Game Mess Mornings 04/17/24
GrubbSnax
Indie World Showcase 4/17/24
We Talk Over
Addicted to the shindig (Diamond is Unbreakable 06)
JeffJeff's Bizarre Adventure
The Community Spotlight 2024.04.13
Community Endurance Run XIV - April 12-14
The Community Spotlight 2024.04.06
Franchise »
A game that uses a mixture of 2D & 3D techniques. Commonly used to describe the use of either 3D graphics restricted to a 2D perceptive, or 2D graphics used to fake the appearance of a 3D perceptive.
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.
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.
Abilitease is an aspect of game design wherein a game will provide a glimpse of your full skill-set at or near the start, only to remove most of these skills, stats, and abilities soon after.
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.
Grabbing the attention of a nearby enemy NPC. Usually leads to them attacking.
In game terms alchemy is typically an item creation system. Centuries ago it was the pursuit of changing normal metals into gold, unsuccessfully.
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.
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.
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.
Some games offer alternate modes or specific sections of the storyline that involve arena combat, gladiator style.
Games where characters have a cannon for an arm.
Attributes are a numerical representation of a character's abilities who have their roots in RPGs. Today, attributes have spilled over to a wide range of game genres.
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.
Backtracking is the act of navigating through previously explored areas, usually for the purpose of progressing in an objective-based adventure game. Players who are lost may also backtrack to reorient themselves.
When characters make conversation during normal gameplay, rather than a dialog-focused scene.
A mechanic used mainly in Japanese RPGs of both the action and turn-based variety.
In many RPGs, especially those made in Japan, magic is categorized as black or white. Black magic spells deal damage or inflict negative effects.
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.
A regular enemy in RPGs which appears to be like any other at first, but turns out to be just as bad, if not worse, than one of the game's actual bosses.
Games that let you choose the path you take through the story-line.
The deliberate animation of breasts, meant to titillate as a means to conform to more realistic physics.
A Concept mostly in MMORPGs. A Buff allows the player to increase their stats for a short period of time.
A physics simulation or manual animation of a character's posterior.
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.
Special codes or button combinations used to gain powers or advantages in a game. Generally hidden.
While modern chemistry defines 118 atomic elements, video games more often deal with classical elements as described in ancient philosophy, mainly fire, water, earth, and air. In many games, each element is stronger against certain elements, but weaker against others.
Collective consciousness is best defined as a group or race of beings possessing no minds of their own, but act and are controlled in service of a greater overall purpose, much like ants. They make great villains!
Typically found in fighting games, combos are a series of strung-together moves.
This edit will also create new pages on Giant Bomb for:
Until you earn 1000 points all your submissions need to be vetted by other Giant Bomb users. This process takes no more than a few hours and we'll send you an email once approved.
Use your keyboard!
Log in to comment
Log in to comment