Actions

Active Inputs

Action games can be placed on a spectrum defined by the amount of active input performance available to the player.

• Low input performance — depth comes from outside the player. Enemies, encounters, and the environment are the primary sources of complexity.

E.g. FromSoftware games

• High input performance — depth comes from within. The focus shifts to exploring and mastering the player's own toolkit.

E.g. Devil May Cry, Ninja Gaiden

What both share, regardless of where they sit on the spectrum, is that depth in action games is always emergent.

Common actions

• Poise Bar
• Dodge Roll
• Parry
• Ukemi