History VideoGame / KillerIsDead

* HeroismWontPayTheBills: State-sponsored execution (read:government-approved assassination) isn't exactly a paragon of heroism, but the protagonists save a ''lot'' of bystanders. And they never get paid enough; even though you earn millions by billing the state, in this economy, $10K isn't enough to buy two packs of ''gum''.

* BribingYourWayToVictory: You can buy XP items and moon crystals for upgrading your skills with in-game cash, but it's prohibitively expensive ($1 milliom each) and gets more expensive with each one you buy.

* TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture

* SpiritualSuccessor: Almost everything in ''Killer Is Dead'' is inspired by some aspect of an older Grasshopper game.
** First and foremost, the title, art style, strange [[NotUsingTheZWord formerly-human]] monsters, and quirky state-sponsored assassination squad are reminiscent of ''VideoGame/{{Killer 7}}''.
** The HackAndSlash gameplay, however, is largely similar to ''VideoGame/NoMoreHeroes'', down to the system with one button to attack, another to break guards, and general KatanasAreJustBetter attitude.
** Mondo's [[SwissArmyAppendage left arm]] works very similar to [[MorphWeapon Johnson]] in ''VideoGame/ShadowsOfTheDamned''.
** Dark Matter is a more literal take on criminal power from ''VideoGame/TheSilverCase'', while the relationship between Mondo, Vivienne and Bryan is the same as Shiroyabu, Kuroyanagi and Hatoba's in ''VideoGame/TheTwentyFifthWard''.

* AbortedArc: How Mondo knew [[spoiler: Moon River]] when he was a child or why [[spoiler: Moon River]] denied having known him is dropped right after the reveal that [[spoiler: those memories were real]].

* AwesomeMcCoolname: MONDO ZAPPA

* BaldBlackLeaderGuy: Bryan Roses, head of the Bryan Execution Firm.

** One of Scarlett's hiding spots in Mission 7 which takes place in Japan is inside a glowing stalk of bamboo admidst a field of them, much like Princess Kaguya in the old Japanese story Literature/TheTaleOfTheBambooCutter.

** One of Scarlett's hiding spots in Mission 7 which takes place in Japan is inside a glowing stalk of bamboo admidst a field of them, much like Princess Kaguya in the old Japanese story Tale of the Bamboo Cutter.

* ActionBomb: The Red Eyes if damaged enough with melee attacks.

* BraggingRightsReward: The "Legendary Executioner" costume. It's just Mondo's suit, minus his artificial left arm, and a slightly different haircut. No powers, no hidden bonuses, no score multipliers, nothing. Just a snappy looking costume for a whopping ''$100,000,000!'' (For perspective, the average rewards for each mission range from
about $30,000-$2,000,000 depending on the mission and final score, not to mention how you may end up spending much of that money on gifts and upgrades.

** In Episode 11, the Russian Ministry of Defense requests that the crew execute a dark matter-tainted [[WesternAnimation/ThomasTheTankEngine steam engine nicknamed "Tommy"]].

** Dark Matter is a more literal take on criminal power from ''VideoGame/TheSilverCase'', while the relationship between Mondo, Vivienne and Bryan is the same as Shiroyabu, Kuroyanagi and Hatoba's in ''VideoGame/The25thWard''.

* ArcNumber: Guess which? The number "51" makes its obligatory appearances: one stage takes Mondo to "Area 151", and the DLC level is labeled "Episode 51".

* AuthorAppeal: An [[CelShading oddly shaded]] assassin using a [[VideoGame/NoMoreHeroes katana]] with heavy emphasis on [[WeirdMoon the moon]] as a symbol? That's Creator/{{Suda 51}}, alright.Technically, he was only one member of the writing team, but the point is that his obsessions still remain intact.

* BaldBlackLeaderGuy: Bryan Roses, head of the assassin agency.

* BribingYourWayToVictory: You can buy XP items and moon crystals for upgrading your skills with in-game cash, but it's prohibitively expensive ($1 mil each) and gets more expensive with each one you buy.

* CelShading: Much like VideoGame/{{Killer7}}.
* CharacterTic: Mondo slicking back his hair, even though it doesn't seem to do much.

* ContinueYourMissionDammit: Inverted. Throughout the game, the various beauties that Mondo has a Gigolo mission available for will call him in the middle of the main game to remind him to go see them.

* GainaxEnding: Individual episodes have them (the client was actually [[spoiler:a bird!]]), and the ending cutscene of the game, although literally describable, is presented quite indirectly. [[spoiler:After killing David, Mondo cuts his arm off. Back on Earth, Mika cries. Moon River gives a new mission to the firm. Mondo is shown putting David's mansion back together with his arm back this time. The implication is that Mondo has become corrupted by darkness, which makes more or less sense, but the boss fight he has with David beforehand is bizarre as well, confounding things further.]]

** Episode 1: The reason why Mondo didn't get paid a fortune to save news-phenomenon Mika from a cowardly (but smart) Wire? [[spoiler:Because David did it.]]

** Episode 5: Dream Episode.

** Episode 8: Dream Episode.
** Episode 9: A scientist at Area 151 accidentally activates an alien artifact, mutating him into a rampaging giant baby monster. [[spoiler:The alien turns out to be the scientist who commissioned the job. He pays them, but the team can't pick up a ''miniature sun'']].
** Episode 10: David augments an old locomotive with excessive amounts of dark matter, turning it sentient and angry. [[spoiler:The team FINALLY gets paid for saving the streets of Moscow from 20 tons of roaring dark-matter augmented death. And then it all goes towards buying Bryan golden robotic parts after he was injured during the mission.]]
** Episode 11: Dream episode.

* LaserGuidedAmnesia: Mondo doesn't actually remember getting his cybernetic arm. [[spoiler:He also doesn't remember Takeru that well.]]

* MeaningfulName: Mondo means "world", and he represents the Earth in the game's cosmology. His last name is a ShoutOut to Music/FrankZappa, as Suda confirms [[http://www.egmnow.com/articles/news/egm-exclusive-suda51-explains-origins-of-mondo-zappa/ here]]. Mondo is also the name of the protagonist of ''VideoGame/FlowerSunAndRain'', and they also resemble eachother a bit.

* SpiritualSuccessor:

** Finally, Mondo's [[SwissArmyAppendage left arm]] works very similar to [[MorphWeapon Johnson]] in ''VideoGame/ShadowsOfTheDamned''.

* AuthorAppeal: An [[CelShading oddly shaded]] assassin using a [[VideoGame/NoMoreHeroes katana]] with heavy emphasis on [[WeirdMoon the moon]] as a symbol? That's Creator/{{Suda 51}}, alright.[[note]]Technically, he was only one member of the writing team, but the point is that his obsessions still remain intact.[[note]]

* BewareTheQuietOnes: Suda says that Mondo's appearance is designed to look "so frail you question whether he can actually kill anyone".

* TheCameo: Juliet Starling from Lollipop Chainsaw can be found trapped in a barrel during a mission from the DLC.

* ContinueYourMissionDammit: ''Inverted''. Throughout the game, the various beauties that Mondo has a Gigolo mission available for will call him in the middle of the main game to remind him to go see them.

* TheCorruption: Dark Matter

* AuthorAppeal: An [[CelShading oddly shaded]] assassin using a [[VideoGame/NoMoreHeroes katana]] with heavy emphasis on [[WeirdMoon the moon]] as a symbol? That's Creator/{{Suda 51}}, all right[[note]]Technically, he was only one member of the writing team, but the point is that his obsessions still remain intact[[/spoiler]].

''Killer Is Dead'' is a HackAndSlash ActionGame by Grasshopper Manufacture, blending the modern action gameplay of games like ''VideoGame/LollipopChainsaw'' with a surreal world more reminiscent of Creator/{{Suda 51}}'s classics ''VideoGame/{{Killer7}}'' and ''VideoGame/NoMoreHeroes'', although the game was actually directed by Hideyuki Shin. The game was released in Japan by Kadokawa Games on August 1, 2013 while Creator/XSEEDGames released an English version in North America on August 27, 2013.