What exactly is a "Character Action Game"?

I know i could look it up on the inter-webs, but i wanted a more personal answer from some fans of the genre.

I think it's an action game in which you play as a single character. Usually in the third person perspective.

Examples being: Devil may cry, Metal Gear Solid: Rising, Ninja Gaiden, Bayonetta

That sounds like literally every third person game there is.. Assassin's Creed has action, and so do Max Payne 3 and Prince of Persia Forgotten Sands. What is "action?"

It's basically the modern evolution of the old school beat 'em up. Third-person camera (typically elevated slightly above the character with a fairly wide angle view), character attacks waves upon waves of enemies with a little environment traversal and some puzzles thrown in here and there.

Examples:

• God of War
• Devil May Cry
• Bayonetta
• Ninja Gaiden

@jouseldelka: @patanu: Character action typically denotes a strong combat system focusing on combos. I.E. DmC and God of War. Assassin's Creed is not a character action game because the focus is not on the combat.

A third person action game with a focus on melee combat, spacing and timing.

Yup, a hack and slash game which focuse mainly on the combat and mechanics of combat. I hear this developer known as "Platinum" or something are pretty good at that.

A character action game is not a "hack and slash" game. A hack and slash game would be something like Dragon's Crown.

Actually, Dragon's Crown is almost exactly what a character action game would look like in 2D with a z-plane.

I suppose I should add that to my previous description. Character action games are typically 3D third person.

As for 'hack and slash', it's a phrase with no real meaning, as I've heard it applied to experiences as diverse as Devil May Cry and Dynasty Warriors (character action games), Diablo and Torchlight (action-RPGs, or even easier, Diablo-likes), and now Dragon's Crown and thus Final Fight and Streets of Rage (sidescrolling brawlers).

It's one of those terms that doesn't really mean anything. It's used to describe God of War, but also Ratchet and Clank or Sly Cooper.

Hack in slash and beat em ups are essentially the same thing. The key would be the 2d side scrolling with a focus on melee combat. Games like Dragon's Crown and Scott Pilgrim would fit that description. Those games are more complex with their combos, items, and equipment, but I feel they retain the spirit of the old sidescrolling brawlers like Final Fight and Streets of Rage.

@golguin: I've always called games like God of War or Devil May Cry "Hack and Slash". And this is the first time anyone has told me it would be wrong.

Anyways, I think it gets the point across pretty well. Since hacking and slashing is basically the meat of the gameplay.

I think that character action games consists of larger than life characters doing impossible feats. It usually includes highly technical combat. That definition seems to work fine for me.

It's a game featuring a single character performing actions.

Another stupid name for a genre.

@golguin: @TobbRobb:

Basically this is my point regarding the term 'hack n slash'. It's been used too widely over too diverse of experiences to be useful as a genre descriptor. It gives a basic descriptor of actions within a game but not of the actual gameplay involved, in fact, some of the games referred here as hack n slash in fact have no hacking or slashing. While character action remains useful because we know exactly what it looks and plays like; a 3D third person action game focused on melee combat, spacing and timing. Side scrolling beat em up of brawler works because we know that will be. It's not too specific and not too general. Hack n slash on the other hand is not descriptive enough and far too general. As I said earlier, it's a bad description if it can include Diablo, Final Fight and Arkham Asylum under one umbrella.