless, sophisticated physics engines have transformed games by changing how we tumble down slopes, off buildings, and in battles, providing an endless amount of fun.
Simulator of a Goat
It's simple to understand why Goat Simulator became so popular. Goat Simulator was released in 2014, just in time to parody other Simulator games, and provided players with a completely new gaming experience.
Goat Simulator, set in open-world landscapes with an abundance of goals, encouraged players to utilize and abuse the Unreal Engine 3-powered ragdoll features, with the primary purpose being headbutting, charging, and flying into the world's various residents. The fact that players get to control a customized goat is part of the obvious reason why this game deserves to be on our list.
QWOP
QWOP, the legendary, addicting, embarrassing, and funny flash game, is one of the all-time greats of ragdoll physics. Though a little less sophisticated, fluid, and realistic than some of the more sophisticated, fluid, and realistic entries on this list, QWOP stands the test of time when it comes to enticing gameplay with an awe-inspiring legacy of record-breakers, including an artificial intelligence bot that still couldn't beat the record at the time.
GTA 4
Though considerable disagreement exists over the greatness of GTA 4 and 5, when it comes to ragdoll physics, many believe that 4.
Skate 3
What better place to put ragdoll physics to the test than one of the most chaotic sports on the planet? The Skate series not only welcomed but actually promoted the art of slam, particularly Skate 3, which offered a helpful but cringe-inducing skeleton setting that enabled players to see whose bones they'd shattered.
Happy Wheels
Happy Wheels, another classic flash game, was a pioneer in allowing players to build and share their own levels online. Players were charged with completing each side-scroller, platform-based survival level in one piece as a variety of characters with disposable limbs, including a wheelchair-bound elderly man, a father and son on a pushbike, and a guy on a Segway.
The various hyperviolent traps meant to decapitate and destroy added to the ragdoll physics, with arrow-impaled players furiously pedaling towards the end with stumps for legs and no arms. Is black humour necessary? It is beneficial.
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