Summary
If land allows players to explore in two directions, water adds a whole new vertical dimension to exploration thanks to diving mechanics. Even though not all games make swimming a part of their gameplay, it’s a fun inclusion that can sometimes help mix up the mundane land traversal. And when swimming mechanics are realistic, it just adds to the immersion.
But making swimming in video games similar to its real-life counterpart is easier said than done, and most games don’t really make it a priority. Thankfully, there are a handful of titles that take water traversal seriously, and the swimming mechanics in these games are second to none. From backstrokes and breaststrokes in some gamesto underwater explorationand combat in others, these titles prove that there’s no limit to howrealistic swimming mechanics in video gamescan be.
8London 2012: The Official Game
Allows Players To Use Different Swimming Techniques
Almost every four years, Olympic games are held worldwide, and numerous countries take part in different sports of all categories. To complement the Olympics and help the audience also become a part of these sports, anofficially licensed Olympic video gameis released alongside the event.
TheLondon 2012: The Official Gamewas the last realistic-looking Olympic video game before they got somewhat cartoonish and added unrealistic mechanics like perks and boosts. This title lets Olympic enthusiasts take part in a variety of Olympic sports, with swimming being one of the most fun activities to do. In this title, players can race against AI opponents in freestyle, backstroke, and breaststroke races. The character animations are executed superbly, and there is a surprising amount of detail in every action, considering how old this title is.
As the name suggests, the title is directly inspired by Tom Hank’sCast Awaymovie, where the character is stranded on an island alone surrounded by thousands of miles of ocean all around. Thisno-combat survival gamewill have players hunting for food, crafting supplies, and monitoring their vitals at all times to stay alive.
Swimming is one of the core mechanics of this video game, and the developers left nothing to the imagination. The animations are top-notch, dynamic lighting inside the water makes everything feel more realistic, and players will have to keep an eye out for dangerous flora and fauna when exploring the vast sea.
Abzuis arguably one of theprettiest games to come outin recent years. The entire game revolves around underwater exploration, and it features some of the smoothest swimming mechanics and animations ever seen in a game. Sound and music play a crucial role in immersing players in this underwater paradise as the game sends them on a mission to introduce marine life into lifeless areas of the ocean to restore order.
The entire game takes place underwater, with a special emphasis being placed on the environment andpuzzle-solving elements. Players who like scuba diving will instantly fall in love with the beautiful and vibrant world ofAbzu, and when they’re done with the game, this world will surely stay in their minds for a long while.
People with thalassophobia should steer clear ofSubnautica. As beautiful as planet 4546B is, it’s equally scary and daunting. The protagonist of the game, Ryley, is a survivor of a spacecraft crash who’s stranded on a water-filled planet with very little land cover. The world of Subnautica is far deeper than one can initially imagine. It’s divided into various biomes and filled with flora and fauna that are exclusive to each one. Players start out exploring this planet using nothing but their arms and legs to swim around until they are able to craft better traversal tech to help them move around faster.
Subnautica’s swimming really stands out due to the details. The visual outline of the character’s goggles and their breathing sounds through the oxygen mask when underwater make the experience truly immersive. The deeper the player goes, the faster Ryley will begin to breathe, which also adds a sense of realism.
Even this late in its life,Grand Theft Auto 5has more realistic swimming mechanics than many games that came out afterward. Players can swim freely inGTA 5,andsome of the best missionseven taking place underwater, making swimming a crucial element.
Everything from the animations when swimming in or on lakes and oceans and the fabric distortions as either of the three characters pushes against the water to how their clothes realistically get wet when entering water and dry when they stand out in the open screams realism.
When talking about realistic swimming games, a pirate game has to make it into the list. Within that category, there could be no better game thanAssassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag, with Edward Kenway taking charge in the fight against the templars.
For the first time in anAssassin’s Creedgame, players can explore the game’s version of the Mediterranean Sea and take on boats both large and small in a naval battle. And when that gets boring, Edward can swim the ocean at his leisure and even explore underwater shipwrecks inthe huge open world.
Lara Croft’s newest adventure is filled to the brim with adventure, action, exploration, and a whole lot of dirt and grime. To wash off the mud, Lara takes it to the waters, with the game bringing back underwater traversal and, occasionally, even combat.
The previous entries in theTomb Raiderreboot trilogy always had exceptional animations and graphics, and inShadow of the Tomb Raider,Eidos Montreal turns the dial up to eleven in every way conceivable. The game pays special attention to Lara’s swimming and diving mechanics, which are executed with acute attention to detail, from how Lara moves in standing vs. moving water to how her clothes develop creases realistically with every stroke.
The Witcher 3: Wild Huntis praised for many things, including its story, its characters, its world, itsamazing side missions, and the overall quality of the game. Something that doesn’t stand out on its own but still deserves credit, however, is the swimming sections.
Geralt can jump off a boat and swim in lakes or take a dive and go underwater as he struggles to push against water due to the weight of his armor. The animations and the water physics are top-notch, and it’s clear that CD Projekt Red took great care when designing the aquatic aspects.
