History Main / ActionCommands

[[folder:Action Adventure]]
* In the original ''Videogame/AssassinsCreed'', a similar non-gameplay system occurs during scripted sequences; Hitting a button when the Animus's screen does a variety of camera shifts, and lets targets give their final soliloquy as if undamaged. The result is surreal, but expressive, as the mark's speeches are long and emotive, losing effect when given by a reclining figure unable to support his own head. (Plus their unnaturally clear vocal acuity considering the hole in their necks.)
* In ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedII'', action commands allow you to subtly alter cutscenes. For example, in one, your character is offered coffee. If you press the action button, he accepts it and comments on it; if you don't, he refuses it. These choices don't affect gameplay, so it's a rare instance of non-infuriating action commands.
** Non-infuriating, true, but in one cutscene, [[EnsembleDarkhorse Leonardo]] [[MrFanservice da]] [[HoYay Vinci]] holds his arms out to you for a hug. If you miss it, he makes a sad face and you feel like an ''awful human being.'' Tales are abound across the internet of players missing the hug, then reloading their most recent save so they could make sure to get it right.
* The ''Videogame/BatmanArkham'' series has these in combat, as whenever enemies are about to attack (except for Hard mode, which disables this), an icon appears over the head indicating that you can press a button to CounterAttack, and if the enemy is down, the icon is there to indicate a floor KO is possible. There are also those for automatic stealth takedowns, whether by approaching an unaware enemy from behind (some games even allow [[PutTheirHeadsTogether a multiple one if there's two side by side]]) or if the enemy is nearby Batman's hiding position (atop a gargoyle, hanging from a ledge, inside a floor grate).

* In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker'', Action Commands were available in battle, usually right before the enemy strikes. Though called "parry attacks", they actually involved Link dodging by rolling around the enemy, then leaping up to slash his foe in the back of the head. Especially effective against [[SpellMyNameWithAnS Darknut knights]].
** A similar system of Action Commands was employed in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess'' for the finishing blow and helm splitter.

* In the [[AcclaimedFlop critically loved but poor selling]] ''VideoGame/{{Gladius}}'' by Creator/LucasArts, almost every attack your characters make is an action command, with a timing bar across the bottom of the screen. Different types of maneuvers had different timing bars ranging from as simple as "press the X button in the green part" (primarily for [[StandardStatusEffects status inducing attacks]]) to combo attacks that required each button in a string to be pressed at certain intervals along the bar, to complex strings of button presses (up to 12 buttons, with more successful button presses causing more damage), to alternately pressing X and Y or A and B as quickly as possible. On damaging attacks, completing the attack in the red section of the timing bar resulted in a critical hit. This system is optional and you can simply allow the game to handle attacks automatically; however, with a little practice, you can guarantee a critical hit almost every time, [[GameBreaker breaking]] the "[[MightyGlacier heavy]]" classes (whose primary weakness is [[TacticalRockPaperScissors low accuracy against lightweights]].

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* ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry 4'' has a variant, in that although the Devil Bringer is used normally against most Mooks, against bosses it is necessary to find specific moments of vulnerability before it can be used. Also, there are some "hidden" Devil Bringer attacks that work in this way by requiring a precisely-timed input, like catching [[spoiler:Credo's]] spear and [[CatchAndReturn throwing it back at him]].

* DSS Actions in the ''Anime/MacrossPlus'' game. If timed right, pushing a button can result in such actions as instantly dodging a large swarm of missiles, getting into an ideal position to shoot your opponent's giant mecha, or even solidly kicking it in the face for massive damage.

* ''Franchise/SpiderMan 3'', during action cinematics, flashed the necessary buttons to press moments before in order for Spidey to win the battle.

* Done often in ''VideoGame/AsurasWrath'' and allow the player to perform feats like punching out a deity THE SIZE OF THE PLANET EARTH! And that's still in the first act of the game. The game has so many [=QTEs=] that [[spoiler:the TrueFinalBoss has his ''own'' [=QTEs=] visible on screen, and as you beat him up more and more, he starts failing them]].
* ''VideoGame/LollipopChainsaw'' features a number of action command events. Getting them wrong will cost you a bit of health or even kill you, while getting them right earns you bonus points and Zombie Medals you can use to get upgrades.
* ''VideoGame/AfterTheWar'' uses action commands when you have to finish off bosses or just weaken them.
* ''VideoGame/TheMatrixPathOfNeo'' uses action commands to suggest more effective combos against enemies.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Bully}}'', the Chemistry Class and Auto Shop Class required a series of inputs to successfully complete the minigame. Succeed, and get a new item or bike. Fail, and... well, you don't get it.
* All but averted in ''VideoGame/Uncharted2AmongThieves''. While they do appear (mostly as finishing moves), more often than not the player is in complete control of Drake as craziness unfolds all around him. The team at Naughty Dog stated that one of their major goals with the game was to move past this trope and give the player more control over situations that are normally handled by cutscenes. This makes the already amazing experience that much better.
* In ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedII'', action commands allow you to subtly alter cutscenes. For example, in one, your character is offered coffee. If you press the action button, he accepts it and comments on it; if you don't, he refuses it. These choices don't affect gameplay, so it's a rare instance of non-infuriating action commands.
** Non-infuriating, true, but in one cutscene, [[EnsembleDarkhorse Leonardo]] [[MrFanservice da]] [[HoYay Vinci]] holds his arms out to you for a hug. If you miss it, he makes a sad face and you feel like an ''awful human being.'' Tales are abound across the internet of players missing the hug, then reloading their most recent save so they could make sure to get it right.
* In the original ''Videogame/AssassinsCreed'', a similar non-gameplay system occurs during scripted sequences; Hitting a button when the Animus's screen does a variety of camera shifts, and lets targets give their final soliloquy as if undamaged. The result is surreal, but expressive, as the mark's speeches are long and emotive, losing effect when given by a reclining figure unable to support his own head. (Plus their unnaturally clear vocal acuity considering the hole in their necks.)
* ''VideoGame/MetroidOtherM'' turns your standard movement with the D-Pad into a [[UnnecessaryCombatRoll flashy dodge roll]], instant [[ChargedAttack beam charge]], and near-perfect aim at an enemy if you move 'just' before their attack strikes you. In at least one case, it becomes a [[PressXToNotDie quick-time event]], allowing Samus to dodge an enemy in a fashion most would not expect to be interactive. Part of what makes them so intuitive is that the action itself provides the input on what button needs to be pressed, without needing to show the button on-screen (as in the page image).
** However, since the game doesn't punish you for repeatedly mashing a direction instead of trying to time the dodges, most of the combat can easily devolve into mashing a single direction whenever there's any enemy attack on the screen and pelting the enemies with an endless stream of instant charge shots.
* ''VideoGame/SonicSpinball'' has one if you fall onto the platform located under the drain of the first "table" of the first level. First the display will tell you to jump to get back on the flippers before a robot chomps you. If that fails, Sonic will struggle to keep the robot's mouth open and the display will just say "the buttons!" - [[ButtonMashing mash]] them enough and you'll escape.

* ''VideoGame/MegaManXCommandMission'' calls these Action Triggers. Each character has at least one; in exchange for all of the character's subweapon energy, the Trigger starts up a simple minigame which can unleash some of the game's most impressive attacks.

* ''VideoGame/DantesInferno'' has random button prompts and you must push them at exactly the right time, and yes, it's hard. Then again, the game ''is'' unashamedly ripping off ''VideoGame/GodOfWar'' with ''Literature/TheDivineComedy'''s skin, so what else would you expect?

* ''VideoGame/DynastyWarriorsGundam'' uses these to resolve BladeLock situations. Related series ''VideoGame/DynastyWarriors'' and ''VideoGame/SamuraiWarriors'' just have the player mash the attack button as quickly as possible, while ''VideoGame/FistOfTheNorthStarKensRage'' requires a sequence of button presses to finish off the story mode bosses [[LudicrousGibs in style.]]

* ''VideoGame/{{Super Mario RPG}}'', where players could use "Timed Hits" to increase attack or defense power. But then again, [[HeKnowsAboutTimedHits you probably already knew that]].
* TropeNamer ''VideoGame/PaperMario64'' and most of the later ''VideoGame/PaperMario'' sequels (''[[VideoGame/PaperMarioTheThousandYearDoor The Thousand-Year Door]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/PaperMarioStickerStar Sticker Star]]'', but not ''VideoGame/SuperPaperMario''), which borrowed heavily from ''VideoGame/{{Super Mario RPG}}'' in the idea of action commands, and then ran with it.
* ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigi'', a similar series on the handhelds starting with ''[[VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiSuperstarSaga Superstar Saga]]'', takes this to extremes, where the success of attacks is solely determined by your ability to use action commands (rather than them just being a way to power up the attack) and every enemy attack in the game can be dodged/blocked/countered with a properly timed action command.
** ''[[VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiPartnersInTime Partners in Time]]'', the sequel to the above, actually has the final 'boss' be beaten purely via action commands, since [[spoiler:'Shrowser']] doesn't give the bros any chances to attack.
** ''[[VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiBowsersInsideStory Bowser's Inside Story]]'' continues the trend, with even Bowser's giant form battles utilizing action commands to attack and defend, and both these and his special attacks using the DS touch screen as the button stand in.
** ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiDreamTeam'' continues this trend, with more complex giant battles that need to be countered with more complex commands (and stricter timing) and attacks which go from being fairly simple to practically entire mini games on their own.
** ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiPaperJam'' has three characters in control during battle: Mario, Luigi, and VideoGame/PaperMario. Paper Mario can perform Trio Attacks, which require you to use three-button combinations (A for Mario, B for Luigi and Y for Paper Mario) in quick succession.

* ''VideoGame/BreathOfFireIII'' and ''VideoGame/BreathOfFireIV'' have the ''Super Combo'' skill, where the user inputs action commands within a certain time, and attacks the target as many times as buttons were pressed.
* In ''VideoGame/YIIKAPostModernRPG'', when any normal attacks are used an object related to a party member's weapon will appear and if the button inputs are done correctly, attacks will do more damage and have a combo added in.

* Similarly, in the ''VideoGame/{{Summoner}}'' series, there were special one-button attacks (up to four of them could be assigned to individual buttons) that had to be activated exactly when a symbol appeared onscreen; these chain attacks had various unusual effects and became harder to chain with each additional attack.
* Action Commands make an appearance in ''VideoGame/BarkleyShutUpAndJamGaiden'', a fan-made parody of console {{Role Playing Game}}s.
* In ''VideoGame/RivieraThePromisedLand'', Action Commands are apparently the entire basis of dungeon crawling. They're used for everything from dodging arrows to untrapping treasure chests to throwing rocks.
* ''VideoGame/ValkyrieProfile'' had the ability Counter, where you had to hit X after dodging an attack to deliver an unblockable counterattack. Poor timing would result in either not dodging at all (too early), or not activating at all (too late).
* ''VideoGame/{{Mother 3}}'' lets you get extra hits for your attack by tapping A in time to the music's beats.

* ''VideoGame/SonicChronicles'' features a variation with ''VideoGame/EliteBeatAgents''-style stylus tapping minigames for every special move, both to use and avoid them. More powerful moves generally have more difficult sequences. However, there is a [[{{Mon}} Chao]] that can be equipped that makes these moves automatically succeed -- extra useful for [[TheMedic Cream]] and Tails, whose moves will fail unless executed perfectly (attack moves simply do less damage for each mistake).
* This is how you defend yourself in ''VideoGame/EternalSonata''. As an attacker is about to attack, the word "Chance!" appears, usually (always, before a certain point) with a little shield, indicating that you can press a button to reduce the amount of damage that attack does, or thwart it entirely. At first, you can only block, but later, you gain the ability to counter with a regular attack, and still later, you can use Special Attacks in this capacity. Speaking of Special Attacks, at some point, you gain the ability to use "Harmony Chains", which allow you to follow one Special Attack of the appropriate light level with the other one (provided any targets are in range) if you press the Special Attack button in the little window of time while the first Special Attack animation is going on when the words "Harmony Chain!" appear. Later, you can add a nearby party member's Special Attack if you press the button in the same window while the ''second'' link in the chain is activated. And still later, the potential length of a Harmony Chain doubles.
* There are several story events in ''VideoGame/BlueDragon'' that consist of trying to spam a button to fill up a charge meter to get out of the way of an attack, fight back, etc., etc...
* ''VideoGame/{{Dubloon}}'' features battle items, which are short-timed minigames where you score points for massive damage. Also, every boss has at least one attack which can be completely blocked with your mouse.
* ''VideoGame/LostOdyssey'' has an Action Command for every melee attack launched, due to the game using a system of rings that confer various attack bonuses(almost all of which can be [[ItemCrafting made by the player]] with the [[LevelGrinding right materials collected from the right monsters...]]), and requires the player to pull the right trigger while the character attacking approaches the enemy, with how much a large contracting ring overlaps with a smaller, stationary ring determining how well the bonus is applied. A word appears on the screen to signify how well the player timed it: 'Bad' means none of the bonus is applied, 'Good' means a moderate bonus is applied, and 'Perfect' means all of the bonus is applied.

* The ''VideoGame/MegaManBattleNetwork'' series uses these for a number of chips, most notably the Variable Sword, which is just an ordinary sword normally, but can change its hit radius depending on what fighting game style button command you input before you swing it (And in earlier games, increase the number of hits to turn it into a GameBreaker). [[GuideDangIt The game only tells you of a few of the commands for it, however, and never even mentions the commands for the other chips.]]
* ''Videogame/SouthParkTheStickOfTruth'' used timed hits similar to ''Paper Mario'' (which has been cited by the developers as a major influence) to execute attacks as well as to defend.
* In ''VideoGame/TheWitcher'', regular attacks caused Geralt to do a combo, and continuing the combo required the press of the attack key or mouse when his sword glowed. ''The Witcher'' also used the reverse with charge-ups, by holding down a button and releasing it on time for successful attacks and magic.
* The ''VideoGame/PennyArcadeAdventures'' game uses timed blocks and a variety of minigames for the main characters' special attacks.
* ''VideoGame/TheLastRemnant'' has "Critical Triggers" that randomly appear when attacking or defending. If you successfully hit one while attacking, then the next squad member will bypass enemy turns and move immediately, also getting a guaranteed Critical Chance in the process. If you get three in a row, then the last character to act will get a guaranteed CriticalHit and automatically perform their strongest attack, even if they previously decided to use a weaker attack. If you get a Critical Trigger while defending, you'll either ShieldBash your enemy, stunning them, or CounterAttack for big damage.
* ''VideoGame/SandsOfDestruction'' requires you to press a sequence of five buttons in order to execute a LimitBreak. The faster you press the buttons, the stronger your attack will be. Normally, the sequence will be of different buttons, but if you equip an accessory with the Guidance trait, you'll only have to press X repeatedly. This would be more useful if the game penalized you for pressing the wrong button, but you can just mash all four DS buttons at once and the game will only register the correct ones.
* ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'' has your basic attacks require you to tap a button as markers move towards the center of a gauge, if you're not close enough your attack will miss or do less damage. When monsters attack you, the game switches to BulletHell style dodging to avoid their attacks. Several of the Mercy options also require you to do certain things while dodging.
* ''VideoGame/ForeverHome'' requires the player to quickly input several keys or buttons when performing a LimitBreak. Failure to do so will result in the skill being canceled, though to mitigate this, only 25 TP is consumed instead of 100.
* ''VideoGame/AtelierEschaAndLogy:'' Combat is mostly turn based, but after picking an action for the party, you have a few seconds to decide which, if any, of the other party members should make a support attack. After seeing which party member will be targeted by the enemy, you get a few seconds to decide if another party member will defend them. Support attacks and support defends cost against the same pool of points.

* ''VideoGame/BugFables'', being an {{homage}} to the ''Paper Mario'' games, lets you increase damage done to enemies and reduce damage taken from enemies with various button and control stick actions. Even the EnemyScan ability requires it.

* Used in the ''VideoGame/DragonBallZBudokaiTenkaichi'' games. Whenever a character does one of their Blast 2 or Ultimate Blast moves, the player can input an action command (varies depending on character and move) for extra damage.
** They've been doing this as early as ''VideoGame/DragonBallZBudokai 2'', with moves requiring the player to: spin the joystick, hit buttons in order, spin the joystick ''faster'' than the opponent, hit a ''different'' button than the opponent, etc. to make "ultimate" moves do more damage or not blow up in the user's face.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Tekken}}'', these moves are referred to as "Just Frames". For these, you have to hit a button at the ''precise moment'' when a move connects (during its active frames) to get special enhanced moves, usually signified by blue sparks. In online movelists, these are denoted by a colon, e.g. Paul Phoenix's f,f+2:1 (the 1 is pressed just as the 2 connects).

* In ''VideoGame/{{Resistance}}: Fall of Man'', the player must shake the controller to escape from any nasty monsters that happen to latch on to the protagonist.
* ''VideoGame/{{Killzone}} 3'' has the "brutal melee" system where the player presses the melee button when prompted to trigger an animation of the PlayerCharacter killing the enemy with some random move like [[NeckSnap breaking their neck]] or [[EyeScream stabbing them in the eye]].

* In ''VideoGame/RagnarokOnline'', the Taekwon class can use 5 "Stance" skills, which enable the use of 5 "Kick" skills. However, the Stances trigger randomly when attacking (except one, which triggers when recieving an long-range attack). Using more Stances enables more Kicks and increase the chance overall of using a skill, but that also makes fighting an enemy harder, since you can't do anything when the Stance triggers except using the correct Kick.
* One of the more traditional examples in [=MMOs=] comes from ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'' and its Active Time Maneuvers. First introduced in ''Heavensward'' and then given more prominence in ''Stormblood'' (as part of two separate story battles), [=ATMs=] require you to rapidly mash buttons in order to survive a certain mechanic. The most notable occurs during the Susano fight, where [[spoiler:the tank must struggle to parry a sword [[{{BFG}} the size of a building]] while the rest of the party struggles to keep them alive.]]

* In ''VideoGame/KirbysPinballLand'', if Kirby drains through the bottom of a table, he will land on a springboard. Pressing the "A" button at the right moment will make Kirby bounce back onto the table without losing a life.

* ''VideoGame/Condemned2Bloodshot'' uses these in Chain Combos (not to be confused with the game's {{Combos}}, which are series of a regular attacks) that range from doing massive damage, to broken arms, to instant kills.
* ''VideoGame/DeadSpace'' has these when an enemy grabs you. The command can either be a single press of the action button to squish a bug, or the frenzied hammering of said key to rip off a PersonalSpaceInvader and bludgeon it around the head. Then stomp on it. Repeatedly.
* ''VideoGame/DeadlyCreatures'' uses a combo system of attack button and Wii-mote waggles. More closely to the trope, the Scorpion has a unique "Finishing Move" for each type of enemy in the game which is pulled off by a creature-specific action command. This results in everything from a double-pincer pound to the jaw, followed by prying the jaws open to stab the stinger down the throat (lizards), to rolling an enemy over and stabbing them in the underbelly (wolf spiders).

* In ''VideoGame/AceCombatAssaultHorizon'', Dog Fight Mode has the player get into and out of on rails one-on-one engagements with the shoulder buttons, dodging missiles and sending back your own between somersaults and other evasive maneuvers. The distressing part is that all the planes have this feature against any other plane, which leads to situations where the dinky starter fighters do this against Raptors. Unfortunately, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlPzDm6aB7g as demonstrated here,]] the game is also a case study in how this trope can be abused to create the illusion of interactivity and player agency where neither exists, and where many of the other quick-time events -- almost all of them, in fact -- do ''nothing at all''.

* ''VideoGame/JustCause2'' uses a similar system, with action commands popping up for attempting to hijack military vehicles or using keypads to overload pipelines and bio fuel shafts.

* The Wii version of ''VideoGame/GhostbustersTheVideoGame'' combines this with a SimonSaysMiniGame when you have a ghost in your Capture Stream. To wit: At certain points, an arrow will flash in one of four directions, and you have to swing the Wiimote in that direction to "wrangle slam" the offending beastie.

* ''VideoGame/{{Prototype}}'' also uses it. Mostly to throw stuff at helicoptors, steal tanks, and keep SuperSoldiers from smashing your head into the pavement for the umpteenth time. [[spoiler:You also get to use Action Commands to take on the final boss, by jumping on it while it's stunned and pounding its skull in. Very fun.]]

* ''VideoGame/{{Xenoblade}}'' makes use of these in the form of burst affinity. Occasionally in battle the player gets the opportunity to press a button to increase the team's tension and affinity, without major consequences besides the possible tension loss should the player fail. The same mechanic is also used to extend [[CombinationAttack chain attacks]], Dunban's "Blossom Dance" attack, [[spoiler:and for triggering the visions in the final battle against Zanza]].

* Done often in ''VideoGame/AsurasWrath'' and allow the player to perform feats like punching out a deity THE SIZE OF THE PLANET EARTH! And that's still in the first act of the game.
** In a unique twist to the formula, [[spoiler:the TrueFinalBoss of the story DLC pack Part IV: Nirvana, Chakravartin, has Counter Action commands in the last phase of his fight. As he keeps getting beat down, it becomes an inverted version of a HopelessBossFight, as most of the ''boss's'' action commands start to fail automatically]].

* In ''VideoGame/{{Bully}}'', the Chemistry Class and Auto Shop Class required a series of inputs to successfully complete the minigame. Succeed, and get a new item or bike. Fail, and... don't get the bike or item.
* ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamAsylum'' has an icon appear above foes' heads in the combat sections, whereupon the player can press a certain button to counter them.

* In the original Assassin's Creed, a similar non-gameplay system occurs during scripted sequences; Hitting a button when the Animus's screen does a variety of camera shifts, and lets targets give their final soliloquy as if undamaged. The result is surreal, but expressive, as the mark's speeches are long and emotive, losing effect when given by a reclining figure unable to support his own head. (Plus their unnaturally clear vocal acuity considering the hole in their necks.)

* Taken to such extremes in ''VideoGame/{{Fahrenheit}}'' aka ''Indigo Prophecy'' that buttons in the same visual style as 'Simon Says' appeared before action was to be taken, which then flashed in the order necessary to succeed. Any action in the game was based around immersion-jarring button-punching sequences that overlaid what might have either been enjoyable cutscenes or character interaction.
** However, the designers put action commands of that nature in specifically to increase immersion, so, for example, instead of just pressing O to jump a fence, you'd raise both sticks up to simulate pulling yourself over. Other interactions were made the same way, intending to make the player feel like they're performing the action naturally. How successful this was is apparently a point of contention among fans.

** The team reuses this type of mechanic in ''VideoGame/HeavyRain''. They subvert PressXToNotDie a bit though, as missing commands isn't always immediately fatal.

* ''VideoGame/HeavyRain'' invokes this trope during fight scenes. In many other cases, innovative uses of the joystick may be required.

[[folder: Third-Person Shooter]]

*** One action command is a trap - while Lucas is being interviewed by police, he begins to hallucinate invisible bugs. If you hit the action commands, he'll react to them - which makes the cops suspicious. Ignoring the commands gives you a better result.

* In ''[[VideoGame/{{WWE}} SmackDown vs. Raw 2010]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/{{WWE}} 2011]]'', during the Royal Rumble match, if you throw an opponent into the turnbuckle, then grapple, it's a minigame like this. And if you get thrown into the turnbuckle, then get grappled, it becomes [[PressXToNotDie Press X to Not be Eliminated]].

* ''VideoGame/CallOfDuty 4: VideoGame/ModernWarfare'' features guard dogs that will happily run up to you and knock you down. If one gets hold of you, you have one chance to execute a strangely timed button press to snap the doggie's neck before he worries your throat out.
** Later games in the series featured this as well. In ''World At War'', attack dogs just damage you and give no opportunity for a button press. Instead, action commands are given when Japanese soldiers knock you down and attempt to stab you with their bayonets. Here, you have one chance to knock their gun to the side and then stab them in the throat.
** In ''VideoGame/ModernWarfare 2'', not only do dogs and their associated action commands return, but several other new ones pop up as well. The first major one is pulling triggers to simulate climbing a glacier with ice axes. Others then pop up when being stealthy to perform silent takedowns. [[spoiler:And in the finale against Shepard, there are a ridiculous level of commands ranging from crawling after a gun to pulling a combat knife out of ''your own chest''.]]
** ''Call of Duty 3'' was the first ''VideoGame/CallOfDuty'' game which has action command. In the game, you end up fighting Germans in hand-to-hand combat and they have rifles or knives to attack you with, and you must press on R1 and L1 buttons many times at the same time once they cling on you in order to take their rifles from them and riflebutt them to death. One time, you have to use the action command in order to pull out the pin of a grenade a German soldier had and push him inside a building before it explodes.
** ''VideoGame/CallOfDutyBlackOps'' also features occasional action commands. One of the first Vietnam levels homages the example from ''3'' (both made by Treyarch) by having the same thing happen with a Viet Cong soldier.

* One of the more traditional examples in [=MMOs=] comes from ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'' and its Active Time Maneuvers. First introduced in ''Heavensward'' and then given more prominence in Stormblood (as part of two seperate story battles), [=ATMs=] require you to rapidly mash buttons in order to survive a certain mechanic. The most notable occurs during the Susano fight, where [[spoiler:the tank must struggle to parry a building sized sword while the rest of the party struggles to keep them alive.]]

* ''VideoGame/Condemned2Bloodshot'' uses these in Chain Combos (not to be confused with the game's {{Combos}}, which are series of regular attacks) that range from doing massive damage, to broken arms, to instant kills.
* ''VideoGame/DeadSpace'' has these when an enemy grabs you. The command can either be a single press of the E button to squish a bug, or the frenzied hammering of said key to rip off a PersonalSpaceInvader and bludgeon it around the head. Then stomp on it. Repeatedly.

* The second ''Franchise/StarWars: VideoGame/RogueSquadron'' sequel, for the most part an arcadey SHMUP, had a particularly frustrating round of this in one level. Here, you must use the Force to raise Luke's X-Wing out of the swamp. Many controllers were hurled.

* ''VideoGame/JetSetRadio'' uses these in its graffiti sections. Dropped for the sequel, ''[[VideoGame/JetSetRadio Jet Set Radio Future]]''.

* Attempted justification in ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid4'', during the battle [[spoiler:between Rex and RAY]]. The designer of your vehicle wanted to program it to perform close-range combat, but couldn't get it past military regulations. Being an AscendedFanboy, he decided to install the program anyway, but since the program was still incomplete it was too context-sensitive to be very flexible. This means that the action command pops up on the screen whenever the vehicle is in an appropriate situation for melee.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Mercenaries}}'' and its sequel, action commands pop up when you try to hijack most military vehicles. (Jeeps and civilian vehicles can be taken without a fight.) This also applies to ''VideoGame/JustCause2''.

* In the critically loved but poor selling ''VideoGame/{{Gladius}}'' by Creator/LucasArts (UsefulNotes/{{XBox}}, UsefulNotes/NintendoGameCube and UsefulNotes/Playstation2) almost every attack your characters make is an action command, with a timing bar across the bottom of the screen. different types of maneuvers had different timing bars ranging from as simple as "press the X button in the green part" (primarily for [[StandardStatusEffects status inducing attacks]]) to combo attacks that required each button in a string to be pressed at certain intervals along the bar, to complex strings of button presses (up to 12 buttons, with more successful button presses causing more damage), to alternately pressing X and Y or A and B as quickly as possible. On damaging attacks, completing the attack in the red section of the timing bar resulted in a critical hit. This system is optional and you can simply allow the game to handle attacks automatically; however, with a little practice, you can guarantee a critical hit almost every time, [[GameBreaker breaking]] the "[[MightyGlacier heavy]]" classes (whose primary weakness is [[TacticalRockPaperScissors low accuracy against lightweights]].

* ''VideoGame/NoMoreHeroes'' uses this to the point where you're not sure where it begins and where it ends. The most common one is the FinishingMove, which shows an arrow in a direction you must swing the Wii remote to kill an enemy. There's also the various wrestling moves, which also use onscreen prompts, a SuperMode that causes a OneHitKill when the right button is pressed, and a "Weapon clash" that happens when you and an enemy attack at the same time, which requires you to spin the controller around to get out of it. Also blends into PressXToNotDie in certain boss fights, where you need to shake the Wiimote, nunchuk, or rapidly press the A button to get out of various traps.

* ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII'' uses the Reaction command, where a triangle appears in place of the normal attack command on the menu at certain points. These moves can be used to defeat enemies quicker, perform defensive maneuvers, and trigger some truly awesome moments during boss battles (like ''cutting skyscrapers in half''). Sora's OneManArmy battle against 1,000 Heartless is a clear example since both of the enemy types used in it have Reaction Commands well-suited for wiping out large amounts of enemies, with one enemy's Reaction Command involves hijacking and sweeping its own laser beam across the field to mow down Mooks by dozens at a time, while the other involves Sora making rapid sweeping dive slashes.
* ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsBirthBySleep'' features something of an evolution of the reaction commands, the shotlocks and various finishing moves are powered up with well timed presses of the x-button, D-Links require pressing a button, or a combination of buttons that's different for each attack, and the few special moves performed with party members are set off with the square button. Boss-specific commands are used much more sparingly than in ''II''.

* ''VideoGame/ThePathOfNeo'' uses action commands to suggest more effective combos against enemies.

** The Overpower is just that in PvP case against a rogue. Overpower cannot be dodged, parried or blocked and is activated by a dodge. Rogue relies on dodges, especially one of their talent tree skills which makes them dodge all attacks. That is the butter for warrior's bread called Overpower, especially if you have an additional talent that makes Overpower always do critical hits. A thoughtless rogue is toast against a warrior. It becomes like the button smashing variation of Action Commands.

** In ''VideoGame/GodOfWar1'', Kratos can use action commands to perform a "fatality" move on an enemy, resulting in recovery items for his [[LifeMeter life]] and/or [[ManaMeter magic meters]] -- and a brutal, visceral, and deeply-satisfying end to the foe in question. While for {{Mooks}} the finishing move is optional, they are ''required'' on bosses, which allows the game to turn each boss's demise into a VideogameSetpiece. In short, the game uses Action Commands well, and arguably [[TropeCodifier re-popularized the entire concept]].

** ''VideoGame/GodOfWar1'', where Kratos can use action commands to perform a "fatality" move on an enemy, resulting in recovery items for his [[LifeMeter life]] and/or [[ManaMeter magic meters]] -- and a brutal, visceral, and deeply-satisfying end to the foe in question. While for {{Mooks}} the finishing move is optional, they are ''required'' on bosses, which allows the game to turn each boss's demise into a VideogameSetpiece. In short, the game uses Action Commands well, and arguably [[TropeCodifier re-popularized the entire concept]].

* ''VideoGame/GodOfWarSeries'', where Kratos can use action commands to perform a "fatality" move on an enemy, resulting in recovery items for his [[LifeMeter life]] and/or [[ManaMeter magic meters]] -- and a brutal, visceral, and deeply-satisfying end to the foe in question. While for {{Mooks}} the finishing move is optional, they are ''required'' on bosses, which allows the game to turn each boss's demise into a VideogameSetpiece. In short, the game uses Action Commands well, and arguably [[TropeCodifier re-popularized the entire concept]].

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** In a unique twist to the formula, [[spoiler:the TrueFinalBoss of the story DLC pack Part IV: Nirvana, Chakravartin, has Counter Action commands in the last phase of his fight. As he keeps getting beat down, it becomes an inverted version of a HopelessBossFight, as most of the ''boss's'' action commands start to fail automatically. And it is [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome awesome.]]]]

* ''{{Manhunt}} 2'' used these to perform 'executions' -- although thanks to meddling from censorship groups, these segments became essentially unplayable, as the player could rarely see what was going on.

* One of the more traditional examples in [=MMOs=] comes from ''FinalFantasyXIV'' and its Active Time Maneuvers. First introduced in ''Heavensward'' and then given more prominence in Stormblood (as part of two seperate story battles), ATMs require you to rapidly mash buttons in order to survive a certain mechanic. The most notable occurs during the Susano fight, where [[spoiler:the tank must struggle to parry a building sized sword while the rest of the party struggles to keep them alive.]]

** The same system is implemented in '''VideoGame/MadWorld'', but taken even further. Finishing someone off by grabbing his ankle, and swinging the Wiimote back and forth over your head to slam him into the ground until he explodes is scored as ''routine'' violence.

** Donkey Kong's [[LimitBreak Final Smash]] in ''[[VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosBrawl Brawl]]'', Konga Beat, gives a high damage/range bonus for pressing "A" with the beat. This is made much easier in [[VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosForNintendo3DSWiiU the 3DS and Wii U installments]] with a rhythm bar appearing over DK.