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Action Games

What are Action Games?

Action games have been around for almost as long as computers have been powerful enough to play them. While there’s a place for turn-based strategy games like Civilisation and Total War, and puzzlers like Minesweeper and Candy Crush Saga, most of the popular games we play today are based around fast-paced action, quick reflexes and adrenaline. Take a look at the history of gaming, and you’ll find some of the most compelling titles were the action-packed ones. Titles like Gunstar Heroes, Bayonetta and Contra pushed the number of projectiles on-screen to crazy levels. Of course, the ‘action’ label is a broad one, and there’s something on offer for gamers of every persuasion. The modern first-person shooter is an offshoot of the action genre, and it can range from the cartoonish ultra-violence of Doom and Serious Sam to the gritty quasi-realism of games like Call of Duty and ARMA. Throw in multiplayer and you’ve got a recipe for hours of fun. Today, action games can be played from just about anywhere, and you don’t need a powerful gaming PC or an expensive console to get the best from them. Any device with an HTML5-compatible browser can play action-based games, and there’s a broad selection of them to be found here. Titles like Action Super Hero and Super Action Adventure put the player in charge of a flying character who’ll need to blast his way through hordes of flying enemies. Tank Wars and Air Wars put a more realistic skin on things – but they’re just as frenetic as any other game in the genre. The classic action title makes the most of just two dimensions – either scrolling from top to bottom or from left to right. Upgradable weapons, limited health, constant motion – these are the ingredients that make a great action game!
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