Editing Action game (section)

== Subgenres ==
Action games contain several major subgenres. However, there are a number of action games that do not fit any particular subgenres, as well as other types of genres like adventure or [[Strategy video game|strategy games]] that have action elements.<ref name="fundamentals"/>

'''Character action games''', also called "character-driven" games, "character games" or just "action games", are a broad category of action games, referring to a variety of games that are driven by the physical actions of [[player characters]]. The term dates back to the [[golden age of arcade video games]] in the early 1980s, when the terms "action games" and "character games" began being used to distinguish a new emerging genre of character-driven action games from the space shoot 'em ups that had previously dominated the [[Arcade game|arcades]] in the late 1970s. Classic examples of character action games from the early 1980s include ''[[Frogger]]'', maze games like ''[[Pac-Man]]'', and platformers like ''[[Donkey Kong (arcade game)|Donkey Kong]]''.<ref name="RG80s"/><ref name="Williams"/><ref name="EFCG"/>

* '''[[Beat 'em up]]s''', also called "brawlers", are games that involve fighting through a side-scrolling stage of multiple adversaries, using [[martial arts]] or other close-range fighting techniques.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/the-tao-of-beat-em-ups-article?page=2 | author = Spanner Spencer | website = EuroGamer | title = The Tao of Beat-'em-ups | date = 6 February 2008 | access-date = 18 February 2009 | archive-date = 19 February 2012 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120219161030/http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/the-tao-of-beat-em-ups-article?page=2 | url-status = live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.planetdreamcast.com/games/reviews/fightingforce2/ | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080604002041/http://www.planetdreamcast.com/games/reviews/fightingforce2/ | archive-date = 4 June 2008 | author = Subskin | publisher = GameSpy | title = Reviews - Fighting Force 2 | access-date = 18 February 2009 }}</ref>
* '''[[Fighting games]]''' feature combat between pairs of fighters, usually using martial arts moves. Actions are limited to various attacks and defenses, and matches end when a fighter's health is reduced to zero. They often make use of special moves and combos. There are both 2D and 3D fighting games, but most 3D fighting games largely take place in a 2D plane and occasionally include side-stepping. They are distinct from [[sports game]]s such as boxing and wrestling games which attempt to model movements and techniques more realistically.<ref name="fundamentals"/>
* '''[[Hack and slash]]''' games, also called "slash 'em up"<ref name="MM">{{cite magazine |title=Complete Games Guide |magazine=[[Mean Machines]] |date=May 1992 |issue=20 (28 April 1992) |pages=6, 14, 18, 20, 22, 26 |url=https://archive.org/details/Mean_Machines_Complete_Games_Guide_1992-05_EMAP_Images_GB_suppliment_issue_20/page/n4/mode/1up}}</ref> or "character action games",<ref>{{cite news |last1=Hovermale |first1=Chris |title=How Devil May Cry's arcade inspirations shaped character action games |url=https://www.destructoid.com/stories/how-devil-may-cry-s-arcade-inspirations-shaped-character-action-games-545783.phtml |archive-url=https://archive.today/20210518055447/https://www.destructoid.com/stories/how-devil-may-cry-s-arcade-inspirations-shaped-character-action-games-545783.phtml |url-status=dead |archive-date=May 18, 2021 |access-date=30 April 2021 |work=[[Destructoid]] |date=2019-03-10 }}</ref> are a subgenre of beat 'em up brawlers that emphasize combat with melee-based weapons, such as swords or blades. They may also feature projectile-based weapons as well (such as guns) as secondary weapons. Popular 2D examples include ''[[Shinobi (series)|Shinobi]]'',<ref name="MM"/><ref name="screenrant">{{cite news |last1=Gass |first1=Zach |title=10 Awesome Hack and Slash Games That Aren't God of War |url=https://screenrant.com/best-awesome-hack-slash-games-arent-god-war/ |access-date=11 April 2021 |work=[[Screen Rant]] |date=11 May 2020 |archive-date=11 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210411204921/https://screenrant.com/best-awesome-hack-slash-games-arent-god-war/ |url-status=live }}</ref> ''[[Golden Axe (series)|Golden Axe]]'',<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gamespot.com/wii/action/goldenaxegen/review.html |title=Golden Axe Review |author=Greg Kasavin |publisher=GameSpot |date=2006-11-30 |access-date=2008-10-07 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090204233037/http://www.gamespot.com/wii/action/goldenaxegen/review.html |archive-date=2009-02-04}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.gamepro.com/article/previews/185688/golden-axe-beast-rider/ | author = Patrick Shaw | date = 2008-05-16 | access-date = 2008-10-07 | title = Golden Axe: Beast Rider | publisher = GamePro |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081017133630/http://www.gamepro.com/article/previews/185688/golden-axe-beast-rider/|archive-date=2008-10-17}}</ref> classic ''[[Ninja Gaiden]]'' (''Shadow Warriors''),<ref name="MM"/> ''[[Strider (1989 arcade game)|Strider]]'',<ref>{{cite book |last1=Weiss |first1=Brett |title=Classic Home Video Games, 1989-1990: A Complete Guide to Sega Genesis, Neo Geo and TurboGrafx-16 Games |date=9 July 2018 |publisher=[[McFarland & Company]] |isbn=978-0-7864-9231-2 |page=206 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lmRjDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA206 |access-date=30 April 2021 |archive-date=17 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230117222931/https://books.google.com/books?id=lmRjDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA206 |url-status=live }}</ref> and ''[[Dragon's Crown]]''.<ref name="screenrant"/> Popular 3D examples include ''[[Devil May Cry]]'', ''[[Dynasty Warriors]]'', modern ''[[Ninja Gaiden]]'', ''[[God of War (franchise)|God of War]]'', and ''[[Bayonetta]]''.<ref name=UGO>[https://web.archive.org/web/20131105225144/http://www.ugo.com/games/dantes-inferno-review Is Dante's Inferno Divine or a Comedy of Errors?], [[UGO Networks]], February 9, 2010</ref><ref name=VideoGamer>[http://www.videogamer.com/ps3/heavenly_sword/review.html Heavenly Sword Review] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131105201916/http://www.videogamer.com/ps3/heavenly_sword/review.html |date=2013-11-05 }}, VideoGamer.com, 04/09/2007</ref>
* '''[[Maze games]]''' such as ''[[Pac-Man]]'' involve navigating a maze to avoid or chase adversaries.<ref name="Maynard">{{cite book |last1=Maynard |first1=Ashley E. |last2=Subrahmanyam |first2=Kaveri |last3=Greenfield |first3=Patricia M. |chapter=Technology and the Development of Intelligence: From the Loom to the Computer |editor1-last=Sternberg |editor1-first=Robert J. |editor2-last=Preiss |editor2-first=David D. |title=Intelligence and Technology: The Impact of Tools on the Nature and Development of Human Abilities |date=13 May 2005 |publisher=[[Routledge]] |isbn=978-1-136-77805-6 |pages=29–54 (32) |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VZgVId2jGXIC&pg=PA32 |access-date=5 May 2021 |archive-date=17 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230117222931/https://books.google.com/books?id=VZgVId2jGXIC&pg=PA32 |url-status=live }}</ref>
* '''[[Platform games]]''' involve jumping between platforms of different heights, while battling enemies and avoiding obstacles. Physics are often unrealistic, and game levels are often vertically exaggerated. They exist in both 2D and 3D forms such as ''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'' and ''[[Super Mario 64]]''.<ref name="fundamentals"/>
* '''[[Side-scrolling video game|Side-scrolling character action games]]''', also called "side-scrolling action games" or "side-scrollers", are a broad category of character action games that were popular from the mid-1980s to the 1990s, which involve player characters defeating large groups of weaker enemies along a side-scrolling playfield.<ref name="Williams"/> Popular examples included beat 'em ups like ''[[Kung-Fu Master (video game)|Kung-Fu Master]]'' and ''[[Double Dragon]]'', [[ninja]] action games like ''[[The Legend of Kage]]'' and ''[[Shinobi (series)|Shinobi]]'',<ref name="Williams"/> scrolling platformers like ''[[Super Mario Bros.]]''<ref>{{cite book |last1=Horowitz |first1=Ken |title=Playing at the Next Level: A History of American Sega Games |date=21 October 2016 |publisher=[[McFarland & Company]] |isbn=978-0-7864-9994-6 |page=82 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hxhmDQAAQBAJ&pg=PT94 |access-date=29 April 2021 |archive-date=17 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230117222932/https://books.google.com/books?id=hxhmDQAAQBAJ&pg=PT94 |url-status=live }}</ref> and ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog]]'',<ref>{{cite book |title=Conference Proceedings: Conference, March 15–19 : Expo, March 16–18, San Jose, CA : the Game Development Platform for Real Life |date=1999 |publisher=The Conference |page=299 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_UA-AQAAIAAJ |quote=what do you get if you put ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' (or any other character action game for that matter) in 3D |access-date=2021-04-29 |archive-date=2023-01-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230117222932/https://books.google.com/books?id=_UA-AQAAIAAJ |url-status=live }}</ref> and [[run and gun video game]]s like ''[[Rolling Thunder (video game)|Rolling Thunder]]''<ref name="Williams"/> and ''[[Gunstar Heroes]]''.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Viewpoint |magazine=[[GameFan]] |date=September 1993 |volume=1 |issue=10 |pages=14–5 |url=https://archive.org/details/Gamefan_Vol_1_Issue_10/page/n13/mode/2up}}</ref>

'''[[Shooter games]]''' allow the player to take action at a distance using a ranged weapon, challenging them to aim with accuracy and speed. This subgenre includes [[first-person shooter]]s ([[doom clone]]s), [[third-person shooters]], [[light gun shooter]]s, [[rail shooter]]s, run and gun games and a plethora of [[shoot 'em up]] games taking place from a [[Top-down perspective|top-down]] or [[side-scrolling]] perspective.<ref name="fundamentals"/> Space shooters were initially categorized as a separate genre from action games in the early 1980s, when the term was used to refer to character action games,<ref name="RG80s"/><ref name="Williams"/><ref name="EFCG"/> up until character-driven shooters, particularly scrolling run-and-gun shooters, became popular by the late 1980s.<ref name="Williams"/>

The setting of shooter games often involves military conflicts, whether historical, such as [[World War II]], contemporary, such as [[Middle East conflicts]], or fictional, such as [[space warfare]]. Shooter games do not always involve military conflicts. Other settings include [[hunting]] games, or follow the story of a criminal, as seen in the popular ''[[Grand Theft Auto]]'' franchise. Although shooting is almost always a form of violence, non-violent shooters exist as well, such as ''[[Splatoon]]'' which focuses on claiming more territory than the opposing team, by covering the playable environment with colored paint or ink.

'''Hybrid action games''' are games that combine elements of action games with elements from other genres.

* '''[[Action-adventure games]]''' mix elements of both action and [[adventure game]] genres such as ''[[The Legend of Zelda]]''. Action-adventure games are the most popular subgenre.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/4074/the_designers_notebook_sorting_.php?page=2 | website = Gamasutra | author = Ernest Adams | date = 2009-07-09 | access-date = 2009-05-23 | title = Sorting Out the Genre Muddle | archive-date = 2009-07-13 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090713183135/http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/4074/the_designers_notebook_sorting_.php?page=2 | url-status = dead }}</ref>
* '''[[Action role-playing games]]''' include features of [[role-playing video game|role-playing games]], such as characters with [[experience point]]s and [[Statistic (role-playing games)|statistics]].
* '''[[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. It also 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).
* '''[[Multiplayer online battle arena]]''' games (also called MOBA, "hero brawler"<ref>{{cite web |date=9 November 2013 |url=http://www.gamespot.com/articles/blizzard-explains-why-it-doesn-t-call-heroes-of-the-storm-a-moba/1100-6416084/ |title=Blizzard explains why it doesn't call Heroes of the Storm a MOBA |publisher=[[GameSpot]] |access-date=15 November 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131116030735/http://www.gamespot.com/articles/blizzard-explains-why-it-doesn-t-call-heroes-of-the-storm-a-moba/1100-6416084/ |archive-date=16 November 2013 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> or "action real-time strategy" games)<ref name="gamasutra">{{cite web|url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/the-valve-way-gabe-newell-and-erik-johnson-speak|title=The Valve Way: Gabe Newell And Erik Johnson Speak|first=Christian|last=Nutt|date=29 August 2011|access-date=24 August 2013|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121023063739/http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/6471/the_valve_way_gabe_newell_and_.php?page=3|archive-date=23 October 2012|df=dmy-all}}</ref> are a subgenre of [[real-time strategy]] (RTS) games with action game elements similar to brawlers or fighting games.
* '''[[Rhythm action game]]s''' challenge the player's sense of rhythm, and award points for accurately pressing certain buttons in sync with a musical beat. This is a relatively new subgenre of action game.<ref name="fundamentals"/> Rhythm games are sometimes classified as a type of [[music video game|music game]].<ref>{{cite web | url = http://multiplayerblog.mtv.com/2008/10/27/one-on-one-with-shigeru-miyamoto/ | title = One-On-One With Shigeru Miyamoto: From 'Wii Music' To Bowser To… MotionPlus? | author = Stephen Totilo | date = 27 October 2008 | access-date = 20 February 2009 | publisher = MTV | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090115074435/http://multiplayerblog.mtv.com/2008/10/27/one-on-one-with-shigeru-miyamoto/| archive-date= 15 January 2009 | url-status= dead}}</ref>
* '''[[Survival game]]s''' start the player off with minimal resources, in a hostile, [[open-world]] environment, and require them to collect resources, craft tools, weapons, and shelter, in order to survive as long as possible. Many are set in procedurally-generated environments, and are open-ended with no set goals. Survival games often feature a crafting system, which allows players to engage in tool-making to convert raw resources into useful items such as medical supplies for healing, structures which shelter the player from a frequently hostile environment, weapons to defend themselves with, and tools to create more complex items, structures, weapons and tools. The survival game genre may overlap with the [[survival horror]] genre, in which the player must survive within a setting traditionally associated with the horror genre, such as a zombie apocalypse. The genre also has similarities to action-adventure games.
* '''[[Vehicular combat game]]s''' combine driving elements with elements of shooter or brawler games. The main objective of these game is to use a vehicle (either equipped with weapons or by itself) to destroy the other ones in the playing field. Flight or naval combat games are subgenre of vehicular combat games. The ''[[Twisted Metal]]'', ''[[Carmaggedon]]'' or ''[[Burnout (series)|Burnout]]'' series are examples.