Combat System Design for Action Games: Key Concepts and Styles

Abstract

Scholarly game analyses are typically narrow (e.g. specific games or genres) or broad - examining elements seen in most/all games. There is a need for game design analyses somewhere in between: e.g. at the level of gameplay systems. We provide a design overview of one common system; the modern action combat system as used across several game genres. We examined successful videogame titles, reviewed professional designer commentary, player discussions, and scholarly literature to identify the primary elements of current combat system design. We then show how these elements relate to each other and provide a framework for understanding the different styles of gameplay experience that games with real-time melee combat systems currently provide. We conclude with an overview of different styles of gameplay that distinguish popular action combat focused games.