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A cover system is a video game gameplay mechanic that allows a virtual avatar to hide from and avoid dangers, usually in a three-dimensional world. This method is a digital adaptation of the real-life military tactic of taking cover behind obstacles, for purposes of attaining protection from enemy ranged or area effect attacks, such as gunfire or explosions.
 | This section possibly contains original research .(January 2022) |
In gaming, a cover system lets a player character use stationary or moving obstacles to avoid damage. To be considered a cover system, there must be some physical interaction with the source of cover and the avatar. This means moving to stand in a position behind an object, as in traditional shooter games, while strictly speaking would be classified as "taking cover", does not qualify as an actual cover system in terms of video game mechanics. Some first-person shooters such as Soldier of Fortune bridged the gap somewhat, by allowing players to lean to the sides, allowing the player's avatar to lean out from behind objects to survey the environment or open fire on the enemy, without fully exposing the entirety of the player's own body to the enemy. In addition, the player character must have the ability to move in and out of the covering objects' proximity, leaving the player with moments of vulnerability, partially exposing themselves when they wish to fire on the enemy. This excludes the exclusive use of portable shields as a cover system, though they may often be used to supplement a stationary source of cover, as seen in video games like Army of Two and Gears of War 2 .
Other titles outside of first- and third-person shooters also offer implementations of a cover system. Tactical role-playing games such as X-COM enable the player-controlled characters to take advantage of walls and other objects in the environment to provide cover for their units, providing the effect of reducing the chance for that unit to be hit, or reducing the damage taken when hit by incoming fire. Elements of the user interface generally inform the player when cover is in effect, both when positioning player-controlled units, and when firing on enemies that are in cover
Brian Ashcraft of Kotaku argues the idea of taking cover in video games is nearly as old as the shoot 'em up genre itself, originating from Taito's seminal 1978 arcade shooter Space Invaders , where the player's laser cannon could take cover behind destructible defense bunkers to avoid enemy fire. [1] An even earlier example of the concept was Taito's 1975 shooter game Gun Fight , [2] where the player characters could take cover behind destructible objects. [3] In 1985, Data East's target shooting game Shootout had enemies who take cover behind objects or buildings and pop out from cover to fire back at the player. [4]
Ryan Lambie, writing for Den of Geek , considers Namco's run and gun arcade game Rolling Thunder (1986) to be "the precursor to the modern cover shooter" due to how the player can hide behind crates, doors and other obstacles to avoid enemy fire. The mechanic of taking cover behind crates and jumping over them was later borrowed by Sega's arcade hit Shinobi (1987). [5] Rolling Thunder 2 (1990) and Rolling Thunder 3 (1993) also allowed the player to enter doors to hide from enemies and dodge their gunfire. [6] In 1988, Konami's Devastators , [7] an early third-person shooter, [8] featured a cover mechanic where destructible objects, such as sandbags and debris littered across the battlefield, could be used to take cover from enemy fire. [7] In 1994, a cover mechanic was used in the game Blackthorne , which allowed the player to take cover by pressing against walls to avoid enemy fire. [9]
Namco's 1995 3D light gun shooter arcade game Time Crisis introduced a dedicated cover button, specifically an "action" foot pedal, that could be used to take cover behind in-game objects. This cover mechanic helped Time Crisis distinguish itself from rival light gun shooters, like Sega's Virtua Cop , and took advantage of the players' hand-foot coordination to create a new arcade game experience. While Time Crisis was a first-person perspective shooter, cover would later be largely bound to third-person shooter titles, due to cover freeing up the camera and for it being easier to judge space when the character is visible on screen. Time Crisis, however, was able to use cover effectively due to being a rail shooter, where the path is already determined and there is no camera control. [1]
WinBack , released by Koei for the Nintendo 64 in 1999, did not allow players to run-and-gun, but instead forced them to stop and shoot, with crates and corners providing cover for the player character to pop out from and fire his weapon. [1]
In 2000, Raven released Soldier of Fortune for the PC which also featured its own lean-and-hide cover system which gave multiplayer combat far more depth. Using corners of walls, boxes, and other assorted obstacles to take cover from enemy fire was essential to successful gameplay.
In 2001's Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty , Snake or Raiden able to take cover behind walls, boxes or crates and pop out to shoot at enemies, [10] [11] while the improved enemy AI allowed enemies to also take cover from the player character. The enemies would often take cover to call for backup, [12] and during battle, they would take cover then pop out and shoot at the player or blindly throw grenades from behind their cover. [10] [13] In 2002, The Getaway for the PS2 featured a similar cover mechanic.
Kill.Switch is credited as the first game to feature the cover system as its core game mechanic, [14] and introduced the blind fire mechanic to the cover system. [15] It was also the earliest third-person shooter that required a button press to initiate the action of taking cover. This was the only game at the time to allow the in-game avatar to lean out and shoot, vault over cover, or blind fire during the cover sequence. This cover system was nicknamed 'Offensive Cover System' (OCS) by the developers. While this was considered a change in the shooter genre, reviewer Ricky Tucker felt that the game relied too heavily on the cover system with little other gameplay focus. He also said that the game felt "more like a prototype than a game" and didn't see any outstanding moments for the game despite the innovative cover design. [16]
In 2005, CT Special Forces: Fire for Effect featured a cover system inspired by Kill Switch. [17] Uncharted: Drake's Fortune , released in 2007, also began development that year, [18] and took inspiration from Kill Switch for its cover system. [19] In 2006, several shooters featured Kill Switch-inspired cover systems, including Rogue Trooper, a third-person shooter released in May based on the eponymous comic book series by 2000 AD, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas , [20] a first-person shooter released in November that switched to a third-person over-the-shoulder view when initiating cover, [21] and Killzone: Liberation , a third-person action game released in October. [1] Other third-person shooters to feature a cover system that same year include WinBack 2: Project Poseidon , released in April, [22] and Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter . [23]
The most famous among them, however, was Gears of War , released by Epic Games in November 2006. It was a third-person shooter focused entirely on cover-based combat. [24] While not the first to use a single button for moving in and out of cover, it used the mechanic more effectively with environments specifically designed with the cover system in mind. The cover system was considered revolutionary at the time and was credited for the massive success and sales of the game and its sequel, Gears of War 2 . [25] Its cover system was inspired by Kill Switch, [1] whose lead designer was employed by Epic Games and was involved in the development of Gears of War. [26] In turn, Gears of War inspired a new wave of video games using the third-person, single-button cover system. According to Stuart Lindsay, some games' cover systems are criticized because the cover system is created as an afterthought rather than the game being built around that feature. [25]
After the video game cover system was popularized, several recent games have attempted to alter or further revolutionize the cover system in a unique way. One such game is the first-person shooter Killzone 2 , which utilized a complete cover system that was used in the first-person perspective the entire time. [27] Other first-person shooters like the Rainbow Six: Vegas series have traditionally changed to a third-person view when taking cover. [27] A similar first-person cover approach was used by Rockstar Games in the eighth-generation release of Grand Theft Auto V , with an option to switch to a traditional third-person cover view when necessary as with Rainbow Six: Vegas.
A way games have changed the cover has been shifting the focus from participating in combat from behind cover to only using cover as a last resort. An example is 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand , which rewards players for assaulting enemies. [28] Uncharted 2: Among Thieves uses cover abilities by allowing the player to hang onto cover vertically and use three dimensions of cover to avoid enemy fire. Dark Void uses a 360 degree threat radius, as the player character can fly. This is accomplished through vertical cover like scaling a mountainside or standard cover like walls.
Splinter Cell: Conviction in 2010 introduced cover to cover movement, which allows player character Sam Fisher to quickly move between covers by looking at the next cover and pressing a button. This mechanic was well received and has since been used in most of Ubisoft's third-person games like Ghost Recon: Future Soldier , Splinter Cell: Blacklist , Watch Dogs and The Division. 2011's Deus Ex: Human Revolution allows the protagonist Adam Jensen to quickly switch to another side of cover and quickly switch cover that's short distance on the left or on the right from him while in a third-person perspective. 2012's Hitman: Absolution , also published by Square Enix, and used again for Hitman (2016).
In contrast to some cover-based shooters, Vanquish , a 2010 third-person shooter developed by PlatinumGames, has bullets and missiles coming from all directions in a manner reminiscent of bullet hell shooters and cover is easily destroyed. Often a single shot is enough to remove the player's cover, forcing the player character to be on the move, while the game also penalizes the player on the scoreboard for the amount of time spent in cover. [14] [29] [30] One of its innovations was the slide-boost mechanic that allows the player to slide-boost into and out of cover at high speeds (sometimes in slow motion using bullet time). [29] According to director Shinji Mikami, the sliding boost mechanic was influenced by the 1970s anime series Casshern . [31]
The action-RPG The Last Story includes a cover system that works with both 3rd-person shooting and melee combat systems, and the turn-based tactical XCOM: Enemy Unknown features cover systems as well.
The cover system has become a large part of modern third-person shooters. Nate Ahearn of Yahoo! News felt that cover systems changed the game experience for the better and reasoned this by claiming that cover systems were so vital because they allowed the player to view the character, creating a deeper connection between the gamer and the player character. In addition, Ahearn felt that having a cover system allowed the game to slow the pace and "really lets you flex the muscle of your fancy new graphics engine", giving games with cover systems advantages over fast-paced shooters. [32]
Cover systems are not universally praised, however. Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw has repeatedly criticized cover systems in his series Zero Punctuation , arguing that they ruin the flow of gameplay and comparing games that utilize them unfavorably to "retro" first-person shooters that focus on mobility, such as Quake and Duke Nukem 3D . [33] [34]
Tactical shooter is a sub-genre of first- and third-person shooters, associated with using strategy, planning, and tactics in gameplay, as well as the realistic simulations of ballistics, accurate firearm mechanics, physics and stamina, and low time to kill. Dating back to the late 1980s, the genre first rose to prominence in the late 1990s with the releases of several well-received tactical shooters. The popularity of the genre saw a decline in the late 2000s as more the arcade-like fast-paced action of other types of shooters rose to prominence, but it has seen a revitalization since the mid-2010s with the successful releases of several modern tactical shooters.
A stealth game is a type of video game in which the player primarily uses stealth to avoid or overcome opponents. Games in the genre typically allow the player to remain undetected by hiding, sneaking, or using disguises. Some games allow the player to choose between a stealthy approach or directly attacking antagonists, but rewarding the player for greater use of stealth. The genre has employed espionage, counter-terrorism, and rogue themes, with protagonists that are special forces operatives, special agents, secret agents, thieves, ninjas, or assassins. Some games have also combined stealth elements with other genres, such as first-person shooters and also platformers.
Shoot 'em ups are a sub-genre of action games. There is no consensus as to which design elements compose a shoot 'em up; some restrict the definition to games featuring spacecraft and certain types of character movement, while others allow a broader definition including characters on foot and a variety of perspectives.
Jet Force Gemini is a 1999 third-person shooter developed and published by Rare for the Nintendo 64 video game console. The game follows the story of three members of a galactic law enforcement team as they try to stop a horde of drones led by an insectoid called Mizar. It features a single-player mode where the player must explore a galaxy and save Tribals, a race of survivors who have been enslaved and imprisoned by Mizar, and places strong emphasis on shooting large numbers of enemies while dodging their attacks. The game also includes a multiplayer mode where two to four players can compete in traditional deathmatch games.
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty is a 2001 action-adventure stealth video game developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Japan and published by Konami for the PlayStation 2. Originally released on November 13, 2001, it is the fourth Metal Gear game produced by Hideo Kojima, the seventh overall game in the series and is a sequel to Metal Gear Solid (1998). An expanded edition, titled Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance, was released the following year for Xbox and Windows in addition to the PlayStation 2. A remastered version of the game, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty - HD Edition, was later included in the Metal Gear Solid HD Collection for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PlayStation Vita. The HD Edition of the game was included in the Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 compilation for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S, which was released on October 24, 2023.
Shooter video games or shooters are a subgenre of action video games where the focus is almost entirely on the defeat of the character's enemies using the weapons given to the player. Usually these weapons are firearms or some other long-range weapons, and can be used in combination with other tools such as grenades for indirect offense, armor for additional defense, or accessories such as telescopic sights to modify the behavior of the weapons. A common resource found in many shooter games is ammunition, armor or health, or upgrades which augment the player character's weapons.
Strategy guides are instruction books that contain hints or complete solutions to specific video games. The line between strategy guides and video game walkthroughs is somewhat blurred, with the former often containing or being written around the latter. Strategy guides are often published in print, both in book form and also as articles within video game magazines. In cases of exceptionally popular game titles, guides may be sold through more mainstream publication channels, such as bookstores or even newsstands. Some publishers also sell E-Book versions on their websites.
Unreal Championship 2: The Liandri Conflict is a first- and third-person arena shooter video game developed by Epic Games and published by Midway Games. It was released in April 2005 for Xbox. The game is part of the Unreal franchise, and is a direct sequel to 2002's Unreal Championship. Unreal Championship 2 was designed from the ground up to take full advantage of the Xbox Live gaming service.
Shinji Mikami is a Japanese video game designer, director, and producer. Starting his career at Capcom in 1990, he has worked on many of the company's most successful games. He directed the first installment of the Resident Evil series in 1996 and the first installment of the Dino Crisis series in 1999, both survival horror games. He returned to Resident Evil to direct the remake of the first game in 2002 and the third-person shooter Resident Evil 4 in 2005. In 2006, he directed his final Capcom game God Hand, a beat 'em up action game. Mikami worked at PlatinumGames to direct the third-person shooter Vanquish in 2010. The same year, he founded his own studio Tango Gameworks which has since been acquired by the American company ZeniMax Media. Under his studio, he directed the third-person horror game The Evil Within in 2014. He has also served the roles of producer and executive producer for many games.
Kill Switch is a third-person shooter video game developed by Namco USA in 2003 for the PlayStation 2, Xbox and Microsoft Windows. A Game Boy Advance port was released in 2004. The GBA port was created independently of Namco, due to a licensing deal with Destination Software. The PAL release of the PS2 port came with a demo of SOCOM II U.S. Navy SEALs on a separate disc.
24: The Game is a third-person shooter video game, based on the Fox television series 24. The game was developed by SCE Studio Cambridge and was published by 2K for PlayStation 2. It was announced on March 30, 2005, and was released in North America on February 28, 2006. The player controls many characters from the television series at different points in the game. The missions in the game involve elements of third-person shooter, driving, and puzzle games. The musical score was composed by Sean Callery, while the script was written by Duppy Demetrius and the series production team.
Health is a video game or tabletop game quality that determines the maximum amount of damage or fatigue something takes before leaving the main game. In role-playing games, this typically takes the form of hit points (HP), a numerical attribute representing the health of a character or object. The game character can be a player character, a boss, or a mob. Health can also be attributed to destructible elements of the game environment or inanimate objects such as vehicles and their individual parts. In video games, health is often represented by visual elements such as a numerical fraction, a health bar or a series of small icons, though it may also be represented acoustically, such as through a character's heartbeat.
Light-gun shooter, also called light-gun game or simply gun game, is a shooter video game genre in which the primary design element is to simulate a shooting gallery by having the player aiming and discharging a gun-shaped controller at a screen. Light-gun shooters revolve around the protagonist shooting virtual targets, either antagonists or inanimate objects, and generally feature action or horror themes and some may employ a humorous, parodic treatment of these conventions. These games typically feature "on-rails" movement, which gives the player control only over aiming; the protagonist's other movements are determined by the game. Games featuring this device are sometimes termed "rail shooters", though this term is also applied to games of other genres in which "on-rails" movement is a feature. Some, particularly later, games give the player greater control over movement and in still others the protagonist does not move at all. On home computer conversions of light-gun shooters, mouse has been often an optional or non-optional replacement for a light gun.
Eat Lead: The Return of Matt Hazard is a third-person shooter video game for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 video game consoles. The game was developed by Vicious Cycle Software and published by D3 Publisher.
Third-person shooter (TPS) is a subgenre of 3D shooter games in which the gameplay consists primarily of shooting. It is closely related to first-person shooters, but with the player character visible on-screen during play. While 2D shoot 'em up games also employ a third-person perspective, the TPS genre is distinguished by having the game presented with the player's avatar as a primary focus of the camera's view.
A first-person shooter (FPS) is a video game centered on gun fighting and other weapon-based combat seen from a first-person perspective, with the player experiencing the action directly through the eyes of the main character. This genre shares multiple common traits with other shooter games, and in turn falls under the action games category. Since the genre's inception, advanced 3D and pseudo-3D graphics have proven fundamental to allow a reasonable level of immersion in the game world, and this type of game helped pushing technology progressively further, challenging hardware developers worldwide to introduce numerous innovations in the field of graphics processing units. Multiplayer gaming has been an integral part of the experience, and became even more prominent with the diffusion of internet connectivity in recent years.
Vanquish is an action third-person shooter video game developed by PlatinumGames and published by Sega for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 video game consoles. It began development in 2007 and was released worldwide in October 2010. A Windows port was released on May 25, 2017. A compilation called Bayonetta & Vanquish 10th Anniversary Bundle that includes remastered versions of PlatinumGames' Vanquish and Bayonetta was released for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on February 18, 2020.
Rolling Thunder is a run and gun video game developed by Namco in Japan and Europe and released in 1986 as a coin-operated arcade video game using the Namco System 86 hardware. It was distributed in North America by Atari Games. The player takes control of a secret agent who must rescue his female partner from a terrorist organization. Rolling Thunder was a commercial success in arcades, and it was released for various home computer platforms in 1987 and the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1989. The original arcade game has been included in various classic game compilations as well. It influenced later arcade action franchises such as Shinobi and Time Crisis, which borrowed mechanics such as taking cover behind crates.
Call of Duty: Strike Team is a tactical shooter game developed by The Blast Furnace and was released on iOS and Android on September 5, 2013.
This list includes terms used in video games and the video game industry, as well as slang used by players.