Game Genres - Help List & Categorize

[Jade]

OK, not sure if my idea would work for you. It was imaging something like if you were making a database. I envisioned like a bunch of checkboxes for each property.

Then you do a search by checking what you were interested in. Like show me all games that are 2D, a Shooter, Have Co-OP, or whatever.

But maybe you're thinking abut a giant Venn diagram of categories? Ya know where circles overlap each other in places.

[All Hail The New Flesh]

Let Me Try...

Main: Adventure
Sub: Point-n-Click Adventure
Sub: Action Adventure
Sub: First Person Adventure
Sub: Text Adventure

Thats all I got

[racketboy]

OK, not sure if my idea would work for you. It was imaging something like if you were making a database. I envisioned like a bunch of checkboxes for each property.

Then you do a search by checking what you were interested in. Like show me all games that are 2D, a Shooter, Have Co-OP, or whatever.

But maybe you're thinking abut a giant Venn diagram of categories? Ya know where circles overlap each other in places.

You're getting close, and it does involve a database

[racketboy]

Let Me Try...

Main: Adventure
Sub: Point-n-Click Adventure
Sub: Action Adventure
Sub: First Person Adventure
Sub: Text Adventure

Thats all I got

What would Zelda fall under, since technically, it's not much of an Action RPG?

[Jade]

What would Zelda fall under, since technically, it's not much of an Action RPG?

I believe Zelda's Link is the poster-boy for action-adventure. But action-rpg and action-adventure can be a difficult call to make. Some say because Link never levels up it's not an RPG. But...there are examples like Symphony of the night where you character levels but clearly that game focuses more on action and adventure than an RPG-like story.

For me I think the franchise history plays a part. Zelda 1 was clealy not an RPG. Its evolved to take on many RPG ideas though. Towns, castles, fetch quests

But its roots are more actiony adventure so in my mind I always see it in that light.

[racketboy]

What would Zelda fall under, since technically, it's not much of an Action RPG?

I believe Zelda's Link is the poster-boy for action-adventure. But action-rpg and action-adventure can be a difficult call to make. Some say because Link never levels up it's not an RPG. But...there are examples like Symphony of the night where you character levels but clearly that game focuses more on action and adventure than an RPG-like story.

For me I think the franchise history plays a part. Zelda 1 was clealy not an RPG. Its evolved to take on many RPG ideas though. Towns, castles, fetch quests

But its roots are more actiony adventure so in my mind I always see it in that light.

Isn't the heart meter kinda like simplified levels? Although, I guess they aren't directly connected to experience....

[Jade]

I dont view hearts in zelda as levels. Because you find and collect them. You don't battle to get them. They also do not effect stats. Even in SOTN gaining levels makes you stronger and better at defending. In Zelda hearts don't make you attack or defend better they only give you a larger pool of health to expend.

In many non JRPGs leveling also allows you to midify your character in some way. Choose how the level up will effect your character. In Zelda they are simply life containers.

[Gamerforlife]

Let Me Try...

Main: Adventure
Sub: Point-n-Click Adventure
Sub: Action Adventure
Sub: First Person Adventure
Sub: Text Adventure

Thats all I got

What would Zelda fall under, since technically, it's not much of an Action RPG?

To me action rpgs refer to two types of games. Gauntlet or Diablo style hack and slashers, or any traditional rpg that has a real time, move anywhere combat system that plays more like a real action game than your usual chess-like, turn-based fare. I'd consider Marvel Ultimate Alliance and Kingdom Hearts II as examples of the two types of action rpgs I'm talking about. I wouldn't call Zelda an action rpg because it has no real leveling and the combat systems have little depth and are only a small part of the games.

I've always considered Zelda a console adventure game with SOME rpg elements. They're more about exploring and puzzle solving with light combat. I think it's very similar to games like Primal,Tomb Raider,Prince of Persia:Sands of Time,Soul Reaver,Okami, etc. That's how I classify it.

I don't really consider Point-n-Click Adventure a sub-genre of Adventure. To my knowledge, these games are referred to by PC gamers as simply, adventure games. It's its own genre in the PC world. So, you could actually call them PC style Adventure games. Point-n-Click is fine too, but as I said, I don't consider it a SUB-genre

As for Resdient Evil 4. It's not a third person action game. That's something like Devil May Cry or the Xbox Ninja Gaiden. It's closer to a third person shooter, but it isn't because most enemies don't shoot at you and you can't strafe. The fact that you can die VERY quickly at many points of the game from surprise enemy encounters or through the Dragon's Lair inspired moments makes RE 4 still very much a survival horror game.

Of course, RE 4 is more generous with ammo than most survival horror games, which makes it something completely different. "Action" Horror, silly as it sounds may be an accurate description. A sub-genre of survival horror I guess. This might be the most accurate description of games like Eternal Darkness and Dino Crisis 2 as well since they give you more offensive options than a survival horror game should

Man, classifying genres is hard

[Jade]

It certainly can be. For example Secret of Mana and Brave Fencer Musashi. Are they action adventure or action RPG? I think you can make a good argument either way.

I want to call them both action-RPGs because they allow leveling (and they come from Square ) But you have to admit they are not wildly different from Zelda.

I think I agree w/ what you say about Zelda not focusing as much on combat. I think that may be the key. It certainly has it, but it has lots and lots of puzzles too. Secret of Mana and Musashi both focus much more heavily and depend much more heavily on their combat because they have much less exploring and puzzle solving than Zelda.

[Gamerforlife]

I'd say Secret of Mana is action-rpg and Brave Fencer Musashi is adventure. Of course, that's certainly debateable

I don't actually acknowledge the term action adventure. To me ALL adventure games have at least some combat so the action part isn't necessary.

This topic will be good for helping people get a GENERAL idea for what the genres and sub-genres are, but like most gamers once people start playing for a few years, they'll start having their own ideas about what the genres are. To me, genres are just sort of guidelines. Like someone said, once you play something like Katamari you have no idea what to call it.