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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.
A protagonist who lacks some or all of the qualities traditionally seen as heroic.
The inverse of an anti-hero. An anti-villain is a villain that portrays him/herself as someone who is just and altruistic while is secretly working towards an otherwise nefarious and villainous goal. Common archetypes of anti-villains are politicians and religious figures who craft a wholesome and good-natured image to hide their evil intentions; this may even sometimes include doing good deeds, but only as a temporary measure to potentially further their true ambitions.
Necessary to sustain life in organic creatures, the crimson fluid known as blood tends to make appearances when the body's structure is compromised in some way, a very, very common occurrence in videogames.
Bosses are enemies that fight you at the end of a level or at a significant point in the story.
A boss fight is a culminating challenge that pits the player against one or more enemies representing a greater threat and/or difficulty than those previously faced. These scenarios typically feature unique antagonists.
The roach is a notoriously indestructible insect found in many societies. It is also found in video games.
Cooperative play in games allows humans to play together as a team to accomplish a task. Instead of playing against a human opponent, the team must defeat an AI. Cooperative Play in some games also means 2 human versus 2 human, this occurs in some Billiards games. (Scotch Doubles / Doubles)
"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."
Many RPGs and survival horror games have the player find diaries written by people that were slowly transforming into monsters or zombies. Somehow, they make sure to keep writing in their diary, right up until they're no longer human, so that the player can read their mindlessly violent final thoughts.
The main line of distinction between victory or failure in video games, death is the process of a biological being ceasing to be alive.
Decapitation is the removal of the head of a person or animal.
A destructible environment means the player has the ability to destroy his/her surroundings. This allows players to use the environment to their advantage.
These prehistoric behemoths cause chaos amongst many. Unfortunately, they are extinct.
Diseases are medical conditions that have a negative effect on one's body. Some games revolves around a disease.
The 2000 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) took place at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, California on May 11-13.
The 2002 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) took place at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, California on May 22-24.
The 2003 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) took place at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, California on May 14-16.
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.
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.
First-Person is a vantage point that attempts to simulate looking through a game character's eyes. It is most commonly found in first-person shooters, racing games, and visual novels, and to a lesser extent in other genres, such as RPGs, 3D platformers, and adventure games.
The highly mutated virus developed by the Umbrella Corporation.
A heads-up display is a graphical overlay of vital information used in most modern games.
Most modern shooting games add the realistic touch of rendering shots to the cranium instantly fatal. Glorious for the shooter, kind of a bummer to the shootee.
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 half human, half reptile mutant introduced in Resident Evil, Hunters recur throughout the series in numerous forms.
Whether it be a close up shotgun blast, far away sniper rifle, explosive, or backstab, the "one hit kill" is a popular kill strategy. Usually hard to master and even harder to avoid, the instant kill is loved and hated by gamers everywhere.
A gameplay mechanic allowing players to store their items and freely carry them around.
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