|
Online Action
Games
-
Online action games are internet
games that emphasises physical challenges, including hand-eye
coordination and reaction-time. Online action games include
games that have plenty of fighting and shooting. They also
typically have platforms of action. Platforms are characterised
by jumping to and from ledges and jumping over objects These
jumps are controlled and it is possible to fall from platforms
or to have a variety of misses. Naturally jump buttons are a
vital part of the game. If jumps are automated they are not
genuine platform games. Jumps also include swinging from
extendable arms or bouncing from trampolines and
springboards.
Online action games enable
players to control an avatar or protagonist. The hero must be
able to navigate game levels and on the way collect objects
while avoiding various obstacles and battling enemies by a
variety of means. Typically at the end of each level the hero
needs to be able to defeat the strongest of enemies for that
level. Enemies and obstacles gradually or sometimes, especially
for inexperienced players, very rapidly depletes the avatar's
strength and lives. The game is over when the avatar becomes to
weak or loses all of their lives. If the player manages to have
his avatar continue to the end of the sequences then he is
placed in a winning position. A lot of online action games
however are unbeatable and the player's primary objective
therefore is to be able to gain the highest possible score by
collecting objects and defeating the enemy.
Online action games provide
challenges that physically test skills. Sometimes action games
become hybrid by combining those elements that are more
relevant to adventure games. These added elements include such
challenges as races, puzzles or collecting objects. To be
purely action these must be very simple in order not to slow
down the action element of the game. There may also be a number
of tactical and exploration challenges, but these games must
include high reaction speed and good hand-eye coordination in
order to be classed as online action games. Of course the more
challenges there are requiring faster reaction times the more
action is involved.
A favourite series of online
actions games are the Diner Dash series of games that are
brought to us by playfirst. In these games the player controls
the avatar named flo, who becomes tired of being a stock
broker, gives up the corporate world to run her own restaurant.
The series finds her in a number of scenarios, my favourite is
parking cars. The aim of each game it for Flo to satisfy a
stream of customers. In diner dash she upgrades her restaurant.
In other games she is also upgraded to different levels. Diner
Dash is most properly placed in the category of the action
arcade genre.
Interestingly studies have shown
that playing online action games and action games generally
actually improves the eyesight of the players. The University
of Rochester undertook studies using college students as guinea
pigs over a period of one month. The eyesight of these students
tended to improve by twenty per cent.
Top of page
|