Let's talk about cover shooters - Read the OP and post your favorites!

[duckroll]

Hello ERA, let's talk about cover shooters. I've come to realize that I really love cover shooters. Who doesn't right? But what is a cover shooter? Essentially a cover shooter is a game where the main gameplay loop involves shooting enemies (projectile weapon) while taking cover to avoid getting shot by enemies.

Here is an example of one of the earliest cover shooters in gaming:

Yup. Space Invaders is a cover shooter. It might not be what we think of as a cover shooter in a TPS sense, but there's no reason why it isn't. And there are many games that also fit that criteria throughout the history of gaming, and even today. Let's broaden our perspective of what a cover shooter is to think of games which fit this criteria (regardless whether they are third person shooters with cover mechanics) and share them!

Some of my favorites:

I remember playing Rolling Thunder on an Amiga at my grandma's place when I was really young. One of my uncles had a bunch of games on it. The cover mechanic was pretty awkward, but it definitely made it different from a lot of run and gun arcade games at the time because there was so much random shit to duck behind.

That sort of gameplay loop would get polished up and perfected later on in Blizzard's Blackthorne. Still one of my favorite oldschool 2D sidescrolling shooters. I feel the tone of the world and the feel of the pop and shoot mechanic definitely inspired Gears of War much, much later.

Time Crisis 2 was the definitive arcade gun shooter of its era, and the cover pedal set it apart from "shoot them before they shoot you" design of all the other gun games back then. Might well be the first ever Cover FPS if you think about it! :)

Police 911 is my favorite arcade gun shooter ever, and that's in no small part because of the amazing motion sensor cover system. Instead of using a pedal, you ducked using your body itself and could even shoot from cracks while in cover. Very immersive, very cool. The fact that the stages all took place in real places in Japan just made it grittier and more "real" too.

 

[Iva Demilcol]

I'm actually playing an amazing cover shooter, one of the best I've played in years: Valkyria Chronicles is awesome and more people should play it. I'm actually quite disappointed in this community that recommended to me overrated games like the original Xenoblade over more awesome stuff like Valkyria Chronicles.

 

[Rodan]

Full Spectrum Warrior comes to mind. I need to play it again on Xbox BC

 

[Siggy-P]

Xcom is a tactical strategy game based all about the use of cover and firing lanes. I mean you don't have to aim but you do point and shoot so that counts right? It's certainly a mechanic I wish more games introduced (its cover system, I mean)

Vanquish is the best traditional TPS cover shooter as we usualy think of the term. Though i so think it's actual use of cover isn't as necesary to te core gameplay as it could be.

I'm actually playing an amazing cover shooter, one of the best I've played in years: Valkyria Chronicles is awesome and more people should play it. I'm actually quite disappointed in this community that recommended to me overrated games like the original Xenoblade over more awesome stuff like Valkyria Chronicles.

Click to shrink...

The game's amazing for the first half. (Though itbecomes way too easy once you figure out

Spoiler: Gamebreaking exploit

that you can just stack orders on top of Alicia to make her invincible and sprint to the objective

)

 

[low-G]

VR completely changes the game on cover based shooting (i.e. makes it finally great).

I will say though that the cover mechanic of Space Invaders is real good.

 

[Dlacy13g]

I think PUBG also is a good example as cover can and often plays a critical role in surviving a gun battle.

 

[Aters]

I've come to the realization that I like cover based shooter more than running and gunning style shooter. It just gives you a little more time to hide behind cover and think about what to do next.

 

[L Thammy]

I've been looking at Custom Robo lately, and it seems like you do a lot of shooting in that - your primary weapon is some kind of gun. And taking cover has a big role in the gameplay as well, since you're in tiny, cluttered arenas and you fight against opponents that are about as strong as you are.

 

[duckroll]

VR completely changes the game on cover based shooting (i.e. makes it finally great).

Click to shrink...

Do you think you can expand on this more? I would love to hear your thoughts on this. I don't have much experience with VR gaming so far.

 

[low-G]

Do you think you can expand on this more? I would love to hear your thoughts on this. I don't have much experience with VR gaming so far.

Click to shrink...

Most basically, VR lets you handle cover any way you like. Want to lay down behind cover and blind fire above you, you can. Want to lean around cover to take shots, you can.

If somehow you can shoot with magical skill and hit targets you can't even see, you don't need to expose yourself to direct danger at all.

Obviously different games can handle firearms differently. A handful of games want to work more like Time Crisis directly, not giving you complete free movement.

I love that there is no more set cover where your character may be sticking out from cover and there's nothing you can do about it, because the game is designed that way. Alternatively, I don't like when cover = invulnerable to enemies in the front. VR gives the player choice of how much danger to put in.

 

[lordlad]

Is The London Heist from PSVR Worlds considered a cover shooter going by OP's example (Time Crisis)?

 

[Vilix]

Vanquish and Gears of War are my favorite cover shooters. Both rich in gameplay. Vanquish has that ultimate Japanese flair. And GoW with its addictive Hoard Mode.

 

[jdstorm]

Splatoon.

Having its ink mechanic be sprint and cover and reload and damage is brilliant

Uncharted 1-3

Competent mechanically but an achievement in narative that is a joy to replay.

Mass Effect 1

A great RPG with serviceable cover shooter mechanics. Its mostly stop and pop rather then dynamic like many of the other games on the list. However it makes up for it via ditching reloading in favor of a cooldown mechanic on weapons use

 

[duckroll]

Most basically, VR lets you handle cover any way you like. Want to lay down behind cover and blind fire above you, you can. Want to lean around cover to take shots, you can.

If somehow you can shoot with magical skill and hit targets you can't even see, you don't need to expose yourself to direct danger at all.

Obviously different games can handle firearms differently. A handful of games want to work more like Time Crisis directly, not giving you complete free movement.

I love that there is no more set cover where your character may be sticking out from cover and there's nothing you can do about it, because the game is designed that way. Alternatively, I don't like when cover = invulnerable to enemies in the front. VR gives the player choice of how much danger to put in.

Click to shrink...

Thanks, the way you describe it is really interesting. What games do you feel showcase those examples best? Have you played Police 911 in arcades btw? Because what you described sounds close to what I love most about the game. While it's a linear gun shooter which is on stage rails, each encounter itself feels like there is much more freedom in how you can evade and shoot from cover.

 

[low-G]

Thanks, the way you describe it is really interesting. What games do you feel showcase those examples best? Have you played Police 911 in arcades btw? Because what you described sounds close to what I love most about the game. While it's a linear gun shooter which is on stage rails, each encounter itself feels like there is much more freedom in how you can evade and shoot from cover.

Click to shrink...

Personally I'd say Compound and Pavlov VR are best in this way, but others may prefer Onward and other games.

Never played Police 911, sorry. It does sound really similar.

The free form cover is probably my favorite highlight of VR gameplay.