Key examples of different popular video game genres
From racing games to puzzlers, there are a ton of different ways to play video games, depending on what mood you’re in, and what you want to get out of the experience. But which genre is the most popular among gamers? Well, for those that want to find out more on video game genres and types in general, check out this short list, detailing a few different types.
First Person Shooters
The genre behind the famed Call of Duty series, one of the top-selling video game franchises of all time (and certainly throughout the last decade), first-person shooters put the player at the heart of the action, firing an arsenal of different weaponry from an exhilarating first-person perspective. Gamers enjoy these sorts of games for their fast-paced, moment-to-moment gameplay, skill-based competition, and satisfying and intuitive controls.
The competitive, skills-based nature of FPS games has also made them an integral part of the tournament and eSports scene that surrounds video games nowadays. With viewership consistently increasing, it could very well become a cornerstone of general sports entertainment in the years to come, surpassing even mainstream sports. Streaming services such as Twitch and Mixer have already shown a level of interactivity with video games that traditional sports don’t integrate with their programming.
Platformers
From Super Mario to Sonic the Hedgehog and Crash Bandicoot, platforming video games are an integral keystone of any console’s library. The bread and butter of the gaming world, these games offer typically colourful, vivid landscapes and designs, interesting, varied levels and challenges, and most importantly a tight, responsive control scheme, acting as a toolkit to help the player get across the obstacles ahead. Some of the best platformers around at the moment include Super Mario Odyssey – A celebration of everything great about the Super Mario series, and also Sonic Mania – A retro-inspired revisit of the Sonic character that spruced up the levels to the max for a new challenge.
Racing
A different type of competitive challenge from the first person shooter, racing games are all about analysing a track, rehearsing every turn and corner to get your precision nailed down to a tee, and burning past friends and foes as you barrel towards the finish line. Perhaps not as serious as a Forza iteration, for example, one of the most popular racing games at the moment is Mario Kart 8, which combines skilled play at some stages with a general setting for families to enjoy and play together – something that Nintendo are great at doing.
Versatility in genre
Many gamers out there often align themselves with a specific developer or studio, as they connect directly with the look and feel of the games that they produce. For example, some gamers might follow and support a specific company because of the high-quality racing games or First person shooters that they produce. As with any piece of artwork, you’ll align and connect with something that agrees with you.
Other developers don’t necessarily have a preference on the genre that they’re working with, and instead imbue their talents into making each experience as authentic and high-quality as humanly possible. Abstraction games, as a prime example, is a development company that has worked on a plethora of differing games, from Ark: Survival Evolved to Angry Birds. They’ve also developed across over 16 different platforms. I suppose this just goes to show that some companies revel in a niche, while others have the talent to be able to adapt to new situations and circumstances.
Sports Games
A far cry from Master Chief or Super Mario (unless of course you count Super Mario Strikers, or Mario Tennis), sports games might not be the first time that spring to mind when you think about classic games and some of the greatest going genres, but it’s difficult to overstate the impact and sheer numbers of players there are when it comes to sports games all over the world. From NBA, to Madden, to FIFA, these almost religious player bases spend immeasurable amounts of time constructing their perfect squads and stat-intensive team sheets, and with many of these series being annualised franchises, it’s a consistent money maker for developers such as Electronic Arts that release these games.
Opening virtual packs containing players and stat boosts has become another sector of sports games that many people partake in, as it sort-of replicates the feeling of opening trading cards as a child. While this can be a fun way to build up your reputation in the game and collect different players that have rarity, it won’t do your wallet any favours if you get hooked. Try to set a budget for these games as much as possible, and know when to stop when you’re no longer having fun.
