Game: Stoneage Conqueror
Category: Action games

Description: Take control of the Stone Age general. Scout out your enemy, find their weakness, gather your soldiers, and march on the enemy village. Victory will require total annihilation of the enemy faction; leave no one and nothing alive in this action game.

Action role-playing game

An action role-playing game or action RPG is a common name for a type of computer or video game. Although the precise definition of the genre varies, the typical action RPG features a heavy emphasis on combat, often simplifying or removing non-combat attributes often associated with more traditional role-playing games, such as statistics and the effect they have on the character's development Additionally, combat always takes place using a real-time system (hence the "action") that relies on the player's ability to perform particular actions with speed and accuracy to determine success, rather than mainly using the player character's attributes to determine this. However, RPGs that use this style of combat system but give equal focus to non-combat elements such as non-player character interaction and character development (such as The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion) are often referred to as computer role-playing games.
Although certainly not the first, Diablo and its sequels helped revitalize the action RPG genre. Other examples include Crystalis, the Mana series, Kingdom Hearts, and Dungeon Siege.

Genre blurring
Some action RPGs decrease the importance of character attributes far enough to also be considered action-adventure games, and some recent action-adventure games (such as Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas) have begun including RPG-like attributes along the lines of those in an action RPG. Action-adventure games that do not include character statistics (including the Legend of Zelda series but excluding Zelda II: The Adventure of Link) are also sometimes referred to as action RPGs, although this is often debated. It is fair to say that the Action-RPG genre, and the Action-Adventure genre have greatly influenced each other, and are closely related.

History

Classic Action RPGs
One of the first games to fuse real-time action with RPG elements (such as an overworld, in most cases) was the cult hit Dungeons of Daggorath for the TRS-80 Color Computer. Released in 1982, Daggorath combined a typical dungeon crawl with real-time gameplay requiring quick keyboard presses.
While Western developers continued to explore the possibilities of real-time RPG action, Japanese developers, with their recent interest in the RPG genre, tweaked the formula a bit to create a new brand of action/RPG. The company at the forefront of this was Nihon Falcom.
Falcom's Dragon Slayer, released in 1984, was a simple real-time treasure grab game. However, its sequel, Xanadu, released in 1985, was a full-fledged RPG, with character stats and a large quest. What set Xanadu apart from other RPGs was its action-based combat. The game was immensely popular in Japan, setting records for PC game sales.
The next two years would see the release of two games that would further define the action/RPG genre in Japan: Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda in 1986 and Falcom's Ys in 1987. While not strictly an action/RPG since it lacks RPG elements, The Legend of Zelda influenced later games in the action-RPG genre. Zelda II also implemented an RPG-esque system with action elements, making it closer to an action-RPG than other Zeldas. Ys, on the other hand, used true RPG principles. While not very popular in the West, the long-running Ys series has been very strong in Japan with many sequels, remakes and ports in the decade that followed its release.
In late 1987, FTL Games released Dungeon Master, a critically acclaimed dungeon crawl game that redefined the genre and set the standard for real-time 3D action/RPGs for the next several years. When released in Japan in 1990, Dungeon Master became the first action/RPG to achieve the number one sales rank in both Japan and the U.S.[citation needed]
1990 would see the release of Crystalis for the NES and also "Golden Axe Warrior" for the SEGA Master System. Both games featured Zelda-like gameplay blended with genuine RPG elements, such as experience points, statistics-based equipment, and a magic-casting system.
In Japan on Super Famicom, Tales of Phantasia was released in Japan in 1995, featuring real-time side-scrolling combat mode and an exploration mode similar to classic console RPGS. In 1996, Star Ocean was released that also has real-time combat and classic exploration but features bird's eye view. Namco and Enix did not publish these two revolutionary titles in America, even though sequals in the two series would become wildly popular on future generations of consoles in U.S.
Fifth generation era saw several popular action RPGs, such as Valkyrie Profile, Star Ocean, Super Mario RPG, Parasite Eve and Shining Wisdom. All consoles on Sixth generation era have several action/RPGs, such as Sudeki, Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance, Kingdom Hearts, .Hack, and Super Paper Mario.

First-person view
As a revolutionary step, Blue Sky Productions released Ultima Underworld: The Stygian Abyss in 1992. This innovative game was a technological marvel, using a fully 3D first-person perspective combined with real-time action and a surprisingly deep role-playing experience. One of the game's developers, Warren Spector, would go on to help develop more games combining action and RPG gameplay, such as System Shock and Deus Ex.
Other first-person RPGs include Shadowcaster by Raven Software and id Software in 1993 created with an early version of the Doom engine, The Elder Scrolls series by Bethesda, Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines by Troika Games, and recently Hellgate: London by Flagship Studios which was formed from Blizzard North executives and developers responsible for the Diablo franchise. (also supports third-person view)

Beat 'em Up / Hack & Slash
In 1991, Squaresoft released Seiken Densetsu for the Game Boy, also known as Final Fantasy Adventure in the West. Like Crystalis, the action in Seiken Densetsu bore a strong resemblance to that of Zelda, but added more RPG elements. Seiken Densetsu 2, also known as Secret of Mana, implemented an innovative multiplayer function, and further developed its combat with more diverse weaponry and spell-casting.
Unique among video games are Capcom's Dungeons & Dragons: Tower of Doom (1993) and Dungeons & Dragons: Shadow over Mystara (1996). These games were released for the arcades, and featured a blending of beat 'em up and RPG characteristics. The games were later released for the Sega Saturn together as the Dungeons & Dragons Collection (1999).

Diablo, the Point-And-Click Genre
In 1996, a stagnant PC RPG market was revitalized by Blizzard's Diablo, an action/RPG that used a point-and-click interface and offered gamers a free online service to play with others that maintained the same rules and gameplay.
Diablo's effect on the market was significant; it had many imitators and its style of combat went on to be used by many MMORPGs that came after.For many years afterwards, games that closely mimicked the Diablo formula were referred to as "Diablo clones." The definition of a Diablo clone is even vaguer than that of an action RPG, but typically such games have each player controlling a single character and have a strong focus on combat, with plot and character interaction kept to a minimum. In some examples, non-player characters have only one purpose—be it to buy or sell items or upgrade the player's abilities—or issue them with combat-centric quests. Such characters might only have dialogue relating to their function rather than providing small talk or rumors perhaps unrelated to actual gameplay elements. They also have few or no puzzles, with all problems instead having an action-based solution (such as breaking a wooden door open with an axe rather than having to find its key).
Blizzard later gave birth to a sequel, Diablo II in 1999, and it became an international sensation in America, Europe, and Asia, spawning even more clones all over the world for years to come.

Return to Role-Playing
While most Action-RPG focuses on hack & slash while exploring a world and building character stats, some titles contain many dialogue choices with consequences in the game world. Some games such as Star Ocean and Fable allow player to make many game-altering choices in dialogues and events. However, a full-fledged dialogue system with highly impressionable NPC as seen in pure PC-RPGs did not appear in an action rpg until the release of Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines in 2004. In 2007, Bioware's Mass Effect and CD Projekt's The Witcher increased the amount of world-altering choices in dialogue to the point of rivaling and even excelling the amount found in pure classic RPG.

Survival horror

Survival horror is a video game genre in which the player has to survive against often undead or otherwise supernatural enemies, typically in claustrophobic environments and from a third-person perspective. The genre makes liberal use of both Western and Japanese horror film elements. The term "survival horror" was first used as a genre for the original Japanese release of Resident Evil (1996), although the earlier game Alone in the Dark was pioneering in the genre. The term has since been often used to describe games of a similar nature, including some that were released before Resident Evil.

Themes of survival horror games
Survival horror is possibly the only video game genre that is defined by theme as well as gameplay style. It is most commonly associated with the Resident Evil, Silent Hill and game mechanics, though the genre contains titles which borrow heavily from gameplay styles associated with other genres. These games can resemble beat 'em ups, point-and-click adventures, RPGs and first-person shooters. They all deal with dark, violent and supernatural themes typical of horror movies. This helps to define the genre more than any specific gameplay mechanic.
Survival horror games use puzzle solving and exploration as routes of progression through the game.The player often must contend with limited supplies such as ammunition and health - hence "survival" horror. The player character is often portrayed as being unfamiliar with the area the game takes place, contributing to the feeling of isolation and discomfort in the player. Some games provide 'safe' rooms or areas, where characters can heal, consult a map or save the game without fear of attack. In some games, even these areas can become corrupted or besieged by enemies, allowing no respite. Survival horror games are also infamous for having several enemies who are capable of killing the player character in just one attack. Most of the enemies in survival horror are usally melee attackers, but overwhelm the player with huge numbers of enemies. More uncommon are enemies which are able to attack from a distance, either by throwing bodily fluids or using firearms.
Most survival horror games are single player only, though a few exceptions have appeared.Player characters are typically armed, but rarely as well-armed as characters in other genres such as first-person shooters. Makeshift weapons such as metal pipes, kitchen knives and other implements are often used in place of firearms. The player's goal is generally to escape from an isolated building or town that is overrun by zombies or monsters. Enemies can be defeated in combat, though avoiding enemies is often preferred or even necessary in order for the player to progress.
Game developers use several techniques to unsettle the player and make him/her feel underpowered, with the strength or number of enemies reflecting how well-prepared a player character is. If players control an 'average Joe' type character wielding a makeshift weapon, that character seems more vulnerable, allowing even human-sized monsters in small numbers to threaten the player. Should the player be controlling a soldier armed with firearms, then the enemies will be made larger, more powerful and appear in greater numbers in order to achieve the same effect. Many survival horror games feature protagonists who are stereotypical weak females; again this is often the developers trying to make the player feel under-prepared to face countless monsters.

History
The early 1990s saw the introduction of gameplay mechanics found regularly in more modern examples of the genre. Although the survival horror genre was popularized by Resident Evil, it was predated by earlier works such as Sweet Home, Clock Tower: The First Fear, and Alone in the Dark, which clearly had an influence on the creation of Resident Evil.Alone in the Dark introduced many elements, both graphical and gameplay-related, that were used in Capcom's creation; the use of static prerendered "camera" views as the gameplay field in which dynamically rendered polygonal models would act as the characters and objects, as well as a very similar character movement and combat control scheme would be some of the most similar features. Alone in the Dark's action scenes were much more sparse, though, and many of the enemies and monsters found across the game couldn't be defeated directly, and had to be avoided or outsmarted, defining the gameplay as more puzzle-oriented.
The term "survival horror" was first used by Resident Evil, published in 1996. The original Japanese version of Resident Evil was marketed under the previously non-existent Survival horror genre on the game's cover. A line of text also displayed the phrase "Enter the world of survival horror..." while the game was loading. Sweet Home in particular served as inspiration for Shinji Mikami to create Resident Evil.
Some common elements of survival horror games can be found in the 1981 Atari 2600 game Haunted House, which has been considered by some to be the earliest example of the genre.
Clock Tower and Silent Hill created a group of survival horror games that focus on psychological horror rather than just violence and shock tactics. This category deemphasizes combat in order to increase the vulnerability of the protagonist and build tension. Similar titles include the Fatal Frame series, Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem, Splatterhouse and Siren.

Action-adventure game

An action-adventure game is a video game that combines elements of the adventure game genre with various action game elements. It is perhaps the broadest and most diverse genre in gaming, and can include many games which might better be categorized under narrow genres. The first known game in this genre is the Atari 2600 game Adventure (1979).
With the decline of the adventure game genre from mainstream popularity, the use of the term (and the hybrid term "action-adventure") has been more liberal. It is not uncommon for gamers to apply the term "adventure" or "action adventure" to describe the genre of fiction to which a game belongs, and not the gameplay itself, usually to the dismay of adventure game purists.
It is important to note the distinction between thematic genres and gameplay genres, as in this case they have very different meanings and etymology. "Adventure" is a reference to the early computer game of the same name, and has no thematic or narrative meaning, nor any connection to adventure movies. Similarly, while action games usually do have violent themes similar to action movies, this is not a requirement.
Action-Adventure is a hybrid genre, and thus the definition is very inclusive, leading it to be perhaps the broadest genre of computer and video games.

Typically:
Pure adventure games have situational problems for the player to solve, with very little or no action. If there is action, it is generally confined to isolated mini-games.
Pure action games have gameplay based on real-time interactions that challenge the reflexes.
Action-adventure games engage both reflexes and problem-solving, in both violent and non-violent situations.

Definition and confusion
The term action adventure itself has become more generalized since its introduction, and can now be used to refer to virtually any game which combines elements of real-time action-based challenges with some element of problem-solving. The genre exists largely to distinguish these games from pure adventure games, or from role playing games. It should be noted that adventure games never have a pronounced action element, limiting the action-based challenges to mini-games or other brief sequences. RPGs by definition have elements of pen and paper role playing games, such as "experience points" and other statistic-driven gameplay. Games in the Metroid series are better classified as action-adventure because of this.
Due to the lack of a definition of the term "action-adventure" (although it may be considered a game that contains elements of both genres on assumption) there are quite a few disagreements in the community and in the media over what actually constitutes an action-adventure game. One definition of the term "action adventure" may be '“An action/adventure game is a game that has enough action in it not to be called an adventure game, but not enough action to be called an action game.”' Others see action games as a pure genre, while an action-adventure is an action game that includes situational problem-solving. Regardless, disagreements over which games fit under the categories are particularly prominent in articles over the internet and media. Action-adventure games may have a free roaming feel, but the term is usually not used when a narrower sub-genre, like Action-RPG is better applied.

Common features
In action-adventure games, while reflex-based actions are required (often revolving around combat or the avoidance thereof), the gameplay still follows a number of adventure game genre tropes (gathering items, exploration of and interaction with one's environment, often including an overworld connecting areas of importance, and puzzle-solving). While the controls are arcade-style (character movement, few action commands) there is an ultimate goal beyond a high score. This type of game is often quite similar to computer role-playing games.
They are distinct from graphic adventures, which sometimes have free-moving central characters, but also wider variety of commands and fewer or no arcade game elements and are distinct too from text adventures, characterized by many different commands introduced by the user via a complex text parser and no free-moving character. While they share general gameplay dynamics, action-adventures vary widely in the design of their viewpoints, including bird's eye, side scrolling, first-person, third person, over the shoulder, or even 3/4 view.
Many action-adventure games simulate a conversation through a conversation tree. When the player encounters a non-player character, they are allowed to select a choice of what to say. The NPC gives a scripted response to the player, and the game offers the player several new ways to respond.

Action game

An action game is a game that challenges a player's speed, dexterity, and reaction time. Action games often include tactical conflict, exploration challenges, and puzzle-solving, but these are not defining elements. Action games are the broadest and most inclusive genre in gaming, encompassing many diverse sub-genres such as first-person shooters, beat 'em ups, and platform games.
Action games typically feature violent physical force, especially shooting or melee combat as their main interactive feature.

Defining elements
While the earliest action games appeared on computers, most action game genres were popularized in the video arcades that became popular in the 1970s and '80s. At that point, the vast majority of games focused on tests of dexterity that lent themselves to the short, addictive play that the arcade format thrived on. Sports and driving themes were common, but other games with more varied (and usually violent) themes began to form the action genre.
Some seminal action games include Space Invaders and Kung Fu Master, which helped to popularize the shoot 'em up and beat 'em up sub-genres, respectively. Later, as consoles and personal computers became more popular, it became more common for action games to include more non-action elements to lengthen to play experience and reduce repetition. "Pure" action games are not as common as the once were, but still exist.

Common objectives and gameplay
While the objective of an action game varies from game to game, it generally involves advancing through stages (or levels), eliminating hordes of enemies, and solving puzzles. Many games include one or more "Bosses", often preceded by "Mini-Bosses". A Mini-Boss is usually the climax to a level or series of levels, with a Boss encountered either at the end of the game or periodically throughout the game, leading up to an "End-game Boss", whose defeat is the objective of the game.
Bosses are typically defeated through use of "pattern recognition" skills and physical reaction speed. In most older action games and even many modern ones, the bosses are programmed with a simple pattern of attacks or moves that players learn through trial and error. These simple patterns would often include combo moves that require a player to jump, dodge, or block an attack, then strike at certain points to deal damage, perhaps even waiting out or timing the patterns to get in attacks.
Many sub-genres, such as platform games and action-adventure games, add gymnastic-style puzzles, such as timing jumps to and from moving platforms. Platform games, whether 2D or 3D, are usually similar in concept to the original Mario Bros. game series. Some action games feature third-person shooter gameplay, enabling the player to acquire and upgrade various weapons, each sporting its own special abilities.
Another common sub-genre is the shoot 'em up, which usually involves the player controlling a character or vehicle brandishing many weapons and shooting anything that moves on-screen. This genre is well known for its side and vertical scrolling shooter games.

Physical impact
Studies have shown that people can improve their eyesight by playing action video games. Tests by scientists at the University of Rochester on college students showed that over a period of a month, performance in eye examinations improved by about 20% in those playing Unreal Tournament compared to those playing Tetris.It is believed that this is due to the action game improving the spatial resolution of the players' vision.

Action game sub-genres
Following is a list of the most common sub-genres.
Action-adventure game
Action role-playing game
Beat 'em up
Dance and Rhythm
Driving
Fast Puzzle
Fighting game
First-person shooter
Platform game
Shooter game
Third-person shooter