The boomer shooter post a few days ago got me thinking: some video game genre names just suck.
My least favorite is “character action”. There are much better fitting names for the genre that have been tossed around the internet, like spectacle fighter or stylish action. All action games have characters, so the name has the vagueness of “Role playing game” without the genre itself being vague. And if I see someone use it, I instantly know that that person has either not been on the internet enough to hear the better names, or just doesn’t care.
On the other hand, “Mascot horror” fits its genre like a glove. I generally don’t like the actual games in the genre, most of them just feel like cashing in on a trend, but there is the occasional one that has some good creative ideas. But the name itself practically tells one everything they need to know about the genre: Marketed towards kids, featuring a main mascot, and everything in that game being centered around that mascot, which becomes scary enough that it looks spooky but not enough that kids won’t play it.
Also the -likes just suck. All that they tell you is that a game is like other game. I don’t even think that a tenth of rogue like fans have actually played rogue, which is understandable since the genre has spread out so much.
So, what are yours?
(Edits cause I sounded like a prick)
I started to use the Japanese term “search action” rather than Metroidvania unironically, sue me.
Yeah, it sounds silly, but it’s descriptive and feels less limiting to me than “a game that looks like Super Metroid and Symphony of the Night”. I love those two, but lots of games do the big interconnected map with ability gates, and they’re not that close to them.
Some of those even don’t have a map made of blue rectangles! Only like 90% of them.
Really, if we can do with genre names that are not built like that in general, all the better. I’m not going to the library to read a FrankenDracula or a DuneFoundation or whatever.
Big agree on roguelike. It’s both annoying and entertaining how a whole genre of somewhat popular titles are only described in reference to another basically ancient title.
And some of them have gameplay that doesn’t compare all that well to Rogue, but are similar to something else that was considered roguelike! It’s just this vague descriptor with a constantly shifting definition depending on who is using it.
No hate intended towards the titles or the players, just language being funny 🤣
I definitely agree with you on “character action” but I don’t think it’s the worst. I just call them “action” games.
MOBA, Multiplayer Online Battle Arena. That could apply to so many games that are nothing alike, other than having battles in an arena with other players using the internet. Street Fighter, Mainline Pokemon Games, Quake, and Warframe could all fit that genre name but it is not used for any of them.
You mentioned the -likes ones, which I really don’t like, but “Soulslike” takes the cake and I absolutely loathe using it. Might be a bit biased here because I think Fromsoft’s Souls games feel very bland and I really enjoy Team Ninja’s versions of this genre, instead (had an absolute blast with Nioh and Wo Long, and am currently addicted to Stranger of Paradise)
I like the term boomer shooter. The reason is the alliteration. But more importantly…
- Rookie Level 1 Gamer: “They’re called boomer shooters because they’re old like baby boomers”
- Veteran Level 20 Gamer: “Baby boomers thought Doom was satanic, that’s a stupid term”
- Enlightened Level 60 Gamer: “They’re called boomer shooters because of the huge debt they owe to the original Doom modding scene and therefore “Boom”, one of the first limit-removing source ports”
- GigaChad Level 80 gamer: “Who cares. My ego isn’t so delicate as to have my sensibilities offended by whatever the fuck you want to call it. If you think something like ‘MyHouse.wad’ is something that is for “bOoMeRs” (a.k.a. anyone old enough to know that it’s called a “VCR,” not a “VHS player”) then you’re the one missing out… not me.”
Credit to @[email protected] and @[email protected]
I think you mean the rhyming?
The short definition of alliteration is “the repetition of sounds, not just letters.” In this case the oo…er, oo…er. So I said what I meant.
Me and my friends talk all the time about which mechanics make an rpg an actual rpg or just unnecessary bullshit to call it an rpg. Any game where you can play a role in a world is an rpg to someone and any game with more than 2 people is “massively multiplayer” to someone making it an mmo. Its all vague nonsense to me.
What is a boomer shooter?
Pretty much any shooter that plays like Quake or Doom
Oh.
Then I love boomer shooters lmao.
I think the question is more if you like the term.
I don’t worry myself on how the kids nowadays call the stuff I like. I just like what I like.
Then you find yourself in a great position. I’m about to get Boltgun myself
kind of a silly name as GenX’rs are the ones that made them famous
As opposed to more modern twitch (faster reflex) shooters.
they also go by retro, classic, or arena shooters, like 90s doom
Back in my day we used to just call them shooters.
My eyes gloss over a little bit when I hear “modern platformer” but my most hated would be full loot RPG. A paradise for greifers, not fun for anyone else.
You “thought” about this?
That’s what you went with?
Scathe… got “scathing” reviews. Articles were written about problems with the environmental design, weapon designs, lack of imagination in aesthetic appeal in the enemy designs, the AI… but not once did anyone point out a problem with it being in a sub genre called “boomer shooter.”
Wrath: Aeon of Ruin not only duplicated Quake by using the Quake engine, having amazing level design, and the 90’s appeal of run n’ gun, but it also matched Quakes failures in that the Dev team left and had to be replaced. Right now Wrath is stuck in perpetual Early Release with no completion date in site. I’m sure the reason for that is its sub genre of “boomer shooter,” right?
How about Amid Evil? I spent a couple hours streaming that last night. It was an absolute blast. I haven’t been on a caffeine bender like that in years. I’m looking forward to streaming it again as soon as possible. I can’t wait to play it and its new DLC that’s about to drop. Obviously Amid Evils success is going to be because of the term, “boomer shooter.”
That term has obviously done so much harm or good….
Or it doesn’t fucking matter at all and this is a frivolous waste of time to whine about (as I’ve pointed out in more than one article I’ve posted).
We could be discussing something useful, but what matters to people is their egos. How important it is what term is used for a class of FPS games? People tried to argue with me about the fact the term “boomer shooter” is years old. Something that two seconds on google would make clear. But ego… I have had several people tell me they’d KILL people for using the term… I guess that’s acceptable behavior?
Okay, you win. Focus on trivialities while the industry moves on shaking it’s head while you shake your fist at clouds. But please, don’t forget to complain about not being taken seriously and for damned sure point out something trivial in what I wrote here, because that will matter.
Yeah how dare this guy ask a frivolous question like this in the Games community of all places!!
Thank you for defending him. I’m sad to see you were the only one. I had an ulterior motive for my post. I apologized to him and explained my motivation.
Whoa calm down, While I was a bit harsh, I definitely didn’t mean any hostilities you might have picked up from this.
Genre names are just names of the genres. They have no bearing on the actual quality of the games that they categorize. There are good games in poorly named genres and bad games in aptly named genres.
I was just sharing my thoughts on what the industry calls them and wondering what other people thought about them
I know.
And I’m sorry for using you as the sacrificial lamb.
You have every right to ask the question, and you even did it reasonably.
I find it interesting that when I spend time writing an article and cross posting it, this is the level of vitriol I receive. It’s over the top and no one deserves this, especially someone that is just asking…
“Hey, what does anyone think about X?”
Least of all anyone that took their own time to publish something to spark discussion. Thank you for doing that. Thank you for not just posting a link to an article. Thank you for spending some time, considering, and then engaging.
I wish more people were inclined to do that. More people should rush to your defense for what I posted. Some people should even learn from it. Sadly, I doubt that will happen.
I honestly wish you well and hope you will post again in the future. I look forward to what you have to say.
Thanks for understanding, most arguments I see on the internet only escalate further, and I appreciate the calm discussion and the compliments
Looking back on your post history, I do see that people are being too harsh on you. It sucks that people immediately jump to the worst possible interpretation.
I hope that you don’t get discouraged by these comments, and only look to the genuine discussions for ways of improvement
Thank you for understanding.
Please keep posting. And when I disagree with you, I look forward to understanding you better.
Log off mate. It’s just a casual discussion.
