We've just posted up this months special feature looking at the various tools available for character animation.

Havok's Behaviour, Autodesk's MotionBuilder, Softimage's XSI & Facerobot and NaturalMotion's tools are all profiled in a feature which also reflects on how the biggest developments in games this past year have come from character movement.

The piece points out: "From the naturalistic movement of Assassin’s Creed hero Altair through to the lumbering movement of BioShock’s Big Daddies, gamers have never been so spoilt on new personas to take on or enemies to battle – all of them moving realistically.

"Developers have never been so spoilt with tools and technology to enable such beings to be created, either – and it’s through a unique intersection of quality texture, design, artistry, physics, AI, motion capture and processing power that makes the above heroes and villains come to life."

To read the feature, click here.

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