P1 - C - Game Types

Myles Harrison – P1 – C – Game Types.

First Person Shooter:

First person shooters are one of the most popular gaming genres as they spread across all different gaming platforms such as handheld consoles, consoles, PC and on smartphones. The view of every single FPS game is from the visual perspective of the character you are playing which makes it unique. They are also known as FPS shooters. These FPS shooters had their true breakthrough in the 1990’s with “Wolfenstein 3D” since then they have taken a violent twist and the current most popular FPS games are Call Of Duty and Battlefield. These games also have a storyline which is followed by playing the game. There are many subgenres to this genre. In online aspects of FPS games you are not attached to one character as you can respawn once you are killed.

Simulation

Simulation games are mainly on Consoles and PC’s but they are most popular on the PC platform. Most simulation games are downloaded through a PC gaming marketplace known as steam and there are thousands of these simulators all into one category. They range from a variety of things such as military simulators, driving simulators and farming simulators. Simulation games were pioneered on Flight simulator and then the more casual simulator game The Sims. ARMA III is one of the most popular military simulator which is played by millions of people each day on the PC.

Action

Action games have been around for a long time and these also have many sub genres attached to them with things such as survival and adventure aspects. In action games you usually play the protagonist of a story line. Action games consist of Grand Theft Auto, The Last Of Us, Tomb Raider etc. These are normally more focused on the campaign/single player of the game with a smaller role of multiplayer. Games such as Max Payne 3 are focused on storyline but still have multiplayer so that it appeals to more people.

Sport

Sport games are played across the world and are mainly focused on the online aspects so that they can be played with people all across the world. The most popular sporting games are FIFA, Madden, NBA, Tiger Woods PGA (golf) and MLB. There are also some humorous sports games such as yeti sports which is more of a spoof than serious games like FIFA. The first sport game was a two player tennis game called tennis for two which is mostly known today as the game paddle. Since the games have slowly adapted from 8 bit games to fully functioning 3D games. Most of the sports games today are realistic and the players in the games are real people and their facial features and playing abilities have been adapted to be in a game.

Driving/Racing

There are many different driving games across many platforms of gaming and many are exclusive to each platform e.g. PC and consoles. These games are usually in third or first person perspective and it is the player’s choice to choose what POV they want. Most driving games consist of racing and open world driving where you are just restricted to the car unlike games such as GTA where you can go in and out of cars. These driving games can also consist of boats, planes and automobiles in general to drive with. Classic examples of popular racing/driving games are: Forza, Grand Turismo, Need For Speed. One of the first racing games was on the Atari in 1973 and the game was called space race and it was an 8bit arcade game where you race against other ships while avoiding obstacles. Since then these games have been adapted to be completely 3D.

Adventure

Adventure games go across a broad spectrum due to many sub genres as adventure games can have a medieval or futuristic twist to them. They can also be post-apocalyptic and be completely unrealistic. Some of the most popular adventure games are: Assassin’s Creed, Watch Dogs and Far Cry: Primal. One of the first adventure game recognised and popular was tomb raider which was released in 1996. King’s quest was also another pioneer to the adventure genre. These games are very popular and can link in with FPS games and action games.

Platform

A platform game revolves around puzzles mostly such as a protagonist jumping between platforms and obstacles advancing not the next level. The most popular platform games are Mario and Zelda which are both very well known throughout the world. These games take patience but can also be played casually as when you lose the level or “die” you will only be reverted to a checkpoint rather than the start of the level. Many platform games are featured on mobile phones also which shows that these platform games do not require much equipment or any sort of controllers. These platform games are usually in the same style throughout each level but can vary from storyline and POV such as 2D and 3D views.

Role Playing

Role playing games or RPG’s is a type of game genre which main focus is the player living through the life and role of somebody else but pretending to be them while they play. It usually follows a narrative or user created narrative. Most of these games are user have to abide by a set of rules so that all players stay in character and carry out the roleplaying effectively. A prime example of this are “Life” simulators which are add-ons created mods or extensions and are played on multiplayer servers of which the players to popular games such as: GMOD, ARMA III, World of Warcraft etc. You can take many roles such as policeman, wizard, knight, robber etc depending on what type of role playing you are doing.