Specific features of the action genre in video games of the late XX – early XXI century

Krutov Nikita Yurevich ORCID: 0000-0002-8889-4373 postgraduate, Department of Arts and Design, Far Eastern Federal University 690922, Russia, Primorsky Krai, Vladivostok, FEFU campus, F findellius@ya.ru

Fedorovskaya Natalya Aleksandrovna Doctor of Art History Associate Professor, the Department of Arts and Design, Far Eastern Federal University 690922, Russia, Primorsky Krai, Vladivostok, FEFU campus, F, room 406 fedorovska@mail.ru

Video games have long been not only entertainment, but also the object of scientific understanding and close study of researchers in various fields of knowledge (sociology, psychology, philosophy, cultural studies, art studies, design, etc.). Currently, researchers in the genre definition of video games use the so-called traditional typology, formed, on the one hand, works on the classification of such researchers such as T. Apperly ^[1], M. Wolf (Mark J. P. Wolf) ^[6], T. H. Kutlaliev ^[11], N. Y. Kazakova ^[10], N. A. Moshkov ^[12], I. I. Yugai ^[13] and others, on the other hand, generations of players (the opinion of players in genre categorization is recorded, for example, in the magazines Gambling, idTech and the Steam video game store). In video games, there are action, strategy, quest (also known as "adventure"), role-playing game, puzzle, simulator, as well as a mixed genre category. Despite the proposed genre classifications, there is still no universal typology capable of linking all video games into a single system, a large number of them cannot be accurately correlated with any one "traditional" genre group. In this regard, the identification of essential features and characteristics that make it possible to distinguish one genre of video games from another is of particular relevance. This article identifies specific features that make it possible to attribute a video game to the action genre, to consider its genre varieties based on these features, as well as to identify action elements in other genre types.

The term action (or action) in the world and Russian gaming culture originated as a translation from English "action", meaning an extensive associative-semantic field, the key meaning of which is the commission of any active actions. In cinema, the form of modern art closest to video games, action is defined by films saturated with battles, combat actions, and a sharp dynamic plot (as defined in N. Komlev's Dictionary of Foreign Words).

Action is by far the largest conglomeration in the world of video games, including several genre subspecies. The very concept of "action" is blurred and is defined by researchers very broadly and is understood more intuitively than consciously. According to T. H. Kutlaliev, action belongs to six main genres and "includes most of the computer games that require good reaction, eye and precision of movements" ^{[11, p. 38]}. N. Y. Kazakova, describing video games of this genre, also reports that these are "games that require good coordination, the player has a quick reaction and his active interaction with the game world" ^{[10, p. 97]}. At the same time, the definition of the 90s of the Next Generation magazine emphasizes the physical component in the actions of a specific character: "An action game is a game characterized by a simple gameplay of the "action-reaction" principle. [... The defining characteristic is that enemies and obstacles are overcome by "physical" means, and not by an intellectual solution."

It is possible that different points of view on the term arose as a result of the existence in the gaming environment of this genre. The action game originated almost at the very beginning of the existence of the video game industry. The term "action games" was introduced in the Western world by the end of the 1970s (according to Retro Gamer magazine) and was fixed in game magazines of the early 1980s as one of the popular genres produced and played in the USA (as indicated in the catalog of video games given in Electronic Fun-Games magazine for 1982).

By the 1970s, the first popular genres included in the action group were the so-called shooters – the term "shooters" is used in Russian-language game slang. These are games such as Computer Space (1971) and Space Invaders (1978), where the player needs to have a quick reaction and accuracy to shoot at computer targets. At the same time, sports games such as volleyball and tennis simulators are flourishing. For example, PONG (1972) and Volleyball (1972). Finally, the golden age of arcade games (the late 70s-80s of the XX century), which came to the computer environment from slot machines (from the English arcade, the so-called galleries where slot machines were located), made popular a lot of video games in which the same "physical" skills of the players were tested, one of the main goals of which was to achieve the highest number of points (such, for example, Donkey Kong (1981), in which progress in levels and getting points depends on the player's ability to dodge barrels and other obstacles; Pacman (1980) – a game of reaction and quick orientation in the maze against constantly pursuing computer enemies).

By the early 1990s, action games had entered a new stage of their development - competitions between players are gaining popularity, which are now opposed to the previously accepted confrontation between the player and the computer. The Japanese game Street Fighter II (1991) opened a new path of conflict in video games and contributed to the development of the so-called PvP mode (Player versus Player, or Player-versus-Player). Thus, the emergence of new competitive disciplines and the involvement of players in confrontation with each other enriched the action with new forms of conflict.

Currently, describing and defining the features of the action genre as a large category of video games, researchers identify several features that are inherent in it. Based on this , an attempt was made to systematize and generalize the features of this genre according to several specific features:

1. Activity. This feature includes the understanding of action proposed by T. H. Kutlaliev and N. Y. Kazakova as a category that requires a good reaction, coordination and eye from the player. The player directly participates in the events taking place, progressing in the game with the help of his skills. T. Epperly describes this using the example of the game The Lord Of The Rings: Return Of The King (2003), where in order to defeat enemies, the player not only has to personally carry out the action (unlike, for example, strategy, where it is enough for the player only to give an order by clicking on the desired icon), but also to enter the necessary combination of attacks, the most effective for a particular type of enemy [1, p. 15-16]. The player does not just follow the instructions prescribed to him, he directly affects the success of his actions. A bad reaction can lead to death, because the character will not have time to dodge in time, a bad eye will lead to misses from long-range weapons. In the video games Bayonetta (2009) and Devil May Cry (2001), the player's ability to create long combinations of attacks is also the key to getting more points and, as a result, a better rank or a better score at the end of the level.

2. Dynamics. A feature that is derived from the previous one. Dynamics determines the saturation of the video game itself with actions and situations (plots) that require quick decisions, as well as the willingness of players to participate in such actions. Dynamics as one of the primary features of the action genre are also noted by Grechkina and Shcherbak in their study ^{[8, p. 98]}. According to research, players who prefer this particular category of video games are more enthusiastic about immersing themselves in an environment filled with intense, rapidly unfolding events that tests their physical skills ^{[2, 7]}. It is also noted that action games force the player to perceive virtual reality and change it: in response to observing the rich development of events and an accelerated reaction to what is happening, visual and auditory channels of perception change, which gradually begins to affect ordinary life in the real world ^{[3, 4, 5]}. Among video games, the most demanding to player reactions to the constant pace of dynamic action scenes: Dark Souls (2011), Cuphead (2017), Super Meat Boy (2010).

3. Conflict. This feature is expressed directly in the game mechanics. This is most fully revealed in subgenres related to martial arts: fighting games, beat ‘em up (Streets of Rage (1991) and Golden Axe (1989), in which players defeat a large number of enemies and in which the image of the main opponent is also pronounced), or competitive: races (Need for Speed (1994)), sports simulators (EA Sports FIFA (1993) – football simulator). Conflict as a sign is actively revealed in the plot and becomes dominant. Often the plot consists in a schematic narrative about the reasons for the confrontation of the heroes, explaining the motivation of the conflicting parties. The focus on the conflict, on the realization of the goals of the character / player with the help of better skills than their enemies, determines the ultimate goal of the game – victory over other players, both real and virtual.

For example, fighting games often resort to tournaments as the main motive of the plot. Notable examples are the most famous games Mortal Kombat (1992) and Street Fighter (1991). Tournaments allow you to collide several characters with different backgrounds and skills in one place. The conflict of interest here is obvious and sufficient to explain the motivation of the battles. It can be the prize fund of the tournament, the self-realization of a martial artist, and the thirst for fame. Other plot examples are the motives of the main character's rescue of important personalities for him from, often, personal enemies. These are the series of games Super Mario (1985), Sonic the Hedgehog (1991), Contra (1987). Less often, the basis of the conflict is the escape of the main character from his pursuers, as in the Temple Run (2011) series of games.

4. The character. Plot action in action games is realized through the actions of a specific character (or a group of characters), through how the characters achieve their goals with the help of the above-mentioned skills of the player as a manager, through their expressiveness and entertainment. I. I. Yugai, according to the classification dichotomy of narrative-non-narrative games proposed by her, refers action to the rank of narrative games. She calls the expressive means of action "dramatic", and attributes more personal involvement to the player than in the quest and role-playing game, which she includes in the same category. "So in Action [unlike a Quest and a role-playing game], what is happening is depicted through the prism of the perception of the main character, and the participant of the game accepts the events as addressed to him personally" ^{[13, p. 16]}.

Let's pay attention to the fact that the above thesis by I. I. Yugai about the orientation of action genre games on a character allows us to interpret the term too broadly. Characters are also active actors in role-playing games, where the creation and subsequent "wagering" of the hero, as well as his accommodation of plot collisions are important components of games of this genre. In addition, in the work of Zezulko and Voronin, it is argued that the heroes of the modern action genre lose their individuality, are replaced by a set of stereotypes and shift from the center of the narrative ^{[9, p. 49]}.

Action, especially in the early stages (70s-80s of the XX century), could be simple enough to allow the player to associate himself with the main character. For example, in the same Space Invaders (1978), where the Earthlings' ship, repelling the attacks of alien invaders, has no personality. However, with the development of genre varieties, many video games have appeared, where the game character has its own characteristics, motives and behaviors. For example, in the series of games Wolfenstein (1981), Doom (1993), Sonic the Hedgehog (1991), similar types of characters are presented. Although the formation of the personality of the actor helps to see what is happening "through the prism of the perception of the main character," however, not everyone will be able to feel the events as "addressed personally to him" ^{[13, p. 16]}.

N. A. Moshkov also emphasizes the dramatic tools for constructing the plot basis of video games in this category, mentioning the importance of a game character as a guide to the world of video games ^{[12, pp. 313-319]}.

T. Epperly divides action games into using plot development and first-person and third-person actions to build a player's perception of the hero he controls. The researcher comes to the conclusion that regardless of the angle, a guide is needed for the game-player connection, whether it is a fully visible character (for example, Tomb Raider (1996), in which Lara Croft is present as a guide to the video game world) or just a hand with a gun ^{[1, p. 15-16]} (in the video game Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (2012), this type of camera is often used for the greater convenience of the player). Thus, the character becomes an integral part of the action.

At the same time, it is impossible not to pay attention to the fact that similar key characteristics can be seen in video games of other genres. For example, real-time strategies like Starcraft (1998), to some extent also require players to react quickly and coordinate movements, since a professional player must be able to quickly find the right keys with his fingers to build buildings, recruit troops and select detachments. On the other hand, the video game League of Legends (2009), mentioned in one of the studies as an action game ^[4], in turn, mainly requires coordination of the actions of allied players and, accordingly, strategic thinking for the full success of the team, so the action elements in it can be considered as additional to the strategy, and as the main ones.

In the game Mass Effect (2007), which is a role-playing game according to the standard classification, action signs become part of the gameplay: the player needs, in addition to controlling the character and completing tasks, to actively act (conduct shootouts, seek shelter and overcome landscape obstacles). For example, the description of the characteristics of the reissue of Mass Effect: Legendary Edition (2021) in the Electronic Arts – Origin specialty store reads: "Return to the world of your favorite saga – Intense action combined with an exciting interactive narrative – it's up to you to decide how the story will develop." This can be seen in the description of the game Resident Evil Village (2021) in the Steam store: "Plunge into the previously unseen survival horror (survival simulator in a horror setting) in the 8th edition of the Resident Evil franchise – Resident Evil Village. With detailed graphics, intense first-person action and masterful storytelling, horror has never been more realistic."

Currently, such hybrid genres as action-role-playing game (Action-RPG) and Action-adventure (Action-Adventure) are actively recorded among the games. Hybrid variants arose in response to the appearance of action features in video games of such major genres as role-playing game, quest (adventure), etc.

Thus, the specific features of the action genre should include activity, dynamics, conflict and character. These features are key and characteristic of all varieties of this genre. Individual signs of action can be found in other genres of video games: the more intense the gameplay, the more dynamic the actions of the game character, the higher the probability that the game will be marked as containing signs of action. The concept of action includes a set of specific features that are revealed in other genre groups and give them additional dynamics, activity, conflict.