Editing Shooter game (section)

== Subgenres ==

=== Shoot 'em up ===
{{Main|Shoot 'em up}}

{{See also|Side-scrolling video game|Vertically scrolling video game}}
<!-- Image with inadequate rationale removed: [[Image:Gradius 04.png|thumb|right|''[[Gradius]]'', a pioneering [[shoot 'em up]]]] -->
[[File:Space Invaders - Midway's.JPG|thumb|''[[Space Invaders]]'' (1978), an [[arcade video game]] that defined the [[shoot 'em up]] genre]]

Shoot 'em ups (also known as shmups) are a subgenre of shooters wherein the player may move, up, down, left or right around the screen, typically firing straight forward.

Shoot 'em ups share common gameplay, but are often categorized by viewpoint. This includes '''fixed shooters''' on fixed screens, such as ''[[Space Invaders]]'' and ''[[Galaxian]]''; '''scrolling shooters''' that mainly [[Scrolling|scroll]] in a single direction, such as ''[[Xevious]]'' and ''[[Darius (series)|Darius]]''; '''top-down shooters''' (sometimes referred to as '''twin-stick shooters''') where the levels are controlled from an [[Top-down perspective|overhead]] viewpoint, such as ''[[Bosconian]]'' and ''[[Time Pilot]]''; '''rail shooters''' where player movement is automatically guided down a fixed [[2.5D|forward-scrolling]] "rail", such as ''[[Buck Rogers: Planet of Zoom]]'' and ''[[Space Harrier]]''; and '''isometric shooters''' which use an [[Isometric graphics in video games|isometric]] perspective, such as ''[[Zaxxon]]'' and ''[[Viewpoint (video game)|Viewpoint]]''.

==== Run and gun ====
{{Main|Run and gun video game}}

Run and gun video games are 2D [[scrolling]] action games in which the protagonists fight on foot, often [[Platform game#Run-and-gun platformer|with the ability to jump]]. Run and gun games may use [[side-scrolling]], [[vertical scrolling]] or [[Isometric video game graphics|isometric viewpoints]] and may feature multidirectional movement.<ref name="bloodywolf2">{{cite web |url=https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/bloody-wolf-review/1900-6173769/ |title=Bloody Wolf Review |first=Frank |last=Provo |date=July 6, 2007 |access-date=June 17, 2008 |website=[[GameSpot]]}}</ref><ref name="Dunham">{{cite web |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2004/07/27/first-look-alien-hominid-2 |title=First Look: Alien Hominid |first=Jeremy |last=Dunham |website=[[IGN]] |date=July 27, 2004 |access-date=June 17, 2008}}</ref><ref name="ysguide2">Bielby, Matt, [https://worldofspectrum.org/archive/magazines/your-sinclair/56#19 "The YS Complete Guide To Shoot-'em-ups Part II"], ''Your Sinclair,'' August 1990 (issue 56), p. 19</ref>

Top-down run and gun games use an overhead camera angle that shows players and the areas around them from above. Notable games in this category include ''[[Commando (video game)|Commando]]'', ''[[Ikari Warriors]]'', ''[[Shock Troopers]]'' and ''[[Shock Troopers: 2nd Squad]]''.

Side-scrolling run and gun games combine elements of both shoot 'em up and [[platform games]], while the [[player characters]] move and jump around shooting with various guns and other long-range weapons. These games emphasize greater maneuvering or even [[Platform game|jumping]], such as ''[[Rush'n Attack|Green Beret]]'', ''[[Thexder]]'', ''[[Contra (series)|Contra]]'' and ''[[Metal Slug]]''.<ref name="bloodywolf2"/><ref name="Dunham"/><ref name="CU30">{{cite magazine |title=Konami's Barmy Army |magazine=[[Commodore User]] |date=26 February 1986 |issue=30 (March 1986) |page=13 |url=https://archive.org/details/commodore-user-magazine-30/page/n12}}</ref>{{citation needed|reason=The cited sources barely define the one category they both discuss and don't even mention any of the others, nor give examples. Is this original research?|date=January 2014}}

=== Shooting gallery ===
Shooting gallery games (also known as "target shooting" games) are a sub-genre of shooters where the player aims at moving targets on a stationary screen. They are distinguished from rail shooters, which move the player through levels on a fixed path, and first-person shooters, which allow player-guided navigation through a three-dimensional space.<ref name="routledge chp31"/>

Shooting gallery games can be [[light gun]] games and rail-shooters, although many can also be played using a regular [[Gamepad|joypad]] and an on-screen cursor to signify where the bullets are being aimed. When these debuted, they were typically played from a [[first-person perspective]], with enemy fire that occurred anywhere on the screen damaging or killing the player. As they evolved away from the use of light guns, the player came to be represented by an on-screen avatar, usually someone on the bottom of the screen, who could move and avoid enemy attacks while returning fire. These sorts of shooters almost always utilize horizontal scrolling to the right to indicate level progression, with enemies appearing in waves from predestined locations in the background or from the sides. One of the earliest examples is the 1985 arcade game ''[[Shootout (1985 video game)|Shootout]]'' produced by Data East.

As light gun games and rail shooters became more prevalent and started to make use of scrolling backgrounds, such as ''[[Operation Wolf]]'', or fully 3D backgrounds, such as the ''[[Time Crisis]]'' or ''[[The House of the Dead (series)|House of the Dead]]'' series, these sorts of games fell out of popular production, but many like ''Blood Bros.'' still have their fanbase today. Other notable games of this category include ''[[Cabal (video game)|Cabal]]'' and ''[[Wild Guns]]''.

=== Light gun shooter ===
{{Main|Light gun shooter}}

Light gun shooters are shooters designed for use with a gun-shaped controller, typically a [[light gun]] in [[arcade games]]; similar control methods include a positional gun, [[motion controller]], [[pointing device]] or [[analog stick]]. The first light guns appeared in the 1930s, following the development of light-sensing [[vacuum tube]]s. It was not long before the technology began appearing in mechanical shooting [[arcade games]], dating back to the Seeburg Ray-O-Lite in 1936. These early mechanical gun games evolved into shooting [[electro-mechanical games]] around the mid-20th century, and in turn evolved into light gun shooter video games in the 1970s.

Early mechanical light gun games used small targets (usually moving) onto which a light-sensing tube was mounted; the player used a gun (usually a rifle) that emitted a beam of light when the trigger was pulled. If the beam struck the target, a "hit" was scored. Modern screen-based video game light guns work on the opposite principle—the sensor is built into the gun itself, and the on-screen target(s) emit light rather than the gun. The first light gun of this type was used on the [[MIT Whirlwind]] computer, which used a similar [[light pen]]. Like rail shooters, movement is typically limited in light-gun games.

Notable games of this category include the 1974 and 1984 versions of ''[[Wild Gunman]]'', ''[[Duck Hunt]]'' for the [[Nintendo Entertainment System|NES]], ''[[Operation Wolf]]'', ''[[Lethal Enforcers]]'', the ''[[Virtua Cop]]'' series, ''[[Time Crisis]]'' series, ''[[The House of the Dead]]'' series, and ''[[Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles]]'' & ''[[Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles|Darkside Chronicles]]''.
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=== First-person shooter (FPS) ===
{{Main|First-person shooter}} 
[[Image:Doom ingame 2.png|thumb|right|265px|''[[Doom (1993 video game)|Doom]]'' (1993), a [[PC game]] which defined the [[first-person shooter]] (FPS) subgenre]]

First-person shooters are characterized by an on-screen representation of the [[player character]]'s perspective within a [[three-dimensional space]], with the player having control and agency over the character's movement and action within that space. While many rail shooters and light-gun shooters also use a [[First person (video games)|first-person perspective]], they are generally not included in this category, as the player generally lacks agency to move their character within the game world.<ref name="routledge chp31"/>

Notable examples of the genre include ''[[Doom (1993 video game)|Doom]]'', ''[[Quake (video game)|Quake]]'', ''[[Counter-Strike]]'', ''[[GoldenEye 007 (1997 video game)|GoldenEye 007]]'', ''[[Battlefield (video game series)|Battlefield]]'', [[Medal of Honor (video game series)|''Medal of Honor'']], ''[[Unreal (1998 video game)|Unreal]]'', ''[[Call of Duty]]'', ''[[Killzone]]'', ''[[TimeSplitters]]'', ''[[Team Fortress 2]]'' and ''[[Halo (video game series)|Halo]]'', while games such as ''[[Half-Life (video game)|Half-Life]]'', ''[[Deus Ex (video game)|Deus Ex]]'', and ''[[System Shock]]'' would combine shooter gameplay with narrative-focused or [[role-playing game]] elements to instead branch off into the [[immersive sim]] genre.

==== Boomer shooter ====
Boomer shooter is a term used to describe newer FPS games (2010s and later) that are purposely designed to emulate the style and design principles of 1990s FPS games like ''Doom'' and ''Quake''. The name "boomer shooter" is derived from the [[baby boomer]] generation, where "boomer" has since become slang for anything old or antiquated.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.gamesradar.com/boomer-shooters-are-now-an-official-genre-on-steam-as-classic-doom-inspires-more-and-more-fps-gems/ | title = Boomer Shooters are now an official genre on Steam, as classic Doom inspires more and more FPS gems | first = Kaan | last = Serin | date = January 5, 2024 | accessdate = January 5, 2024 | work = [[GamesRadar]] }}</ref> According to [[New Blood Interactive]] CEO Dave Oshry, the term originated following the release of ''[[Dusk (video game)|Dusk]]'' (2018), with fans of that game quickly coining the term.<ref name="inverse boomer"/> Newer triple-A games like ''[[Wolfenstein: The New Order]]'' (2014), ''[[Doom (2016 video game)|Doom]]'' (2016), and ''[[Doom Eternal]]'' (2020) helped to repopularize these styles of shooters in the mid-2010s, and [[Indie game|indie developers]] further contributed to the field with games like ''[[Amid Evil]]'', ''[[Ion Fury]]'', and ''[[Ultrakill]]''.<ref name="inverse boomer">{{cite web | url = https://www.inverse.com/gaming/boomer-shooter-definition-origin | title = Ok Boomer Shooter: How Indie Games Breathed New Life Into A Dying Genre | first = Tomas | last = Franzese | date = October 13, 2021 | accessdate = July 28, 2022 | work = [[Inverse (website)|Inverse]] }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.pcgamer.com/humbles-boomer-shooter-bundle-is-one-of-the-best-fps-collections-ive-seen/ | title = Humble's Boomer Shooter bundle is one of the best FPS collections I've seen | first = Andy | last= Chalk | date = March 4, 2022 | accessdate = July 28, 2022 | work = [[PC Gamer]] }}</ref>

=== Third-person shooter (TPS) ===
{{Main|Third-person shooter}}
[[File:Dead Justice-Cat Mother-Third-Person-Shooter.jpg|thumb|Gameplay view in a third-person shooter game]]

Third-person shooters are characterized by a [[Third-person (video games)|third-person camera view]] that fully displays the player character in their surroundings.

Notable examples of the genre include [[Fortnite Battle Royale|''Fortnite'']], the ''[[Tomb Raider]]'' series, several entries in the ''[[Resident Evil]]'' and ''[[Metal Gear Solid]]'' franchises, ''[[Syphon Filter]]'', ''[[Max Payne (video game)|Max Payne]]'', ''[[SOCOM (series)|SOCOM]]'', ''[[Star Wars: Battlefront]]'', ''[[Gears of War]]'', and ''[[Splatoon]]''. Third person shooter mechanics are often incorporated into open-world adventure and sandbox games, including the ''[[The Elder Scrolls|Elder Scrolls]]'' series and the ''[[Grand Theft Auto]]'' franchise.

=== FPS/TPS variations ===

==== Arena shooter ====
{{Main|Arena shooter}}

Arena shooters are multiplayer games that feature fast paced gameplay that emphasize quick speed and agile movement, and played out on levels or maps of limited size (the "arena"). Many of these are presented as first-person shooters, and thus "arena FPS" may also be used to describe a subset of these games. Examples of these include the ''[[Quake (series)|Quake]]'' and ''[[Unreal (video game series)|Unreal]]'' series, more specifically ''[[Quake III Arena]]'' and ''[[Unreal Tournament]]'' which first pioneered the genre.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Miner|first=Phillip|title=Where have all the arena first-person shooters gone?|url=https://estnn.com/where-have-all-the-arena-fpss-gone/|website=ESTNN Esports|date=16 June 2019}}</ref> Arena shooters can also be played from other perspectives, such as via a top-down view in games like ''[[Robotron 2084]]'' and ''[[Geometry Wars]]''.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-12-01-geometry-wars-3-dimensions-review | title = Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions review | first=  Christian | last= Donlan | date = December 2, 2014 | accessdate = April 3, 2021 | work = [[Eurogamer]] }}</ref> Arena shooters frequently emphasize multiplayer modes with few or no single-player modes outside of practice matches with computer-controlled opponents. The genre hit its peak in popularity in the late 90s and early 2000s.

==== Hero shooter ====
{{Main|Hero shooter}}

Hero shooters are a variation of multiplayer first- or third-person shooters, where players form into two or more teams and select from pre-designed "hero" characters, with each possessing distinctive abilities or weapons that are specific to them. Hero shooters strongly encourage teamwork between players on a team, guiding players to select effective combinations of hero characters and coordinate the use of hero abilities during a match. Outside of a match, players have the ability to customize the appearance of these characters, but these changes are usually cosmetic only and do not alter the game's balance or the behavior of the "hero". Hero shooters take many of their design elements from older class-based shooter, [[multiplayer online battle arena]] and [[fighting games]]. The class-based shooter ''[[Team Fortress 2]]'' is considered to be the codifier of the hero shooter genre. Popular hero shooters include ''[[Overwatch (video game)|Overwatch]]'', ''[[Paladins (video game)|Paladins]],'' ''[[Apex Legends]]'', and ''[[Valorant]]''. Hero shooters have been considered to have strong potential as [[esports]] games as a large degree of skill and coordination arises from the importance of teamwork.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/271933/Hero_Shooters_Charting_the_rebirth_of_a_genre.php | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160507142751/http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/271933/Hero_Shooters_Charting_the_rebirth_of_a_genre.php | url-status = dead | archive-date = May 7, 2016 | title = Hero Shooters: Charting the (re)birth of a genre | work = [[Gamasutra]] | date = May 6, 2016 | access-date = May 6, 2016 | first = Alex | last = Wawro }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/gaming/2016/06/17/video-game-trends-e3-2016/86021948/ | title = 5 big video game trends from E3 2016 | first = Brett | last = Molina | date = June 17, 2016 | access-date = June 17, 2016 | work = [[USA Today]] }}</ref><ref name="pcgamer history">{{cite web | url = https://www.pcgamer.com/what-the-strange-evolution-of-the-hero-shooter-tells-us-about-the-genres-future/ | title = What the strange evolution of the hero shooter tells us about the genre's future | first = Austin | last = Wood | date = October 25, 2016  |accessdate = July 6, 2021 | work = [[PC Gamer]] }}</ref>

==== Tactical shooter ====
{{Main|Tactical shooter}}

Tactical shooters are shooters that generally simulate realistic [[squad]]-based or [[Man to Man wargames|man-to-man]] skirmishes. Notable examples of the genre include Ubisoft's ''[[Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six (video game)|Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six]]'' and ''[[Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon|Ghost Recon]]'' series and Bohemia Software's ''[[Operation Flashpoint]]''. A common feature of tactical shooters that is not present in many other shooters is the ability for the player character to lean out of cover, increasing the granularity of a player's movement and stance options to enhance the realism of the game. Tactical shooters also commonly feature more extensive equipment management, more complex healing systems, and greater depth of simulation compared to other shooters. As a result of this, many tactical shooters are commonly played from the first person perspective. Tactical shooters may combine elements from other shooter genres, such as ''[[Rainbow Six Siege]]'', ''[[Valorant]]'', and [[Squad (video game)|Squad]], which combine the traditional tactical shooter style with the class-based gameplay of hero shooters.

{{anchor|Extraction shooter}}
A further variant of the tactical shooter is the extraction shooter, generally defined by the gameplay style of ''[[Escape from Tarkov]]''.<ref name="extraction shooter">{{cite web |url= https://www.polygon.com/23604742/extraction-shooter-battle-royale-pubg-fortnite-call-of-duty-dmz |title= The people behind PUBG believe the extraction shooter is the next big thing |first= Owen |last= Good |date= February 19, 2023 |accessdate= July 9, 2023 | work = [[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] }}</ref> These games are often "player versus player versus environment" (PvPvE), where players are grouped into teams and placed on a map with the goal to reach an extraction point elsewhere on the map while avoiding the opposing team and non-player character enemies. During their attempt to reach the extraction point, the players may try to loot the opposing team or other features on the map for gear, which if they successfully reach the extraction point, they can keep and use to improve their character. Alternatively, they may have other assigned objectives to complete before extraction for better rewards. Gameplay is more slow and tactical for survival rather than straightforward run-and-gun. Other examples of extraction shooters include ''[[Hunt: Showdown]]'', ''[[The Cycle: Frontier]]'' and the [[Marathon (2025 video game)|upcoming revival]] of the ''[[Marathon Trilogy|Marathon]]'' series.<ref name="extraction shooter"/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nme.com/news/gaming-news/the-cycle-frontier-producer-has-bet-career-on-making-extraction-shooters-more-welcoming-3413267 |title='The Cycle: Frontier' producer has "bet career" on making extraction shooters more welcoming |first=Andy |last=Brown |website=[[NME]] |date=14 March 2023 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theverge.com/23735830/bungie-marathon-sci-fi-pvp-extraction-shooter |title=Bungie announces Marathon, a new sci-fi PVP extraction shooter |website=[[The Verge]] |first=Tom |last=Warren |date=24 May 2023 }}</ref>

==== Looter shooter ====
{{Main|Looter shooter}}
Looter shooters are shooter games where the player's overarching goal is the accumulation of [[Loot (video games)|loot]]: weapons, equipment, armor, accessories and resources. To achieve this players complete tasks framed as quests, missions or campaigns and are rewarded with better weapons, gear and accessories as a result, with the qualities, attributes and perks of such gear generated randomly following certain rarity scales (also known as loot tables).<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.theguardian.com/games/2021/oct/11/modern-video-game-genres-explained-metroidvania-dungeon-crawler |title = Dungeon crawler or looter shooter? Nine video game genres explained | first = Keith | last= Stuart | date = October 11, 2021 | accessdate = October 12, 2021 | work = [[The Guardian]] }}</ref> The better gear allows players to take on more difficult missions with potentially more powerful rewards, forming the game's [[compulsion loop]].<ref>{{cite news | url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/video-games/2019/12/12/godfall-new-loot-grind-with-melee-combat-is-coming-playstation-pc/ | title = Godfall, a new loot grind with melee combat, is coming to PlayStation 5 and PC | first = Gene | last = Park | date = December 12, 2019 | access-date=  December 15, 2019 | newspaper = [[The Washington Post]] }}</ref> Loot shooters are inspired by similar loot-based [[action role-playing game]]s like ''[[Diablo (video game)|Diablo]]''. Examples of loot shooters include the ''[[Borderlands (series)|Borderlands]]'' franchise, ''[[Warframe]]'', ''[[Destiny (video game)|Destiny]]'' and its [[Destiny 2|sequel]], and ''[[Tom Clancy's The Division]]'' and its [[Tom Clancy's The Division 2|sequel]].<ref>{{cite magazine | url = https://www.gamesradar.com/the-top-seven-looter-shooters-of-all-time/ | title=  The top six looter shooters of all time | date = June 29, 2018 | access-date = February 27, 2019 | magazine = [[Games Radar]] }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.pcgamer.com/investigating-the-origin-of-the-looter-shooter/ | title = Investigating the Origin of the Looter Shooter | date = June 29, 2019 | access-date = February 27, 2019 | work = [[PC Gamer]] }}</ref>

=== Artillery game ===
{{Main|Artillery game}}

Artillery games have been described as a type of "shooting game",<ref>{{cite web | last =Barton | first =Matt | title =Scorched Parabolas: A History of the Artillery Game | url =http://armchairarcade.com/neo/node/427 | access-date =2007-11-25 | archive-date =2010-11-16 | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20101116021037/http://www.armchairarcade.com/neo/node/427 | url-status =dead }}</ref> though they are more frequently classified as a type of [[Strategy video game|strategy game]].{{citation needed|date=January 2014}}

=== Battle royale ===
{{Main|Battle royale game}}

[[Battle royale game]]s are a subgenre of action games that combine [[Last man standing (video games)|last-man-standing]] gameplay with survival game elements, and frequently includes shooter elements. It is almost exclusively multiplayer in nature, and eschews the complex crafting and resource gathering mechanics of survival games for a faster-paced confrontation game more typical of shooters. The genre is named after the [[Japanese film]] ''[[Battle Royale (film)|Battle Royale]]'' (2000) which itself was based on the [[Battle Royale (novel)|1999 novel of the same name]], and was popularized in video games with ''[[PUBG Battlegrounds]]'' and ''[[Fortnite Battle Royale]]''.