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An environmental hazard that can be exploited to inflict massive areal damage, exploding barrels are one of the most ubiquitous objects to be found in games. The most common methods of ignition include shooting and throwing. Exploding barrels are usually distinguished from the non-exploding kind by a conspicuous red tint.
A powerful release of energy. This energy is usually expelled in all directions very quickly, typically giving off orange or red flames.
Extreme violence pertains to excessive amounts of blood, gore, or violent acts. These include decapitation, mutilation, dismemberment, amputation, defenestration, disembowelment, torture and much more.
When a character appears to have died a horrible death, but is then eventually revealed to have somehow survived or was never really dead to begin with, often serving as a plot-twist.
See? The exploiting, soulless people who run the video game industry DO care about their fans!
A game has "faux credits" when the credits start rolling, making the player think the game is over but then suddenly get interrupted to continue the game.
Faux Europe is the concept of a highly stylized setting inspired by a period of European history that often features fantastic elements such as magic or steampunk technology. A prime example of a game featuring a faux European setting is Valkyria Chronicles.
This concept is for games where at least one of the main characters is female.
The last boss you face in a game, usually representing the final climax of the game.
Finishing moves are typically moves that end a fight in a traditional fighting game.
Flashbacks take a player into a flashback sequence. Often playable, but not always.
Flattening is taking something three dimensional, and somehow making it very thin almost two dimensional. It can be used for comedic effect or a character to use it to fight through tight spaces.
A hand gesture with a long and controversial history.
Enemies that prefer to keep a distance to the ground, and swoop down occasionally to do some damage.
The concept of a game referencing another game through mockery, parody or even directly. A game reference to the same franchise does not count.
A character or a disembodied voice will say the name of the video game. Depending on the mood of the game, this could range from shouting the game's name to ominously whispering it.
An Xbox 360 and Games for Windows Live feature that lets you purchase and download full Xbox, Xbox 360, and PC games through the Live Marketplace.
Gamescom 2009 was a video game convention that took place in Cologne, Germany from August 19 - August 23, 2009.
When the player, compared to the adversary he/she is supposed to defeat, looks like a tiny inchworm.
A glitch is an action performed within the bounds of a game engine that was not intended by the game's developers. Glitches are often performed by the player, though they can also occur independently.
Whether it be Mario vs. Bowser, Jedi vs. Sith, Link vs. Ganon, or Elves vs. Orcs, the forces of good are in an eternal battle with the hordes of evil.
Games show you a new enemy throughout the game and they usually require a new tactic to defeat it. The first one you fight comes solo and you are required to kill it, then they are given to you in groups or possibly mixed with older enemies.
Constantly performing an in-game action to progress a certain attribute.
A term that can be used to refer to RPGs that focus more on the action, or brawler action games which focus on hack & slash gameplay.
Players or enemies whip their hair back and forth to do damage to their opponents.
Games that feature characters whose hair movement is governed by a physics engine.
Any game that involves jumping on an enemy's head as an attack, such as in Super Mario Bros.
A heads-up display is a graphical overlay of vital information used in most modern games.
Health is a value that gauges how much damage players can take in a game before they die or pass out. Also known as life in some games. Health is usually represented by a bar or a percentage instead of an exact amount. Found in most non sport games
A console game is high definition if it operates at a resolution of at least 720p, or 1280x720. A console able to achieve this resolution is HD-capable. For a variety of reasons, the term does not apply to PC games.
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