Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine Issue 67
Demo Derby
Game Mess Mornings 05/06/24
GrubbSnax
8-4 Play 5/3/2024: GOING GOLD(EN)
8-4 Play
The Community Spotlight 2024.05.04
The Community Spotlight 2024.04.27
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Sure, these days have almost every game sporting the newfangled 3D, but way back when, everyone had to live with plain old 2D. 2D, or two dimensions, limit the game to scrolling backgrounds, but some games even now make use of this basic concept.
Extraterrestrials appear in many video games in a variety of styles. Sometimes they're evil, sometimes they're benevolent, and sometimes they're very similar to humans.
Games with stories that involve aliens invading another planet.
An often used plot device where the main character wakes up and has lost all their memories. The game usually centers around getting your memory back or uncovering the events that lead to your confusion.
This concept occurs in many RPGs and Sci-Fi games. The Ancient Advanced Civilization Technology is often a giant weapon (Halo Rings, Giant of Babil, etc.) that becomes a major plot focus in the stories of these games.
Betrayal is when a person breaks the trust and faith that others have placed in them.
Videogames with extreme or controversial content will often be altered for release in certain countries, usually to comply with local laws or prevent cultural misunderstandings.
2D or 3D platformers that have slow methodical movements and intricate animations and puzzle solving, Resulting in the player having to "take things slow" and encourages more thinking before taking actions. Usually having more complicated controls than standard platformers that simply have you run and jump. Different modes of jumping, ledge grabbing, rolling, clambering, climbing, taking cover and usually if there is combat the player has to switch between platforming and combat modes.
Plotting and scheming, usually for wealth or power.
Crooked Cops work both sides of the law for their own benefit.
The act of bending at the knees from a standing position. Crouching is an essential part of many shooters and platformers, and can be used by players to stay behind cover or avoid incoming projectiles.
Currency has all forms in video games. It is used to buy characters, vehicles, weapons, and more.
A non-interactive sequence within a game most often used for plot advancement.
An organism consisting of both natural and artificial systems.
"Dear Diary, this entry is addressed to myself, given that soon I will likely suffer a bump to the head, drink a mysterious substance, be attacked by a psychic, or do one of many other things that can cause me to forget about what it is I'm writing right now."
Any game that represents a society noticeably worse or less desirable compared to those in the present. This can relate to kinds of political and economic organisation, excessive human suffering, social problems caused by technology, or as a result of an apocalyptic event.
When the main character at some point has to escape from a confined area, be it a dungeon, a prison cell, or a penal colony.
Missions during which players are tasked with protecting a non-playable character or object from harm until a certain goal is met.
Flashbacks take a player into a flashback sequence. Often playable, but not always.
Flip screen (or flick-screen) describes a way of dividing the game world into fixed screens, displayed one at a time. It's commonly found in 2D platformers, especially prior to the 16-bit era.
Enemies that prefer to keep a distance to the ground, and swoop down occasionally to do some damage.
It is believed that Frank Herbert's Dune books were the first to popularize the concept of a giant worm that is capable of devouring a person whole without even noticing it.
A humanoid construct given life through magic. The materials used to create a golem vary greatly.
Graffiti is the practice of painting, etching, stickering, pasting, or in any way marking public or private property with lettering or images for a variety of different ends. Depending on one's perspective, graffiti can be considered either art or vandalism.
Greatest hits is a general term for re-releases of games which have sold a certain number of copies, as part of a program managed by the console manufacturer.
A three dimensional image or transmission commonly used in science fiction. May or may not be interacted with.
A concept in a game where the playable character can't run out of ammo, and doesn't need to pick up/buy ammo. In some cases, you still have to reload your weapon, but you will still have an endless amount of magazines.
A rather unpleasant experience, where your journey takes you to the insides of a bigger creature, followed by a desperate attempt to make it 'through', alive and undigested.
A situation where the player-controlled character loses their life immediately. The quickness of that demise is often a stark departure from the balance of power, and sometimes the rules, established by the developers during the rest of the game.
A gameplay mechanic allowing players to store their items and freely carry them around.
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