History Main / HitTheGroundHarder

[[quoteright:350:[[WebAnimation/ZeroPunctuation http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/grapple_5811.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Yahtzee shows us why ''VideoGame/JustCause2'' makes Newton spin in his grave.]]

->''"He doesn't even need [parachutes] to break his fall, because he can hookshot onto the ground and escape unharmed. That's right! The best way to survive smacking into concrete at terminal velocity is to smack into it slightly faster.'' Maybe it's a homeopathic thing."
-->-- '''Yahtzee''' on ''VideoGame/JustCause2'' in ''WebAnimation/ZeroPunctuation''

Oh no! You're falling from a huge height. Maybe your helicopter got shot down. Maybe you misjudged a jump. Or maybe you got knocked into the air by a huge enemy. The point is: [[NotTheFallThatKillsYou You're going to pancake when you hit the ground]] and [[SoftWater there's none of that oh-so-handy water anywhere!]] You don't have magic slowfall powers, you can't render yourself invincible, and you left your parachute at home. For most people, this would be the end...

But no, you're not like other people. You have a way to survive your immense fall. Make your fall speed even higher and smash into the ground at an even higher speed, [[YouFailPhysicsForever to make the laws of reality fold in on themselves and escape from your situation unscathed]], or at least, far better off than you would have been if you'd just let gravity take its toll.

[[GoodBadBugs This is usually just an oversight]]; if the game ignores velocity-induced damage for certain special moves such as activating a grappling hook or using an aerial tackle move, you just use that special move and bypass the fall damage code!

Regardless, whether it was intentional, or [[GoodBadBugs an exploitable flaw of the game]], you've just managed to [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Hit The Ground Harder]] and cheat death.

----
!!Examples:

* ''VideoGame/JustCause2'' is one of the biggest offenders of this; a review of which gives us the picture and title quote, and for good reason. You can literally fall from a mile-high height and survive by grappling into the ground and survive with no health loss whatsoever. This is made particularly noticeable by the fact that SoftWater is completely and utterly absent, so you find yourself actually 'aiming' for the ground.
* Zig-zagged with the ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'' series when it comes to {{ground pound}}s - it varies between [[VideoGame/SuperMario64 just resetting your momentum]], to [[VideoGame/SuperMarioSunshine making you into a]] NighInvulnerable [[GroundShatteringLanding comet that is the only thing capable of destroying certain blocks.]]
* In full effect in ''VideoGame/{{Terraria}}''. Gravity is by far one of the harshest forces in the game, which makes the mid-game Lucky Horseshoe (which cancels fall damage) very highly sought-after. But until you get one, you can always use your Grappling Hook/Ivy Whip to latch onto the ground and survive.
* Zig-zagged in ''VideoGame/DragonsDogma'' where you have some special falling attacks which will completely negate fall damage, but you also have moves that explicitly stop your momentum in the air... but do not change your fall damage at all. A common situation for new players playing as a mage is to learn the levitation ability, at some point finding a moderate cliff of some sort, jumping off, hovering just inches off the ground... then falling 3 inches with the impact force of a car crash.
* If a ''Franchise/SpiderMan'' game has fall damage, chances are you can ignore it by web-zipping directly into the ground.
* This is the basis of [[GoodBadBugs Wavedashing and Wavelanding]] in ''[[VideoGame/SuperSmashBros Super Smash Bros. Melee]]'' and ''VideoGame/ProjectM''; using the directional air dodge to propel yourself straight into the ground allows you to act out of it faster than with an ordinary landing.
* In ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'''s "Mannpower" mode, everyone has access to a grappling hook that pulls you directly at the surface you aimed it at. It negates fall damage both during the grapple and for two seconds afterward, allowing you to invoke this trope as much as you like.
* In ''VideoGame/ArxFatalis'' you often will receive no falling damage if you jump over the edge of a cliff instead of walking off it, due to glitches in jumping physics.
* ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' allows you to do this using abilities like the Warrior's Charge, normally used on the ground to run a short distance at super speed to attack an enemy. It still works in the air. Druids have access to a variant in Bear form as well, resulting in memetic "bear drops". Mages have a facsimile that is slightly harder to execute in Blink, appearing instantly on the ground if close enough. However if used too far from the ground, the blink will only reset their velocity while leaving them in the air to begin the fall anew.
* The E3 trailer of ''Videogame/{{Dishonored 2}}'' shows Emily surviving a fall of several stories by using her tentacle-like appendage to quickly reach the bottom of the stairs.
* Fall damage is rare in ''VideoGame/PacManWorld 2'', but a Butt-Bounce will negate it.

* ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' allows you to do this using abilities like the Warrior's Charge, normally used on the ground to run a short distance at super speed to attack an enemy. It still works in the air.

[[caption-width-right:350:Yahtzee shows us why ''VideoGame/JustCause 2'' makes Newton spin in his grave.]]

-->-- '''Yahtzee''' on ''[[VideoGame/JustCause Just Cause 2]]'' in ''WebAnimation/ZeroPunctuation''

* ''[[JustCause Just Cause 2]]'' is one of the biggest offenders of this; a review of which gives us the picture and title quote, and for good reason. You can literally fall from a mile-high height and survive by grappling into the ground and survive with no health loss whatsoever. This is made particularly noticeable by the fact that SoftWater is completely and utterly absent, so you find yourself actually 'aiming' for the ground.

** Of course, this is also the game where you can spawn an infinite amount of parachutes from a small pouch on your back.

** Come late game, those Horseshoes get replaced by wings. You can fall from the upper atmosphere without even flapping your wings once, and land light as a feather. Even if those wings are made of ice, or twigs.

* The E3 trailer of ''Videogame/{{Dishonored 2}}'' shows Emily surviving a fall of several stories by using her tentacle-like apendage to quickly reach the bottom of the stairs.

* ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' allows you to do this using abilities like the Warrior's Charge, normally used on the ground to run a short distance at super speed to attack an enemy. It still works in the air.

* In ''VideoGame/ArxFatalis'' you often will receive no falling damage if you jump over the edge of a cliff instead of walking off it, due to glitches in jumping physics.

* In ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'''s "Mannpower" mode, everyone has access to a grappling hook that pulls you directly at the surface you aimed it at. It negates fall damage both during the grapple and for two seconds afterward, allowing you to invoke this trope as much as you like.

* If a ''Franchise/SpiderMan'' game has fall damage, chances are you can ignore it by web-zipping directly into the ground.

Regardless, whether it was intentional, or [[GoodBadBugs an exploitable flaw of the game]], you've just managed to HitTheGroundHarder and cheat death.

* In full effect in ''VideoGame/{{Terraria}}''. Gravity is by far one of the harshest forces in the game, which makes the late-game Lucky Horseshoe (which cancels fall damage) very highly sought-after. But until you get one, you can always use your Grappling Hook/Ivy Whip to latch onto the ground and survive.

* Zig-zagged with the ''[[SuperMarioBros Mario]]'' series when it comes to {{ground pound}}s - it varies between [[SuperMario64 just resetting your momentum]], to [[SuperMarioSunshine making you into a]] NighInvulnerable [[GroundShatteringLanding comet that is the only thing capable of destroying certain blocks.]]

* If a ''{{Spiderman}}'' game has fall damage, chances are you can ignore it by web-zipping directly into the ground.

Whether it was intentional, or [[GoodBadBugs an exploitable flaw of the game]], you've just managed to HitTheGroundHarder and cheat death.

* In full effect in ''VideoGame/{{Terraria}}''. Gravity is by far one of the harshest forces in the game, which makes the late-game Lucky Horseshoe (which cancels fall damage) very highly sought-after. But until you get one, you can always use your Grappling Hook/Ivy Whip to latch onto the ground and survive.

But no, you're not like other people. You have a way to survive your immense fall. Make your fall speed even higher and smash into the ground at an even higher speed, [[YouFailPhysicsForever to make the laws of reality fold in on themselves escape from your situation unscathed]], or at least, far better off than you would have been if you'd just let gravity take its toll.

->''"He doesn't even need [parachutes] to break his fall, because he can hookshot onto the ground and escape unharmed. That's right! The best way to survive smacking into concrete at terminal velocity is to smack into it slightly faster."''

-->-- '''Yahtzee''' on ''[[VideoGame/JustCause Just Cause 2]]''' in ''WebAnimation/ZeroPunctuation''

[[quoteright:350:[[ZeroPunctuation http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/grapple_5811.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Yahtzee shows us why ''JustCause 2'' makes Newton spin in his grave.]]

->''"He doesn't even need (Parachutes) to break his fall, because he can hookshot onto the ground and escape unharmed. That's right! The best way to survive smacking into concrete at terminal velocity is to smack into it slightly faster."''
-->-- '''Yahtzee''' on [[JustCause Just Cause 2]] in ''ZeroPunctuation''

* [[JustCause Just Cause 2]] is one of the biggest offenders of this, a review of which gives us the picture and title quote, and for good reason. You can literally fall from a mile-high height and survive by grappling into the ground and survive with no health loss whatsoever. This is made particularly noticable by the fact that SoftWater is completely and utterly absent, so you find yourself actually 'aiming' for the ground.

* In full effect in ''VideoGame/{{Terraria}}''. Gravity is by far one of the harshest forces in the game, which makes the late-game Lucky Horseshoe (which cancels fall damage) very highly sought-after. But until you get one, you can always use your Grappling Hook / Ivy Whip to latch onto the ground and survive.

But no, you're not like other people. You have a way to survive your immense fall. Make your fall speed even higher and smash into the ground at an even higher speed, [[YouFailPhysicsForever to make the laws of reality fold in on themselves]] and [[BeyondTheImpossible escape from your situation unscathed]], or at least, far better off than you would have been if you'd just let gravity take its toll.

-->-- '''Yhatzee''' on [[JustCause Just Cause 2]] in''ZeroPunctuation''

Oh no! You're falling from a huge height. Maybe your helicopter got shot down. Maybe you misjudged a jump. Or maybe you got knocked into the air by a huge enemy. The point is: [[NotTheFallThatKillsYou You're going to pancake when you hit the ground]] and [[SoftWater There's none of that oh-so-handy water anywhere!]] You don't have magic slowfall powers, you can't render yourself invincible, and you left your parachute at home. For most people, this would be the end...

But no, you're not like other people. You have a way to survive your immense fall. Make your fall speed even higher and smash into the ground at an even higher speed, [[YouFailPhysicsForever to make the laws of reality fold in on themselves]] and [[BeyondTheImpossible escape from your situation unscathed]], or at least, far better off than you would have been if you'd just let gravity take it's toll.

* Zig-zagged with the Mario series when it comes to ground pounds - it varies between [[SuperMario64 just resetting your momentum]], to [[SuperMarioSunshine making you into a]] NighInvulnerable [[GroundShatteringLanding comet that is the only thing capable of destroying certain blocks.]]
* In full effect in {{Terraria}}. Gravity is by far one of the harshest forces in the game, which makes the late-game Lucky Horseshoe (which cancels fall damage) very highly sought-after. But until you get one, you can always use your Grappling Hook / Ivy Whip to latch onto the ground and survive.

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/grapple_5811.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[ZeroPunctuation Yhatzee shows us why Just Cause 2 makes Newton spin in his grave.]] ]]

->''"He doesn't even need (Parachutes) to break his fall, because he can hookshot onto the ground and escape unharmed. That's right! The best way to survive smacking into concrete at terminal velocity is to smack into it slightly faster.''

* Zig-zagged with the Mario series when it comes to ground pounds - it varies between [[SuperMario64 just resetting your momentum]], to [[SuperMarioSunshine making you into a]] NighInvulnerable [[SuperMarioSunshine comet that is the only thing capable of destroying certain blocks.