Science fiction/action:
Science fiction and action are two separate genres which involve different elements but when combined can integrate these elements and mechanics together to create a more expansive and intriguing game.
Science fiction is a genre that deals with imagination and speculation surrounding futuristic events and elements which are fantasised and built around things such as technology, space travel, time travel and more work that is mainly revolved around the use of science. Science fiction was originally portrayed in books as a way to predict the future, in a way, with people giving their idealistic thoughts on what they believe could happen or is going to happen whether it be with the human race being wiped out by an alien race or the humans creating an AI so advanced that it could gain consciousness and out smart us to either enslave or destroy the human race again.
As time has gone by video games have used science fiction as a means of creating stories that revolve around their own idealisms. However, nowadays people use the science fiction in more than ways to just predict how they would see the future, they use it to create stories that can be set in the present or past implementing science and fiction to their whim. In video games what makes it science fiction will depend on several factors and not all of them have to be included to make it a fully fledged scientific game. The factors are, environment, mechanics, character designs, object designs and a whole heap of more stuff. An example of a science fiction game can be Bioshock, the game has no futuristic setting or aesthetic but does involve mechanics and story which revolve around scientific engineering placing it into the category of science fiction.
An action game is a game genre that emphasises upon the physical challenge for the player including hand eye coordination and reaction time. For a game to fit into the action genre it has to test the players physical ability of real life so they can overcome challenges placed into video games. It is one of the most common genres that exist and have been shown to improve the players eyesight.
Quantum break
An example of a game which combines the science fiction and action genres is Quantum break, the game explores into the theory of time travel and the effects of having people with powers to manipulate time. The game was developed by Remedy Entertainment and released during 2016 for the Xbox one. The game is centred around the protagonist Jack Joyce as he is involved in a failed experiment allowing him to gain time manipulation powers which can range from slowing down time, stopping time, manipulating time so he dashes, creating a time shield and more. As for the Action elements, the developers used the stated time mechanics to allow for multiple ways to tackle gun fights. This allows the player to use their own skills and adapt to the games pace so they can take out each fight in a way that suits them. For some enemies they will need to use certain techniques for both the powers and use of guns since there are different enemy types that can render some of the players attacks useless.
Racing:
The racing genre speaks for itself, the aim of the game is for the player to control a vehicle of some sort whether it be land, sea or sky and race around a course. They are usually quite limited in the content that they offer as vehicles are limited to the actions they can perform, however, there have been some innovative games that allow for more open and enjoyable content while sticking to the racing genre. Racing games usually include a competitive mode of some sort as well so that friends and families can go head to head and test their vehicle skills in a varied amount of game modes offered.
Crash team racing
Crash Team racing is a game developed by Naughty dog in the year 1999. The game is based around the story of trying to save the Earth from an alien who claims to be the fastest in the universe. The player must traverse through 16 tracks winning each race to advance and open up the next area until they eventually reach the final boss and beat him in a race. The game also supports up to 4 other game modes of time trial, arcade, battle and versus. Time trial involves the player racing against the clock instead of other people, battle involves being placed in an arena trying to scavenge for weapons and power ups in an attempt to destroy the other players.
Football/Sport:
The sport genre is a simple genre for games as it is based off of real life sports majorly, there aren't many games that invented a new kind of sport. Instead they just morph an already known sport and bend the rules or build something around it so it's kind of developed into something not seen before. A good example of a game which takes a basic sport and builds it into something unique is rocket league, it takes the typical football rules and way the game is played but adds cars into the mix to replace players allowing for a new gameplay style.
Other sports games are there to give a type of simulation to the player and games like this are FIFA or UFC, those games take already known sports including the rules, real life players/teams and more but make it so that instead of it being a watchable piece of media it is now playable. There isn't much change or innovation to the genre with these games but it allows people who are big time fans of the sports to be able to be in control and customise teams or a character to their play style bringing new entertainment to the table.
Survival/Horror:
The survival and horror are two genres that really go hand in hand and compliment each other, but they are both of their own genres and offer something different for players to experience. Survival is a genre that places the player in a position where they will have to stay alive and though the majority of games are based on not dying, survival games concentrate heavily on that mechanic. The typical mechanics you'd see within a survival game are hunger bars, buildables and more which concentrate on the typical human need for survival. Minecraft is a good example as the player is placed into a world with no items, food, resources or anything. They will begin to get materials and take steps to ensure they cannot die, upgrading their equipment and resources.
As for horror, this is a genre that has been around for a long time designed to scare and make people feel uncomfortable. This can be done in a variety of ways by playing upon peoples insecurities, having images flash on screen or producing a cold killing person/creature that hunts people down. Video games have offered this practice from a very early age and developers are still trying different methods and mechanics to produce a more vividly horrifying experience even introducing technology to monitor play testers and bring a scientifical opinion into the mix to try and create games that make the majority of players shudder in fear.
As for a survival horror it speaks for itself, the game concentrates on including this factor of fear whilst trying to make the player concentrate on surviving. These types of games will usually place very limited resources in the world (if it even includes an attacking mechanic) whilst offering a whole range of creepy and horrific enemies for the player to battle.
Resident evil 2
A good example of a game that is survival horror is resident evil 2, created in 1998 by capcom it places the player as a protagonist or their choice: Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield. The protagonist is travelling towards a city known as Raccoon City which has had all its inhabitants turned into zombies and other ghoulish creatures. The player must find ammo, weapons and items to help them fight through the hordes and traverse through the puzzles which are spread all over the town. The player must, however, use the ammo and health items collected wisely as they are within limited fashion compared to the amount of enemies the game has.
First person shooter (FPS):
The first person shooter genre speaks for itself, it places the player into the perspective of a character and has the player traverse through a story that will mainly involve them in some way. The game will also involve weapons (mainly guns) and projectiles for the player to use as they fight their way through hordes of enemy AI's. The majority of first person shooters look entirely the same with the main elements of change being the story and the user interface. The two games which defined the genre and made it what it is today are Doom and Wolfenstein 3D which were released in 1992 and 1993. They are both heavily credited for their contribution to the genre and the way it has moulded it as most games of today copy that exact formula.
Half life 2
Half life 2 is a great game which is part of the first person shooter genre. Released in 2004 and developed by Valve, it is one of the hugest games to be part of that genre due to its story telling elements and offered gameplay experience. It has a range of weapons for the player to use such as a crowbar, machine gun, rocket launcher and more. What defines it in the FPS is the amazing story the game has, with the first game setting a solid foundation, the second game built upon it massively and has caused to go down in history for one of the best storytelling games ever.
Puzzle:
The puzzle genre is designed to test the minds of people, originally expressed in forms of things such as crosswords or games of chess it has been involved in the video game industry and offers a more vivid and dynamic experience then a crossword ever could. One of the most popular games of all time is in fact a puzzle game known as Tetris. The game challenges people to think about how to gain as many points by matching pieces so they slot together. Since then it has come a very long way with the industry and many puzzles games are a lot more intricate in design allowing for harder challenges with varying factors.
Portal 2
Portal 2 is a fantastic example of a puzzle game. Released in 2011 by Valve it has been another huge success of a game and is considered to be one of a kind in its genre. Once again the game built upon what the first game offered and increased its potential massively, offering more puzzling challenges and mechanics. The game is is built around its main mechanic though which is using a gun to shoot two types of portals that would connect each other so when the player entered one they would appear out of the second, the same applies for any object.
Management:
A management game is part of a genre that isn't the most popular but is very intricate. The genre is based around managing the objective that the developers have placed in the game for you, this can range from civilisations to teams to buildings and more. If the player does not manage their objective well enough or they make mistakes then consequences can arise for them which causes their objective to crumble or be damaged a little.
Tiny tower
Tiny tower is a game released in 2011 for IOS and Android by NimbleBit. It has the user managing a tower filled with people known as "blitizens" and tries to make them build the biggest tower possible by adding floors and gaining more "blitizens" so they can earn higher amounts of money thus allowing for better management of the tower and its people.
Educational:
As humans knowledge is a very powerful thing and the more knowledge as human has the better equiped at life they are. To gain knowledge they originally went to school as school teaches its students knowledge about certain things such as maths, english, science and more. As the media has progressed people have attempted to implement education into everything they can with educational books containing information about the subject the person is trying to research or TV with productions such as documentaries teaching people about history or geography and more. Video games have also been a way for people to try and educate, especially children since they are captivated more by video games than they are by actual education.
In my opinion video games are a very helpful piece of media for information as I have learned a lot of things from video games that I have used in practice of lessons, especially during my history classes. Since video games concetrate more on entertainment rather than education I believe it stays fresher in the mind than most ways that people get educated which makes for a very interesting form of teaching.
Brain age
Brain age is a game that can be used by all ages to try and educate their brains and keep them active. Created in 2005 by Nintendo it involves a lot of puzzle based mini games that test the skills you would learn in education. It attempts to engage each age group and each level of smartness by offering more difficult scenarios and questions. One of its main features is the brain age check which offers three puzzles for the user to complete and depending on how well the player did will depend on what brain age the game will calculate for them. The game allows for development and growth and with the brain age checker allows the user to keep testing themselves to see if they are improving their brain or not.
Sources:
http://wallpoper.com/wallpaper/fantasy-art-263518
http://thwacke.com/2011/12/scientific-rationale-behind-adam-eve-and-the-use-of-plasmids/
https://www.nextmashup.com/best-action-games
http://gtspirit.com/2015/09/01/7-best-car-racing-games-in-20152016/
http://www.minecraftforum.net/forums/minecraft-discussion/survival-mode/273836-my-new-survival-house
http://www.gamingenthusiast.net/10-best-horror-games-of-2012/
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https://www.reddit.com/r/gaming/comments/27no70/loved_these_quotes_as_a_kid_call_of_duty_2/
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