![the last of us 2 demo the last of us 2 demo](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/S5GG17eXMpg/maxresdefault.jpg)
It's a more systems-driven approach that results in more fluid, easier to work with animation that doesn't sacrifice the responsiveness - something that is key to an interactive experience. This data is constantly scanned for appropriate animation, while blending between the two occurs in real-time. The idea behind motion matching is to simplify this process while producing superior results - the basic gist involves capturing lots of data from a motion rig and feeding that data into a database where the game can look up and pull animations based on context related to what the player is attempting to do.
![the last of us 2 demo the last of us 2 demo](https://cdn.cgmagonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/the-last-of-us-part-ii-gameplay-reveal-at-e3-2018.jpg)
That's a somewhat basic summary of a highly involved procedure but the bottom line is that it requires a lot of work to achieve lifelike animation and aspects like believable transitions can require a lot of bespoke animation work.
![the last of us 2 demo the last of us 2 demo](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bo-6VowxQug/XY5sFBWFDGI/AAAAAAAAMr4/qS5uTQ67gUYJxEFLaVluy7DMyWKZoQOpgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Novo%2Bdemo%2Bde%2Bgameplay%2B%2B17%2Bnovidades%2C%2Bmudan%C3%A7as%2Be%2Bevolu%C3%A7%C3%B5es%2Bque%2Bveremos%2Bem%2BThe%2BLast%2Bof%2BUs%2BPart%2BII.jpg)
Animators take this data, cut it up into chunks and then massage it to produce usable animation chunks that are implemented into the game. So what makes motion matching special? In traditional motion capture, the actors are suited up and perform any number of necessary actions for the game. "So we've taken it and kind of built on it and made this hybrid thing of the responsiveness and quickness of something like an Uncharted game, which is pre-existing and incorporating this very fluid, very realistic animation that still communicates those real stakes." "The motion matching technique is used by other studios, but we've kind of taken it and put the Naughty Dog spin on it because responsiveness is always a huge thing for us," co-game director Kurt Margenau added. "It's this crazy science fiction stuff where you take just hundreds and hundreds of animations of like walking forward and turning or whatever, and you put them in this huge bucket, and then based on what the player is trying to do or what an NPC is trying to do, it pulls from that bucket, sometimes two or three different animations, and blends them together to make this totally seamless thing," co-game director Anthony Newman told IGN. Of course, Naughty Dog has a rich history in pushing back the boundaries in this respect, with the expertly crafted blending and transitions seen in both the Uncharted titles and The Last of Us, but clearly, this latest E3 reveal is on a whole new level - and it's all down to a new animation technology known as motion matching. What's immediately apparent is that there's a fluidity to the animation quite unlike anything on the market, to the point where some don't even believe that the demo is authentic in-game action. From our perspective, animation and interaction are two key areas set to separate this game from its rivals. From its detailed characters to its lush environments, it's clear that the game is shaping up well - but if you look closer, there are some remarkable new technologies on display. On the surface, it looks as great as you might expect.
THE LAST OF US 2 DEMO SERIES
To what extent can further technological innovation be delivered on the current generation of console hardware? Sony stood up to be counted at E3 2018 with a series of superb gameplay reveals - and taking centre-stage was Naughty Dog's The Last of Us Part 2.