History VideoGame / Poacher

* DecapitatedArmy: Subverted in the bad ending. [[spoiler:The Dark Ones are not a hive mind — attempting to decapitate them by killing the Dark Lord only gives them a martyr and an excuse to wage another war.]] Played straight in the good ending, however. The secret ending turns it UpToEleven: [[spoiler:killing the Judge eradicates all forces of evil and negativity in the world, including the Dark Ones]].

* GoForTheEye: The weak points of the Bargest and the first form of [[spoiler:the Judge]] — shooting either of them results in plenty of EyeScream, and [[spoiler:the Judge]] spends the rest of the fight after [[spoiler:his]] first form [[UpToEleven bleeding from newly mangled eye sockets]].

* SpotOfTea: At several points, you meet an old Blemineg lady, who gives Derek the option to stop for a cup of tea, and getting some exposition on the backstory.

* UnderwaterBossBattle: Krakomedusae.

* AllTheWorldsAreAStage: [[spoiler:The final stretch of the good ending, of the Memory Lane variety, partly justified because you're exiting the Abyss and heading back up to the surface, with the final boss fight occurring on the surface outside the manor. Also occurs for the secret ending, minus the final boss, who's already dead.]]

* UnwinnableByMistake: When [[spoiler:the King]] takes the floor out from under you, if you quickly go back the way you came, you can make the jump back to solid ground without [[spoiler:being dumped into the Abyss]]. If you leave the room before falling in, the floor will come back, but [[spoiler:the King]] will be gone. You have to fall in to progress, and you can't destroy the floor yourself.

** The Dead Men in the Crystal Tombs are invincible and will attack you on sight with an unavoidable stream of energy, complete with a blood-curdling scream. They can't hurt you by touch, however, if they can't see you. Problem is, the area they inhabit is pitch-black, and you only have Rebecca as a tiny light source that you have to switch on and off to avoid detection. In the darkness, you can only see their eyes. When you're in the right position so you ''can'' see them without getting hurt… [[BodyHorror They are still not all all pleasant to look at.]]

* AliensSpeakingEnglish: It's been millennia since anyone in the Underworld interacted with the surface world - certainly longer than the English language has existed - but everyone down there who can speak (except ''maybe'' the Dark Ones) is fluent in some form of English.
* AllThereInTheScript: Gamey's full name (Archibald Stodgeley) and most of the creatures' names are revealed in the good ending. Parodied in the GoldenEnding, [[spoiler: as read by Derek himself.]]

* AlternateCharacterInterpretation: An in-universe example with Derek, due to interactions with [[spoiler:the Judge.]] Derek/the player's early game behaviour is brought up near the end, with his behaviour regarding [[spoiler:the white rabbits, zombie Blemineg, and fighting Gamey the first time]] being commented on. [[spoiler: This also lets Derek's comment about just wanting to walk around with his twelve-gauge at the beginning of the game be either BlatantLies or the truth.]]

* BigBad: The Dark Lord. [[spoiler:You kill him in all three endings. In the bad ending, this only gives the Dark Ones an excuse to wage all-out war. In the Good ending, killing the Dark Lord is entirely justified, because they were never planning to hold their end of the bargain in the first place, and attacked the surface world. In the Judgment ending, killing the Judge ends all evil and suffering; as the Dark Ones - including the Dark Lord - are beings of evil energy, they all die as a result.]]
* BigBoosHaunt: The Crystal Tombs. Even the Dark Ones are terrified of the place, and with [[NightmareFuel good reason.]]

* BlatantLies: When Derek tells Gamey that he was just out for a stroll with his twelve-gauge. [[spoiler:Subverting this by not actually shooting any rabbits can lead to hilarity - or even the secret ending - in the Abyss.]]

* DecapitatedArmy: Subverted in the bad ending. [[spoiler:The Dark Ones are not a hive mind -- attempting to decapitate them by killing the Dark Lord only gives them a martyr and an excuse to wage another war.]] Played straight in the good ending, however. The secret ending turns it UpToEleven: [[spoiler:killing the Judge eradicates all forces of evil and negativity in the world, including the Dark Ones.]]

** When encountering Gamey in the Lidenbrock Sea, [[spoiler: shooting him ''after'' he hurts you doesn't lock you out of the Golden Ending, as Derek acted in self-defense.]]

* DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu: Well, the Dark Ones count, for starters... [[spoiler:and then you have the Judge, who is effectively the closest known thing to a ''god'' in this game. He's even the closest thing there is to a ''narrator'' for most of the game.]]

** [[spoiler:The Judge]] outright states that humans have tried and failed to comprehend him, though, unlike most beings of his ilk, he can communicate on an equal level with lesser beings, and is even capable of things such as anger and pride. [[spoiler:Turns out killing him gets rid of all the negativity in the world.]]

* {{Foreshadowing}}: If [[spoiler:the Judge]] is killed before Derek leaves [[spoiler:the Abyss]], all of the enemies populating the exit in the Good ending disappear. This foreshadows the fact that [[spoiler:the Judge's death brought all negativity in the world - including, but not limited to, the Dark Ones - to an end]].

* GagSub: In the [[spoiler:secret ending, Derek does the credits, mainly because, well, ''he killed the closest thing this game has to a narrator''.]] As a result, the new credits are ''hilarious''.

* GoForTheEye: The weak points of the Bargest and the first form of [[spoiler:the Judge]] - shooting either of them results in plenty of EyeScream, and [[spoiler:the Judge]] spends the rest of the fight after [[spoiler:his]] first form [[UpToEleven bleeding from newly mangled eye sockets]].
* GoldenEnding: WordOfGod says it's only for the "pure of heart." [[spoiler:In other words, people who don't shoot the innocent - i.e., white rabbits, zombie Blemineg, or pre-Compact Gamey. The Judge tries to judge Derek, but can't; recalling a prophecy in which he dies at the hands of someone who cannot be judged, he falls into a Villainous Breakdown, tries to kill Derek, and is killed ''by'' Derek in the process. When Derek leaves the Abyss with Rebecca, Magnus tells them that the Dark Ones suddenly died all at once, and Gamey claims that all negativity in the world has suddenly ceased. With no further problems possible (literally) for any of them, they all head to the pub, and Derek replaces the narrator/Judge for the end credits/enemy list.]]

* GreaterScopeVillain: Based on the nature of the Abyss, one can assume it's run by a powerful, malevolent entity of some kind, but Derek never takes it on directly - he simply [[spoiler:rescues Rebecca and leaves]]. [[spoiler:Subverted in the Judgment ending; said entity is actually the True Final Boss.]]

* HostileShowTakeover: [[spoiler:Subverted in the good ending; played straight in the secret ending. The "narrator" (the one who explains new power-ups to you, etc.) is actually the Judge, a deity who rules the Abyss. In both endings, Derek openly defies his narration, but in the good one he just escapes the Abyss with Rebecca and leaves the Judge to present the end credits. In the secret ending, Derek ''kills'' the Judge and (hilariously) presents the end credits himself.]]

* JumpPhysics: Justified - Derek does start off with a rather realistic jumping height, but it is increased by Rebecca's magic.

* KillTheGod: [[spoiler:In the secret ending, according to every religion involving a divine judge of the dead]].

* MacGuffin: The Blemineg artifacts. Refreshingly, they can be acquired in any order. (Though admittedly, you'll have a hard time of it if you go for the sunken ruins first, since you'll be unable to shoot underwater.) [[spoiler:They don't actually do anything - Derek and Rebecca are powering up by themselves for the most part. This is even lampshaded by the fact that they're ''kettles''.]]
* MarathonBoss: [[spoiler:The Judge]]. Krakomedusae can be one if fought before Theridius.

* MultipleEndings: Mainly depending on a few factors. [[spoiler:You need to hear the whole backstory in order to get the Good ending - the player will be outright alerted that facing the Dark Lord without doing so may be a bad idea. There is also a secret ending that is acquired by never shooting white rabbits, zombie Blemineg, or Gamey before his Compact.]]

** Early in the game, to reach the Spirit Kingdom you must [[spoiler:find a power-up in order to destroy a Spyrite barrier inconveniently blocking the way. Later, after making it to the Spirit King, the Kingdom is suddenly invaded by the Dark Ones, thanks to ''someone'' destroying the barrier.]] Oops!!
** [[spoiler: At the end of the game you learn that the Dark Ones only attacked because Rebecca broke the treaty by making a Compact, essentially making her responsible for the entire plot outside of Gamey falling down a hole.]]
** [[spoiler: In the good ending, it turns out that the Spirit King ended up in this position; agreeing to the Dark Lord's terms meant that their strongest warrior was taken out of action, and the Dark Ones started invading en-masse as they had no intention of honoring their side of the agreement, they just wanted Rebecca and Derek out of the way.]]
* NoFourthWall: Almost unnoticeable, but [[spoiler:not by the end; the narrator is the Judge Of All The Earth, who interacts with - and may be killed by - Derek in the Abyss]].
* NoobCave: The Burrow. It's the very first stage of the game, and you get the very first power there - the [[JumpPhysics higher jumps]].

** The Dead Men in the Crystal Tombs are invincible and will attack you on sight with an unavoidable stream of energy, complete with a blood-curdling scream. They can't hurt you by touch, however, if they can't see you. Problem is, the area they inhabit is pitch-black, and you only have Rebecca as a tiny light source that you have to switch on and off to avoid detection. In the darkness, you can only see their eyes. When you're in the right position so you CAN see them without getting hurt... [[BodyHorror They are still not all all pleasant to look at.]]

* PhysicalGod: [[spoiler:The Judge]].

* PoorCommunicationKills: [[spoiler:Rebecca noted that she wasn't really close with her father, partly because her father didn't want to educate her like he did with Magnus, but rather, keep her innocent. Derek notes that keeping Rebecca ignorant of the consequences of a Compact was a ''very stupid idea.'']]

* ScrewDestiny: [[spoiler:The Judge]] is prophesied to be killed by Derek. However, [[spoiler:instead of simply letting him and Rebecca escape, like in the Good ending]], he tries to kill Derek personally...
* SelfFulfillingProphecy: ...except this gets him killed, as prophesied. ''Whoops.''
** Not only does he give Derek the motive to fulfill the prophecy, but his actions even complete Derek's qualification for the prophecy. [[spoiler:The prophecy describes the person who kills the Judge as having "lightning at his back", which doesn't apply to Derek... until the second form of the boss fight with The Judge, when he begins firing lightning bolts at you.]]
* SelfImposedChallenge

* SpotOfTea: At several points you meet an old Blemineg lady, who gives Derek the option to stop for a cup of tea, and getting some exposition on the backstory.

* SympatheticInspectorAntagonist: Gamey, who for all his goofiness and relative lack of efficacy still has the law on his side (Derek ''is'' poaching, after all).

* TomatoSurprise: [[spoiler:The narrator is a character in the game - specifically, the Judge - and Derek, at least, can hear him]].

* TurnsRed: Every boss in the game gets harder as it takes damage - some get faster, some start spawning {{Mooks}}, and others improve their attacks. The first form of [[spoiler:the Judge]] takes this literally; his eyes gradually turn from yellow to red as they take damage, and when one of them pops, it stops being used as a position for his "gun", which makes it much harder to reach the other one.

* VictoryFakeout: [[spoiler:The Judge]]. ''Twice''.

* WalkingSpoiler: [[spoiler:The Judge]].

--->'''Derek''': [[ViolationOfCommonSense Shouldn't surprise a man with a loaded gun, Gamey]].

** The levels are designed in a way that allows leaving them after the boss fights without much backtracking.

The game stars Derek Badger, an [[UnfazedEveryman unflappable]] [[OopNorth Yorkshireman]] who poaches game for a living. One night, whilst out blasting rabbits with his new shotgun, he is confronted by his [[VitriolicBestBuds best friend and arch-nemesis]], Archibald the gamekeeper (aka "Gamey"). When Gamey accidentally falls down a hole, Derek goes down to help him out. He finds himself in a strange Underworld, inhabited by flesh-eating rabbits and spirit beings. After joining up with a spirit named Rebecca, it isn't long before Derek discovers himself involved in something far bigger than a simple rescue.

** The game all but outright tells you what you have to do to get the Good Ending.

* [[spoiler:BiggerBad: The Judge.]]

* TheDevTeamThinksOfEverything:

* GraterScopeVillain: Based on the nature of the Abyss, one can assume it's run by a powerful, malevolent entity of some kind, but Derek never takes it on directly - he simply [[spoiler:rescues Rebecca and leaves]]. [[spoiler:Subverted in the Judgment ending; said entity is actually the True Final Boss.]]

* NoobCave: The Burrow.

** The game all but outright tells you what do you have to do to get the GoldenEnding.

* ShoutOut: The last part of [[spoiler: the Judge's third form's background music]] sounds like ''WebAnimation/ZeroPunctuation''[='=]s theme tune.
** Completing the game unlocks the "[[Franchise/{{Metroid}} Zero Suit Derek]]" costume.

* BiggerBad: Based on the nature of the Abyss ([[spoiler:see Mission Control Is Off Its Meds below]]), one can assume it's run by a powerful, malevolent entity of some kind, but Derek never takes it on directly - he simply [[spoiler:rescues Rebecca and leaves]]. [[spoiler:Subverted in the Judgment ending; said entity is actually the True Final Boss.]]

* {{Badass}}: Derek. Dear God, Derek. An unflappable Yorkshireman with a shotgun, he starts off badass before he even compacts with Rebecca. Speaking of whom, Rebecca [[TookALevelInBadass certainly developed her badassery]] by tagging along with Derek, and together, they're virtually unstoppable.
** BroughtDownToBadass: After being [[spoiler:separated from Rebecca in the Abyss.]]

* NiceJobBreakingItHero: Early in the game, to reach the Spirit Kingdom you must [[spoiler:find a power-up in order to destroy a Spyrite barrier inconveniently blocking the way. Later, after making it to the Spirit King, the Kingdom is suddenly invaded by the Dark Ones, thanks to ''someone'' destroying the barrier.]] Oops!!

* BritishAccents: Derek has a very thick Yorkshire accent that Rebecca initially finds incomprehensible. As it happens, the Blemineg have the same kind of accent, forcing Rebecca to use Derek's brain as a translator. Played for laughs, a good deal of the time. Yahtzee, being British, would know a thing or two about his home country's accents.

* TheDevTeamThinksOfEverything: If, at any point in [[spoiler:the Abyss]], Derek is accused of something the player never actually did, he simply brushes it off, frustrating [[spoiler:the Judge and canceling the appropriate judgment]]. [[spoiler:Making this happen with all three accusations unlocks the secret ending.]]

** PacifistRun: Sort of. Killing any of the [[spoiler:Blemineg zombies]] or [[spoiler:shooting Gamey at the Lidenbrock Sea]] locks you out of the GoldenEnding.

* AndYourRewardIsClothes: Beat the game once to unlock the [[Franchise/{{Metroid}} "Zero Suit Derek"]] outfit, which puts Derek in a tank top and boxers (and his hat and shoes). Beat the game with OneHundredPercentCompletion to unlock the "Lord O T'Manor" outfit, which puts Derek in a suit and top hat.

* GoofyPrintUnderwear: Heart-print boxers are part of the "Zero Suit Derek" costume.

* GoofyPrintUnderwear: Part of the "Zero Suit Derek" costume.