How to add camera and juice that sell impact

1 The bottom line

Make impact weighty by pairing a short hit freeze, camera shake, sound and particles with a camera that always serves what the player must see. Juice that gets in the way of play costs more than it gives.

2 Key takeaways

• Build every hit from anticipation, a fast strike, a freeze and a recovery. The contrast between the phases is what creates crunch.
  • Transformers holds the impact for three frames Mark Brown, Game Maker's Toolkit14:52.
  • In God of War (2018) the axe stays pinned in the foe for a few frames while Kratos's body keeps moving, then it dislodges Mark Brown, God of War, Game Maker's Toolkit7:27.
• Stack cheap, short effects on every movement. Small effects confirm the input without burying the game.
  • Celeste squashes and stretches Madeline on jumps, kicks up dust and rumbles the controller on landing Mark Brown, Celeste, Game Maker's Toolkit9:20.
  • Mind Over Magnet adds run dust, a tilt, screen shake and a particle burst on polarity change Mark Brown, Mind Over Magnet, Game Maker's Toolkit4:52.
• Use sound and music as feedback, not decoration. Audio tells the player what changed without a prompt.
  • In Portal 2, each laser that hits a sensor adds a new part to the soundtrack Mark Brown, Game Maker's Toolkit7:25.
  • WipEout HD puts a lowpass filter on the music while the shield is active Mark Brown, Game Maker's Toolkit8:10.
• Let the camera fit the gameplay, never the other way around. A mood camera that hides threats turns into frustration.
  • God of War (2018) chose an intimate camera for its story, then needed years of combat rework to cope Mark Brown, God of War, Game Maker's Toolkit11:37.
• Show the player what is coming. A character pinned to the center wastes half the screen on ground already passed.
  • Cave Story keeps two camera positions, one for each facing, both offset in front of the player Mark Brown, Game Maker's Toolkit0:57.

This gives the feeling of the axe really chopping into flesh and bone, before finally slicing through.

Mark Brown, God of War (Santa Monica Studio, 2018), Game Maker's Toolkit

2.1 Frame what the player needs to see

The camera decides how much of an impact the player can read, so settle visibility before weight.

• Settle visibility, aiming and distance judgement first, then layer mood on top. Mark Brown, God of War, Game Maker's Toolkit11:37
  • Ask what the player really needs to see, then check the camera is not hiding it Mark Brown, Game Maker's Toolkit0:57.
  • Match the camera to its job. A wide angle gives peripheral vision and a tight zoom gives precise aim Mark Brown, God of War, Game Maker's Toolkit0:17.
  • A close camera costs side vision and the character covers a big chunk of the screen. Shooters accept that because far targets matter more Mark Brown, God of War, Game Maker's Toolkit4:18.
  • The camera also shapes power. The writer of the 2018 God of War played cautiously, fearing hits from behind Mark Brown, God of War, Game Maker's Toolkit5:59.
• Tie the camera's lookahead to something the player controls. Mark Brown, Game Maker's Toolkit2:44
  • Sonic Generations pushes the camera further ahead as Sonic builds speed. Luftrausers leads only while the throttle is held. Nuclear Throne centers between the character and the cursor.
  • When the player reverses, glide slowly between the two positions so the change doesn't jar Mark Brown, Game Maker's Toolkit1:31.
  • New Super Mario Bros. U biases right and swings left only after Mario has backtracked for a while Mark Brown, Game Maker's Toolkit1:31.
• Patch a tight camera with systems that restore what it hides. Mark Brown, God of War, Game Maker's Toolkit6:49
  • God of War (2018) uses arrows for off-screen enemies, Atreus shouting warnings, a lock-on button and Kratos snapping toward enemies just out of reach.
  • Enemies who are off screen are made less aggressive, and juggled enemies have a maximum height.

2.2 Move the camera with the moment

Each moment needs its own framing, and a well-timed shift can carry impact itself.

• Change the camera with the situation instead of hunting for one perfect camera. Mark Brown, God of War, Game Maker's Toolkit8:16
  • Batman: Arkham Asylum hugs Batman's back in corridors, then pulls back dramatically in combat and auto-locks onto the enemy.
  • Widen the view when enemies appear. It needs no cut, so a continuous shot stays intact Mark Brown, God of War, Game Maker's Toolkit9:59.
  • Pick distance by crowd size. Hellblade and Dark Souls track closely for one enemy at a time, while Devil May Cry goes wide for many Mark Brown, God of War, Game Maker's Toolkit6:25.
  • Arkham also gives crouching, cover, perches, vents and hallucinations their own cameras Mark Brown, God of War, Game Maker's Toolkit9:26.
• Zoom in to aim and hang back for speed. Mark Brown, God of War, Game Maker's Toolkit7:39
  • Third-person shooters zoom on aim, Spider-Man shrinks to a tiny figure while web-swinging, and Vanquish pulls back during rocket slides.
  • Save bigger shifts for key moments so they land as events. Inside repositions for the rabid dogs chasing you, and GRIS pulls out to show a building's scale Mark Brown, Game Maker's Toolkit7:34.
  • Bayonetta pulls toward a side-on view when you duel a demon, giving 2D fighting-game readability Mark Brown, God of War, Game Maker's Toolkit8:35.
• Smooth the camera so precise play stays readable. Mark Brown, Game Maker's Toolkit6:15
  • Add damping so the camera eases toward the character instead of copying every tiny shift.
  • Add a dead zone, an invisible window where the character can wander without moving the camera Mark Brown, Game Maker's Toolkit5:50.
  • Ignore jumps until the player lands on a higher platform. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze does this, so the screen doesn't shift mid-jump Mark Brown, Game Maker's Toolkit3:51.
  • Too much damping lets the character get ahead of the camera, which cuts the lookahead you wanted.
  • Fez can afford its dead zone because the camera is zoomed out so far Mark Brown, Game Maker's Toolkit5:50.

2.3 Build the hit itself

Weight comes from the shape of the animation and a freeze at contact, before any effect is added.

• Plan four key poses first: idle, wind-up, attack and follow-through. Mark Brown, Super Smash Bros., Game Maker's Toolkit15:36
  • The wind-up must signal the incoming attack to both attacker and victim.
  • The attack pose must convey power during hit-stop. The follow-through must show the character is vulnerable and cannot move at once.
  • Sakurai keeps the poses in a spreadsheet of every animation a fighter needs, with reference screenshots.
• Sell crunch with big anticipation, a very fast strike, a brief freeze and a long recovery. Mark Brown, Game Maker's Toolkit14:52
  • Snap to the target quickly, even cutting frames, then let a hefty recovery show the hero committed.
  • Slow motion at the start of a heavy attack can extend the wind-up.
  • Examples are the Resident Evil 6 punch finisher, the God of War 3 slow-mo wind-up and Ryse's frame-cut strikes.
  • Ori and the Blind Forest's bash slows time so you can pick any of 360 degrees. The static build-up against the rush of speed is what satisfies Mark Brown, Ori and the Blind Forest, Game Maker's Toolkit3:25.
• Freeze the action for a split second on impact. Mark Brown, Game Maker's Toolkit9:09
  • Keep shake and particles running during the freeze, then resume. The small hitch makes every hit feel more impactful.
  • Celeste adds a four-frame pause on dash Mark Brown, Celeste, Game Maker's Toolkit9:20.
  • Katana Zero freezes for a split second on each kill while the camera still shakes.
  • God of War's pinned axe uses animation blending and a custom inverse kinematics pinning system, with fast transitions and little tween time Mark Brown, God of War, Game Maker's Toolkit7:27.
• Balance weight with ease so a powerful tool doesn't feel too heavy for the hero. Mark Brown, God of War, Game Maker's Toolkit9:13
  • When the axe lands, it shunts Kratos's arm back slightly. The catch feels casual but still carries momentum.

2.4 Layer effects on the impact

Shake, particles, decals and exaggerated reactions turn a good animation into a hit that lands.

• Shake the camera in the direction of the action. Mark Brown, Game Maker's Toolkit8:40
  • Tune the intensity and direction so the shake carries meaning, not just noise.
  • Celeste wobbles the camera the same way Madeline dashes to sell the speed and power of the move.
• Cover the swap from intact to broken with particles, material tags and decals. Mark Brown, Red Faction: Guerilla, Game Maker's Toolkit2:44
  • Tag props as metal, concrete or wood so each plays a fitting impact effect.
  • Use decals such as bullet holes and craters so the player believes they dented the wall.
  • Control's decals trick you into thinking you made a real dent.
• Give enemies exaggerated reactions instead of a standard flinch. Mark Brown, God of War, Game Maker's Toolkit8:17
  • God of War's foes have almost slapstick reactions to being sliced or hit by the axe.
  • Add motion lines, screen blur, sparks, red flashes, hurt animations and knockback Mark Brown, Game Maker's Toolkit14:05.
  • Without these layers, hits feel weak and counters lack crunch. God of War's colored motion lines also show the shape of each attack Mark Brown, Game Maker's Toolkit14:05.
• Tie feedback to the result so the player sees what fired, and stack cues on big moves. Mark Brown, Word Play, Game Maker's Toolkit8:50
  • In Word Play, a modifier that changes the score pings with an animation and a sound. It costs one line in the loop, not code in each perk.
  • God of War's axe recall wiggles first, flies in a curve you can see, and speeds up if it is far away Mark Brown, God of War, Game Maker's Toolkit8:40.
  • The same recall has three separate vibrations (wiggle, mid-air, catch), a spinning sound attached to the axe, and a screen shake on impact Mark Brown, God of War, Game Maker's Toolkit8:40.

2.5 Add sound and music

Audio carries weight, locates threats and reports state, and silence makes the loud moments count.

• Use sound to sell weapon power and locate threats. Mark Brown, Dead Space, Game Maker's Toolkit7:57
  • In Dead Space each weapon kicks like a mule, and players triangulate enemies by ear.
  • Give the most important threat the most distinct sound. The exploder has one because it matters most to locate.
  • God of War combines sound effects, Kratos's grunts and controller rumble so every swing conveys strength Mark Brown, God of War, Game Maker's Toolkit8:17.
• Design sound effects against a recorded clip of the game. Mark Brown, Mind Over Magnet, Game Maker's Toolkit10:40
  • Record a short video, layer sounds over it in an editor with EQ, effects and fades, and export knowing it fits the animation. This avoids the loop of make, import, test and hate.
  • Wiring up sounds as each mechanic is built keeps the final pass small. Mark scored the door-opening animation in Adobe Premiere.
• Make the music report what is happening. Mark Brown, Game Maker's Toolkit7:25
  • Breath of the Wild switches to combat tunes when enemies spot you, a guardian targets you or a blood moon is about to rise Mark Brown, Breath of the Wild, Game Maker's Toolkit7:15.
  • Tie tempo to the player's pace. Spirit Tracks changes the train music as you speed up Mark Brown, Game Maker's Toolkit3:17.
  • Portal 2 applies music effects when you jump on the blue gel and run on the orange gel Mark Brown, Game Maker's Toolkit6:41.
  • Space Invaders sped up its thud with the aliens, which gave a feeling of impending doom Mark Brown, Space Invaders, Game Maker's Toolkit2:10.
• Use silence so the big moments stand out. Mark Brown, Breath of the Wild, Game Maker's Toolkit1:48
  • Breath of the Wild often fades the music to nothing but ambient sound and Link's footsteps.
  • Because most of the game is quiet, Ganon's castle theme feels earned before the final boss Mark Brown, Breath of the Wild, Game Maker's Toolkit6:13.

2.6 Keep the juice readable

Effects should confirm play, never hide it, so keep them short, clear and out of the critical view.

• Keep movement feedback short and subtle, and add it once the movement feels right. Mark Brown, Celeste, Game Maker's Toolkit9:20
  • Celeste's short effects confirm inputs without the heavy juice of a Vlambeer game.
  • Let physics give you free feedback. In Mind Over Magnet, catching the thrown magnet bumps the character with no extra work Mark Brown, Mind Over Magnet, Game Maker's Toolkit16:59.
  • Ambient touches add life without clutter. Floating circles read as dust motes, and nuts and bolts react to magnetic fields Mark Brown, Mind Over Magnet, Game Maker's Toolkit7:58.
• Make silhouettes and hidden states readable at a glance. Mark Brown, Super Smash Bros., Game Maker's Toolkit17:01
  • Smash has many effects and a zoomed-out camera, so the team squashes, stretches and twists rigs beyond real anatomy to sell poses.
  • Show ability states with a visible cue. Celeste changes Madeline's hair color when dash is available, and Downwell flashes the character when guns reload Mark Brown, Shovel Knight, Game Maker's Toolkit13:01.
  • King Knight's two spin states share one animation, so players cannot tell which they are in Mark Brown, Shovel Knight, Game Maker's Toolkit13:01.
• Never put the critical action on a view that trades readability for spectacle. Mark Brown, Star Fox Zero, Game Maker's Toolkit8:08
  • In Star Fox Zero's target mode the TV shows a skewed, zoomed-out view while the real fight happens on the Gamepad. By the time you link the two, you are dead.
  • Miyamoto wanted something really cool, but a simple map like Star Fox Command's would have been less costly.
• Use a pause on a mistake as feedback and as a breather. Mark Brown, Game Maker's Toolkit9:21
  • Hollow Knight stalls the camera for a long time when you take a hit. You register the mistake and get a moment to collect yourself.

2.7 Where designers disagree

Close cameras, fixed views and heavy juice each buy something and cost something, so the right call depends on your game's tempo.

• A close camera builds intimacy but hides threats.
  • The Resident Evil 2 remake moved behind Leon's head because the producer wanted it intimately terrifying Mark Brown, God of War, Game Maker's Toolkit3:03.
  • The older, zoomed-out God of War games made the player feel powerful, but Kratos felt distant like an action figure Mark Brown, God of War, Game Maker's Toolkit5:59.
• A fixed or static camera gives control and precision, at a price.
  • Fixed cameras give designers complete artistic control over framing and fear Mark Brown, God of War, Game Maker's Toolkit1:45.
  • Capcom dropped the fixed angles for the Resident Evil 2 remake and kept the claustrophobia with a tight over-the-shoulder view Mark Brown, Resident Evil, Game Maker's Toolkit2:16.
  • Celeste's static room framing makes Madeline the only moving thing. The cost was less detail in characters and environments Mark Brown, Celeste, Game Maker's Toolkit5:02.
• Smooth cameras feel polished, but not every game wants one.
  • Even a little damping feels more polished, while a snappy undamped camera suits retro titles chasing a choppy 8-bit feel Mark Brown, Game Maker's Toolkit6:15.
  • A slow, pensive platformer needs a very different camera from a twitchy arcade ride, and no camera suits every game Mark Brown, Game Maker's Toolkit10:21.