Category:Lock-on mechanic

Some games have a weapon that you need to lock onto enemies before it can launch and home in on them. The lock-on typically happens through a reticle before the ship (e.g. RayForce), a moving section (e.g. Astebreed), or an expanding area around the ship (e.g. Missile Dancer, Astebreed).

(One of) the earliest games to feature this mechanic is RayForce.