Elements of an Action Game

There are several characteristics that define an Action Game. The foremost would be the typical violence that you would see in an Action Movie, as in lots of physical fighting involving explosions, shooting, fist-fighting, high-speed flying or driving while shooting. The majority of the difficulty or challenge with Action Games lies in that your physical reaction speed, precision, eye-sight, mental sharpness is tested. If there is puzzle elements involved; you are usually pressured to complete them under a certain amount of time or consequence of failing, such as having to start at the beginning of a level.

Another key element is that the Action itself is the highest priority. Plot usually takes a sub-role and won't tie you up with too much thinking. It's almost as if the plot is there simply for rest breaks from the intense button pushing that inhabits most Action Games. When this is reversed and plot takes the higher priority, you cross over into a Role-Playing Game.

Other typical defining characteristics you would see are:

• Lack of a "Save Game" feature.
• Lack of involving or complex puzzles.
• In-Depth Plot or Story Elements are absent from many action games and takes a minor role in most.
• Lack of Character Interaction or involvement with choices that affect your character personally.
• Many times the player controls a single character or switches back and forth between a few different characters while playing.
• Most Action Games focus on manipulation of superficial elements such as where an object is located on the screen or how it moves.
• Lack of turn-based elements.

Common Objectives and Game-play

In computer and video games, a level (sometimes called a stage, course, map or landscape) is a separate area in a games virtual world, in modern games typically representing a specific location such as a building or a city. ...While the individual objective of an action game varies drastically from game to game, it generally involves advancing through stages referred to as "levels"; along the way, eliminating hordes of enemies with minor puzzle solving involved. Many times the games include a "Boss" or "Bosses", often precluded by "Sub-Bosses" (more commonly known as Mini-Bosses). A mini-boss is usually the climax of a series of levels or each individual level, with a "Boss" being either at the end of the game or they can be tiered with many mini-bosses, a few bosses that are harder in difficulty and then finally leading up to an "End-game Boss" which would be the objective of the game. Look up boss in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The word boss includes several meanings: For a projection (as in the ceilings of cathedrals where arches intersect), often decorated, e. ... Look up boss in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Bosses are typically defeated by your "pattern recognition" skills and physical reaction speed. In most older action games and even many modern ones, the bosses were programmed with a simple pattern of attacks or moves that would make them very difficult to defeat. Though usually after a few minutes or hours of trying anyone can defeat them as you simply learn the pattern from trial and error. These simple patterns would often include combo moves that require your character to jump, dodge or block an attack, then strike at certain points to deal damage to the boss, perhaps even waiting out or timing the patterns to get your attacks in.

Action Game Sub-Genres

Following is a list of the most common sub-genres listed in game indexes whether on the Internet or in book-form.

• 2D Action
• 3D Action
• 3D Platformer
• Arcade
• Action- Adventure
• Breakout Variant
• Beat 'em up
• Driving
• FPS
• Freeform Shooter (also known as Shoot 'em up)
• Horizontal Shooter
• Hybrid
• Military Shooter
• Multi-Type Action
• Multi-Player Shooter
• Survival Horror
• Pinball
• Platformer
• Space Combat
• Vertical Shooter