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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.
The game detects a player's achievement progress and shows some form of progress indicator on-screen.
Achievements are extra challenges added into video games that sometimes carry a point value or unlock bonus material, and are sometimes solely for bragging rights.
The Acme Corporation is a fictional company that is widely found in all forms of media, including video games. Most notably the fictional company is found in Looney Tunes cartoons.
Present in most action games, where people can say cheesy stuff and get away with it. Usually spoken by the hero, before or after wasting a dude.
Adaptation refers to the development of a trait that better enables an individual to thrive in a given environment. In video games, the word is often used to explain radical physiological transformations in characters or the environment.
Used by protagonists when opening a door that is locked, or just for looking really cool.
A staple in modern shooters. They hide, crawl, creep, climb and jump, and are usually pretty weak but hard to hit.
Alert is a state a game may enter after the player has been overtly detected by enemies, and often brings increased enemy opposition (in numbers, aggression, etc.) while a cooldown timer or meter appears by which the player can gauge the expiration of Alert.
Characters either begin with multiple outfits, unlock them through play, or purchase them as in-game items. These costumes are sometimes integral to play.
Games that feature more than one style of Game Over screen. Alternate Game Over screens are often used when the player loses in specific ways.
Alternative blood is blood other than the usual red variety.
Instrumental music, often electronic, that does not follow conventional music structures, instead using various sounds to create a mood. Ambient music can evoke many different feelings in the listener, from tranquility to creeping dread.
In games, the player is usually the ambushee, not the ambusher, but certain multiplayer and open-world games give players a chance to try this sneaky tactic themselves.
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.
The physical and mental turmoil that a person may encounter as a result of a traumatic or otherwise extremely stressful situation.
In many games the player is given the power to harm and or kill creatures. Many games have been brought to spotlight by groups like the rather militant PETA.
Supernatural armor that moves on its own. This could be due to possession, magic or animatronics.
Using any form of input or interruption to cause a character's sprite or 3D animation for landing/attacking/etc to drop frames and stop early. This allows you to instantly keep moving or attacking rather than waiting for said animation to finish going through all its frames.
Animation Priority concerns game animations (attacks, evades, specials moves, etc) that have a high level of priority over player inputs. Instead of being able to see instant reaction from player inputs, the player must wait for the on-screen animation to complete.
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.
Ants are small insects that live in nests and work together for a queen. Can be gene-modified to grow huge.
Archery is the practice of propelling arrows with use of a bow. Throughout history, archery skills have been used in both hunting and warfare. Today, it is also a sport and recreational activity.
Artificial Intelligence, or AI, commonly refers to the programmed behaviors of NPCs in a game, whether it's the fact that a soldier takes cover behind a wall in Gears of War, or that townspeople cheer upon your arrival to their village in Fable.
Assassins are people who are tasked with the action of violence against peoples, though their general aims are to be discreet and as minimally violent as possible in order to remain discreet if necessary.
Anytime an ally comes in to help you in any way. This mechanic is most common in fighting games.
Sick 'em, boy!
Audio logs are short voice recordings that a player comes across within a game that helps inform the player of the game's story and characters.
Auto-aiming (or Auto-targeting) allows for a character to attack or interact with an object or enemy that's very near to the player or within their field of vision.
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