Early games used pre-drawn animations for character deaths, which had low CPU usage. In 1997, games began using rag doll physics to simulate character bodies collapsing realistically when dying, with multiple connected rigid bodies and constraints. By 2007, physics engines combined rigid bodies with artificial intelligence, allowing dynamic behaviors and spontaneous, realistic character responses to environments.

1. Development Of Game Physics And Animation
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Animated Action 1991:
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Early video games used manually created animations for characters death sequences.This had
the advantage of low CPU utilisation, as the data needed to animate a “dying” character was
chosen from a set number pre drawn frames.
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Rag doll Physics 1997:
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As computers increased in power, it became possible to do limited real time physical simulations.
By 1997 the 3D skeleton of character model could be built of multiple physical parts called rigid
bodies that connected to each other just like the bones in a physical body, and were tied
together by a system of constraints that restrict how they might move relative to each other.
When the character dies, their body begins to collapse to the ground, much
a like a toy rag doll.
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Dynamic Motion 2007:
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In 2007, the Euphoria physics engine was developed that combined 3D rigid bodies with
realtime artificial intelligence. This enables the rendering of dynamic behaviours with character
responding spontaneously and realistically in their environments.
Wolfenstein: The Castle
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