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'''Spectacle Fighters''', also known as '''Character Action''', '''Stylish Action''', '''Deep Action''', '''Extreme Action''', '''Cuhrayzee Games''', and somewhat erroneously as '''Hack and Slash''' in some languages, are a sub-genre of action and action-adventure, hack-and-slash, and beat-em-up games.
In addition to the usual action goal of destroying enemies efficiently, spectacle fighters add the twist of also trying to create a visual spectacle through stylish battle, making them the action genre's sandbox of sorts. Rather than by forcing the player to memorize a handful of extensive combos and techniques, spectacle fighters present the player with a vast number of open-ended, basic combat tools capable of leading into each other, allowing skilled players to build highly creative cutscene-level action sequences in regular combat. Spectacle fighters have a very high skill floor and an even higher skill ceiling, and play that's close to the game's limits often appears to make use of cheats or exploits at first glance. While the amount of story mode content will vary from game to game, they often employ multiple difficulty settings and performance grades to increase replay value and encourage the player to learn from their mistakes.
As a general rule, these games are thoroughly unrealistic, whether it's controllable gameplay or the storytelling that drives it.
Some common characteristics of spectacle fighters, in descending order of frequency and importance, are:
* Regular enemy encounters that greatly outnumber and/or outmuscle the player, designed to encourage creative, fast-paced gameplay and make unskilled, simple LeeroyJenkins strategies unviable.
* Employing magic or advanced technology as an excuse for the game's unrealistic combat mechanics.
* Scoring and ranking systems that grade the player on variables like how much damage they took, how long the mission or fight took to complete, and a combo score calculated to reward long, uninterrupted combos that make use of diverse combat options.
* Single-player, real-time gameplay with a third-person perspective making up most of what the game has to offer.
* An energy or magic meter of some sort that is charged through regular combat and can be spent on special moves, such as powerful attacks, increased combo multipliers, or enhanced combat capabilities.
* Moves, especially dedicated defense moves, that reward the player for frame-perfect timing.
* Starting off players with movesets and weapons that are already suited to high combo scores, but also giving them access to optional techniques or weapons purchasable with in-game currency acquired through combat and high rankings.
* UnexpectedShmupLevel elements that can help break up the action and prevent overly repeated combat. (a staple of Creator/HidekiKamiya directed games in particular)
* Most enemy encounters, even ones that are not bosses or story-significant, preventing players from moving on until all enemies have been defeated.
* Optional missions that do not advance the plot and challenge the player to complete special objectives or fight under unusual conditions.
* Quick-time events in combat and/or in cutscenes.
* Control schemes that dedicate at least two buttons or sticks to combat, such as for light and heavy attacks.
* Multiplayer modes that emphasize style and combo scores just as much as, if not more than, kills or completion time.
Despite the name, it's nothing to do with any of the GlassesTropes.
----
!! The following are examples of the genre:
* ''VideoGame/AnarchyReigns'': The genre's flagship player-versus-player game. Bayonetta appears as a GuestFighter.
* ''VideoGame/{{Bayonetta}}'' and ''VideoGame/{{Bayonetta 2}}'': The most famous modern example and exhibits every characteristic listed above. Known for its deep combat options, difficulty, and BulletTime mechanic.
* ''VideoGame/{{Bujingai}}'': A game inspired by {{Wuxia}} mainly set in a post-apocalyptic world filled with demons.
* ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaLordsOfShadow'' and ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaLordsOfShadow2'': A reboot of the series that takes some cues from ''God of War''.
* ''VideoGame/DantesInferno'': A different take on ''Inferno'' from ''The Divine Comedy'' featuring ''God of War''-esque combat.
* ''VideoGame/{{Darksiders}}'': A ''Legend of Zelda'' and ''God of War''-inspired game set in a post-apocalyptic where War, one of the Four Houseman of the Apocalypse, is framed for starting the End War and siding with Hell.
** ''VideoGame/DarksidersII'': Sequel that stars Death, seeking to clear his brother's name that mixes in [=RPG=] elements and loot finding akin to ''Diablo''.
** ''VideoGame/DarksidersIII'': Third installment featuring Fury, the sole female member of the Four Horseman, on quest to destroy the Seven Deadly Sins.
* ''Franchise/DevilMayCry'': The TropeCodifier, and the first game of which was directed by eventual ''Bayonetta'' creator Hideki Kamiya.
** ''VideoGame/DmcDevilMayCry'': The reboot of the franchise. Developed by Ninja Theory.
* ''VideoGame/DynastyWarriors'' franchise from Koei Tecmo, along with their many sequels, crossovers, spinoffs, and offshoots.
* ''VideoGame/FairyBloomFreesia'': A 2D indie title that features extensive ground-to-air combo capabilities similar to ''Bayonetta''.
* ''Fate/Extella:TheUmbralStar'' is a hoard-type spectacle fighter from Marvelous.
* ''VideoGame/GodHand'': An over-the-top hand-to-hand fighter that lets players assign techniques to three attacking buttons in lieu of weapons. This was the last game made by Clover Studios before they became stylish action-regular Creator/PlatinumGames.
* ''VideoGame/GodOfWarSeries'': A brutal take on Greek Mythology about an enraged Spartan who's about to give the Greek Pantheon their just desserts. Incorporates some Action-Adventure elements and puzzle-solving gameplay.
* ''VideoGame/{{Gungrave}}'': One of the first third person shooters to do this for the genre.
* ''VideoGame/KillerIsDead'': The SpiritualSuccessor to ''No More Heroes'' and ''VideoGame/Killer7''.
* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfKorra'': Based on the animated TV series developed by [=PlatinumGames=].
* ''VideoGame/LollipopChainsaw'': A game where a zombie hunting cheerleader tries to prevent a ZombieApocalypse.
* ''VideoGame/MarlowBriggsAndTheMaskOfDeath''
* ''VideoGame/MetalGearRisingRevengeance'': Focuses on bladed combat, parrying as defense, and realistic cutting physics along with ''Metal Gear'' stealth.
* ''VideoGame/NierAutomata'': Somewhat simpler than some of ''Platinum'''s other works, and slightly more reliant on stats and equips, but it still requires precision for high-level play, and it's significantly more skill-based than your typical ActionRPG.
* ''VideoGame/NinjaGaiden'': Primarily the ''Devil May Cry''-like 3D games (and the ''God of War''-like ''[[VideoGame/YaibaNinjaGaidenZ Yaiba]]'' to a lesser extent), the originals being a side scrolling Beat 'Em Up, and a high-speed action platformer trilogy.
* ''VideoGame/NoMoreHeroes'' and ''VideoGame/NoMoreHeroes2DesperateStruggle''
* ''VideoGame/{{Onechanbara}}'': More so ''Z: Kagura'' and ''Z2: Chaos'', as both have a ranking system, and more complex combat.
* ''[[VideoGame/RainBloodChroniclesMirage Rain Blood Chronicles: Mirage]]'': A 2D game whose feudal aesthetic and style mechanics take their cues from {{Wuxia}}.
* ''VideoGame/RisingZanTheSamuraiGunman'': The [[UrExample first]] of its kind back on the [=PS1=]. This game featured a lot of gameplay elements that would show up years later in the genre. There are quick-time events, an end of level rank, and has a super mode.
* ''VideoGame/SenranKagura'': The PlayStation and PC ''Versus'' games feature this type of combat in contrast to the main 3DS games, which are full-fledged beat 'em ups.
* ''VideoGame/{{Stranglehold}}'': A sequel to John Woo's ''Film/HardBoiled'' where scoring is based on how stylishly you shoot enemies and the [[SceneryGorn destruction of the surrounding environment]]. Features BulletTime similar to ''VideoGame/MaxPayne''.
* ''VideoGame/TransformersDevastation'': A brawler based on the Gen 1 ''Transformers'' animated series, also by [=PlatinumGames=].
* ''VideoGame/{{Vanquish}}'': A third-person shooter; its surface mechanics of BulletTime, power-sliding, cover options, and variable melee attacks are all capable of interacting with each other and creating deep gameplay on par with melee stylish action.
* ''VideoGame/ViewtifulJoe'': A hybrid of 2D platformer and progressive beat 'em up, featuring a film fan who gets sucked into his favorite tokusatsu movie and becomes a henshin hero with cinematic powers. Another title by the then Clover Studios and Hideki Kamiya.
* ''VideoGame/{{The Wonderful 101}}'': Players fight with gigantic "Unite Morphs" composed of their allies. Known for its harsh difficulty and escalation of scale, and directed by Hideki Kamiya.
----
In addition to the usual action goal of destroying enemies efficiently, spectacle fighters add the twist of also trying to create a visual spectacle through stylish battle, making them the action genre's sandbox of sorts. Rather than by forcing the player to memorize a handful of extensive combos and techniques, spectacle fighters present the player with a vast number of open-ended, basic combat tools capable of leading into each other, allowing skilled players to build highly creative cutscene-level action sequences in regular combat. Spectacle fighters have a very high skill floor and an even higher skill ceiling, and play that's close to the game's limits often appears to make use of cheats or exploits at first glance. While the amount of story mode content will vary from game to game, they often employ multiple difficulty settings and performance grades to increase replay value and encourage the player to learn from their mistakes.
As a general rule, these games are thoroughly unrealistic, whether it's controllable gameplay or the storytelling that drives it.
Some common characteristics of spectacle fighters, in descending order of frequency and importance, are:
* Regular enemy encounters that greatly outnumber and/or outmuscle the player, designed to encourage creative, fast-paced gameplay and make unskilled, simple LeeroyJenkins strategies unviable.
* Employing magic or advanced technology as an excuse for the game's unrealistic combat mechanics.
* Scoring and ranking systems that grade the player on variables like how much damage they took, how long the mission or fight took to complete, and a combo score calculated to reward long, uninterrupted combos that make use of diverse combat options.
* Single-player, real-time gameplay with a third-person perspective making up most of what the game has to offer.
* An energy or magic meter of some sort that is charged through regular combat and can be spent on special moves, such as powerful attacks, increased combo multipliers, or enhanced combat capabilities.
* Moves, especially dedicated defense moves, that reward the player for frame-perfect timing.
* Starting off players with movesets and weapons that are already suited to high combo scores, but also giving them access to optional techniques or weapons purchasable with in-game currency acquired through combat and high rankings.
* UnexpectedShmupLevel elements that can help break up the action and prevent overly repeated combat. (a staple of Creator/HidekiKamiya directed games in particular)
* Most enemy encounters, even ones that are not bosses or story-significant, preventing players from moving on until all enemies have been defeated.
* Optional missions that do not advance the plot and challenge the player to complete special objectives or fight under unusual conditions.
* Quick-time events in combat and/or in cutscenes.
* Control schemes that dedicate at least two buttons or sticks to combat, such as for light and heavy attacks.
* Multiplayer modes that emphasize style and combo scores just as much as, if not more than, kills or completion time.
Despite the name, it's nothing to do with any of the GlassesTropes.
----
!! The following are examples of the genre:
* ''VideoGame/AnarchyReigns'': The genre's flagship player-versus-player game. Bayonetta appears as a GuestFighter.
* ''VideoGame/{{Bayonetta}}'' and ''VideoGame/{{Bayonetta 2}}'': The most famous modern example and exhibits every characteristic listed above. Known for its deep combat options, difficulty, and BulletTime mechanic.
* ''VideoGame/{{Bujingai}}'': A game inspired by {{Wuxia}} mainly set in a post-apocalyptic world filled with demons.
* ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaLordsOfShadow'' and ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaLordsOfShadow2'': A reboot of the series that takes some cues from ''God of War''.
* ''VideoGame/DantesInferno'': A different take on ''Inferno'' from ''The Divine Comedy'' featuring ''God of War''-esque combat.
* ''VideoGame/{{Darksiders}}'': A ''Legend of Zelda'' and ''God of War''-inspired game set in a post-apocalyptic where War, one of the Four Houseman of the Apocalypse, is framed for starting the End War and siding with Hell.
** ''VideoGame/DarksidersII'': Sequel that stars Death, seeking to clear his brother's name that mixes in [=RPG=] elements and loot finding akin to ''Diablo''.
** ''VideoGame/DarksidersIII'': Third installment featuring Fury, the sole female member of the Four Horseman, on quest to destroy the Seven Deadly Sins.
* ''Franchise/DevilMayCry'': The TropeCodifier, and the first game of which was directed by eventual ''Bayonetta'' creator Hideki Kamiya.
** ''VideoGame/DmcDevilMayCry'': The reboot of the franchise. Developed by Ninja Theory.
* ''VideoGame/DynastyWarriors'' franchise from Koei Tecmo, along with their many sequels, crossovers, spinoffs, and offshoots.
* ''VideoGame/FairyBloomFreesia'': A 2D indie title that features extensive ground-to-air combo capabilities similar to ''Bayonetta''.
* ''Fate/Extella:TheUmbralStar'' is a hoard-type spectacle fighter from Marvelous.
* ''VideoGame/GodHand'': An over-the-top hand-to-hand fighter that lets players assign techniques to three attacking buttons in lieu of weapons. This was the last game made by Clover Studios before they became stylish action-regular Creator/PlatinumGames.
* ''VideoGame/GodOfWarSeries'': A brutal take on Greek Mythology about an enraged Spartan who's about to give the Greek Pantheon their just desserts. Incorporates some Action-Adventure elements and puzzle-solving gameplay.
* ''VideoGame/{{Gungrave}}'': One of the first third person shooters to do this for the genre.
* ''VideoGame/KillerIsDead'': The SpiritualSuccessor to ''No More Heroes'' and ''VideoGame/Killer7''.
* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfKorra'': Based on the animated TV series developed by [=PlatinumGames=].
* ''VideoGame/LollipopChainsaw'': A game where a zombie hunting cheerleader tries to prevent a ZombieApocalypse.
* ''VideoGame/MarlowBriggsAndTheMaskOfDeath''
* ''VideoGame/MetalGearRisingRevengeance'': Focuses on bladed combat, parrying as defense, and realistic cutting physics along with ''Metal Gear'' stealth.
* ''VideoGame/NierAutomata'': Somewhat simpler than some of ''Platinum'''s other works, and slightly more reliant on stats and equips, but it still requires precision for high-level play, and it's significantly more skill-based than your typical ActionRPG.
* ''VideoGame/NinjaGaiden'': Primarily the ''Devil May Cry''-like 3D games (and the ''God of War''-like ''[[VideoGame/YaibaNinjaGaidenZ Yaiba]]'' to a lesser extent), the originals being a side scrolling Beat 'Em Up, and a high-speed action platformer trilogy.
* ''VideoGame/NoMoreHeroes'' and ''VideoGame/NoMoreHeroes2DesperateStruggle''
* ''VideoGame/{{Onechanbara}}'': More so ''Z: Kagura'' and ''Z2: Chaos'', as both have a ranking system, and more complex combat.
* ''[[VideoGame/RainBloodChroniclesMirage Rain Blood Chronicles: Mirage]]'': A 2D game whose feudal aesthetic and style mechanics take their cues from {{Wuxia}}.
* ''VideoGame/RisingZanTheSamuraiGunman'': The [[UrExample first]] of its kind back on the [=PS1=]. This game featured a lot of gameplay elements that would show up years later in the genre. There are quick-time events, an end of level rank, and has a super mode.
* ''VideoGame/SenranKagura'': The PlayStation and PC ''Versus'' games feature this type of combat in contrast to the main 3DS games, which are full-fledged beat 'em ups.
* ''VideoGame/{{Stranglehold}}'': A sequel to John Woo's ''Film/HardBoiled'' where scoring is based on how stylishly you shoot enemies and the [[SceneryGorn destruction of the surrounding environment]]. Features BulletTime similar to ''VideoGame/MaxPayne''.
* ''VideoGame/TransformersDevastation'': A brawler based on the Gen 1 ''Transformers'' animated series, also by [=PlatinumGames=].
* ''VideoGame/{{Vanquish}}'': A third-person shooter; its surface mechanics of BulletTime, power-sliding, cover options, and variable melee attacks are all capable of interacting with each other and creating deep gameplay on par with melee stylish action.
* ''VideoGame/ViewtifulJoe'': A hybrid of 2D platformer and progressive beat 'em up, featuring a film fan who gets sucked into his favorite tokusatsu movie and becomes a henshin hero with cinematic powers. Another title by the then Clover Studios and Hideki Kamiya.
* ''VideoGame/{{The Wonderful 101}}'': Players fight with gigantic "Unite Morphs" composed of their allies. Known for its harsh difficulty and escalation of scale, and directed by Hideki Kamiya.
----
to:
In addition to the usual action goal of destroying enemies efficiently, spectacle fighters add the twist of also trying to create a visual spectacle through stylish battle, making them the action genre's sandbox of sorts. Rather than by forcing the player to memorize a handful of extensive combos and techniques, spectacle fighters present the player with a vast number of open-ended, basic combat tools capable of leading into each other, allowing skilled players to build highly creative cutscene-level action sequences in regular combat. Spectacle fighters have a very high skill floor and an even higher skill ceiling, and play that's close to the game's limits often appears to make use of cheats or exploits at first glance. While the amount of story mode content will vary from game to game, they often employ multiple difficulty settings and performance grades to increase replay value and encourage the player to learn from their mistakes.
As a general rule, these games are thoroughly unrealistic, whether it's controllable gameplay or the storytelling that drives it.
Some common characteristics of spectacle fighters, in descending order of frequency and importance, are:
* Regular enemy encounters that greatly outnumber and/or outmuscle the player, designed to encourage creative, fast-paced gameplay and make unskilled, simple LeeroyJenkins strategies unviable.
* Employing magic or advanced technology as an excuse for the game's unrealistic combat mechanics.
* Scoring and ranking systems that grade the player on variables like how much damage they took, how long the mission or fight took to complete, and a combo score calculated to reward long, uninterrupted combos that make use of diverse combat options.
* Single-player, real-time gameplay with a third-person perspective making up most of what the game has to offer.
* An energy or magic meter of some sort that is charged through regular combat and can be spent on special moves, such as powerful attacks, increased combo multipliers, or enhanced combat capabilities.
* Moves, especially dedicated defense moves, that reward the player for frame-perfect timing.
* Starting off players with movesets and weapons that are already suited to high combo scores, but also giving them access to optional techniques or weapons purchasable with in-game currency acquired through combat and high rankings.
* UnexpectedShmupLevel elements that can help break up the action and prevent overly repeated combat. (a staple of Creator/HidekiKamiya directed games in particular)
* Most enemy encounters, even ones that are not bosses or story-significant, preventing players from moving on until all enemies have been defeated.
* Optional missions that do not advance the plot and challenge the player to complete special objectives or fight under unusual conditions.
* Quick-time events in combat and/or in cutscenes.
* Control schemes that dedicate at least two buttons or sticks to combat, such as for light and heavy attacks.
* Multiplayer modes that emphasize style and combo scores just as much as, if not more than, kills or completion time.
Despite the name, it's nothing to do with any of the GlassesTropes.
----
!! The following are examples of the genre:
* ''VideoGame/AnarchyReigns'': The genre's flagship player-versus-player game. Bayonetta appears as a GuestFighter.
* ''VideoGame/{{Bayonetta}}'' and ''VideoGame/{{Bayonetta 2}}'': The most famous modern example and exhibits every characteristic listed above. Known for its deep combat options, difficulty, and BulletTime mechanic.
* ''VideoGame/{{Bujingai}}'': A game inspired by {{Wuxia}} mainly set in a post-apocalyptic world filled with demons.
* ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaLordsOfShadow'' and ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaLordsOfShadow2'': A reboot of the series that takes some cues from ''God of War''.
* ''VideoGame/DantesInferno'': A different take on ''Inferno'' from ''The Divine Comedy'' featuring ''God of War''-esque combat.
* ''VideoGame/{{Darksiders}}'': A ''Legend of Zelda'' and ''God of War''-inspired game set in a post-apocalyptic where War, one of the Four Houseman of the Apocalypse, is framed for starting the End War and siding with Hell.
** ''VideoGame/DarksidersII'': Sequel that stars Death, seeking to clear his brother's name that mixes in [=RPG=] elements and loot finding akin to ''Diablo''.
** ''VideoGame/DarksidersIII'': Third installment featuring Fury, the sole female member of the Four Horseman, on quest to destroy the Seven Deadly Sins.
* ''Franchise/DevilMayCry'': The TropeCodifier, and the first game of which was directed by eventual ''Bayonetta'' creator Hideki Kamiya.
** ''VideoGame/DmcDevilMayCry'': The reboot of the franchise. Developed by Ninja Theory.
* ''VideoGame/DynastyWarriors'' franchise from Koei Tecmo, along with their many sequels, crossovers, spinoffs, and offshoots.
* ''VideoGame/FairyBloomFreesia'': A 2D indie title that features extensive ground-to-air combo capabilities similar to ''Bayonetta''.
* ''Fate/Extella:TheUmbralStar'' is a hoard-type spectacle fighter from Marvelous.
* ''VideoGame/GodHand'': An over-the-top hand-to-hand fighter that lets players assign techniques to three attacking buttons in lieu of weapons. This was the last game made by Clover Studios before they became stylish action-regular Creator/PlatinumGames.
* ''VideoGame/GodOfWarSeries'': A brutal take on Greek Mythology about an enraged Spartan who's about to give the Greek Pantheon their just desserts. Incorporates some Action-Adventure elements and puzzle-solving gameplay.
* ''VideoGame/{{Gungrave}}'': One of the first third person shooters to do this for the genre.
* ''VideoGame/KillerIsDead'': The SpiritualSuccessor to ''No More Heroes'' and ''VideoGame/Killer7''.
* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfKorra'': Based on the animated TV series developed by [=PlatinumGames=].
* ''VideoGame/LollipopChainsaw'': A game where a zombie hunting cheerleader tries to prevent a ZombieApocalypse.
* ''VideoGame/MarlowBriggsAndTheMaskOfDeath''
* ''VideoGame/MetalGearRisingRevengeance'': Focuses on bladed combat, parrying as defense, and realistic cutting physics along with ''Metal Gear'' stealth.
* ''VideoGame/NierAutomata'': Somewhat simpler than some of ''Platinum'''s other works, and slightly more reliant on stats and equips, but it still requires precision for high-level play, and it's significantly more skill-based than your typical ActionRPG.
* ''VideoGame/NinjaGaiden'': Primarily the ''Devil May Cry''-like 3D games (and the ''God of War''-like ''[[VideoGame/YaibaNinjaGaidenZ Yaiba]]'' to a lesser extent), the originals being a side scrolling Beat 'Em Up, and a high-speed action platformer trilogy.
* ''VideoGame/NoMoreHeroes'' and ''VideoGame/NoMoreHeroes2DesperateStruggle''
* ''VideoGame/{{Onechanbara}}'': More so ''Z: Kagura'' and ''Z2: Chaos'', as both have a ranking system, and more complex combat.
* ''[[VideoGame/RainBloodChroniclesMirage Rain Blood Chronicles: Mirage]]'': A 2D game whose feudal aesthetic and style mechanics take their cues from {{Wuxia}}.
* ''VideoGame/RisingZanTheSamuraiGunman'': The [[UrExample first]] of its kind back on the [=PS1=]. This game featured a lot of gameplay elements that would show up years later in the genre. There are quick-time events, an end of level rank, and has a super mode.
* ''VideoGame/SenranKagura'': The PlayStation and PC ''Versus'' games feature this type of combat in contrast to the main 3DS games, which are full-fledged beat 'em ups.
* ''VideoGame/{{Stranglehold}}'': A sequel to John Woo's ''Film/HardBoiled'' where scoring is based on how stylishly you shoot enemies and the [[SceneryGorn destruction of the surrounding environment]]. Features BulletTime similar to ''VideoGame/MaxPayne''.
* ''VideoGame/TransformersDevastation'': A brawler based on the Gen 1 ''Transformers'' animated series, also by [=PlatinumGames=].
* ''VideoGame/{{Vanquish}}'': A third-person shooter; its surface mechanics of BulletTime, power-sliding, cover options, and variable melee attacks are all capable of interacting with each other and creating deep gameplay on par with melee stylish action.
* ''VideoGame/ViewtifulJoe'': A hybrid of 2D platformer and progressive beat 'em up, featuring a film fan who gets sucked into his favorite tokusatsu movie and becomes a henshin hero with cinematic powers. Another title by the then Clover Studios and Hideki Kamiya.
* ''VideoGame/{{The Wonderful 101}}'': Players fight with gigantic "Unite Morphs" composed of their allies. Known for its harsh difficulty and escalation of scale, and directed by Hideki Kamiya.
----
