10 Awesome Video Game Mechanics (That Are Impossible To Pull Off)

Although its origins are hard to trace, if you’ve ever been a part of a community for a fighting game or watched a tournament you’ll have no doubt heard of attack or animation cancelling.

It refers to the ability to stop an animation midway through to get the benefits of something without having to wait for the character to stop moving before you act again. It allows for faster play and the ability to change tact as the situation changes.

But it isn’t just limited to fighting games and is in fact a part of the metagame of the biggest MOBA there is: League of Legends.

Whilst some characters fare better than others, it is champions such as Riven that benefit the most from animation cancelling. In fact, Riot Games specifically designed Riven to play like a fighting game character so it’s not surprising that she takes so well to the concept. But animation cancelling isn't for everyone, and it requires pinpoint timing to get right.

Looking up Riven combat tutorials to get better at the game will tell you that you need to be able to use animation cancelling to get the best out of her. So if you can’t get that input right, you’re not getting the Riven that can take out an entire enemy team of five by herself.