Tactical Shooters
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A tactical shooter is a
subgenre Genre () is any form or type of communication in any mode (written, spoken, digital, artistic, etc.) with socially-agreed-upon conventions developed over time. In popular usage, it normally describes a Category of being, category of literature, ...
of
shooter game 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 ...
s that cover both the
first-person shooter First-person shooter (FPS) is a sub-genre of shooter video games centered on gun and other weapon-based combat in a first-person perspective, with the player experiencing the action through the eyes of the protagonist and controlling the pl ...
and
third-person shooter 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 ...
genres. These games aim to simulate realistic combat through slower-paced and punishing gameplay. This makes tactics, planning, and cooperation more important than quick reflexes, thus lending the tactical shooter subgenre its name. The tactical shooter genre originated in the late 1980s, but was first popularized in the late 1990s with the releases of several successful tactical shooters. The popularity of the genre lasted until a decline in popularity in the mid-to-late 2000s, following the discontinuation or reboots of some tactical shooter franchises, and the successes of "arcade-style" action shooters that eschewed traditional genre aspects in favor of cinematic or audience-accessible gameplay. In the mid-to-late 2010s and early 2020s, traditional tactical shooters saw a revitalization following the successes of numerous titles. Though they are often associated with shooter games featuring realistic gameplay elements—such as low time to kill, realistic and grounded settings, or accurate ballistics and details, seen in traditional tactical shooters such as ''Rainbow Six'' and ''Arma''—the term "tactical shooter" may technically apply to any shooter game where tactical planning is emphasized in gameplay or an atmosphere of realism and accuracy is provided, such as ''
Call of Duty ''Call of Duty'' is a first-person shooter video game Media franchise, franchise published by Activision. Starting out in 2003, it first focused on games set in World War II. Over time, the series has seen games set in the midst of the Cold W ...
'' and ''Battlefield''. Tactical shooters involving military combat in a grounded and realistic setting are also sometimes known as MilSims.


Game design

According to ''
IGN ''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
'', tactical shooters "are about caution, care, cooperation, coordination, planning, and pacing. In these games, making decisive pushes, quick moves for cover, strategic retreats, and last ditch grabs at the gold are not only important to success, but balanced in such a way that they become enjoyable activities in play." David Treharne of ''GameSpew'' identifies four criteria for what qualifies as a tactical shooter: " you're looking for the use of: realistic constraints of player movement; realistically simulated ballistics and accuracy; squad based or multiple approach/style accessibility; and a low tolerance or low health realistic damage model. Basically, you usually move slower than most shooters, your accuracy is much lower and bullets drop over a distance, you usually have a squad to command, and all of you only being able to take two or three shots before dying." Tactical shooters are generally designed around realism. A staple of tactical shooters is their low time to kill, where players and NPCs can be killed in a short amount of time or with very few attacks; for example, in many tactical shooters, being shot with a single bullet may easily be fatal, especially without proper equipment such as
body armor Body armor, also known as body armour, personal armor or armour, or a suit or coat of armor, is protective clothing designed to absorb or deflect physical attacks. Historically used to protect military personnel, today it is also used by variou ...
or if the bullet is of a high
caliber In guns, particularly firearms, caliber (or calibre; sometimes abbreviated as "cal") is the specified nominal internal diameter of the gun barrel Gauge (firearms) , bore – regardless of how or where the bore is measured and whether the f ...
. Due to this heightened risk of being killed the individual heroism seen in other shooter games is drastically restrained, and players are forced to rely on
military tactics Military tactics encompasses the art of organizing and employing fighting forces on or near the battlefield. They involve the application of four battlefield functions which are closely related – kinetic or firepower, Mobility (military), mobil ...
and
infantry tactics Infantry tactics are the combination of military concepts and methods used by infantry to achieve tactical objectives during combat. The role of the infantry on the battlefield is, typically, to close with and engage the enemy, and hold territ ...
to succeed. Due to these realistic but punishing game mechanics, the genre's style of play is typically slower than other types of shooters. More caution and patience is required in tactics, such as methodically advancing through cover and concealment as opposed to running toward the enemy and shooting in the open. Emphasis is often placed on realistic modeling of
weapon A weapon, arm or armament is any implement or device that can be used to deter, threaten, inflict physical damage, harm, or kill. Weapons are used to increase the efficacy and efficiency of activities such as hunting, crime, law enforcement, s ...
s and
ballistics Ballistics is the field of mechanics concerned with the launching, flight behaviour and impact effects of projectiles, especially ranged weapon munitions such as bullets, unguided bombs, rockets or the like; the science or art of designing and a ...
, and
power-up In video games, a power-up is an object that adds temporary benefits or extra abilities to the player character as a game mechanic. This is in contrast to an item, which may or may not have a permanent benefit that can be used at any time chosen ...
s are often more limited than in other shooters. Weapons in tactical shooters are usually designed to be inaccurate while moving and more accurate while in crouching or prone stances. Jumping, which is seldom performed in real combat, is de-emphasized or even omitted in order to promote realism, though some games may offer limited climbing or vaulting mechanics. Many tactical shooters also feature "leaning", where the player can lean left or right to peek and fire around corners or behind cover without exposing the rest of their body to attack. Most tactical shooters have
sight Visual perception is the ability to interpret the surrounding Biophysical environment, environment through photopic vision (daytime vision), color vision, scotopic vision (night vision), and mesopic vision (twilight vision), using light in the ...
mechanics, where players are able to either "hip-fire" (fire without aiming the weapon's sights) which is less accurate but gives a wider view of the area; or "aim down sights" ("ADS") for better accuracy and (typically if the sight is a
scope Scope or scopes may refer to: People with the surname * Jamie Scope (born 1986), English footballer * John T. Scopes (1900–1970), central figure in the Scopes Trial regarding the teaching of evolution Arts, media, and entertainment * Cinem ...
) increased zoom, at the cost of restricted view and camera sensitivity. To highlight their emphases on realism, tactical shooters tend to feature limited
HUD Hud or HUD may refer to: Entertainment * ''Hud'' (1963 film), a 1963 film starring Paul Newman * ''Hud'' (1986 film), a 1986 Norwegian film * ''HUD'' (TV program), or ''Heads Up Daily'', a Canadian e-sports television program Places * Hud, Fa ...
elements compared to most other shooters, the extent of which can vary depending on the game, difficulty, or selected options, ranging from the absence of a
minimap A mini-map or minimap is a miniature map that is often placed at a screen corner in video games to aid players in orienting themselves within the game world. They are often only a small portion of the screen and must be selective in what details ...
or
health bar Health, according to the World Health Organization, is "a state of complete physical, Mental health, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity".World Health Organization. (2006)''Constitution of the World H ...
to the full or partial absence of HUD crosshairs and
ammunition Ammunition (informally ammo) is the material fired, scattered, dropped, or detonated from any weapon or weapon system. Ammunition is both expendable weapons (e.g., bombs, missiles, grenades, land mines) and the component parts of other weap ...
counters. Some tactical shooters make use of
squad In military terminology, a squad is among the smallest of military organizations and is led by a non-commissioned officer. NATO and US doctrine define a squad as an organization "larger than a team, but smaller than a section." while US Army do ...
-based tactics, where the
player character A player character (also known as a playable character or PC) is a fictional character in a video game or tabletop role-playing game whose actions are controlled by a player rather than the rules of the game. The characters that are not control ...
(and occasionally even the enemy) is supported by a team of allied units, typically
artificial intelligence Artificial intelligence (AI) is intelligence—perceiving, synthesizing, and inferring information—demonstrated by machines, as opposed to intelligence displayed by animals and humans. Example tasks in which this is done include speech re ...
. While early tactical shooters had simple AI allies who offered support fire, AI in later games has evolved with more complex squadmate responses such as
suppressive fire In military science, suppressive fire is "fire that degrades the performance of an enemy force below the level needed to fulfill its mission". When used to protect exposed friendly troops advancing on the battlefield, it is commonly called cov ...
mechanics. In games with sufficiently robust AI, the player character may be able to issue commands to AI squadmates, such as ordering them to breach a door, target an enemy, or clear an area of hostiles. Some games in the genre allow players to plan their team's movements before a mission, which the AI then follows independently. Some
multiplayer A multiplayer video game is a video game in which more than one person can play in the same game environment at the same time, either locally on the same computing system (couch co-op), on different computing systems via a local area network, or ...
tactical shooters allow other players to assist each other either in the same squad or occasionally even commanding their own squads, allowing human players to strategize and coordinate more effectively compared to the limited commands available for AI. Team tactics are emphasized in tactical shooters more than other shooter genres, and thus accurate aiming and quick reflexes are not always sufficient for victory. The game's setting and scope are usually reflected in the game's level designs and mechanics. For example, in ''
SWAT 4 ''SWAT 4'' is a 2005 tactical shooter video game developed by Irrational Games and published by Sierra Entertainment ( Vivendi Universal Games) exclusively for Microsoft Windows. It was built on Irrational Games' Vengeance Engine powered by Unr ...
'', the player leads a modern-day
SWAT In the United States, a SWAT team (special weapons and tactics, originally special weapons assault team) is a police tactical unit that uses specialized or military equipment and tactics. Although they were first created in the 1960s to ...
team against criminals and terrorists in an
East Coast East Coast may refer to: Entertainment * East Coast hip hop, a subgenre of hip hop * East Coast (ASAP Ferg song), "East Coast" (ASAP Ferg song), 2017 * East Coast (Saves the Day song), "East Coast" (Saves the Day song), 2004 * East Coast FM, a ra ...
metropolis; therefore, it follows that most levels in the game are inspired by the urban and suburban regions of the
Eastern United States The Eastern United States, commonly referred to as the American East, Eastern America, or simply the East, is the region of the United States to the east of the Mississippi River. In some cases the term may refer to a smaller area or the East C ...
, with most levels set indoors, and most level layouts and gameplay focusing on the
close-quarters combat Close-quarters combat (CQC) or close-quarters battle (CQB) is a tactical situation that involves a physical fight with firearms involved between multiple combatants at short range. It can occur between military units, police/corrections officers ...
that SWAT teams specialize in; thus, the game features equipment that work within the game's setting, such as door wedges to seal doors to prevent ambushes, and
tasers A taser is an electroshock weapon used to incapacitate people, allowing them to be approached and handled in an unresisting and thus safe manner. It is sold by Axon, formerly TASER International. It fires two small barbed darts intended to ...
to stun and arrest enemies. The setting itself defines how "realistic" the game may be: a game depicting
modern warfare Modern warfare is warfare that is in notable contrast with previous military concepts, methods, and technology, emphasizing how combatants must modernize to preserve their battle worthiness. As such, it is an evolving subject, seen different ...
set in the present may use modern combat tactics with realistic weapons, while a game set in the
near future The future is the time after the past and present. Its arrival is considered inevitable due to the existence of time and the laws of physics. Due to the apparent nature of reality and the unavoidability of the future, everything that currently ...
or a different universe may incorporate elements of
science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...
and use fictional or theoretical advanced technology, while still using generally realistic or sensible combat tactics. The setting may also determine what mission objectives the game may feature; for example, the ''
SWAT In the United States, a SWAT team (special weapons and tactics, originally special weapons assault team) is a police tactical unit that uses specialized or military equipment and tactics. Although they were first created in the 1960s to ...
'', ''
Counter-Strike ''Counter-Strike'' (''CS'') is a series of multiplayer tactical first-person shooter video games in which teams of terrorists battle to perpetrate an act of terror (bombing, hostage-taking, assassination) while counter-terrorists try to preven ...
'', and ''
Rainbow Six Rainbow Six may refer to: * ''Rainbow Six'' (novel), a 1998 novel by Tom Clancy *''Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six'', a video game franchise published by Ubisoft ** ''Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six'' (video game), a tactical shooter video game *"Rainbow Six", a ...
'' series each depict counterterrorist tactical units, and therefore the mission objectives seen in most of their games are centered around the typical duties of those units, namely eliminating or apprehending
terrorists Terrorism, in its broadest sense, is the use of criminal violence to provoke a state of terror or fear, mostly with the intention to achieve political or religious aims. The term is used in this regard primarily to refer to intentional violen ...
, rescuing
hostages A hostage is a person seized by an abductor in order to compel another party, one which places a high value on the liberty, well-being and safety of the person seized, such as a relative, employer, law enforcement or government to act, or refr ...
, and defusing bombs.


Weapons

Tactical shooters often feature a wide variety of weapons modeled on actual firearms. The weapons featured often depend on the setting, but are generally intended to suit the period and (e.g. a game set in
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
would feature period-accurate weaponry and lack modern weapons such as the
M16 rifle The M16 rifle (officially designated Rifle, Caliber 5.56 mm, M16) is a family of military rifles adapted from the ArmaLite AR-15 rifle for the United States military. The original M16 rifle was a 5.56×45mm automatic rifle with a 20-roun ...
).
Ballistics Ballistics is the field of mechanics concerned with the launching, flight behaviour and impact effects of projectiles, especially ranged weapon munitions such as bullets, unguided bombs, rockets or the like; the science or art of designing and a ...
are often simulated, as are elements of authenticity such as
recoil Recoil (often called knockback, kickback or simply kick) is the rearward thrust generated when a gun is being discharged. In technical terms, the recoil is a result of conservation of momentum, as according to Newton's third law the force requ ...
,
motion blur Motion blur is the apparent streaking of moving objects in a photograph or a sequence of frames, such as a film or animation. It results when the image being recorded changes during the recording of a single exposure, due to rapid movement or lo ...
, ear-ringing from
explosions An explosion is a rapid expansion in volume associated with an extreme outward release of energy, usually with the generation of high temperatures and release of high-pressure gases. Supersonic explosions created by high explosives are known ...
, and the feeling of being suppressed. Some developers of tactical shooters may hire technical advisors from
military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...
,
law enforcement Law enforcement is the activity of some members of government who act in an organized manner to enforce the law by discovering, deterring, rehabilitating, or punishing people who violate the rules and norms governing that society. The term en ...
, or
firearms A firearm is any type of gun designed to be readily carried and used by an individual. The term is legally defined further in different countries (see Legal definitions). The first firearms originated in 10th-century China, when bamboo tubes c ...
specializations to ensure accuracy in in-game depictions. April 7, 2005 However, simulating actual combat is often sacrificed in favor of balance as well as playability. There may be considerable modifications to in-game weapons and ballistics compared to real life, deliberately done to ensure
game balance Game balance is a branch of game design that is described as a mathematical-algorithmic model of a game’s numbers, game mechanics, and relations between the two. Game balance consists of adjusting values to create a certain user experience. Play ...
in multiplayer PvP or competitive modes. For instance, tactical shooters with notable competitive scenes such as the ''Counter-Strike'' series typically allow the player to survive multiple bullet hits to the torso (ignoring the bullet resistance of different types of
ballistic vest A bulletproof vest, also known as a ballistic vest or a bullet-resistant vest, is an item of body armor that helps absorb the impact and reduce or stop penetration to the torso from firearm-fired projectiles and fragmentation from explosions. ...
s) and even more to the legs (rarely armored in real life), while registering an automatic kill for melee hits to the back (whether punches or knife stabs) and headshots (regardless of weapon caliber, impact point, or whether the target is wearing a
combat helmet A combat helmet or battle helmet is a type of helmet. It is a piece of personal armor designed specifically to protect the head during combat. Modern combat helmets are mainly designed to protect from shrapnel and fragments, offer some protec ...
). In contrast to run-and-gun shooters such as '' Quake'' which allow players to carry full arsenals, tactical shooters place considerable restrictions on what players may be equipped with, requiring players to carefully select their weapons, equipment, and inventories accordingly. The typical loadout setup used in tactical shooters is that of one "primary weapon" (traditionally a
long gun A long gun is a category of firearms with long barrels. In small arms, a ''long gun'' or longarm is generally designed to be held by both hands and braced against the shoulder, in contrast to a handgun, which can be fired being held with a single ...
such as a
rifle A rifle is a long-barreled firearm designed for accurate shooting, with a barrel that has a helical pattern of grooves ( rifling) cut into the bore wall. In keeping with their focus on accuracy, rifles are typically designed to be held with ...
,
shotgun A shotgun (also known as a scattergun, or historically as a fowling piece) is a long gun, long-barreled firearm designed to shoot a straight-walled cartridge (firearms), cartridge known as a shotshell, which usually discharges numerous small p ...
,
submachine gun A submachine gun (SMG) is a magazine-fed, automatic carbine designed to fire handgun cartridges. The term "submachine gun" was coined by John T. Thompson, the inventor of the Thompson submachine gun, to describe its design concept as an autom ...
, or
light machine guns A light machine gun (LMG) is a light-weight machine gun designed to be operated by a single infantryman, with or without an assistant, as an infantry support weapon. LMGs firing cartridges of the same caliber as the other riflemen of the same ...
) and one "secondary weapon" (traditionally a sidearm such as a
pistol A pistol is a handgun, more specifically one with the chamber integral to its gun barrel, though in common usage the two terms are often used interchangeably. The English word was introduced in , when early handguns were produced in Europe, an ...
, though some games may also include compact shotguns and submachine guns such as the Mini Uzi or
Serbu Super-Shorty The Serbu Super-Shorty is a compact, stockless, pump action shotgun chambered in 12-gauge (2¾ and 3"). The basic architecture of most of the production models is based on the Mossberg Maverick 88 shotgun, with Mossberg 500 and Remington 870 ...
).
Grenades A grenade is an explosive weapon typically thrown by hand (also called hand grenade), but can also refer to a shell (explosive projectile) shot from the muzzle of a rifle (as a rifle grenade) or a grenade launcher. A modern hand grenade gene ...
of both "explosive"/"lethal" (such as frag grenades and
Molotov cocktails A Molotov cocktail (among several other names – ''see other names'') is a hand thrown incendiary weapon constructed from a frangible container filled with flammable substances equipped with a fuse (typically a glass bottle filled with flammab ...
) and "tactical"/"non-lethal" (such as
stun grenades A stun grenade, also known as a flash grenade, flashbang, thunderflash, or sound bomb, is a less-lethal explosive device used to temporarily disorient an enemy's senses. Upon detonation, they produce a blinding flash of light and an extremely lo ...
and
smoke grenades Smoke grenades used at demonstrations in Paris, 2008 upBritish L83A1 Smoke Grenade manufactured in May 2008. This grenade has already been used. A smoke grenade is a canister-type grenade used as a signaling device, target or landing zone mark ...
) varieties, and equipment such as medkits, are often under their own slots and are typically used with a single input as opposed to individually equipping and using them. Melee weapons such as
combat knives A combat knife is a fighting knife designed solely for military use and primarily intended for hand-to-hand or close combat fighting.Peterson, Harold L., ''Daggers and Fighting Knives of the Western World'', Courier Dover Publications, , (2001 ...
and
bayonets A bayonet (from French ) is a knife, dagger, sword, or spike-shaped weapon designed to fit on the end of the muzzle of a rifle, musket or similar firearm, allowing it to be used as a spear-like weapon.Brayley, Martin, ''Bayonets: An Illustra ...
may also have their own slot, though this is typically only in games featuring close-quarters combat where their use is relatively likely; in games with more distant or firearm-based combat, such as '' Arma 3'', melee weapons are unavailable.
Rocket launchers A rocket launcher is a weapon that launches an unguided, rocket-propelled projectile. History The earliest rocket launchers documented in imperial China consisted of arrows modified by the attachment of a rocket motor to the shaft a few in ...
and
grenade launchers A grenade launcher is a weapon that fires a specially-designed large-caliber projectile, often with an explosive, Smoke screen, smoke or tear gas, gas warhead. Today, the term generally refers to a class of dedicated firearms firing unitary grena ...
, occasionally having their own "launcher" slot, may have varying focuses compared to their "general purpose" depictions in arcade shooters, such as dedicated
ATGM An anti-tank guided missile (ATGM), anti-tank missile, anti-tank guided weapon (ATGW) or anti-armor guided weapon is a guided missile primarily designed to hit and destroy heavily armored military vehicles. ATGMs range in size from shoulder ...
and
MANPADS Man-portable air-defense systems (MANPADS or MPADS) are portable surface-to-air missiles. They are guided weapons and are a threat to low-flying aircraft, especially helicopters. Overview MANPADS were developed in the 1950s to provide military ...
launchers, or underbarrel anti-personnel grenade launchers that can be equipped on some rifles and carbines. In many instances, the player's selected
class Class or The Class may refer to: Common uses not otherwise categorized * Class (biology), a taxonomic rank * Class (knowledge representation), a collection of individuals or objects * Class (philosophy), an analytical concept used differentl ...
affects what weapons are available to them; for example, a "
rifleman A rifleman is an infantry soldier armed with a rifling, rifled long gun. Although the rifleman role had its origin with 16th century hand cannoneers and 17th century musketeers, the term originated in the 18th century with the introduction o ...
" class may only have rifles and carbines as their available primary weapons, with other weapons such as machine guns, shotguns, and launchers only accessible to other classes. Wielding or carrying heavier weapons such as sniper rifles and machine guns often incurs a movement penalty over lighter weapons like submachine guns and pistols, but players often find loopholes in game mechanics or the game's physics engine to get around these penalties, such as in ''Counter-Strike'', where switching to knives and jumping for faster movement is an established strategy. In most tactical shooters, the basic weapon and equipment slots are the extent of the player's inventory; however, in some more expansive games, such as the ''Arma'' series, individual items such as
magazines A magazine is a periodical publication, generally published on a regular schedule (often weekly or monthly), containing a variety of content. They are generally financed by advertising, purchase price, prepaid subscriptions, or by a combination ...
for equipped weapons are carried in the player's inventory, which must be managed to mitigate its effects on the player's weight, which in turn affects movement speed, stamina, time taken to aim down sights, and the ability to focus while aiming. Many tactical shooters (especially those released during and after the 2010s, when rail systems became increasingly common on most firearms) feature varying degrees of weapon customization. In most modern tactical shooters, this is often limited to the addition of firearm attachments such as a variety of scopes, holographic sights,
laser sights Many scientific, military, medical and commercial laser applications have been developed since the invention of the laser in 1958. The coherency, high monochromaticity, and ability to reach extremely high powers are all properties which allow ...
,
flashlights A flashlight ( US, Canada) or torch ( UK, Australia) is a portable hand-held electric lamp. Formerly, the light source typically was a miniature incandescent light bulb, but these have been displaced by light-emitting diodes (LEDs) since the ...
, foregrips, and suppressors, while in other shooters this may extend to stylized weapon
camouflage Camouflage is the use of any combination of materials, coloration, or illumination for concealment, either by making animals or objects hard to see, or by disguising them as something else. Examples include the leopard's spotted coat, the ...
skins and
keychain A keychain (also key fob or keyring) is a small ring or chain of metal to which several keys can be attached. The length of a keychain allows an item to be used more easily than if connected directly to a keyring. Some keychains allow one or bo ...
-style "charms", or even individual components of the gun itself (as seen in ''
Escape from Tarkov ''Escape from Tarkov'' is a multiplayer tactical first-person shooter video game in development by Battlestate Games for Windows. The game is set in the fictional Norvinsk region, where a war is taking place between two private military compa ...
''). In games where weight is a factor, the player's equipped attachments may add to their weight, forcing players to choose between which attachments they require the most in the interests of effectiveness and mobility. Despite generally aiming for realism and accuracy, some tactical shooters, especially more action-oriented arcade-style shooters such as ''
Call of Duty ''Call of Duty'' is a first-person shooter video game Media franchise, franchise published by Activision. Starting out in 2003, it first focused on games set in World War II. Over time, the series has seen games set in the midst of the Cold W ...
'', tend to make exceptions with their weapon accuracy. "Akimbo" (
dual wield Dual wielding is the technique of using two weapons, one in each hand for training or combat. It is not a common combat practice. Although historical records of dual wielding in war are limited, there are numerous weapon-based martial arts that ...
ing) of firearms is generally rare in tactical shooters, yet it still often appears in action shooters such as ''Call of Duty'' with weapons ranging from small pistols to long-barreled shotguns. The
Desert Eagle The Desert Eagle is a gas-operated, semi-automatic pistol known for chambering the .50 Action Express, the largest centerfire cartridge of any magazine-fed, self-loading pistol. Magnum Research Inc. (MRI) designed and developed the Desert Eagle. ...
, despite being unsuitable for actual military applications, is still frequently found in many tactical shooters as a high-powered handgun option. Outdated weapons such as the
AK-47 The AK-47, officially known as the ''Avtomat Kalashnikova'' (; also known as the Kalashnikov or just AK), is a gas operated, gas-operated assault rifle that is chambered for the 7.62×39mm cartridge. Developed in the Soviet Union by Russian s ...
are often seen in modern military service in some games, despite them being mostly replaced by then (the AK-47 in particular having been replaced in
Soviet Army uk, Радянська армія , image = File:Communist star with golden border and red rims.svg , alt = , caption = Emblem of the Soviet Army , start_date ...
service by the
AK-74 The AK-74 (Russian: , tr. ''Avtomat Kalashnikova obraztsa 1974 goda'', lit. 'Kalashnikov assault rifle model 1974) is an assault rifle designed by small arms designer Mikhail Kalashnikov in 1974. While primarily associated with the Soviet U ...
in the 1970s).


History

Features now common to the tactical shooters genre originated in the late 1980s and early 1990s, starting with ''
Airborne Ranger ''Airborne Ranger'' is an action game developed and published by MicroProse for the Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum in 1987 and the Amstrad CPC and IBM PC compatibles in 1988. Ports to the Amiga and Atari ST by Imagitec Design were released in 1989 ...
'' (1987) by
Microprose MicroProse is an American video game publisher and video game developer, developer founded by Bill Stealey, Sid Meier, and Andy Hollis in 1982. It developed and published numerous games, including starting the ''Civilization (series), Civilizatio ...
. ''
Computer Gaming World ''Computer Gaming World'' (CGW) was an American computer game magazine published between 1981 and 2006. One of the few magazines of the era to survive the video game crash of 1983, it was sold to Ziff Davis in 1993. It expanded greatly through ...
'' compared it to the earlier 1985 arcade game ''
Commando Royal Marines from 40 Commando on patrol in the Sangin">40_Commando.html" ;"title="Royal Marines from 40 Commando">Royal Marines from 40 Commando on patrol in the Sangin area of Afghanistan are pictured A commando is a combatant, or operativ ...
'' (a more typical action shooter of the period), but commented that it was "deeper and more versatile". The game featured a limited inventory which had to be carefully managed, a variety of mission types which often promoted guile over violence, and the impetus to plan ahead and outmaneuver the enemy—all of which are features common in the tactical shooter genre as a whole. ''Airborne Ranger'' was followed by ''
Special Forces Special forces and special operations forces (SOF) are military units trained to conduct special operations. NATO has defined special operations as "military activities conducted by specially designated, organized, selected, trained and equip ...
'' (1991), also by Microprose, which first introduced squad mechanics to the genre. The next technical breakthrough came in 1993 with the release of '' SEAL Team'' by
Electronic Arts Electronic Arts Inc. (EA) is an American video game company headquartered in Redwood City, California. Founded in May 1982 by Apple employee Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer game industry and promoted the d ...
. This game already offered many of the basic features associated with the genre, including utilizing support elements and vehicular units, and running a real-time simulated environment (with 3D
Vector graphics Vector graphics is a form of computer graphics in which visual images are created directly from geometric shapes defined on a Cartesian plane, such as points, lines, curves and polygons. The associated mechanisms may include vector display a ...
) that reacts to the player's actions. Experiments in tactical shooter design were sparse over the next five years, and included '' Terra Nova: Strike Force Centauri'', released in 1996—one of first 3D-rendered games with squad-oriented gameplay. The first major successes of the genre came in 1998, with games such as ''
Rainbow Six Rainbow Six may refer to: * ''Rainbow Six'' (novel), a 1998 novel by Tom Clancy *''Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six'', a video game franchise published by Ubisoft ** ''Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six'' (video game), a tactical shooter video game *"Rainbow Six", a ...
'', ''
Ghost Recon ''Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon'' is a series of military tactical shooter video games published by Ubisoft. In the series, the player is in charge of a fictional, newly conceived squad of U.S. Army Special Forces soldiers from Company (military unit ...
'', and ''
Delta Force The 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment–Delta (1st SFOD-D), referred to variously as Delta Force, Combat Applications Group (CAG), Army Compartmented Elements (ACE), "The Unit", or within Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), Task Fo ...
'', which are credited for defining and refining the genre. Other influences on the genre included games such as the ''SOCOM ''series, as well as the ''SWAT'' series, a tactical shooter spin-off of the ''
Police Quest ''Police Quest'' (or ''SWAT'') is a series of police simulation video games produced and published by Sierra On-Line between 1987 and 1998. The first five were adventure simulation games, the first three of which were designed by former police ...
'' series of
adventure game An adventure game is a video game genre in which the player assumes the role of a protagonist in an interactive story driven by exploration and/or Puzzle video game, puzzle-solving. The Video game genres, genre's focus on story allows it to draw ...
s. 1998's ''Rainbow Six'' in particular has been credited as a revolutionary game which defined the conventions of the tactical shooter genre. The game was inspired by (and, before its connection with
Tom Clancy Thomas Leo Clancy Jr. (April 12, 1947 – October 1, 2013) was an American novelist. He is best known for his technically detailed espionage and military science, military-science storylines set during and after the Cold War. Seventeen of ...
's novel ''Rainbow Six'', initially focused on) the
FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and its principal Federal law enforcement in the United States, federal law enforcement age ...
Hostage Rescue Team The Hostage Rescue Team (HRT) is the elite tactical unit of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The HRT was formed to provide a full-time federal law enforcement tactical capability to respond to major terrorist incidents throughout the ...
. The game was designed to emphasize strategy in a way that would be fun for players without the best reflexes. The series has since become a benchmark for the genre in terms of detail and accuracy. Some of the most notable tactical shooters have been total conversion mods of first person shooter titles which have been released for free. ''Infiltration'', a total conversion of ''
Unreal Tournament ''Unreal Tournament'' is a first-person arena shooter video game developed by Epic Games and Digital Extremes. The second installment in the ''Unreal'' series, it was first published by GT Interactive in 1999 for Microsoft Windows, and later r ...
'' (1999), has been described as "turning Unreal Tournament's wild cartoon action into a harrowing game of cat and mouse". ''Infiltration'' has been noted for detailed aiming system including hip-fire and sights while lacking a crosshair, different movement stances (running, walking, crouching, and prone, leaning around corners), and a weapon customization feature with a weight penalty. ''Counter-Strike'' (2000), a
mod Mod, MOD or mods may refer to: Places * Modesto City–County Airport, Stanislaus County, California, US Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Mods (band), a Norwegian rock band * M.O.D. (Method of Destruction), a band from New York City, US ...
of
Valve A valve is a device or natural object that regulates, directs or controls the flow of a fluid (gases, liquids, fluidized solids, or slurries) by opening, closing, or partially obstructing various passageways. Valves are technically fittings ...
's ''
Half-Life Half-life (symbol ) is the time required for a quantity (of substance) to reduce to half of its initial value. The term is commonly used in nuclear physics to describe how quickly unstable atoms undergo radioactive decay or how long stable ato ...
'' (1998), was the most popular multiplayer game of its era, in spite of the release of arcade-style first-person shooters with more advanced graphics engines such as ''
Unreal Tournament 2003 ''Unreal Tournament 2003'' is a first-person arena shooter video game developed by Epic Games and Digital Extremes, and published by Infogrames under the Atari brand name. The game is part of the ''Unreal'' franchise, and is a sequel to 1999's ...
''. One of the developers of the ''
Half-Life Half-life (symbol ) is the time required for a quantity (of substance) to reduce to half of its initial value. The term is commonly used in nuclear physics to describe how quickly unstable atoms undergo radioactive decay or how long stable ato ...
'' expansions was
Gearbox Software Gearbox Software is an American video game development company based in Frisco, Texas. It was established as a limited liability company in February 1999 by five developers formerly of Rebel Boat Rocker. Randy Pitchford, one of the founders, se ...
, who in 2005 released the game '' Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30'' (2005) that further defined the genre. March 18, 2005 March 15, 2005 Critics praised the game for not only adding realism to its first-person shooter gameplay, but also in its unique tactical gameplay that allows players to command soldiers and teams during combat.


Decline

By the late 2000s, arcade-style casual shooters such as '' Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare'' (2007) began to prove more popular than classic-style shooters such as '' Quake'' and ''
Unreal Unreal may refer to: Books and TV * ''Unreal'' (short story collection), a 1985 book of short stories by Paul Jennings * ''Unreal'' (TV series), a 2015 television drama series on Lifetime Computing and games * ''Unreal'' (video game series), ...
'', although the field of true tactical shooters was largely neglected by developers since the mid-to-late 2000s. At that point, most tactical shooter franchises such as ''SWAT'' and ''SOCOM'' were discontinued, while developers such as Red Storm and Sierra went defunct or were absorbed by larger companies. Even traditionally tactical shooter series like ''Rainbow Six'' and ''Ghost Recon'' drifted away from tactical realism towards cinematic action-centered themes, as can be witnessed by contemporary ''Rainbow Six'' sequels, which completely do away with the series' pre-action planning stage (last seen in 2003's '' Rainbow Six 3: Raven Shield'') and even the series' established counterterrorism setting as of ''Rainbow Six Siege'' (2015, in updates released later) and ''Rainbow Six Extraction'' (2022), and the futuristic settings of '' Ghost Recon: Future Soldier'' (2012), which offers invisibility cloaks and shoulder-mounted anti-tank rockets.


Resurgence

With the release of '' Arma 3'' (2013) and later games like ''
Squad In military terminology, a squad is among the smallest of military organizations and is led by a non-commissioned officer. NATO and US doctrine define a squad as an organization "larger than a team, but smaller than a section." while US Army do ...
'' (2020), '' Rising Storm 2: Vietnam'' (2017), '' Insurgency: Sandstorm'' (2018), and ''Ready or Not'' (2021) by the mid-to-late 2010s and early 2020s, the genre continues to enjoy a fairly large following as more and more games are released with tactical elements that incorporate magazine dropping and one-shot-one-kill paradigms. Casual games like ''Rainbow Six Siege'' and ''
Battlefield V ''Battlefield V'' is a first-person shooter game developed by DICE and published by Electronic Arts. It is the eleventh main installment in the ''Battlefield'' series and the successor to 2016's ''Battlefield 1'', and was released for Microsoft ...
'' have also demonstrated "back to roots" philosophies, such as the removal of regenerative health and "3D spotting" in the latter.


Military use

'' VBS2'' (and its successor '' VBS3'') is a military tactical shooter simulation used for dismounted infantry training by the
United States military The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is the ...
and several
NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...
armies. Its
Pointman ''Pointman'' is a TV movie pilot and TV series on the Prime Time Entertainment Network in 1994 in television, 1994 to 1995 in television, 1995. The premise of the main character is he is Frameup, framed and Conviction, convicted of fraud while ...
user interface combines head tracking, a motion-sensitive gamepad and sliding foot pedals to increase the precision and level of control over one's avatar, enabling users to more realistically aim their weapon and practice muzzle discipline, to take measured steps when moving around obstacles or cover, and to continuously control their postural height to make better use of cover and concealment.


See also

*
Military simulation Military simulations, also known informally as war games, are simulations in which theories of warfare can be tested and refined without the need for actual hostilities. Military simulations are seen as a useful way to develop tactical, strategi ...
, where individual soldiers or units are not directly controlled by the player are often
real-time tactics Real-time tactics (RTT)(Article at IGN discussing their perception of RTS and related genres as of 2006. RTT is discussed as a new and not yet established genre from the publisher's perspective, so currently all RTT possible titles are still con ...
games. Tactical shooters are video-games, while
Military simulation Military simulations, also known informally as war games, are simulations in which theories of warfare can be tested and refined without the need for actual hostilities. Military simulations are seen as a useful way to develop tactical, strategi ...
s take place in real life. *
MilSim MilSim, an abbreviation of military simulation, refers to live-acted simulation of armed conflict scenarios conducted by civilians for entertainment, sporting or nostalgic purposes. It has been described as both a form of "extreme sport" and as his ...
, a genre of recreation incorporating real life military activities and video games


References

{{VideoGameGenre Video game genres Violence in video games Video game terminology