Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine Issue 36
Demo Derby
Game Mess Mornings 04/22/24
GrubbSnax
8-4 Play 4/19/2024: LEAVE IT TO BEAVERS
8-4 Play
The Community Spotlight 2024.04.20
The Community Spotlight 2024.04.13
Community Endurance Run XIV - April 12-14
Game » consists of 14 releases. Released Mar 23, 2004
An Easter Egg is an intentionally hidden cheat or hidden content in a video game, also known as a "secret".
Eavesdropping as a gameplay mechanic usually involves stealth gameplay, where the player might be required to overhear vital information to advance in the game. Or they may just receive a benefit by doing so.
Enemy distraction is a mechanic that allows the player to make enemies change their attention elsewhere by creating a diversion.
When the player's actions cause enemies to say specific lines of dialog, such as "He's here!" or "Who turned out the lights?"
A crosshair which becomes larger when the player shoots or moves which decreases accuracy, discourages shooting on the move and promotes firing in small bursts.
A powerful release of energy. This energy is usually expelled in all directions very quickly, typically giving off orange or red flames.
Receiving damage or dying as a result of falling.
Games that feature an antagonist--someone who opposes the game's protagonist--that is a woman.
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.
A combat maneuver in which one attacks or threatens the side of an enemy unit or formation. Used primarily to negate cover or gain a tactical advantage by attacking from an unexpected direction.
A popular name for the killcount (scoring system) in first person shooters, origin is Doom. The name comes from fragmentation grenades in that these are mainly antipersonnel weapons, the meaning is obscured greatly when referring to frags in games.
A listing of games that have functional mirrors inside the game. An in-game mirror must display the character as they move in order to qualify.
Game Over originally appeared in pinball machines, and later, arcade machines. When players lose at a game, it is game over.
Games based on literature. This does not include licenses of another adaptation.
A characteristic present in game characters with a superior state of mind reflected in how they solve problems and their way of approaching situations.
A glitch is an action performed within the bounds of a game engine that was not intended by the game's developers. Glitches are often performed by the player, though they can also occur independently.
Greatest hits is a general term for re-releases of games which have sold a certain number of copies, as part of a program managed by the console manufacturer.
Games in which players are guided through the game by characters via radio communication. Extremely popular narrative device and game mechanic in the current generation of video 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
Hostages exist to be saved, guarded, and occasionally executed.
A Human Shield is a form of cover in which a player uses a body to absorb damage like that of a shield. It's usually found in first and third-person shooters.
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.
The 2005 Interactive Achievement Awards celebrated the best games of 2004.
A gameplay mechanic allowing players to store their items and freely carry them around.
An imaginary boundary in the game world that limits player movement to a specific area. They are often criticized as a poor component of level design, when an actual wall or other visible boundary could have been used to delineate a game's playing field.
It's arguably the one move that symbolizes the medium to those outside it. The ability to jump, be it onto a building, a platform, or a skull, is one of the all time most important abilities ever put in a video game.
A Knock out or KO is when, example being a fighting game, one of the players is sent into a state of unconsciousness.
A leaderboard is a way for players of any multi-player game to know where they rank within the game's community.
When a character grabs a ledge, in order to pull themselves up, or shimmy to the side until there's room. Mostly seen in 3rd person adventure games, but also in many platformers.
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