Overview
This lecture surveys action and first-person shooter (FPS) video games, examining their core types, defining features, genre history, and contemporary trends, with examples from major franchises and an emphasis on evolving gameplay mechanics.
Defining Action and FPS Games
- Action games typically require fast reflexes and responsive controls.
- FPS games place the player in a first-person perspective, emphasizing precision targeting and immersion.
- The HUD (heads-up display) shows player stats like radar, ammo, and targeting reticle.
Categories of Action Games
- Platformers involve traversing platforms, exemplified by Mario and Donkey Kong.
- Shooter games dominate the action genre (e.g., Call of Duty, Halo, Fortnite, Overwatch, Wolfenstein, Counter-Strike).
- Fighting games include titles like Mortal Kombat, Street Fighter, Tekken, and Injustice.
- Beat-em-up/wave games focus on surviving waves of enemies.
- Stealth games (Metal Gear Solid, Splinter Cell) blend reflexes with planning and stealth mechanics.
- Survival games, including horror (Resident Evil, Silent Hill) and open-world (Valheim, Rust, Ark, Subnautica), emphasize endurance.
- Rhythm games (Dance Dance Revolution, Guitar Hero, Beat Saber) demand reflex-based timing, with VR advancing this genre.
Shooter Sub-Genres
- FPS: Player experiences action through the protagonist’s eyes (e.g., Wolfenstein, Doom).
- Third-person shooters: Player views their avatar (e.g., Fortnite).
- Top-down shooters show the action from overhead (e.g., Space Invaders, Galaga).
Historical Evolution of FPS Games
- Maze War (1974) was an early FPS, but the genre popularized with Wolfenstein 3D and Doom in the early 1990s.
- Late 1990s brought multiplayer focus with Unreal Tournament, Quake 3, and narrative-driven FPS games like Half-Life.
- LAN play popularized with games like GoldenEye.
- Halo introduced regenerative shielding mechanics.
- Improving physics and graphics led to more realism (Call of Duty series).
- Recent developments include hero-based shooters (Overwatch), battle royale (Fortnite, PUBG), and ongoing genre innovation.
Other Action Game Types
- Racing games such as Rocket League and Mario Kart offer competitive and physics-driven gameplay.
- Sports games like FIFA, Madden, Tony Hawk, and NBA Jam are longstanding and globally popular.
Overwatch as Genre Synthesis
- Overwatch references and integrates mechanics, tropes, and humor from across FPS history.
- Characters draw from and parody classic FPS archetypes and other games.
- Overwatch’s design demonstrates a broad awareness of genre conventions and player culture.
Technical and Design Considerations
- Modern games leverage advanced physics engines for realism in movement, collision, and environmental interaction.
- VR and esports are pushing the boundaries of competitive and immersive gameplay.