what is an "On-Rails" Shooter?

[Maynard]

I never heard this term before. Reading the Dead Space Extraction review, they call the game a on rails shooter. Apparently this is a game type thats been around a long time....since the old arcades.

Anyone have any examples of a game thats on -rails or know that they mean by this compared to a first person shooter

watching video of this dead space game, it looks like a FPS

btw, is the original dead space an on rails game too?

[killgod]

On rails would be where you don't move yourself. The game moves for you.

Think to like those Arcade machine shooting games with the light guns

[Maynard]

well thats kind of gay. so basically i just point the wii mote at the screen to aim and dont control my movement? i guess i wont be renting this game

[jms493]

On-Rails shooting is a game where the movement of the character is set to a pre-determined path, as opposed to a First-person shooter where movement is mostly free.
If you remember Maximum Force or Area 51 from the Arcades, those are prime examples.
I guess the Raiden series would technically count as On-Rails shooters, too.

[jms493]

btw, is the original dead space an on rails game too?

Dead Space for 360 and ps3 is a 3rd person shooter.....great rental game.

[Buzzman]

wow the whole point to Dead Space was moving freely around and not knowing where to go and scaring the shit out of you, but the Wii version wont scare shit if you dont move yourself.

[FedEx227]

You rarely find On-Rails on consoles anymore. The Wii just came out with one a week or so ago.

But yeah On-Rails is your Time Crisis, House of the Dead, Area 51 style games.

[Twigg4075]

Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles, also a Wii game, is another great example.

I'm definitely buying Extraction because I loved the first Dead Space.

It's getting favorable reviews too...

http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/wii/deadspaceextraction?q=dead%20space

[Prodigal Son]

I think the Wii is the only system where you'll find Rail shooters these days.