History VideoGame / FaithTheUnholyTrinity

* DealWithTheDevil: Obviously, what with the Satanic cult trying to bring on the end times and all. Specifically, however, [[spoiler: it is heavily implied that John was tricked by Satan into abandoning Amy to Hell's clutches after the demon possessing her murders her parents and Father Alred. The vision of "God" he sees preys on his fear and cowardice to prevent him from completing the exorcism, only willing to grant him safe passage out of the house if he verbally forsakes Amy's soul.]]

** [[spoiler: Miriam Bell]] is heavily implied to have either killed or had a hand in killing four of the six orphans who were under their care during their time in Snake Meadow Hill Church after it was restaffed. While there's no clear indication how many years have passed between the events, this one chronologically occurred after the Cornfield incident.
** In the very first game, [[spoiler: Michael Davies]], is [[DeathOfPersonality essentially dead]] by the time you encounter them as their body has been [[DemonicPossession used as physical vessel by a demon,]] which is [[BodyHorror why they now have a really grotesque look.]]
** One of the steps that you must do to EarnYourBadEnding in Chapter II is to offer an innocent child to the [[spoiler: red figure in the confessional booth.]]
** As it turns out, this has been happening ''long before'' the events in the game, both the ones that John experiences ([[AllJustADream sorta]]) firsthand and the flashbacks we are treated to, since the Cult of the Second Death has been practicing a ritual in the form of offering newborns [[spoiler: to the portal to Hell that they [[FacialHorror carve into a vessel's face.]]]] It's for this ritual that the cult runs a childbirth assistance clinic in order to gain access to newborns.
** It's PlayedWith in the case of the Martin twins, Amy's younger brothers. They [[UncertainDoom seem to have disappeared after the exorcism performed on their sister]] and [[WhatHappenedToTheMouse no mention is made of their fate in Chapter I.]] Then in Chapter III, Father Garcia says that he's been unable to find them even after searching and trying to track them down extensively. [[spoiler: But as it turns out, the twins were actually a TragicStillbirth that Cindy Martin suffered and to cope with it, she pretended that they were still alive.]]

** Subverted in that [[spoiler: the White Silhouette is strongly implied to not be God, but rather a or The Devil, granting John his freedom from the Martin house at the cost of Amy's soul, and John's sanity.]]
* GoneHorriblyWrong: From the few details we get of the attempted exorcism of Amy, it was an absolute disaster. One of the notes has blanked-out text that goes into a bit more detail: [[spoiler:Amy killed Father Allred with her bare hands, and strangled her parents ''with their own intestines''.]] In ''Chapter III'', you get to see it, and it turns out that Father Allred had everything in hand [[spoiler: until Amy's parents came down to the basement in response to her screams. John has to escort them back upstairs, and then everything falls apart.]]

* HopelessSuitor: Tiffany did everything she could to win Gary's love, including willingly undergoing the Second Death ritual[[note]]It's implied that [[spoiler: her willingness ''ruined'' the ritual, making her the Rejected Vessel instead of a portal to Hell. Unwillingness is a ''requirement'' for the Second Death]][[/note]]. Not only did her gestures go ignored, but Gary flat-out thanks John for killing her after her boss battle.

* IKnowYoureInThereSomewhereFight: John's motivation for exorcizing Amy, and therefore the subsequent boss battle, of the first game. [[spoiler: She isn't. She's fully controlled by her demon. John's attempt to save her is doomed from the start.]]
* ImmuneToBullets: Downplayed. Demons can take a fairly meaty helping of lead and still keep going, but they really do not appreciate the pain of being shot. [[spoiler: Jeffrey can be killed by the cop without John's intervention at all, and Gary is severely weakened by taking four shotgun blasts to the face.]]

--->"[[spoiler:TIME TO TAKE A BREAK]]"
--->"[[spoiler:[[NonSequitur DO YOU HAVE LIFE INSURANCE, JOHN??]]]]"

** Taken to an extreme by [[spoiler: Tiffany. The Second Death ritual requires 7 newborn babies to be passed through the hole in the face, but Tiffany, who was rejected by Gary, decided that she could still succeed if she used ''seven times seventy-seven'' (539!) babies. Which she did. When you fight her boss battle, she'll release an insane amount of souls to reflect the sheer number of babies she consumed.]]

** [[spoiler: Miriam Bell murdered nearly a dozen children at the orphanage she worked at and later ran, all for the sake of the Satanic cult she founded. She also ''developed the Second Death ritual'', so offering babies directly to Hell was ''her idea''.]]
** [[spoiler: Tiffany performed the Second Death on herself, and Airdorf stated that 490 souls will be exorcised from her over the course of the boss fight. [[FridgeHorror How did she even get access to that many newborns?]]]]

* HopelessSuitor: Tiffany did everything she could to win Gary's love, including willingly undergoing the Second Death ritual. Not only did her gestures go ignored, but Gary flat-out thanks John for killing her after her boss battle.

* IKnowYoureInThereSomewhereFight: John's motivation for exorcizing Amy, and therefore the subsequent boss battle, of the first game.
* ImmuneToBullets: Downplayed. Demons can take a fairly meaty helping of lead and still keep going, but they really do not appreciate the pain of being shot.

* GuttedLikeAFish: [[spoiler:After coming down from the Gary-induced MushroomSamba, you'll find yourself returned to the beginning of the basement. Moving to the next room will reveal various cultists dead with their guts spilling out, with one poor sap trying to crawl away.]]

* GoneHorriblyWrong: From the few details we get of the attempted exorcism of Amy, it was an absolute disaster. One of the notes has blanked-out text that goes into a bit more detail: [[spoiler:Amy killed Father Allred with her bare hands, and strangled her parents ''with their own intestines''.]]

** The previous exorcism is never gone into detail, but it was ''bad''. [[spoiler:In Chapter III, the game [[ResolvedNoodleIncident flashes back to the exorcism]], showing that it got so bad, the only reason John was the SoleSurvivor was literal divine intervention.]]

* WhereItAllBegan: [[spoiler: In both the bad ending, and at the end of Garyland prior to facing Gary in the final confrontation you wander through the Martin Household.]]

* EvilDetectingDog: Invoked in one of Gary's notes addressing the order's Tier III members, where it's described how cultists who have reached this stage of damnation will be met with hostile reactions from pets and other animals.

-->"[[spoiler:TIME TO TAKE A BREAK]]"
-->"[[spoiler:[[NonSequitur DO YOU HAVE LIFE INSURANCE, JOHN??]]]]"

* AnswerToPrayers: The final flashback in ''Chapter III'' has then-amateur exorcist John Ward, having escaped the Martin household and the demon-possessed Amy, pray to God for help. God answers and personally speaks to John, who expresses his fear and desire to save himself even if he has to leave poor Amy behind. God gently cautions that he is acting in cowardice, but otherwise helps him leave. In the final phase of the TrueFinalBoss, [[spoiler:God empowers John to fight Super Miriam, allowing him to take ten hits instead of the usual {{one|HitPointWonder}}]].

* CreatorCameo: Of sorts. The truck [[spoiler:that kills Michael in ''Chapter I'']] has "AIRDORF" written on it. Airdorf Games are the developers of the game. The truck shows up again in Chapter II as an easter egg[[spoiler:, this time running over John if the player decides to make him backtrack and kill innocent civilians]]. And again in Chapter III during the lead up to the abortion clinic segment [[spoiler:which can kill John if he is unfortunate enough to be in front of it]].

** As it turns out, this has been happening ''long before'' the events in the game, both the ones that John experiences ([[AllJustADream sorta]]) firsthand and the flashbacks we are treated to, since the Cult of the Second Death has been practicing a ritual in the form of offering newborns [[spoiler: to the portal to Hell that they [[FacialHorror carve into a vessel's face.]]]] It's for this ritual that the cult runs an abortion clinic in order to gain access to newborns.

** It's PlayedWith in the case of the Martin twins, Amy's younger brothers. They [[UncertainDoom seem to have disappeared after the exorcism performed on their sister]] and [[WhatHappenedToTheMouse no mention is made of their fate in Chapter I.]] Then in Chapter III, Father Garcia in Chapter says that he's been unable to find them even after searching and trying to track them down extensively. [[spoiler: But as it turns out, the twins were actually a TragicStillbirth that Cindy Martin suffered and to cope with it, she pretended that they were still alive.]]

* Blatant Lies: [[ArcWords "Gary is a normal human being just like you and me"]] is a phrase thrown out a lot... after ''really' demonic events related to Gary have occurred. ''[[SuspiciouslySpecificDenial Uh huh, sure.]]''

* It's PlayedWith in the case of the Martin twins, Amy's younger brothers. They [[UncertainDoom seem to have disappeared after the exorcism performed on their sister]] and [[WhatHappenedToTheMouse no mention is made of their fate in Chapter I.]] Then in Chapter III, Father Garcia in Chapter says that he's been unable to find them even after searching and trying to track them down extensively. [[spoiler: But as it turns out, the twins were actually a TragicStillbirth that Cindy Martin suffered and to cope with it, she pretended that they were still alive.]]

* DeathOfAChild: Occurs a lot in the backstory of the game due to the cult's activity. Well, you wouldn't expect a demonic cult that's really gung-ho with killing people to draw the line at children now, would you?

** In the very first game, [[spoiler: Michael Davies]], is [[DeathOfAPersonality essentially dead]] by the time you encounter them as their body has been [[DemonicVessel used as physical vessel by a demon,]] which is [[BodyHorror why they now have a really grotesque look.]]

*** [[spoiler:If you kill Amy, you're arrested for murder. If you shoot the shadow in the woods, you're killed by Michael. If you shoot that fox corpse on the pentagram, you're jumped by the local satanic cult. [[GainaxEnding If you kill a deer, nature strikes back.]] In fact, the best ending is to give up your pursuit of Amy after the incomplete exorcism, and shoot Michael when he attacks you as you try to leave. And even then, the hosts of both demons are dead or dying, the demons never expelled from them.]]

** A whopping five in the first chapter, surprising for such a modest game. [[spoiler:If you kill Amy, it turns out it was all a schizophrenic episode and you're locked away for murder (or you really did kill a possessed girl and the schizophrenia is how the church covers it up). If you kill Michael, you simply drive away, complete (although ''Chapter II'' confirms that you killed a possessed boy). If you kill the shadow, Michael kills you. If you kill a deer, the deer kill you right back. If you shoot that fox carcass in a pentagram, a Satanic cult jumps you.]]

* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: Gary implies throughout Chapter III that he has fallen in love with Amy due to her being a perfect vessel to be used in the Profane Sabbath, and speaks about his mother [[spoiler:who is implied to be Miriam Bell from Chapter II]] with a noticeable degree of reverence, as well as pity due to her failed attempt to become part of the Unholy Trinity.

* SerialEscalation: Each subsequent chapter gets worse and worse in the demonic incursion. The first is an isolated part of Connecticut with two major threats and an OptionalBoss. The second starts having more overt problems, run-ins with cultists and unexplainable happenings [[spoiler:which isn't helped by the fact that it's all DreamingOfThingsToCome]]. And then the third and final chapter is straight up hunting to ''find'' the demons in key locales they dwell at so as to stop them from causing HellOnEarth. The scares ramp up accordingly to the threat level.

* TheAntiChrist: [[spoiler:Whatever Gary is, he is '''''not''''' "a normal human being, just like you and me". He dabbles in demonic corruption, turns people into monsters, and uses unholy magic in service to a demon. When John speaks with him briefly in ''Chapter III'', he gradually becomes more corrupted before his mask of humanity returns.]]

One year later, Ward, the Sole Survivor, returns to the house. His goal: to put an end to the horror he failed to stop. What might otherwise be a simple exorcism, however, becomes a life-threatening nightmare, and Ward must search for answers while braving the wrath of a demonic presence, all to save a single soul... or so it seems.

Gameplay has you navigating throughout the Martin household and surrounding forest, collecting [[StoryBreadcrumbs notes that reveal the backstory]] and keys to open locked doors. John's only means of defense is a crucifix he holds in his hand- deploy it in whichever direction you hold it in and it will repel any demonic entity coming your way. It will also harm the various bosses you will encounter. But you will need to stand still for it to work, so be sure you aren't leaving yourself vulnerable.

* AndTheAdventureContinues: [[spoiler:In the GoldenEnding, if John accepts Garcia's offer to continue the war against the Unspeakable and its minions across the country]].

* AssholeVictim: The cop from ''Chapter II'' whose whole squad was wiped out. He's perfectly fine sacrificing other human beings that he regards as lesser -- drug addicts, the homeless, child prostitutes, and AIDS sufferers -- as long as his squadmates are safe.

* BadBoss: In Chapter III, you can find a note in the apartment building where Gary instructs his fellow cultists how to keep themselves safe during the visit of the UNSPEAKABLE. A note you can find elsewhere in the same building, implied to be from another cultist, reveals that Gary is lying to them and that no one is safe, instructing others to run if they see the demon. He also acts dismissively towards everything Tiffany did out of her love for him, showing how little others actually mean to him despite his AffablyEvil persona he has been putting up in front of the cult. There's also the fact that [[EvilIsPetty Gary has keeping the money meant to cover the apartment building's utilities payment.]]

*** [[spoiler:Failing to unlock the Crucible will have John and Father Garcia successfully prevent the Profane Sabbath. However, Gary is still at large, and John is shaken by his experiences and lacks closure. He follows Garcia on the latter's war against the demonic forces, but it's clear that he isn't doing it of his own convictions, a fact that is reflected by the two leaving in Garcia's car instead of John's. Its even worse if John failed to protect either the police officer in the hospital or Lisa in the apartments, in which case he's so broken by everything he's endured that he hesitates to join Garcia's crusade, only to be forced to [[KidnappedByTheCall at gunpoint]].]]

** Father Garcia says "Do not be afraid, John" [[spoiler:when he saves you during the final boss of Chapter II. His real-life, non-dream counterpart says the same thing during the climax of Chapter III, emphasized with a [[DramaticGunCock Dramatic Shotgun Pump]] no less.]]

** There is a portrait of the nun from Chapter II in the school basement of Chapter III. [[spoiler:Makes sense, considering said nun is actually Gary's "mother"]].

* CatScare: In a later area Chapter III, a bird can be seen flitting behind the wires of the basement with a loud sound playing when it appears. This happens three times. [[spoiler:On the third time however, something more dangerous than a bird shows up.]]

* CreatorCameo: Of sorts. The truck [[spoiler:that kills Michael in ''Chapter I'']] has "AIRDORF" written on it. Airdorf Games are the developers of the game. The truck shows up again in Chapter II as an easter egg[[spoiler:, this time running over John if the player decides to make him backtrack and kill innocent civilians]]. And again in Chapter III during the lead up to the abortion clinic segment [[spoiler:which can kill John if he is unfortunate to be in front of it]].

* DevelopersForesight: Exorcising Amy enough times on the second floor will have John comment about a door opening. If this is done on the first floor, or in the basement, he will instead comment they heard it from upstairs. Do it at the attic door, and Amy will float to the door, opening it with no comment.

* EarnYourBadEnding: Getting the worst ending in ''Chapter II'' is way more involved than the others as it requires you to carry out three obtuse actions throughout the game only vaguely hinted at by one early note. ''Chapter I'', by comparison, is choosing to shoot things you probably shouldn't at the end, and ''Chapter III'' is significantly more lenient by comparison, only requiring that [[spoiler:you refuse to do your job and go home from the first area before you've even done anything]].
* EarnYourHappyEnding: ''Chapter III'' can be completed by simply investigating and trying to fight off the cult's machinations in the three main locations, but you'll get incomplete endings that don't resolve everything. You have dig deeper and seek out every SecretBoss to be able to [[spoiler:really face Gary as a TrueFinalBoss once and for all instead of him getting away, and finally free Amy's soul]].

** In III, in the alley outside the clinic, a dead purple bird can be found and a cultist runs away after being spotted. This is the same alley the cop (who is the same shade of purple) is ambushed and killed by the cultists later on.

* HistoricalVillainUpgrade: The following of the contemporary ''Santa Muerte'' religion is a full blown demonic cult.
* HoistByHisOwnPetard: In the GoldenEnding path of Chapter III, [[spoiler:after failing to unite the Unholy Trinity, Gary is called a failure by the UNSPEAKABLE and pulled into Hell through the portal he had created on Amy's face]].

* PoliceAreUseless: Though not for a lack of trying on their part in ''Chapter III'', being massacred by the cultists though not without taking a good amount with them. A single one does manage to help out during the hospital section, untying John when he's stuck on a gurney an even helping him defeat the boss of the area despite blatant GenreBlindness. [[spoiler:Said blindness gets him killed anyway not a minute after you leave the hospital together and he chases after some "hippies" who burned his car.]] And later on in ''Chapter III'', an entire army has surrounded the daycare that [[spoiler:serves as the cult's headquarters]], but the only things they manage to accomplish are [[ShootHimHeHasAWallet murdering John if he tries to leave]] and [[spoiler:getting massacred in most of the endings]].

* PuzzleBoss: [[spoiler:A note in Chapter III states that the body of the Mother must be destroyed with [[FirePurifies purifying fire.]] This is a hint as to how to defeat the TrueFinalBoss. Even then, you need to figure out how to apply the purifying flames to the Mother, otherwise she will recover and the fight will continue until John dies. The answer is to light yourself on fire using one of the two torches in the arena and then run into her while she's weakened.]]

* SerialEscalation: Each subsequent chapter gets worse and worse in the demonic incursion. The first is an isolated part of Connecticut with two major threats and an OptionalBoss. The second starts having more overt problems, run-ins with cultists and unexplainable happenings [[spoiler:which isn't helped by the fact that it's all DreamingOfThingsToCome.]] And then the third and final chapter is straight up hunting to ''find'' the demons in key locales they dwell at so as to stop them from causing HellOnEarth. The scares ramp up accordingly to the threat level.

* ShoutOut: Many that can be seen [[ShoutOut/FaithTheUnholyTrinity here]]

* WhamShot: The Bad ending of chapter 3 begins with John waking up in his bed as usual...[[spoiler:except the crucifix on the wall is inverted, indicating there is no hope left as the Profane Sabbath has been completed.]]

** Amy's possession is the entire catalyst for the plot, but it gets worse when [[spoiler:''Chapter III'' has an entire daycare raided by Gary's cult, with it being shown that they sacrificed everyone inside as well. The same Chapter implies that Gary's clinic was a front to acquire newborn sacrifices.]]
** Taken to the extreme once you [[spoiler:ask Gary what the Second Death is...and learn it basically entails casting newborns through the mutilated face of a sacrificial victim ''into Hell itself.'']]
* YouCantThwartStageOne: [[spoiler:Asking Gary about Malphas in Chapter III will have him reveal that they have already summoned the demon to the mortal plane. Fortunately John defeats Malphas and Gary in the GoldenEnding]].

** In the Chapter III demo, [[spoiler:John must be possessed by a demon at least once]]. Also, [[spoiler:Lisa is used by Gary's cult as an unwilling vessel for that same demon]]. The final encounter [[spoiler:involves the demon [[BodySurf surfing]] between John and Lisa multiple times during the battle, trying to bait John into killing Lisa. If he does, [[DownerEnding the demon possesses him permanently]]]].