Is one shot, one kill right for videogames?

The modern FPS wouldn’t be the same without the headshot.

But are one-hit kills right for games, James wonders…

The release ofSniper: Ghost Warrior 2has us thinking about videogame combat mechanics.

Specifically, the idea of the one-shot kill.

In most shooters, the easiest way to get an instant kill is to go for a headshot.

This is why games likeModern Warfare 2give gamers the One Shot, One Kill bonus.

To encourage you to get better.

Its also common for melee weapons of some kind to offer the opportunity for an instant kill.

The idea behind most forms of instant-kill gives the impression of linked, superficially, to realism.

A bullet in the head should kill your opponent, just as several rounds to the chest should.

What about angles of entry, and internal skeletal structure?

Of course, sometimes instant kills are just fun.

But many of those arguments for the instakill mechanic can quickly collapse when it comes to multiplayer gaming.

Things are better now, but the nature of online gaming means theyll never be perfect.

Someone always has the technological edge.

The fact is, videogames are supposed to be fun.

So maybe thats the true appeal of the one-shot kill.