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An AI companion is a computer-controlled ally who follows and aids you through your adventures or who requires your protection. The AI companion's survival is often essential to game and story progression.
Games that allow the player to choose which level to play next, rather than a fixed linear order.
A broad spectrum of games can be described as remakes, from straightforward graphical overhauls to extensive revision of gameplay and story elements. In the most basic sense, a remake keeps the original's core gameplay and plot but makes significant changes to peripheral aspects.
No HUD games are ones that either lack a Heads Up Display, or find a way to integrate it into the game environment. Many games do this to add a sense of immersion or artistic quality to their games, or to reduce screen clutter.
Charging is the action of pressing & holding down a button or particular direction on the controller. Its purpose is to build up a powerful blast or burst of energy to take out an opponent or cause critical damage.
Video games contain a lot of activities for players to do underwater, from exploration to combat. Sometimes games treat water as simple low gravity movement, while other games treat underwater more realistically.
The process of tracing over live-action motion video to create animation.
A condition in which two male characters are socially close, but not sexually or romantically, and are often partners.
A maneuver involving both horizontal movement and rotation about a horizontal axis. Many characters roll in a unique fashion, and certain vehicles are even capable of rolling
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.
Often appearing in role-playing games, the reluctant hero starts out not wanting to fight, but ends up getting drawn into the conflict nonetheless. If not forced into it against their will, they are often motivated by love, honor, or a sense of righteousness.
A tragic hero is a protagonist who makes several mistakes to fall from glory, or is affected by tragedy and seeks revenge or redemption.
Often in games striving for mysticism the player gets thrown into the game without being given a clear objective or any objective at all for that matter. This is often accompanied by vague introductions and confusing circumstances.
Placing the player in an environment and making them feel alone. Games often use this for atmospheric effect.
When a character goes to the edge of a platform and starts to wobble. Most commonly seen in side-scrolling platformers.
A graphical effect that shows a massive amount of world or is used to give a sense of grand scale.
People of a different race or skin color, that are chastised and frowned upon for being different in culture or appearance.
A puzzle where you have to use your surroundings, i.e. "environment" in order to progress.
When the main protagonist is thrusted into a foreign dimension or alien world, usually due to a freak accident. The protagonist must then explore that world while trying to find a way back home.
Corpses disappear immediately or after a short delay. Often done to help maintain game performance, especially when physics are involved.
Electricity is commonly used as a damage-introducing element causing inanimate objects to become harmful (electrified water, floors, cables, etc). It can also refer to a power wielded by characters that generates sparks, is conductive to metal surfaces, forks or branches, and is often blue in color.
Electronic music is one of the broadest classifications of music, and has been a staple of video game soundtracks since the 90s. The genre's main trait is the use of electronic instruments.
Water vaporization usually represented in video games as a particle effect.
Tank controls refers to a movement style in third person games where the character, not the camera, is used as the point of reference when choosing which control moves them in a given direction.
A series of Steam features related to cross-platform play, including cross-buy, cross-play, and Linux compatibility layers.
These ideas stick to the one or very few gameplay mechanics or appear very barren but usually try to invoke an emotion from the player.
Some game environments feature certain areas that allow for special kills outside a player's normal cadre of moves. These kills usually feature unique animations such as slamming an enemy's head through a television or sticking their head in a trash compactor.
An optical effect formed by beams of light contrasting against areas of shadow in the atmosphere. They are often simulated in video games through volumetric lighting.
These games let players see the credits without needing to play the game first.
Some remakes allow you to switch back to how the game originally looked.
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