History Main / SecondaryFire

* '''Melee Block:''' In games with dedicated melee weapons, the alt-fire may allow you block other people using melee weapons, possibly also countering. This is most often applied to swords.

** ''Zero'''s [=P9P=] (Joanna's starting weapon in the beginning of the game), DW-P5, and MAC-16 all have silencers available as a secondary or tertiary firing option where stealth is desired -- the original game's silenced weapons have their suppressors built into them and so aren't removable.

** The CMP-150 has different unrelated secondary modes for ''Perfect Dark'' and ''Perfect Dark Zero''. The original game allowed the player to tag a series of enemies visible on screen that the gun (or guns, as it is dual-wieldable) would automatically target for you in the order queued. ''Zero'' switched it to activating a holographic image of you offset some distance away from your real position, creating a decoy to confuse enemies.

** Several weapons like the K7 Avenger, proximity, and timed mines has a Threat Detector feature that highlighted traps on the player's HUD that would otherwise be disguised.
** In ''Zero'', the shotgun has a built-in radar. The weapon's secondary fire gives out a radar sweep on command that can detect enemies through walls.
** ''Zero'''s [=P9P=] and DW-P5 have flashlight accessories that light up an area when it's dark.

* The [=SuperDragon=] assault rifle from ''VideoGame/PerfectDark'' has an underslung grenade launcher that can hold six rounds per clip.

** ''Zero'''s standard-issue Falcon has a secondary mode where you could pull out the entire magazine and throw it on the ground, where it would set off like a firecracker as a distraction. The DY357 Magnum could also mislead enemies relying on sound to figure out your position with its Decoy Shot, which will fire a silent shot at a wall before detonating after several seconds.
** ''Zero'''s P9P (Joanna's starting weapon in the beginning of the game), DW-P5, and MAC-16 all have silencers available as a secondary or tertiary firing option where stealth is desired -- the original game's silenced weapons have their suppressors built into them and so aren't removable.

** In ''Zero'', the shotgun has a built-in radar. The weapon's secondary fire gave out a radar sweep that could detect enemies through walls.

** The Cyclone is an extreme example as its secondary fire emptied the entire 50-round clip at its target with one pull. This mode is significantly faster than leaving it on normal fire and holding down the trigger the whole way through, though with horrendous accuracy.

* Several pistols in ''VideoGame/PerfectDark'' that didn't have a unique secondary mode would have a PistolWhip as their secondary. The Tranquilizer had a "Lethal Injection", which was also a melee attack, though due to how the weapon works it still costs ammo on a successful hit.

* A pair of sniper rifles in ''VideoGame/PerfectDark'' had special zoom features for their secondary attack:
** While weapons with scopes could activate their zoom with the R-button, the secondary mode for the K7 Avenger and [[ADogNamedDog Sniper Rifle]] is a permanent zoom that allows lateral movement by the wielder when active as holding down the R-button turned the joystick (which normally controlled your lateral movement) into a targeting reticle which meant you couldn't move while aiming.

** The Callisto [=NTG=]'s High-Impact Shells are more powerful but with a slower firing rate compared to the primary mode.
** The handheld Crossbow has two different types of darts; ones tipped with sedatives was standard while ones tipped with deadly poison are available as a secondary. This is more important for the single-player campaign, as killing unrelated bystanders is an automatic mission failure.
** The Laptop Gun can be thrown and deployed as a sentry, which will fire autonomously at any detected enemies that come within line of sight. Throwing it also takes 200 rounds from your stockpile (thankfully your total cap is 800).

** The hand-thrown Grenade's secondary activates Pinball Mode, which made it the world's most deadliest superball as it bounces lively along the floors and walls until it detects a target close enough and explodes -- [[HoistByHisOwnPetard which could include you]]. If the other players didn't RageQuit on you for including such a random, chaotic weapon in a multiplayer game, you would learn quickly to [[OhCrap fear the high-pitched pinging of a Pinball Mode grenade bouncing your way]].
** The Devastator GrenadeLauncher normally shoots grenade rounds that detonated on impact, but its secondary mode temporarily activates a magnet embedded in the rounds that allows it to cling onto the surface of a wall or ceiling for several seconds before dropping down and exploding.

** The Dragon has a sneaky surprise for its secondary fire, as it lets you throw it on the ground and activate a proximity mine. [[PoisonMushroom Very useful against ammo campers]].
** Several weapons like the proximity and timed mines has a Threat Detector feature that highlighted traps on the player's HUD that would otherwise be disguised.

* Most guns in the ''{{VideoGame/XCOM}}'' games can switch between single-shot and rapid fire. Or rather, Aimed Shot (slow but accurate), Snap Shot (fast but less accurate), and Auto Shot (woefully inaccurate individually but you get a burst of three).

* ''VideoGame/PerfectDark'' had a secondary fire setting for ''every'' weapon. For example, the Magsec 4 could either fire semi-auto or 3 round burst in exchange for worse accuracy than the standard Falcon 2.
* ''VideoGame/GoldenEye1997'' had selective fire on most of its automatics. Tapping the trigger button would fire a single shot, pressing it once would fire a three-round burst, and holding it would engage fully automatic fire.
* As a rule, handguns and miniguns in the ''VideoGame/{{Unreal}}'' series have slower, more-accurate fire on primary and a faster, less-accurate fire mode on secondary, though later games invert this and give a slower but more powerful secondary mode to the miniguns.
* Some guns in the original ''VideoGame/CallOfDuty'' had the option to switch between full-auto and semi-auto (or between "full auto" and "slow auto" for the BAR), though since most people just stuck with full-auto they removed it for the second game. Some developers [[DummiedOut apparently tried to re-implement it as an attachment in later games]], but it took until ''VideoGame/CallOfDutyBlackOpsII'' for it to actually show up as Select Fire; it lets you switch full-auto weapons to burst fire for lower recoil but delays between each burst, and burst-firing or semi-auto weapons to full-auto for greater close-range utility at the cost of range and greater recoil. ''[[VideoGame/CallOfDutyGhosts Ghosts]]'' likewise has separate Full-Auto, Semi-Auto and Burst Fire attachments to let you pick which mode you want, with the same benefits and drawbacks.
* The bullet-hose [=HS010=] submachine gun in ''VideoGame/EYEDivineCybermancy'' has a fire mode to ''triple'' the already absurdly fast fire rate to 3000rpm, which causes it to fire faster than the [[GatlingGood Sulfatum]]. When in triple-fire mode, the gun sounds like it's ripping itself apart as you fire.

* ''VideoGame/JediOutcast'': the E-11 Stormtrooper rifle has a full-auto mode. It does nothing [[ImperialStormtrooperMarksmanshipAcademy for its accuracy]], though.
* ''VideoGame/{{Warframe}}'' features a few rifles that can be toggled between auto and semi-auto modes, such as Tenno-produced Stradavar, Zenith and Fulmin or Grineer-made Argonak and Quatz, the latter being a handgun whose firing mode depends on whether you're aiming or not. A few others have a secondary fire that consumes an entire clip in one burst.

* The [=GES BioRifle=] in the ''VideoGame/{{Unreal}}'' series.
* ''VideoGame/MegaMan'' and ''VideoGame/MegaManX'' are perhaps the iconic examples with their [[ArmCannon Arm Cannons]].
* Similarly, [[Franchise/{{Metroid}} Samus]].
** ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime'' and ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime2Echoes'' combines this with the '''Under/Overslung weapon''' of the Missile Launcher by allowing charged beam shots to be combined with a quintet of missiles for massive damage and an [[ElementalPowers elemental warhead]].
** ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime3Corruption'' has the Super Mode's charge beam trigger '''Rapid Fire'''
* The Plasma pistol from the ''Franchise/{{Halo}}'' games do this, activated by holding the primary trigger. The ''VideoGame/{{Halo 4}}'' Boltshot and ''VideoGame/Halo5Guardians'' Incineration Cannon can also do this.
* Any ship from ''VideoGame/RType''.
* ''VideoGame/HalfLife''
** The pistol in ''VideoGame/HalfLife2'' had a charged attack that ''caused'' rapid fire; it was actually a bug, which was removed in ''Half-Life 2: Deathmatch'' and, much later, also removed from the original game as part of the Orange Box/Mac port.
** The Tau Cannon from ''VideoGame/HalfLife1'' - the primary fire shot quick blasts, while the secondary fire could be charged up. When charged, the thing could be used to take down ''helicopters''. Just don't let it overcharge.
* The Mauler energy pistol from ''VideoGame/PerfectDark'' would automatically charge up as long as it was set in charge mode. It used five rounds to become fully charged, and reloading would cause the charge to be wasted.

* Oddly enough, the shotgun analog in ''[[VideoGame/TronTwoPointOh Tron 2.0]]''.
* Phoenix Samurai, ''VideoGame/{{Nightfire}}''.
* The Cow Mangler 5000 from ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'' can fire a stronger blast that charges itself over a few seconds. It is triggered by the right mouse button, no less. The charged shot takes up the full clip, though, and the charging time is not variable.
* The [[KatanasAreJustBetter Facere Mortis]] and [[{{BFS}} Damocles]] swords in ''VideoGame/EYEDivineCybermancy'' both have a charged attack. On the Facere Mortis, the sword simply glows red and does more damage. On the Damocles, the sword spouts static electricity and makes enemies explode in a [[LudicrousGibs shower of gibs]], while igniting anything nearby.
* The DLC only Geth Plasma Shotgun from ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'' has a charge mode, although you have to be out of cover to charge it.
* In ''VideoGame/Doom2016,'' the shotgun can charge up either a three shot burst or a grenade.

* A lot of weapons in the ''VideoGame/DarkForcesSaga'' have these:
** ''Mysteries of the Sith'': the DL-44 blaster pistol can charge fives shots' worth of energy into a more powerful blast.
** ''VideoGame/JediOutcast'': Kyle's Bryar pistol gains a charged attack, and the DEMP 2[[note]]Destructive Electro-Magnetic Pulse[[/note]] fires an expanding field of electric death.
* Your firearms in ''VideoGame/{{Rodina}}'' can fire rockets while holding alt-fire button.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Under/Overslung Weapons]]
* ''Film/{{Aliens}}'': the marines fire grenades and bullets. Ripley's duct-taped supergun also has a flashlight and flamethrower.
* In ''VideoGame/SeriousSam II'', secondary fire, with the exception of sniper rifle, throws grenades.
* ''TabletopGame/{{GURPS}}: Ultratech'' allows you to attach a ''grenade launching railgun'' to most two handed weapons. It only gets one shot, but still pretty awesome.
* The [=SuperDragon=] assault rifle from ''VideoGame/PerfectDark''. Its lesser version, the Dragon, had a unique variant; activating its secondary fire let you throw it on the ground and use it as a proximity mine. Very useful against ammo campers.

** ''VideoGame/HalfLife1'' had either an [=MP5=] submachinegun or an M4 assault rifle (depending on whether or not you have the Hi-Def pack) equipped with an M203 grenade launcher. It was much more powerful and practical than the Half-Life 2 version; grenades were more common and you could carry ten of them instead of just three. They also arced less and dealt more damage.
** The SMG in ''VideoGame/HalfLife2''. Unlike the standard grenades, these grenades explode on impact. They are also rather rare.

* The stakegun in ''VideoGame/{{Painkiller}}.''
** The minigun as well...except it's a ROCKET launcher instead.
* AIMS-20, ''VideoGame/{{Nightfire}}''.
* The K-8 Krukov from ''VideoGame/SaintsRowTheThird'' comes with a grenade launcher when fully upgraded.
* The [[VideoGame/UnrealTournament2004 UT2003-04]] assault rifle has an underslung grenade launcher.
* ''VideoGame/{{Marathon}}'s'' assault rifles always had a grenade launcher as an alt-fire.

* In ''Franchise/{{Metroid}}'', Samus has a beam cannon as her primary weapon, and a rocket launcher secondary, which can be fired or switched to at the touch of a button. While it is slightly more powerful than a charge shot, missiles will open Red doors and kill certain enemies the charge attack cannot. As a drawback, missiles have a finite supply. Missiles themselves, in ''VideoGame/SuperMetroid'' and ''VideoGame/MetroidZeroMission'', can be switched between Regular and Super Missiles.

* ''VideoGame/WolfensteinTheNewOrder'' features an underslung drum-fed rocket launcher that can be attached to the Assault Rifle.

* Although definitely not the first game to do this, ''VideoGame/HaloCombatEvolved'' and [[Franchise/{{Halo}} its sequels]] certainly popularized it.
* In ''VideoGame/Left4Dead'', the usual "secondary fire" button is used for melee attacks. However, when holding a [[HealThyself healing item]] in front of a teammate, it allows to heal ''him'' instead of yourself. This can [[HilarityEnsues lead to amusement]] when the healer doesn't have the teammate correctly centred in their view, and appears to be brutally clubbing them with a first aid kit.

* ''VideoGame/TimeSplittersFuturePerfect'' has this for most if not all weapons.
* ''VideoGame/EYEDivineCybermancy'' features the PSI-strike ability - when holding sprint while holding any two-handed weapon, you raise your hand up and blast any nearby enemies with an HandBlast, [[LudicrousGibs gibbing anything it hits]]. The player can also block incoming bullet by holding sprint and holding the Zoom/block key; you will raise up your weapon towards you torso, using its size to protect you. The protection varies by weapon, so a tiny pistol won't do crap, but holding up the Sulfatum minigun to your chest will prevent most bullets from hitting your torso.
* ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'' succeeds in Inverting this one. The Scout's main Melee weapon is a Baseball Bat. Two of his alternate bats can hit projectiles (Baseballs that Stun, and Ornaments that inflict Bleeding). One of the Scout's primaries, the Shortstop, provides a straighter example by letting him reach out and shove enemies away from him, possibly into an environmental hazard.

* The Farsight rifle from ''VideoGame/PerfectDark'' could not only let you see ''and'' shoot through walls, the secondary function caused you to automatically zoom in on the the closest target.
* A nerfed version of the Farsight also appears in ''VideoGame/TimeSplittersFuturePerfect'', a SpiritualSuccessor to ''Perfect Dark''.
* The left trigger does this for every weapon in ''Franchise/MassEffect''
* A variation in ''VideoGame/HalfLife1'' - secondary fire activated the laser sight for the rocket launcher and, in ''Opposing Force'', the Desert Eagle. This didn't zoom in, but it did let you guide launched missiles and made the Deagle more accurate, the latter in return for firing slightly slower.
** The crossbow featured in both games had a zoom effect. The .357 featured a zoom in as well if cheats were enabled. ''VideoGame/HalfLife2'' in itself also has an unrelated zoom function as a part of the HEV suit, though it isn't meant for use in combat - you are prevented from firing while zoomed in this manner, requiring quick release-and-press of the or scripting trickery to simulate a universal weapon zoom with it and a weapon that's already accurate to get any use out of it anyway.

* ''VideoGame/{{Nexuiz}}'' has its [[VideoGame/QuakeII Railgun]][=/=]Sniper Rifle hybrid, the Nex, with the secondary being a zoom scope.

* All hunter guns in ''VideoGame/{{Evolve}}'', with the exception of Renegade Abe's shotgun.
* In ''VideoGame/Doom2016,'' the Heavy Assault Rifle can be modded with a tactical scope, which allows it to be used as a DMR.
** The Gauss Cannon can also be modded with a scope, and [[ChargeAttack it charges up as you do so.]]

* The [[TheBigGuy Heavy Weapons Guy]] from the ''VideoGame/{{Team|FortressClassic}} [[VideoGame/TeamFortress2 Fortress]]'' games can spin up his minigun, at the cost of movement speed.
* ''VideoGame/PerfectDark'''s Reaper can do this, both to spin up early and get bullets out faster ''and'' grind up close-range enemies with the various blades attached to it.
* Both ''VideoGame/TimeSplitters2'' and ''[[VideoGame/TimeSplittersFuturePerfect Future Perfect]]'' had miniguns that had spinning barrels as secondary fire, at the cost of making the gun overheat faster. ''2'' had it worse, since if you overused this function then it triggered a sound glitch that caused the sounds of the barrel to persist throughout the entire match.
* The Autocannon from ''VideoGame/{{Singularity}}'' must be spun up with the iron sight button to fire.
** The exact same thing is true for the [[GatlingGood minigun]] from VideoGame/{{Syndicate}}

* ''VideoGame/HalfLife'''s shotgun alt-fires both barrels at once. Which is funny, since it's ''not a double barreled shotgun''. On the RealLife SPAS-12 the in-game shotgun is supposed to be, the "second barrel" is in fact the tube magazine.

* A few of the weapons from ''VideoGame/UnrealI'' function this way.
** The Flak Cannon normally fires a burst of flak, and the secondary fire just spits out the shell without breaking it up (like a grenade).
** The Stinger normally fires a stream of shards and the secondary fire spits out a bunch at once (like a shotgun).
* In ''VideoGame/UnrealIITheAwakening'', the standard assault rifle's alt-fire mode uses the primary ammo to launch a cluster of shards that initially acts like a shotgun slug if it hits an enemy. If the slug hits something that isn't an enemy (like the floor or a wall) then the shards ricochet off on their own.
** Similarly, the altfire for the aptly named ''Hydra'' grenade launcher didn't do anything except cycle ammo. ''However'', if you held the primary fire down before launching, it'd engage a time delay fuse for the grenades rather than a standard impact fuse. Then there's the flamethrower, which spewed out unstable, unlit fuel so you could make traps - though it'd spontaneously combust ''anyway'' if left for too long.
* ''VideoGame/UnrealTournament'' did this for a few of its guns, too. The Shock Rifle is the example for this type of secondary fire above, but the Pulse/Link Gun was another one: primary fired plasma shots, secondary emitted a mid-range beam. Enters into tertiary-fire territory with the Link Gun from ''2003'' onwards, where you can use secondary fire to link up with teammates to boost the power of ''their'' Link Guns.
* In many games where you control tanks, noticeably in ''VideoGame/MassEffect1'' and ''VideoGame/HaloCombatEvolved'', one button will use a machine gun turret mounted on the tank, while the other will fire the tank's artillery canon.
* The Pyro's Flamethrower in ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'' has a secondary fire that shoots a burst of compressed gas to push back people, extinguish burning teammates and deflect projectiles: it uses the same ammo counter as the flamethrower's flames, costing 20 ammo per burst.
* A truly bizarre example is found in the original ''VideoGame/RedFaction'' in the form of the sub-machine gun, which is effectively two entirely separate automatic weapons bolted together. Primary fire uses the same rounds as the pistol but at a much higher rate, whilst the secondary trigger fires the same rounds as the ''assault rifle'', only with half the magazine size and not as accurately. Even the bots in multiplayer appeared to think the latter function was completely pointless.
** The same game gives us a number of less memorable examples. The assault rifle and shotgun ''both'' have the option of burst or fully automatic fire (the shotgun works a bit like the option for twin-linked or alternating fire for certain weapons in ''Descent''), the rocket launcher can be either dumb-fired or homing, and the grenade can be set to either a four-second timer or impact fusing. Another slightly odd one is the flamethrower, whose fuel tank can be unscrewed and thrown to act like a MolotovCocktail when it hits. Even for a MegaCorp whose [[NoOSHACompliance lousy safety record]] is actually a plot point, that makes very little sense. It also follows the convention for vehicles which is discussed above.
* ''VideoGame/PerfectDark'' has Double Blast for the shotgun (single-barrelled, but fires twice), the Callisto [=NTG=]'s High-Impact Shells (more powerful but with a slower firing rate) as well as as proximity and timed functions for several other weapons.
* The Film/JudgeDredd movie's Lawgiver pistols had multiple voice-selectable alt fires. Standard, rapid fire, 'double whammy' (two shots at once at different targets), armor piercing and flares.
** Same for the [[ComicBook/JudgeDredd original comic]], [[Film/{{Dredd}} the 2012 movie]] and the licensed games.
* Several of ''VideoGame/{{Nexuiz}}''[='=]s weapons, such as the Electro (primary: a bolt; secondary: a bouncing ball) and the Crylink (primary: shotgun-like spread; secondary: horizontal line spread).
* In ''VideoGame/{{Evolve}}'', Renegade Abe's shotgun will empty all loaded ammunition in a single slug.
* ''VideoGame/CommandandConquerGenerals'': The GLA's Scud Launcher launches high-explosive missiles against vehicles and structures and persistent anthrax clouds against infantry.
* ''VideoGame/Doom2016'' 's plasma rifle has two: a "stun bomb" plasma bolt that creates a shockwave of electricity, and a weaponized cooling vent that acts like a slowly-charging shotgun. The chaingun also has the ability to split into three miniguns, tripling its damage output but occasionally overheating and stalling out.

* ''VideoGame/PerfectDark'' has unrelated secondary modes on several guns, with the Laptop Gun's sentry mode as one of the most memorable. The Phoenix fires two completely different types of shot using the same ammo (laser vs. explosives).
* ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'' usually uses the secondary fire as a complement to the weapon (zoom the sniper rifle, detonate remote mines, spin up the minigun, etc.), but a couple are used to activate very different effects. The Engineer has a wrench that can teleport him back to spawn and a shotgun that lets him pick up his sentry at long distance.
* ''VideoGame/{{Painkiller}}'' plays this trope to the hilt, and then a bit farther: each weapon has two modes of fire, each drawing from a unique ammunition pool (exception: the rocket launcher and grenade launcher both draw from the same pool.) Additionally, it gives some weapons a third mode that can be used by combining the existing two modes -- for example, if you use the Painkiller's primary fire (spinning blades) then hit the secondary fire (launching the blades) you get spinning blades flying through the air. And it is awesome.

* In ''Gundam F90''[='s=] model design series, the F90II Long Range Type carries a long-barreled rifle that switches between firing solid shells or beam blasts; both modes are effectively HumongousMecha-scale sniper rifles.

* Your firearms in ''VideoGame/{{Rodina}}'' can fire rockets by firing while holding alt-fire button.

* The ''VideoGamed/BrutalDOOM'' Mod for ''{{VideoGame/Doom}}'' features alt-fire for all but excluding the {{chainsaw|Good}}, {{BFG}}, rocket launcher, Mancubi flame cannon and the Revenant rocket launcher.

'''[[QuickMelee Melee Attack]]:''' Often used in place of a default hand-to-hand weapon, a secondary fire might involve stabbing or whacking the opponent with the gun, which may have [[BayonetYa bayonets]] or spikes specifically for that purpose. See also PistolWhipping.

'''Spinning Up Barrels:''' If your game has a [[GatlingGood Gatling gun]] among your arsenal, it may take time to spin the barrels up to firing speed. Many games feature a secondary fire that spins the barrels without firing, so that when you ''do'' hit the fire button, it starts shooting immediately. This feature often causes the gun to {{overheat|ing}} faster as a drawback. If overheat isn't a mechanism, it may slow down the user to a snail's pace, alert enemies within earshot, and/or make the gun less accurate in favor of an [[MoreDakka even better fire rate]].

See also SwissArmyWeapon and GunAccessories. Not to be confused with [[FriendlyFireIndex Friendly Fire]].

* Most guns in the ''[[{{VideoGame/XCOM}} XCOM]]'' games can switch between single-shot and rapid fire. Or rather, Aimed Shot (slow but accurate), Snap Shot (fast but less accurate), and Auto Shot (woefully inaccurate individually but you get a burst of three).

* The Hive Hand in ''VideoGame/HalfLife1'', though the secondary fire projectiles lack the homing capability primary fire has.

** In a more realistic portrayal, ''VideoGame/SvenCoop'''s shotgun modeled after the HD packs [=SPAS-12=] dropped the "double barrels" for rapid, semi-automatic fire, much like the real weapon, at the cost of a [[{{ShortRangeShotgun}} higher pellet spread]] than the primary, pump action fire.

* ''VideoGame/{{GoldenEye|1997}}'' had selective fire on most of its automatics. Tapping the trigger button would fire a single shot, pressing it once would fire a three-round burst, and holding it would engage fully automatic fire.

** ''MetroidPrime3Corruption'' has the Super Mode's charge beam trigger '''Rapid Fire'''

* The pistol in ''VideoGame/HalfLife2'' had a charged attack that ''caused'' rapid fire; it was actually a bug, which was removed in ''Half-Life 2: Deathmatch'' and, much later, also removed from the original game as part of the Orange Box/Mac port.
** More true to the trope is the Tau Cannon - the primary fire shot quick blasts, while the secondary fire could be charged up. When charged, the thing could be used to take down ''helicopters''. Just don't let it overcharge.

* [[VideoGame/TeamFortress2 The Cow Mangler 5000]] can fire a stronger blast that charges itself over a few seconds. It is triggered by the right mouse button, no less. The charged shot takes up the full clip, though, and the charging time is not variable.

* The SMG in ''VideoGame/HalfLife2''. Unlike the standard grenades, these grenades explode on impact. They are also rather rare.
** Its predecessor in the first game was either an [=MP5=] submachinegun or an M4 assault rifle (depending on whether or not you have the Hi-Def pack) equipped with an M203 grenade launcher. It was much more powerful and practical than the Half-Life 2 version; grenades were more common and you could carry ten of them instead of just three. They also arced less and dealt more damage.

* ''[[VideoGame/TronTwoPointOh Tron 2.0]]'' has this for the Disc type weapons, as well as the block, which can deflect other discs

* Any video game that features sniper rifles.
* The ultimate example has to be the Farsight rifle from ''VideoGame/PerfectDark''. Not only could you see ''and'' shoot through walls, but the secondary function caused you to automatically zoom in on the the closest target!

* The [[TheBigGuy Heavy Weapons Guy]] from the ''[[VideoGame/TeamFortressClassic Team]] [[VideoGame/TeamFortress2 Fortress]]'' games can spin up his minigun, at the cost of movement speed.

* ''VideiGame/Doom2016'' 's plasma rifle has two: a "stun bomb" plasma bolt that creates a shockwave of electricity, and a weaponized cooling vent that acts like a slowly-charging shotgun. The chaingun also has the ability to split into three miniguns, tripling its damage output but occasionally overheating and stalling out.

* ''VideoGame/EternalDarkness'' features an OICW in the second to last level which fits types 1 and 2. The rifle portion can be switched between semi-auto, burst and fully automatic fire, and it is also underslung on a ''semi-automatic grenade launcher''.

* ''Franchise/DeadSpace'' handles it well with every gun having two firing options, including explosive grenades and room-clearing circular attacks. In [[{{VideoGame/DeadSpace3}} the third game,]] due to overhauling the weaponry system and replacing it with a crafting mechanic, you can have nearly any weapon as your guns secondary fire. However, there are a few weapons (like the [[{{BayonetYa}} Hydraulic Engine]]) that are secondary-fire only.

* ''VideoGame/SystemShock 2'' - the only weapons that ''didn't'' have multiple firing modes and/or ammo were the melee ones. Most of the modes were a choice between more power/accuracy or MoreDakka.

* A rare cinematic example: The .45 blaster used by Deckard in Film/BladeRunner is hypothesised to be a two-barrelled beast, the lower barrel being a standard pistol, and the upper barrel firing a special, more powerful round. The fact it has two triggers (and is therefore twice as awesome) would support this.

* The ''GameMod/{{Brutal DOOM}}'' Mod for ''{{VideoGame/Doom}}'' has this for all but excluding the [[{{ChainsawGood}} chainsaw]], {{BFG}}, rocket launcher, Mancubi flame cannon and the Revenant rocket launcher.

** More true to the trope is the Tau Cannon - the primary fire shot quick blasts, while the secondary fire could be charged up. When charged, the thing could be used to take down ''helicopters''.

** ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime'' and ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime2Echoes'' combines this with the '''Under/Overslung weapon''' of the Missile Launcher by allowing charged beam shots to be combined with a quintet of missiles ForMassiveDamage and an [[ElementalPowers elemental warhead]].

** The GrenadeLauncher [[CaptainObvious launches grenades]]. They bounce or explode on contact with a mech, but can be remotely detonated after launch using the altfire key.

'''[[BifurcatedWeapon Under/Overslung Weapons]]:''' Most common on assault rifles, but can appear on any gun, these can take the form of [[ShotgunsAreJustBetter shotguns]], [[StuffBlowingUp grenade launchers]], [[LaserCutter cutting lasers]] or something similar. Often, these weapons can damage the player if misused, but even more often they take things down fast. The alt-fire weapon may use the gun's standard ammo, but more often has its own ammo supply which may be hard to come by.

See also SwissArmyWeapon. Not to be confused with [[FriendlyFireIndex Friendly Fire]].

* In ''VideoGame/InquisitorMartyr,'' each gun has four attacks. Usually, single-shot and burst fire are bound to the left and right mouse button, and then the 1 and 2 keys have a '''Related but Different''' attack each. The exception is the Autogun class, which has a burstfire primary and a full-auto secondary. Certain attacks also have the "Compression" rule, which alliws them to make a ChargeAttack.

* The [[{{BFG}} Death Machine]] from ''VideoGame/CallOfDutyBlackOps'' and ''VideoGame/CallOfDutyBlackOps2'' is a minigun given to you from [[DeathFromAbove Care Packages]] (in ''Black Ops 2'', it is rewarded when a certain number of points is received), and when you [[SightedGunsAreLowTech try to aim down the sights]], it will instead spin the barrels. Same for the mounted miniguns in the ''VideoGame/ModernWarfare'' games.

* Some guns in the original ''VideoGame/CallOfDuty'' had the option to switch between full-auto and semi-auto (or between "full auto" and "slow auto" for the BAR), though since most people just stuck with full-auto they removed it for the second game. Some developers [[DummiedOut apparently tried to re-implement it as an attachment in later games]], but it took until ''VideoGame/CallOfDutyBlackOps2'' for it to actually show up as Select Fire; it lets you switch full-auto weapons to burst fire for lower recoil but delays between each burst, and burst-firing or semi-auto weapons to full-auto for greater close-range utility at the cost of range and greater recoil. ''[[VideoGame/CallOfDutyGhosts Ghosts]]'' likewise has separate Full-Auto, Semi-Auto and Burst Fire attachments to let you pick which mode you want, with the same benefits and drawbacks.

* ''VideoGame/WolfensteinTheNewOrder'' features an underslung drum-fed RocketLauncher that can be attached to the Assault Rifle.

* Several pistols in ''VideoGame/PerfectDark'' that didn't have a unique secondary mode would have a PistolWhip as their secondary. The Tranquilizer had a "Lethal Injection", which was also a melee attack.

* A variation in ''VideoGame/HalfLife1'' - secondary fire activated the laser sight for the rocket launcher and, in Opposing Force, the Desert Eagle. This didn't zoom in, but it did let you guide launched missiles and made the Deagle more accurate.
** The crossbow featured in both games had a zoom effect. The .357 featured a zoom in as well if cheats were enabled.

* Every gun can be used to make a melee attack in UsefulNotes/WW1 shooter ''Verdun'', and several roles have a bayonet attached to their rifle (and in one case to their [[RevolversAreJustBetter Webley revolver]]) which allows for one-hit-kills. Otherwise the melee attack involves bashing with the butt of the weapon and two hits to kill.

* ''VideoGame/UnrealTournament'' did this for a few of its guns, too. The Shock Rifle is the example for this type of secondary fire above, but the Pulse/Link Gun was another one: primary fired plasma shots, secondary emitted a mid-range beam. Enters into tertiary-fire territory with the Link Gun from ''2003'' onwards, where you can use secondary fire to link up with teammates to boost the power of their Link Guns.

* ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'' usually uses the secondary fire as a complement to the weapon (zoom the sniper rifle, detonate remote mines, spin up the minigun, etc.), but a couple are used to activate very different effects. The Engineer has a Wrench that can Teleport him back to spawn and a shotgun that lets him pick up his sentry at long distance.

* Warhammer 40k has this with the Space Marines Combi-weapon which combines the standard bolter with either a flamer, plasma gun or a meltagun. Though these extra weapons only have one shot (which the player can use whenever he wants) and will for the rest of the game count as an ordinary bolter.
* ''VideoGame/WolfensteinTheNewOrder'' has a couple of examples of this. The automatic shotgun can swap between regular shells and shrapnel rounds that can bounce off of solid obstructions. Meanwhile, the AR Marksman is normally a sniper rifle, but can convert into a [[EnergyWeapons laser]] assault rifle.
* In ''Gundam F90''[='s=] model design series, the F90II Long Range Type carries a long-barreled rifle that switch between firing solid shells or beam blasts; both modes are effectively HumongousMecha-scale sniper rifles.

* ''VideoGame/Doom2016'' has the Chaingun able to be spun up. While this allows it to immediately start rapid-fire, it takes longer to reach its full DPS than firing normally. Crosses over with Charge Attack, since its Master upgrade channels some of its waste heat into the firing chamber, allowing it to fire superheated bullets once it hits maximum rotation.

** The plasma rifle has a weaponized cooling system that violently discharges a heat sink. It is charged by using the weapon's primary fire, with the longer you fire plasma bolts translating into a stronger heatwave. It can even be upgraded to hold more heat.

* ''VideoGame/Doom2016'' has the Chaingun able to be spun up. While this allows it to immediately start rapid-fire, it takes longer to reach its full DPS than firing normally.

* This is the standard "Alt Reload" for EnergyWeapons in ''VideoGame/DoomTheRoguelike''. It allows the weapon to fire a single burst at double damage-and then promptly explode.

* ''VideoGame/Doom2016'' has the Chaingun able to be spun up. While this allows it to immediately start rapid-fire, it takes longer to reach its full DPS than firing normally. It can be modified to stop overheating, though.

* ''VideoGame/Doom2016'' has the Chaingun able to be spun up. While this allows it to immediately start rapid-fire, it will eventually overheat the weapon, and it takes longer to reach its full DPS than firing normally. It can be modified to stop overheating, though.

** The Chaingun can combine this with the '''Spinning Up Barrels''' version. The "Gatling Rotor" mod overwhelms the cooling system, but its Master Upgrade allows it to channel the heat into the bullets.

* ''VideiGame/Doom2016'' 's plasma rifle has two: a "stun bomb" plasma bolt that creates a shockwave of electricity, and a weaponized cooling vent that acts like a slowly-charging shotgun. The chaingun also has the ability to split into three, tripling its damage output

** The pistol has the good old "Hold down the trigger for 30 seconds for an exponentially stronger shot" version

* ''VideoGame/Doom2016'' has the Chaingun able to be spun up. While this allows it to immediately start rapid-fire, it will eventually overheat the weapon, and it takes longer to reach its full DPS than firing normally.

* ''VideoGame/GearsOfWar 2'''s Hammerburst rifle was automatic and had no recoil, but fired slowly. Pressing the trigger continuously as fast as possible would make it fire much faster, but give it a lot of recoil.

* The ''GearsOfWar'' games have a gun with a [[RuleOfCool fucking]] [[ChainsawGood chainsaw]] attached to it.

* In ''Franchise/Metroid'', Samus has a beam cannon as her primary weapon, and a rocket launcher secondary, which can be fired or switched to at the touch of a button. While it is slightly more powerful than a charge shot, missiles will open Red doors and kill certain enemies the charge attack cannot. As a drawback, missiles have a finite supply. Missiles themselves, in ''VideoGame/SuperMetroid'' and ''VideoGame/MetroidZeroMission'', can be switched between Regular and Super Missiles.

** ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime'' and ''VideoGame/MetroidPrimeEchoes'' combines this with the '''Under/Overslung weapon''' of the Missile Launcher by allowing charged beam shots to be combined with a quintet of missiles ForMassiveDamage and an [[ElementalPowers elemental warhead]].
** ''MetroidPrimeCorruption'' has the Super Mode's charge beam trigger '''Rapid Fire'''

* In ''Franchise/Metroid'', Samus has a beam cannon as her primary weapon, and a rocket launcher secondary, which can be fired or switched to at the touch of a button. While it is slightly more powerful than a charge shot, missiles will open Red doors and kill certain enemies the charge attack cannot. As a drawback, missiles have a finite supply. Missiles themselves, in ''VideoGame/SuperMetroid'' and ''VideoGame/MetroidZeroMission'', can be switched between Regular and Super Missiles.

** ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime'' and ''VideoGame/MetroidPrimeIIEchoes'' combines this with the '''Under/Overslung weapon''' of the Missile Launcher by allowing charged beam shots to be combined with a quintet of missiles ForMassiveDamage and an [[ElementalPowers elemental warhead]].
** ''MetroidPrimeIIICorruption'' has the Super Mode's charge beam trigger '''Rapid Fire'''

* In ''Franchise/Metroid'', Samus has a beam cannon as her primary weapon, and a rocket launcher secondary, which can be fired or switched to at the touch of a button. While it is slightly more powerful than a charge shot, missiles will open Red doors and kill certain enemies the charge attack cannot. As a drawback, missiles have a finite supply. Missiles themselves, in ''VideoGame/SuperMetroid'' and ''VideoGame/MetroidZeroMission'', can be switched between Regular and Super Missiles.