My Games of the Week #4 - Character Action Games
Note: Due to Tumblr's maximum of 30 images per post, this blog will have less images than intended. Check out the Twitter version of this blog for more images! https://twitter.com/Eman59x/status/1684931069068394498?s=20
My Games of the Week are Character Action games! We're gonna mix things up a bit, and I'm gonna briefly showcase games I consider to be part of the Character Action genre. The list of games in this thread is not ordered. 1/30 (Sorry, it's a long one.)
So what is Character Action? This term was made by the culture surrounded by various games, so it's open to interpretation. Generally speakng, it involves playing as one character in an action game with a wide variety of tools, allowing the player to express themselves within a game's combat. Some alternative names for this game include Hack and Slash, Beat 'em Up, and Spectacle Fighter. 2/30
The character's actions reflect the player's decision, rather than limiting what the player is capable of doing. The most common comparison would be a single player fighting game. Some characters/tools suit the player better than others, and how you like to play is prioritized. Player expression is key! 3/30
Let's start with the king of character action, Devil May Cry! DMC3 is a great example of creativity through limitation. That limit being only using two weapons and one style at a time. What you choose to use, unlock, and upgrade is your choice. Experimentation and creativity are vital for obtaining stylish ranks and more currency. Spamming stinger works too, of course. 4/30
My personal fave game, DMC5, does away with all limitations and lets you do anything. Equip all 4 weapons, and switch between all 4 styles seamlessly, allowing for some of the craziest combos in all of gaming. Not to mention, 3 characters that play differently, and require different kinds of creativity and decision making for reaching maximum style. Oh yeah, and V is there too for some reason. 5/30
Now for classic God of War (2005-2013). Combo variety, buying and upgrading what you like, decision making, and some amazing spectacle. In fact, the first boss of GOW is one of my favorite bosses of all time. The game focuses on using the right moves at the right time, rather a style ranking. 6/30
Instead, your incremental combo counter increases per hit, so it's a different kind of decision making. Where GOW1 and 2's variety lies in different Blades of Chaos moves and magic usage, GOW3 actually has new weapons and even "item" weapons like a bow and arrow. 7/30
Bayonetta is a name you've heard of by now. This game is a as over-the-top as they come, through visual presentation and combat! Each weapon plays pretty identically, so the variety comes in the combos. Two attack buttons, but the order and timing of each press allows for hundreds of combo variations. I'm not very good at this one, but even casual fans can enjoy button mashing splendor! 8/30
Let's continue on the Platinum Games train and look at The Wonderful 101. What if Pikmin could turn into weapons? You "draw" the shape of the weapon with the right stick to equip it, and hack and slash away! Very unique presentation as well. Can't say I've played anything like this before. 9/30
If you're into meme culture, you've defintely seen MGR: Revengeance before. Not only is the writing and acting fantastic, but the acion is some of the best in the genre. By holding L2, you enter Blade Mode, and can carefully aim your sword to slice away your enemies. You can even rip out their robot spines to refill health and meter! So freaking cool. 10/30
Next up is a more recent title, FF16! Regardless what genre you consider this game, the combat lines up prefectly with character action predecceors. Mixing and matching Eikon abilites to create a build suited for your playstyle, and some incredibly unique combos! Not to mention several dozen of hours of content longer than most games on this list. 11/30
Our last Platinum/Square title, the Nier series! While Replicant and Automata have their own variety of action (as well as the best narratives in gaming), so does its less-known prequel series, Drakengard. Drakengard 3 in particular has some pretty neat action and variety in combat. Not to mention, the wiritng is insane - play the game, you'll see what I mean. If you haven't played Nier: Automata yet, what kind of gamer are you? 12/30
One of the more underappreciated games in the genre, Ninja Gaiden 2 (2008)! A massive improvement over the first, having some of the craziest action I've seen. A unique dismemberment mechanic, rage mode, weapon variety, and well spaced shops. I was able to upgrade every weapon by the time it ended! So much combat variety and look cool while doing it. I plan to revisit this game soon since my memory's a tad fuzzy on this one. 13/30
No More Heroes may be lacking in terms of variety, but the action, style, and spectacle is all there. Very satisfying action combat with a fantistic script to enjoy with it. Each game in the trilogy is worth a shot, and is on all modern platforms! 14/30
Remember Dante's Inferno? If not, think of it as your usual God of War ripoff, except it's actually good. It was even made by Visceral games, the original devs of Dead Space! Dante (no, not that Dante) only has one weapon, so his variety comes from combo and magic moves he can unlock, and perk-granting equippable relics. 15/30
When you finish an enemy, you can either absolve or kill them to gain holy and unholy spirits. You can level up your holy and unholy level by getting their respective souls, each level unlocking abilities that you can purchase. The two soul types combine into one collective soul currency which you use to buy these abilities. An interesting take on the skill tree system! 16/30
A very solid character action game with enough room for player expression. Although, since it is so similar to other games, I would only recommend it if you can't get enough of this gameplay. It's good but not a must-play. 17/30
Next up is Hi-Fi Rush! A rhytmic take on the genre where you time your actions to the beat for more damage and style. Like before, you decide whaat moves, supers, and perks to buy. You also have character assists like a fighting game. 18/30
Not to mention the refreshing cel-shaded visuals, striking character designs, and great characters and writing. You not only express yourself with the combat, but through the music as well! You can use your free trial on Game Pass to check it out. 19/30
Now for the real interesting stuff, indie games. First up is Genokids, an upcoming game where you switch between 4 characters, who play differently, on the fly. Sort of a mix of DMC and Kingdom Hearts combat. A free demo is out now! 20/30
Slave Zero X has retro fighting game pixel art mixed with low poly 3D backgrounds. It sort of plays like a hack and slash and fighting game mashup, even with familiar mechanics such as Supers and Bursts! Once again, a demo is out now. 21/30
Sifu might not look as spectacular as the other games, but boy does this game have all sorts of meele combos. It's based on martial arts, meaning mixing up high and low attacks, and using the enviornment. I'll admit I'm not very good at this one, but it's a unique action game nonetheless. 22/30
For our last game, Furi. This is another unique case, as it's more of a boss rush kind of game, where you memorize boss patterns. I would say expression comes with how you dodge the bullet hell phase, and parry the melee phase. Although things can get hard real quick, it has plenty of options to make things easier. 23/30
The recent DLC pack adds a new characters that essentially functions as a stance character, those being "fast and agile" and "slow but lethal." Switching between stances sounds pretty expressive to me! 24/30
Here's a quick-fire list about games I didn't cover: Assault Spy, God Hand, Asura's Wrath, Viewtiful Joe, Streets of Rage 4, Madworld (Wii), Transformers: Devestation, Kingdom Hearts, and pretty much the entire Warriors series (Dynasty, Hyrule, Psersnoa). 25/30
That's the end of my list, but I wanna give you one more thought. The Character Action subgenre is rather young, and what does and doesn't qualify a game for this genre is pretty much subjective. There's consensus opinions, such as combos and spectacle, but a game is usually determined "Character Action" by it's community. 26/30
A final game I wanna share is Vanquish, a cover-based third personn shooter. Who made the game, however? Why, none other than Platinum, whose games have utterly dominated this list. In this game, you can rocket-boost slide from cover to cover, and pick up new guns on the fly. Would the guns you equip and how you use them also qualify as Character Action? 27/30
One of my favorite games of all time also gets me thinking about this genre, that being DOOM Eternal. Each enemy has a weakness, and you use the environment and your platforming skills to dispatch enemies effectively. However, how you do so is up to you, as the situation dynamically changes and one strategy won't always work. While mostly considered an FPS game, there is still plenty of player expression within this combat loop. 28/30
So as you can see, while characters and action are in plenty of games, what makes a Character Action game in my opinion is if the character is a function for the player to express themselves. It doesn't necessarily need to be in the hack and slash genre. 29/30
There are plenty more examples, but we don't got all day, so don't consider this a definitive list. Go and do your own research, and share some other character action games! 30/30
Check out the Twitter version of this blog! https://twitter.com/Eman59x/status/1684931069068394498?s=20
2 notes
·
View notes
oc asks: not-so-nice edition
alone: How does your OC deal with loneliness? Have they ever been completely alone before? How do they act when there's no one around to see them?
betrayal: Has your OC ever been betrayed by someone they thought they could trust? Has your OC ever betrayed someone who trusted them?
bound: Has your OC ever been imprisoned or captured? What happened? How did they get out? Did the experience leave any scars?
break: What would cause your OC to break down completely? What do they look like when that happens? Has anyone ever seen them at their lowest?
desire: What's one thing your OC wants more than anything in the world? Are they open with that desire? Why or why not? What would they do to fulfill it?
failure: What's your OC's greatest failure? Have they been able to move past it? Does anyone else know about it?
fear: What is your OC's greatest fear? What do they do when confronted with it? Are they open with their fear, or do they hide it away?
future: What's the worst possible future for your OC? Are they taking steps to avoid that outcome? Are they even aware it's a possibility?
ghost: Who or what haunts your OC? What happened? How do they live with their ghosts?
guilt: What is your OC guilty about? How do they handle their guilt? Do they try to avoid guilt, or do they accept it?
hate: What does your OC hate? Why? How do they act towards the object of their hatred?
heartbreak: Have they ever had a relationship that ended badly? Experienced some other kind of heartbreak? What happened?
hide: What does your OC hide? Why do they hide it?
hunt: Who or what is your OC hunted by? A person, a feeling, a past mistake? Is your OC able to let their guard down, or are they constantly alert?
mask: Does your OC wear a mask, literally or figuratively? What goes on beneath it? Is there anyone in their life who gets to see who they are under the mask?
midnight: What keeps your OC up at night? Do they have nightmares? Fears? Anxieties? What do they do in the small hours of the morning when they should be sleeping?
mistake: What's the worst mistake your OC ever made? What led to them making it? Have they been able to fix it? How have they moved on?
monster: Is your OC monstrous in any way? Is there something that makes them monstrous? Are they aware of their own monstrosity? Do they accept it or reject it?
nightmare: What does your OC have nightmares about? How do they deal with their nightmares? Do they tell people, or keep it to themself?
pain: What's the worst pain your OC has ever felt? Do they have a high pain tolerance?
secret: What's one secret your OC never wants anyone to know about them?
skin: How comfortable is your OC in their skin? Do they grapple with anything that lives inside them—a beast, a curse, a failure, a monster? How do they face the smallest, weakest, most horrible version of themself? Are they able to acknowledge it at all?
torture: Has your OC ever been tortured? Would your OC ever torture someone else?
wound: How does your OC handle being wounded? Are their wounds mostly physical? Mental? Emotional? What's the worst wound your OC has ever experienced?
12K notes
·
View notes
My Game of the Week #5 - Need for Speed Carbon
My Game of the Week is Need for Speed: Carbon! This is a racing title released in 2006 by EA, and is my favorite entry in the series. The presentation, characters, environments, and gameplay mechanics separate this game from its counterparts. I also grew up with this one, so this will be my third playthrough! 1/12
Let's talk about my favorite mechanic first. In modern racing games like this, cutting tight corners at high speed is very difficult, requiring you to slow down to make the turn. In kart racers, this is alleviated by complex drift and boost mechanics. So what's Carbon's solution? 2/12
The ability to slow time. The "Speedbreaker" affects your car in a unique way, where you can make quick adjustments while retaining your high speed. Not only can you use this to squeeze through tight passageways, but also outmaneuver the cops! 3/12
Paired with your acceleration stat and nitrous boost, you can speed through the entire map with little slowdown. Obstacle in your path? Slow down time and drive around it. This makes police chases some of the best parts of the game! 4/12
Let's move on to the map, then. It's split into 4 zones, each with its own crew and crew leader. The goal is to acquire their territory by winning challenges spread throughout the map. These challenges include simple races, speed scores, drift scores, and canyon races. 5/12
After completing each challenge in the zone, you fight the leader in a Boss Race, which are some of the game's best moments. After a 1-on-1 regular race, you have to play a Canyon Race; the goal is to stay right on the opponent's rear for the highest point accumulation. 6/12
Since this is on a canyon, you can fall off of it, and if you do, you lose. If you collide with them, you lose points. Combined with the already tight turns, precision is key during canyon races. My personal favorite thing about canyon races is that the speedbreaker is disabled! It's a true test of your driving skills. 7/12
All the while, there is a mystery to unravel about an operation you were involved with going wrong. More information is with each crew leaders' defeat, up till you fight the leader of the strongest crew, Darius. The story is definitely not what you're playing the game for, but the characters are at least interesting. 8/12
The game also has a simple crew member mechanic, where you can have one of three kinds of helpers to assist during races. Blockers, wreck another racer's car, Scouts reveal shortcuts on the map, and Drafters give you a huge speed boost. 9/12
Don't forget to buy more cars! You start with a Tier 1 car with rather poor stats. As you unlock more cars during the game, remember to visit the Car Lot to buy better cars! You can also upgrade their stats in the Safehouse. Trust me, a car with max stats makes the game even better to play. 10/12
Considering my massive backlog, I didn't expect to play past the final boss race, but I had so much fun that I 100%'d the career mode for the third time. It's amazing how well the gameplay loop has aged. Perhaps I'll try the fan favorite Most Wanted next. 11/12
Lastly, don't forget to mod the game! As a 2006 PC game, the quality can be massively improved with graphics mods. Take the time to research and apply those mods, it's the best way to play the game! As if it wasn't obvious, I highly recommend this game for racing fans. End of thread! 12/12
Check out the Twitter version of this blog!
0 notes
🔥 choose violence ask game 🔥
the character everyone gets wrong
a compelling argument for why your fave would never top or bottom
screenshot or description of the worst take you've seen on tumblr
what was the last straw that made you finally block that annoying person?
worst discord server and why
which ship fans are the most annoying?
what character did you begin to hate not because of canon but because how how the fandom acts about them?
common fandom opinion that everyone is wrong about
worst part of canon
worst part of fanon
number of fandom-related words you've filtered
the unpopular character that you actually like and why more people should like them
worst blorboficiation
that one thing you see in fics all the time
that one thing you see in fanart all the time
you can't understand why so many people like this thing (characterization, trope, headcanon, etc)
there should be more of this type of fic/art
it's absolutely criminal that the fandom has been sleeping on...
you're mad/ashamed/horrified you actually kind of like...
part of canon you found tedious or boring
part of canon you think is overhyped
your favorite part of canon that everyone else ignores
ship you've unwillingly come around to
topic that brings up the most rancid discourse
common fandom complaint that you're sick of hearing
18K notes
·
View notes