History VideoGame / NaturalSelection2

* FinishingStomp: The Onos can throw marines to the ground with an unlocked ability, at which point he can brutally crush their skull beneath his mighty spacecow weight. The Kharaa don't mess around, folks.

* FlashStep: The Fade uses an ability called [[InvokedTrope shadow step]] to move around quickly. It can be upgraded to last as long as the Fade's energy pool does.

''Natural Selection 2'' is a Multiplayer Indie {{Real Time Strategy}}/{{First Person Shooter}} [[GenreBusting Hybrid]], which pits a bacterial Alien collective known as the Kharaa against a team of SpaceMarines. The Bacterium has infested a Human ship/installation, slaughtering everyone on board. Frontiersmen are dispatched to take it back and destroy the infestation. The Frontiersmen wield all sorts of high-tech weaponry against the vicious HiveMind of the Kharaa, who can evolve rapidly into deadly new lifeforms that can teleport, walk on walls, smash through the heftiest marine defenses or spread their bacterial infestation across the map. Both sides will stop at nothing to utterly exterminate the other.

* SharedUniverse: With ''VideoGame/{{Subnautica}}'', also made by Unknown Worlds. Originally the name of the Alterra corporation on the Knife's blade in ''Subnautica'' was considered merely an easter egg, until [[spoiler:a log file coded with a Caesar cipher and ASCII on the Habitat Update’s promotional webpage mentions “the Khaara conflict," and [[http://subnautica.wikia.com/wiki/Carar#Trivia as the game's wiki notes]], the Khaara are, in fact, connected with the Carar bacteria in some fashion.]] However, WordOfGod also notes that any connections aren't set in stone yet, so it may end up subverted in the end.

* EverythingsBetterWithCows: The Onos is noticeably similar to a bovine, leading to its' affectionate nickname of "Space-cow."
* HornAttack: The Onos uses its' center horn to gore marines and toss them around like ragdolls.

* GatlingGood: The Exosuit has a chaingun on one arm that can reduce any hostiles to mush in seconds. It can be upgraded to have another replace its' rather useless claw.
* GoombaStomp: The Exosuit can goomba stomp eggs, crushing them beneath its' weight.

* IShallTauntYou: The Marines can make snarky comments at the Aliens. The Aliens all have the ability to chuckle, and each lifeform has its' own taunt.

* MoreTeethThanTheOsmondFamily: The Skulk's main weapon is its' enormous mouth full of very sharp teeth.

* PocketDimension: The TSA speculates that the Fade is able to access one, explaining its' ability to teleport around. The Fade can also send a large group of enemy soldiers/structures into the same zone for a short period of time, rendering them harmless, with the right upgrade.

* FinishingStomp: The Onos can throw marines to the ground with an unlocked ability, at which point he can brutally crush their skull beneath his might spacecow weight. The Kharaa don't mess around, folks.

* AdaptiveAbility: The Kharaa are incredibly versatile and adaptable. No matter what the Marines try to gain an edge, they seem to have a way to counter it, and often they adapt the marine's tactics in some way, such as with the Harvester, which functions in the same way as a Frontiersman Extractor to gather resources.

''Natural Selection 2'' is the sequel to a 2001 ''Videogame/{{Half-Life|1}}'' mod, which followed the same basic premise. However, it has been several years since the beginning of the Marina-Kharaa conflict, and both sides have developed and lost abilities, creating a significant contrast between the two games. Both were developed by Unknown Worlds Studios. [=NS2=], however, is not a mod - it runs on an independently-developed engine.

Natural Selection 2 is the sequel to a 2001 ''Videogame/{{Half-Life}}'' mod, which followed the same basic premise. However, it has been several years since the beginning of the Marina-Kharaa conflict, and both sides have developed and lost abilities, creating a significant contrast between the two games. Both were developed by Unknown Worlds Studios. NS2, however, is not a mod - it runs on an independently-developed engine.

* ArtShift: The Kharaa have undergone a significant art shift between NS1 and NS2. In the original, they appeared far more fleshy and organic. By NS2, they have become darker in color, with the exception of the Fade, which looks almost the same as it originally did. They have also gained significantly more armor on their heads and bodies. The Marines have also received an upgrade - their armor and structures are much more high-tech and smooth, contrasting the blockiness of the original.

Natural Selection 2 is the sequel to a 2001 ''Videogame/{{Half-Life}}'' mod, which followed the same basic premise of multiplayer FPS-RTS hybrid action. However, it has been several years since the beginning of the Marina-Kharaa conflict, and both sides have developed and lost abilities, creating a significant contrast between the two games. Both were developed by Unknown Worlds Studios. NS2, however, is not a mod - it runs on an independently-developed engine.

Natural Selection 2 is the sequel to a 2001 ''Videogame/{{Half-Life}}'' mod, which followed the same basic premise of FPS-RTS hybrid action. However, it has been several years since the beginning of the Marina-Kharaa conflict, and both sides have developed and lost abilities, creating a significant contrast between the two games. Both were developed by Unknown Worlds Studios. NS2, however, is not a mod - it runs on an independently-developed engine.

Natural Selection 2 is the sequel to a 2001 ''Videogame/{{Half-Life}}'' mod, which followed the same basic premise. However, it has been several years since the beginning of the Marina-Kharaa conflict, and both sides have developed and lost abilities, creating a significant contrast between the two games. Both were developed by Unknown Worlds Studios. NS2, however, is not a mod - it runs on an independently-developed engine.

* CoolTank: The Onos and Exosuit qualify for the Kharaa and Marines respectively.

* HumongousMecha: The Marines can eventually research and purpose an enormous Exosuit with dual miniguns. It's as awesome as it sounds.

* IdleAnimation: The Aliens all have idle animations which they play when you're standing still. The Skulk and Fade picks their teeth with a claw, the Gorge yawns or licks at a decaying tooth, the Lerk stretches it's wings, and so on.

* WorkerUnit: Even though most alien buildings technically "Grow" after being placed by the alien commander. The Gorge still counts as a worker unit, due to its healing spray ability (which I belive speeds up building process) and the fact it can place a small, needle spitting, organic flowers that can discourage lone early game marines from certant areas of interest.
** The entirety of the marine team also falls under this category. Even though that the marines have a commander that can place buildings, they need to be built by the marines on the team. Early game, the marine commander can research a welder. With them, the team can build buildings a bit faster, use them to repair each others armor, and fix Exosuits.

* ZergRush: This ends up happening when the alien or marine commanders have their entire team rush the enemy base at start. Most of the time this is done to either cripple the enemy early in the match, or to just end the round as fast as possible. (The latter is mostly for trollish reasons)
** This is pretty much justified with the Kharaa, since they are an alien race with small, very fast, four-legged, wall climbing units known as skulks.

* WorkerUnit: Even though most alien buildings technically "Grow" after being placed by the alien commander. The Gorge still counts as a worker unit, due to its healing spray ability (which I belive speeds up building process) and the fact it can place a small, needle spitting organic flowers that can discourage lone early game marines from certant areas of interest.
** The entirety of the marine team also falls under this category. Even though that the marines have a commander that can place buildings, they need to be built by the marines on the team. Early game, the marine commander can research a welder. With it not only can his team build buildings they can do it a bit faster, and use the welders to repair each other’s armor and Exosuits.

** This is even justified with the Kharaa, since they are an alien race with small, very fast, four-legged, wall climbing units known as skulks.

** The marine commander also has access to a robotics bay later in the game that builds directly controlled units called MACs. They are completely automated and will build and repair anything near them.
* ZergRush: A start game can end up as one. This ends up happening when the alien or marine commanders have their entire team rush the enemy base at start. Most of the time this is done to either cripple the enemy early in the match, or to just end the round as fast as possible. (The latter is mostly for trollish reasons)
** This is even justified with the Khaara, since they are an alien race with small, very fast, four-legged, wall climbing units known as skulks.

''Natural Selection 2'' is a Multiplayer Indie {{First Person Shooter}}/{{Real Time Strategy}} [[GenreBusting Hybrid]], which pits a bacterial Alien collective known as the Kharaa against a team of SpaceMarines. The Bacterium has infested a Human ship/installation, slaughtering everyone on board. Frontiersmen are dispatched to take it back and destroy the infestation. The Frontiersmen wield all sorts of high-tech weaponry against the vicious HiveMind of the Kharaa, who can evolve rapidly into deadly new lifeforms that can teleport, walk on walls, smash through the heftiest marine defenses or spread their bacterial infestation across the map. Both sides will stop at nothing to utterly exterminate the other.

* ShadowStep: The Fade uses an ability called [[InvokedTrope shadow step]] to move around quickly. It can be upgraded to last as long as the Fade's energy pool does.

*SceneryPorn: The Kharaa's infestation and structures, while squicky, are beautiful in their own, odd way. They're beautifully rendered, though.

''Natural Selection 2'' is a Multiplayer Indie {{FirstPerson Shooter}}, which pits a bacterial Alien collective known as the Kharaa against a team of SpaceMarines. The Bacterium has infested a Human ship/installation, slaughtering everyone on board. Frontiersmen are dispatched to take it back and destroy the infestation. The Frontiersmen wield all sorts of high-tech weaponry against the vicious HiveMind of the Kharaa, who can evolve rapidly into deadly new lifeforms that can teleport, walk on walls, smash through the heftiest marine defenses or spread their bacterial infestation across the map. Both sides will stop at nothing to utterly exterminate the other.

Natural Selection 2 is the sequel to a 2007 ''Videogame/{{Half-Life}}'' mod, which followed the same basic premise. However, it has been several years since the beginning of the Marina-Kharaa conflict, and both sides have developed and lost abilities, creating a significant contrast between the two games. Both were developed by Unknown Worlds Studios. NS2, however, is not a mod - it runs on an independently-developed engine.

* EatenAlive: The Onos was capable of devouring enemy players alive in the original NS, but this ability has been removed in NS2.

* EvolutionaryPower-up: The Kharaa thrive on this trope. Changing life-forms? Evolution. Getting an upgrade? Evolution!

* EvolutionaryPowerup: The Kharaa thrive on this trope. Changing life-forms? Evolution. Getting an upgrade? Evolution!

''Natural Selection 2'' is a Multiplayer Indie {{First-Person Shooter}}, which pits a bacterial Alien collective known as the Kharaa against a team of SpaceMarines. The Bacterium has infested a Human ship/installation, slaughtering everyone on board. Frontiersmen are dispatched to take it back and destroy the infestation. The Frontiersmen wield all sorts of high-tech weaponry against the vicious HiveMind of the Kharaa, who can evolve rapidly into deadly new lifeforms that can teleport, walk on walls, smash through the heftiest marine defenses or spread their bacterial infestation across the map. Both sides will stop at nothing to utterly exterminate the other.