Action games are one of the most popular game genres in gaming history.
With heart-pounding challenges and adrenaline-fueled moments, action games become more popular over time and have won the heart of many gamers.
In this article, we’ll dive into the action games and explore everything you need to know about this game genre, as well as listing a few successful titles and the publishing and development of action games.
Table of contents
- Origin and History of Action Games
- Successful Examples of Action Games Over the Years
- Action Games vs. Puzzle Games: Understanding the Difference
- Action vs. Action-Adventure Games: Deciphering the Distinction
- Challenges Faced by Action Game Developers
- The Influence of Technology on Action Games
- The Development and Publishing of Action Games
- The Future of Action Games
Origin and History of Action Games
Action games require the players to do certain actions in the game, allowing them to do any things they couldn’t do in real life. Sometimes, it’s just fun to immerse into a whole new world with new characters and scenarios.
Remember the classics like Pac-Man and Donkey Kong? These first action titles in the 1980s and 1990s allow you to run away from the ghosts while collecting points or dodging barrels to save the princess.
Some other titles are Contra, Super Mario, or Sonic the Hedgehog. If you know all of these titles, your childhood is definitely something others would be jealous of.
Later on, these kinds of games evolved with new technologies. This makes 3D action games become more and more popular in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Successful Examples of Action Games Over the Years
Back in the day when the SNES was still popular, we had a lot of successful titles like Contra, Super Mario Bros, and Sonic the Hedgehog.
Then, when the golden age of action games arises, we have the best action games like Tomb Raider, Metal Gear Solid, and Devil May Cry. We still remember the mysterious feeling when exploring the ruins in Tomb Raider or the satisfied feeling when slashing monsters in DMC.
Nowadays, action games are still popular with successful titles like Assassin’s Creed, Uncharted, and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. These games continue redefining action gaming!
Action Games vs. Puzzle Games: Understanding the Difference
Let’s think of action games as thrilling rollercoasters where lightning-quick reflexes and combat skills are your ticket to victory.
On the other hand, puzzle games tease your brain with mind-boggling riddles and strategic conundrums.
Both genres deliver their unique kind of excitement, catering to different tastes and preferences of gamers worldwide.
Action vs. Action-Adventure Games: Deciphering the Distinction
Have you ever wondered about the distinction between action and action-adventure games?
While action games throw us into the heart of exhilarating battles, action-adventure games combine combat with exploration, character development, and captivating quests.
It’s like having the best of both worlds – an action-packed ride with immersive storytelling that keeps us glued to our screens.
Challenges Faced by Action Game Developers
We all know that behind every jaw-dropping action game lies a dedicated team of developers, and developing an action game is not easy as it seems.
So, let’s see what challenges action game developers face!
1. Balancing Gameplay and Storyline
Crafting action-packed gameplay while maintaining a compelling storyline is a complex process. And when it’s done right, developers can keep the players hooked on these types of games for hours.
Gameplay should enhance the storytelling experience rather than overshadow it. On the other hand, too much storytelling can make the game boring, and it will be like a watching movie experience for gamers.
2. Creating Immersive and Dynamic Environments
Although the main point of action games is to make the players do actions, an immersive and dynamic world is also important.
For example, an action fighting game should be enough with only the fight mechanic and a backstory of characters. However, stunning environments and dynamic interactions could bring life to the game.
Among realistic physics, destructible elements could enhance the overall gameplay immersion.
3. Combat Mechanics and Difficulty Scaling
Once you have nailed the gameplay, storyline, and dynamic environments, it’s time to care about the game mechanics and the difficulty scaling.
Some games have a good AI system for adjusting the difficulty. For example, Left 4 Dead 2’s Director can adjust the difficulty of a stage depending on how the players perform.
4. Innovating and Staying Relevant
Inheritance and innovation are important to make the game fresh. However, changing too much may create unnecessary features, thus, confusing players.
While the gaming trend is constantly changing, the developers must keep themself up-to-update to suit the current demands.
For example, pixelated and indie games made a great comeback in recent years, proving that graphic is not the only criterion to determine whether a game is good or not.
The Influence of Technology on Action Games
Technology affects many aspects of our life, and the gaming industry is no exception. That said, let’s see the 7 influences of technology on action games!
1. Advancements in Graphics and Visual Realism
While some players prefer an action game with good gameplay and storyline, others love realistic graphics.
Back in the day, when technology was limited, and all we had was some old game engines, making a game with realistic graphics and visual realism was a big challenge.
However, with new tech and advancements, developers now have PCs with strong hardware. Combined with advanced game engines, video games are much more enjoyable. They have realistic lighting, environment, cutting-edge rendering techniques, and more.
2. Impact of Artificial Intelligence on NPCs and Enemy Behavior
NPCs or opponents play a huge role in action games, as they mainly affect the gaming experience.
Just imagining fighting with a useless enemy that doesn’t know how to block your attack and doesn’t move no matter what happens.
And with artificial intelligence, enemies in action games nowadays are much more dangerous to deal with. They can run, hide, or attack you in various ways.
3. Seamless Open-World Exploration and Design Innovations
Action open-world games are popular due to their huge map and world details. However, do the developers and designers create it by hand and bit by bit?
Sometimes, yes, but most of the time, procedural generation does all of the job.
By using algorithms, developers can save a lot of time building the open world while working on the parts of the game, creating an immersive experience for players.
Design innovations, such as dynamic day-night cycles and weather systems, add more depth and realism to these open-world experiences.
4. Innovative Input and Interaction Methods
If you’ve played video games before, you must have known that controllers were popular in the past decades. As technology advances, players can interact with a game using keyboards, mouses, and more.
Moreover, not just stop at the hand interaction, players can now use their motion or voice to control the in-game character. This is such a huge advancement in the game industry!
5. Multiplayer and Online Connectivity
In the old days, to play video games together, we have to come to each other’s houses to experience games.
However, with the rise of the internet, players can play video games anywhere, anytime, and with anyone they want. This allows players to share their interests with others easier and collaborate to keep themselves entertaining.
Not to mention that not all games support multiplayer, though.
6. Impact of Mobile Gaming
With the development of smartphones and tablets, many developers also optimize their games for mobile platforms. This increases the reach and portability of action games to more players.
7. Embracing Cloud Gaming
The gaming world continues evolving, but not all players can afford the requirements to play their favorite games. And that’s where cloud gaming comes to help.
This technology allows gamers to play action games with high-quality experiences (and with little delay, depending on your internet speed) on various devices, from smartphones to smart TVs.
The Development and Publishing of Action Games
Like many other video game genres, the collaboration between development and publishing is needed to create a successful action game.
1. Collaborative Game Development and Teams
Whether you’re going to create an indie action game or an AAA action game, you’ll need a dedicated team for the action game development job.
Game designers and writers may come up with a story and a game design, while the developers and artists bring the ideas to life and implement them to create a playable game.
Moreover, a game tester must find the bugs and report them to the developers. This cycle polishes the game, furthermore enhancing the game quality and experience.
2. Funding and Budgeting for Action Game Projects
A game development team can’t just work without eating and sleeping, right? And they may have their own budget for these kinds of needs. However, it’s crucial to get community support, grants, or help from a game publisher.
Besides helping with basic needs, game publishers also help with training, buying courses, and giving people when needed.
That said, working with a publisher can be great as you have solid ground to stand to release a captivating gaming experience.
3. The Role of Publishers in the Action Game Industry
Among budgeting and funding, game distribution and marketing are other important aspects you should consider when working with a game publisher.
Communication between developers and publishers is essential, as they keep refining the game until it’s ready for release.
Regarding marketing strategies, game publishers can help with engaging trailers and strategic social media campaigns to generate players around the world.
Nowadays, digital platforms like Steam and Epic Games Store offer user-friendly ways to download action games. Their regular updates and content expansions keep players excited all day long.
The Future of Action Games
While the gaming industry continues evolving, it’s worth taking a look at the future of action games to see where they will be going.
1. Emerging Trends in Action Games
As time goes by, action games will become more innovative with unique gameplay and graphics.
Not to mention that there will be an integration of virtual reality, as well as other motion detection technologies, to make the gaming experience more immersive.
In addition, as more games support cross-platform and crossplay, playing action games without friends in the future will be much easier, as the platform and device requirements are completely removed.
Finally, more games with interactive choices will arise. This furthermore enhances and personalizes the gaming experience for story lovers.
2. The Impact of Advancements in Technology
As mentioned earlier, technology has so many significant impacts on the gaming industry, and action games are no exception.
We can expect to see more games with ultra-realistic graphics, realistic physics, and intelligent NPCs in action games. So, get ready for more games to come!
3. Predictions for the Future of Action Games
While the future remains full of surprises, we foresee action games becoming even more interconnected and social.
Cross-platform play will bridge the gap between different gaming devices, allowing players to team up with friends regardless of their chosen platform.
Interactive narratives will empower players to shape the story through their decisions, adding replay value and personalization to the gaming experience.
And that’s everything you need to know about action games, or at least, what we can show you.
From development to publishing, and the challenges as well as the technology impact on this game niche, it’s worth stepping inside the world of action games.
So, get’s ready; the action gaming world awaits you!