GTA Online Player Breaks Game’s Physics To Spectacular (& Fatal) Results

Thanks to its incredibly complex physics engine, car crashes and shootouts in Grand Theft Auto 5 are incredibly satisfying, but the unpredictable nature of real-time physics engines can’t help but result in ridiculous displays like one recently posted to Reddit. The Euphoria physics engine by NaturalMotion combines artificial intelligence with a high-quality ragdoll physics simulator to create real-time physics beyond what is capable from other middleware like Havok or PhysX. Initially utilized by LucasArts in the Star Wars: The Force Unleashed titles, the advanced technology has since become a signature of Rockstar Games, with the Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption games all making use of the tech, as well as 2012’s Max Payne 3.

Thanks to Euphoria physics, characters have distinct reactions to being shot, punched, or hit by a car traveling 120 miles per hour. In a wide open sandbox game like Grand Theft Auto 5, NaturalMotion’s Euphoria adds a special type of procedurally-generated energy to shootouts, car crashes, and the simple joy of running down pedestrians just to see them fly through the air in a gorgeous display of unscripted physics.

Of course, like any real-time physics system, Euphoria can experience unexpected mishaps, many of which have become memes on Reddit. The latest ragdoll glitch spotted in Grand Theft Auto 5 might be the craziest one yet. Captured by Reddit user samidaoud11, the 30-second clip follows a player in the midst of one of Grand Theft Auto Online‘s famous heist missions, driving a motorcycle along the highway while being pursued by cops. After getting thrown off his bike, the rider gets stuck in a bizarre ragdoll animation cycle before being unceremoniously run over by a car on a completely different highway. It’s absurd, but a must-watch clip.

This isn’t Grand Theft Auto‘s first brush with crazy physics. Grand Theft Auto 4, released in 2008, famously contained what fans would call “Swings of Death.” If the player drove a vehicle into any of the numerous swing sets at various children’s parks throughout Liberty City, they would trigger a ragdoll glitch that would send the vehicle hundreds of feet through the air. The similar “Gate Glitch” in Grand Theft Auto 5 also shows off the hilarious and destructive potential of a real-time physics engine.

Video game physics aren’t perfect. Maybe they never will be. Regardless, ragdoll physics, procedural animation, and complex systems like Euphoria add an extra layer of unpredictability to nearly every aspect of games like Grand Theft Auto 5. With that unpredictability comes the risk of immersion-breaking glitches, but it’s worth the risk, especially when even the epic fails are downright delightful to watch.

Source: Reddit

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Zak Wojnar
(946 Articles Published)

Zak Wojnar is a writer from New York City. He’s covered everything from video games and movies to maple syrup and deli business. Thanks to Screen Rant, he’s discovered his newest passion, interviewing artists. He takes great joy in letting film and gaming legends tell their own story and share their passion for their art.
Zak’s first memory is going with his dad to Tower Records and buying the VHS boxed set of the original Star Wars trilogy. Over the next decade or so, those tapes would be completely worn out through overuse. When he’s not preparing for the next big interview, he can usually be found sitting too close to the TV, either re-watching Miami Vice or The X-Files, or getting lost in a video game.
Zak has bylines at Game Informer, Muscle & Fitness, PopCultureGalaxy, Men’s Fitness, Cheese Connoisseur, and Deli Business (see, that wasn’t a joke before!), among others.
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