FUNDAMENTALS OF GAME DESIGN, SECOND EDITION
ACTION-ADVENTURES
The arrival of 3D hardware also gave rise to a new sort of game, a hybrid of action game and adventure game called, unsurprisingly, an action-adventure. The action - adventure is faster paced than a pure adventure game and includes physical as well as conceptual challenges. Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine provides a good example of the type. The modern Zelda games might be considered another, although with their levels and bosses, they are closer to being pure action games. Exactly when a game stops being an adventure game and becomes an action game is a matter of interpretation. Some might consider the Tomb Raider games to be action - adventures because they include puzzles, but the puzzles are quite simple, and the games rely so heavily on physical challenges that they are really action games.
Many adventure game purists don't care for action-adventures; generally, they dislike any sort of physical challenge or time pressure. If you plan to make your game an action-adventure, you should be aware that, although your design might appeal to some action gamers who might not otherwise buy your game, you might also discourage some adventure gamers who would. Without doubt, however, action - adventure hybrids are now more popular than traditional adventure games.
