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We need a different name for the subgenre "Character Action"

Deleted member 1258

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Oct 25, 2017
2,914
It makes no damn sense and does jack to describe what the genre is. "Character Action?" Every action game has you play as a character. "Stylish Action" games would better describe what those games are about.

What you would rename the genre to?
 
vestan

vestan

#REFANTAZIO SWEEP
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Dec 28, 2017
24,605
I'd say Stylish Action but that belongs to the Devil May Cry games now.

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Imran

Imran

Member
Oct 24, 2017
6,553
Everyone knows what it means. This feels like the late 90s when people were whining over "Technically you PLAY a ROLE in every GAME!"
 
SigmaCloud

SigmaCloud

Member
May 8, 2018
220
"Character action" has always been a garbage sounding genre name. I really wanna know who coined it, because I only ever saw it gain traction in the last couple of years. I'd rather call them stylish action or just go back to hack n slash.
 
matrix-cat

matrix-cat

Member
Oct 27, 2017
10,284
Same with the endless handwringing over 'Metroidvania', the genre name doesn't have to be a 100% perfect description of the content of the games. People know what you mean when you say 'character action game', therefore it's the name for the genre and doesn't have to be changed.

You play a role in every game. All games have action and adventure. All games involve strategy. A shitload of games could be described as 'multiplayer online battle arenas'. Etc etc.
 
JustinH

JustinH

Member
Oct 27, 2017
10,390
We should start calling them "looter shooters."

Odeko said:
Why? Everyone knows what you're talking about when you use it
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This is how I feel. I think it's already established to what people are referring when they say "character action" so it's understood what they mean. Changing the name would, I think, probably confuse people for a while at least, which kinda defeats the purpose doesn't it?
 
Odeko

Odeko

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Mar 22, 2018
15,180
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matrix-cat said:
Same with the endless handwringing over 'Metroidvania', the genre name doesn't have to be a 100% perfect description of the content of the games. People know what you mean when you say 'character action game', therefore it's the name for the genre and doesn't have to be changed.
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IT'S NOT LIKE ROGUE IF IT'S NOT ASCII

REEEEEEEEEEEEEE
 
JusDoIt

JusDoIt

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Oct 25, 2017
34,633
South Central Los Angeles
matrix-cat said:
Same with the endless handwringing over 'Metroidvania', the genre name doesn't have to be a 100% perfect description of the content of the games. People know what you mean when you say 'character action game', therefore it's the name for the genre and doesn't have to be changed.
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Metroidlike or Platform Adventure. No hand wringing necessary. The genre is very easy to label, unlike Devil May Cry alikes.
 
Gilver

Gilver

Banned
Nov 14, 2018
3,725
Costa Rica
I hate hack and slash because people call anything with a sword that even diablo so its so broad it lost any meaning. With character action people know what you are talking about so its fine, its not like role playing game makes sense for what they are known for. Stylish action is cool too.
 
skullwaker

skullwaker

Member
Oct 25, 2017
2,267
I think it's appropriate since it refers to games that center around a defined character performing stylish, high-octane action moves.

Other action games don't typically center around a character with as much focus and personality as Dante or Bayonetta.
 

Deleted member 679

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
14,741
I just call them stylish action games.

But I'm weird in other ways, like for example I want to include Vanquish and WET in this genre.
 
bobbychalkers

bobbychalkers

Member
Oct 26, 2017
1,603
its a dumb name but everyone knows what you are referring to when you say it. Something like hack and slash would be worse since you can refer to like 3 different genres with that term.
 
ASaiyan

ASaiyan

Member
Oct 25, 2017
7,228
Imran said:
Everyone knows what it means. This feels like the late 90s when people were whining over "Technically you PLAY a ROLE in every GAME!"
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Yup. "RPG" is a specific technical term that is different from the generic meaning of the individual words. Same with "Character-action game".
 
GurrenSwagann

GurrenSwagann

Member
Sep 20, 2018
538
I've never been a fan of the character action title so I just go with hack n slash since it sounds better to me.
 
JEH

JEH

Prophet of Truth
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Oct 25, 2017
10,205
It's a dumb name but everyone knows what you mean so might as well keep it.
 
PeakPointMatrix

PeakPointMatrix

Member
Oct 25, 2017
19,036
I feel like I never see anyone use "character action" to describe a game other than something like ESRB or marketing/press material. Is this a thing people actually say? More often I'll see hack-n-slash or beat-em-up, brawler, Action-RPG and the like. Character Action? tf is that?
 
Crayon

Crayon

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Oct 26, 2017
15,580
I've always called it hard action and I'm sticking to it. It's hard action, like hard sci-fi.
 

Deleted member 28523

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Oct 31, 2017
2,911
Odeko said:
IT'S NOT LIKE ROGUE IF IT'S NOT ASCII

REEEEEEEEEEEEEE
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yeah Roguelike means so much more then just a grid based, dungeon crawling game. Makes it difficult to find games actually like Rogue though.

Genres (and words in general) are there to convey the idea to other people. If you say character action on this forum I think a majority of people will know what type of game you're talking about.
 
thisismadness

thisismadness

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Oct 25, 2017
4,444
From the literal perspective, most genres are terrible at defining what they are and would require an explanation of why x game belongs and y doesnt.
 
Crayon

Crayon

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Oct 26, 2017
15,580
JEH said:
Kamiya said the genre of DMC1 was stylish hard action so maybe you're onto something
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That's where I got it. I was blown away by devil may cry and I really felt it was kind of a new genre. He called it stylish hard action so I went with that. I felt it always remained a very distinct subgenre and I thought hard action always worked.
 
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