History VideoGame / ProjectWarlock

* ExcusePlot: You're a [[MageKnight gun-toting wizard]] out to slay evil. [[KillEmAll Go kill every bad guy that stands in your way.]]

''Project Warlock'' is an [[GenreThrowback old-school style]] FirstPersonShooter developed by Buckshot Software (who largely consists of [[IAmTheBand one 19-year-old Jakub Cislo]]) and published by gaming company, taking inspiration from classic titles such as ''VideoGame/Wolfenstein3D'', ''VideoGame/{{Doom}}'', ''VideoGame/{{Heretic}}'', and ''VideoGame/{{Quake}}''.

** The Summoner spell costs only 4 Upgrade Points and allows you to generate ammo for ''any'' weapon you have equipped, including the late-game weapons, aside from the {{BFG}}, for a paltry mana cost of. This spell essentially turns the mana bar (and Spirit stat) into universal ammunition.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/projectwarlockf.jpg]]

* EarlyGameHell: The very first level of the game has several brutal traps and ambushes to clear through, surrounding the player several times or leaving them barred with [[ShieldBearingMook Crusaders]] bearing down on them, all the while the few weapons they possess are weak, slow, and/or scarce in ammunnition. The next few levels are much wider and more forgiving in design, and from there on crossbow becomes available and the pistol can be upgraded to a far stronger version, and from there on the difficulty plummets and rarely if ever rises as high again.

* StandardFPSGuns: The game features the usual weapon archetypes consisting of melee weapons (a [[KnifeNut knife]] and an [[AnAxeToGrind axe]]), a pistol, two [[ShotgunsAreJustBetter shotguns]] (single-shot pump-action and double-barreled "Boomstick"), an [[MoreDakka SMG]], a [[GatlingGood minigun]], [[StuffBlowingUp sticks of dynamite, and a rocket launcher]]. Less standard weapons include a [[BoomStick magic staff]] (which uses mana as ammo and can launch a powerful ChargedAttack), a [[TheStraightAndArrowPath crossbow]] (whose bolts can be reclaimed after firing), a [[KillItWithFire flamethrower]], a [[FrickinLaserBeams laser gun]], and the game's take on the {{BFG}}. With the exception of the knife and BFG, all weapons can be further upgraded into either more powerful or exotic versions of themselves such as flareguns, frag grenades/proximity mines, incendiary rockets, ''dual'' [=SMGs=], and so on.

* MotiveDecay: The Warlock started out with the intention to get rid of the evil forces invading the realm, but as he progressed and grew stronger, he began to get consumed by the amount of fighting he had to do as well as his ever-increasing power because of it. [[spoiler:This comes to head when he kills the Lord of Hell and all of Hell bows to him, whereupon he realises that his intention to get rid of evil was AllForNothing and BecameHisOwnAntiThesis, becoming DrunkWithPower and taking over as the new Lord of Hell, intent on wreaking havoc on the world as his new goal.]]

The story...er, there technically isn't one. [[NoPlotNoProblem Not like that's really a problem]]. [[ExcusePlot The gist]] is that you play as the [[PlayerCharacter Warlock]], [[MagicKnight a dude who's good with guns and magic]], out on a righteous quest to eradicate evil that has corrupted four different realms ([[DarkFantasy Medieval]], [[SlippySlideyIceWorld Antarctica]], AncientEgypt, and [[RobotWar Industrial]]) before taking the fight to said evil on its home ground: Hell ([[VideoGame/{{Doom}} obviously]]).

* ExcusePlot: You're a [[MagicKnight gun-toting wizard]] out to slay evil. [[KillEmAll Go kill every bad guy that stands in your way.]]

* MagicKnight: Your character can use both guns and magic spells effectively, with guns requiring their respective ammo and magic spells drawing from your mana pool. You can further improve your arsenal by upgrading your guns and learning new magic spells by purchasing them with Upgrade Points found throughout the game, as well as upgrading your stats and buying perks relevant to your preferred weapons and magic. The catch is that Upgrade Points are used for both gun upgrades and magic spells so you won't be able to upgrade all of your guns and learn all the magic spells. Depending on your play style, you may opt for a gun build, a magic build, or [[JackOfAllStats a balance between the two]].

** The Lord of Hell also seems to avert this [[spoiler:until he assumes his OneWingedAngel form, [[MookMaker vomiting out dangerous mooks]] in between shooting you with his EyeBeams. Once he's in his ''finall' form..? There's just ''even more'' of them. Since the mooks are picked at random, you can even get Egyptian Priests who summon more Mummies. Thankfully the recursion stops there.]]

* MookMaker: Soul Eaters and Abominations create each other. [[spoiler: The Lord of Hell also spawns in mooks when in his OneWingedAngel form and [[DesperationAttack starts rapidly spamming them when he's incapacitated]].]]

* {{BFG}}:
** It is the last weapon you will pick up, unless you've been looking for secrets, and just like the TropeNamer it fires a huge plasma ball that can destroy groups of enemies in a single hit. For added carnage, it [[RecursiveAmmo splits into several smaller plasma balls]] that can hit nearby enemies.

** The Sammoner spell costs only 4 Upgrade Points and allows you to generate ammo for ''any'' weapon you have equipped, including the late-game weapons, aside from the {{BFG}}, for a paltry mana cost of. This spell essentially turns the mana bar (and Spirit stat) into a universal ammunition farm.

* DownerEnding: The Warlock [[spoiler:takes over the FinalBoss as the new Lord of Hell and intends to TakeOverTheWorld with his newfound demon army [[ForTheEvulz just to satisfy his own bloodlust]]]].

* ExcusePlot: You're a [[MagicKnight gun-trotting wizard]] out to slay evil. [[KillEmAll Go kill every bad guy that stands in your way.]]

** The Lord of Hell also seems to avert this [[spoiler:until he assumes his OneWingedAngel form, [[MookMaker vomiting out dangerous mooks]] in between shooting you with his EyeBeams. And he doesn't stop even after he is defeated.]]

* ShowsDamage: Most bosses and [[GiantMook Giant Mooks]] need to have their life bars emptied two to three times before they go down for good, looking increasingly battered up with each damaged state. {{Giant Mook}}s, in particular, will also be unable to use some of their attacks, such as a heavily injured Shambler having to rely on biting you as both of its arms are blown off, preventing it from using its ice attack.

* StandardFPSGuns: The game features the usual weapon archetypes consisting of melee weapons (a [[KnifeNut knife]] and an [[AnAxeToGrind axe]]), a pistol, [[ShotgunsAreJustBetter shotguns]] (single-shot pump-action and double-barreled "Boomstick"), an [[MoreDakka SMG]], a [[GatlingGood minigun]], [[StuffBlowingUp sticks of dynamite, and a rocket launcher]]. Less standard weapons include a [[BoomStick magic staff]] (which uses mana as ammo and can launch a powerful ChargedAttack), a [[TheStraightAndArrowPath crossbow]] (whose bolts can be reclaimed after firing), a [[KillItWithFire flamethrower]], a [[FrickinLaserBeams laser gun]], and the game's take on the {{BFG}}. With the exception of the knife and BFG, all weapons can be further upgraded into either more powerful or exotic versions of themselves.
* TeleportingKeycardSquad: If any of the keys in the level are tucked away at the end of a long corridor, expect to blast through a horde of enemies on your way back, even if you cleared said corridor before picking up the key.

* BoringYetPractical: A number of weapons aren't very flashy and their upgrades are rather straightforward but get the job done really well:

** While the SMG can do double damage with the Akimbo upgrade *without* increasing the rate of ammo consumption, its stock variant is still a pretty capable weapon and is actually more accurate at longer ranges, making it a surrogate sniper minigun.

** The Sammoner spell costs only 4 Upgrade Points and allows you to generate ammo for *any* weapon you have equipped, including the late-game weapons, aside from the {{BFG}}, for a paltry mana cost of. This spell essentially turns the mana bar (and Spirit stat) into a universal ammunition farm.

Gameplay is what you would expect from a 90's FirstPersonShooter: non-linear levels for you to explore, keys, switches, and [[EasterEgg secrets]] to find, fast movement speed, no RegeneratingHealth, and [[WalkingArmory a variety of weapons and magic spells at your disposal]]. What sets it apart from similar games is its RPGElements; as you LevelUp from collecting treasures/finding secrets/killing shit, you can upgrade your various stats and buy different perks which act as multipliers for your stats, weapons, and magical abilities. You'll also find "upgrade points" throughout the game which can be spent on weapon upgrades and/or magic spells to further improve and diversify your arsenal. The game also uses lives instead of the usual quicksaves. Dying in a level means having to do it again from the start. Lose all lives and its GameOver.

** Unless you have been investing in your Spirit stat and bought the Magic Master perk, magic spells become this due to the large amount of mana they consume per use, meaning you cannot use them as often as your guns. Some spells are also quite expensive to purchase, costing over 10 Unlock Points (in a game where many of said points are tucked away in secret areas).

** The Slugshot upgrade for the Shotgun makes it more powerful and accurate at longer ranges but is a waste of upgrade points if you also upgraded the Pistol into a [[HandCannon Magnum]], which is cheaper and, while not as powerful, is still effective at long ranges with plenty of ammo scattered throughout levels.

** For only three Unlock Points, the Magnum upgrade for your Pistol turns an otherwise ubiquitous EmergencyWeapon into a HandCannon that remains useful even in the later levels as an alternative to the Shotgun due to its high damage output and abundant ammo pickups. Its rate of fire is also the same as the Shotgun with the Autoloader upgrade, so it fires almost as fast as you can press the fire button.

** The Sammoner spell costs only 4 Unlock Points and allows you to generate ammo for *any* weapon you have equipped, including the late-game weapons, aside from the {{BFG}}, for a paltry mana cost of. This spell essentially turns the mana bar (and Spirit stat) into a universal ammunition farm.

* MagicKnight: Your character can use both guns and magic spells effectively, with guns requiring their respective ammo and magic spells drawing from your mana pool. You can further improve your arsenal by upgrading your guns and learning new magic spells by purchasing them with Unlock Points found throughout the game, as well as upgrading your stats and buying perks relevant to your preferred weapons and magic. The catch is that Unlock Points are used for both gun upgrades and magic spells so you won't be able to upgrade all of your guns and learn all the magic spells. Depending on your play style, you may opt for a gun build, a magic build, or [[JackOfAllStats a balance between the two]].

** The {{BFG}} can clear entire hordes of enemies in an instant but its shots ''must'' hit them in order to deal damage; if the projectile hits a wall, it dissipates harmlessly. You can literally shoot it right next to an enemy but it will do [[NoSell jack shit if it hits even an inch of the world's geometry]]. Combine this with its very slow firing animation and it becomes less effective than it you might expect if you do not aim right.

Gameplay is what you would expect from a 90's FirstPersonShooter: non-linear levels for you to explore, keys, switches, and [[EasterEgg secrets]] to find, fast movement speed, no RegeneratingHealth, and [[WalkingArmory a variety of weapons and magic spells at your disposal]]. What sets it apart from similar games is it's RPGElements; as you LevelUp from collecting treasures/finding secrets/killing shit, you can upgrade your various stats and buy different perks which act as multipliers for your stats, weapons, and magical abilities. You'll also find "upgrade points" throughout the game which can be spent on weapon upgrades and/or magic spells to further improve and diversify your arsenal. The game also uses lives instead of the usual quicksaves. Dying in a level means having to do it again from the start. Lose all lives and its GameOver.

The story, er, there technically isn't one. [[NoPlotNoProblem Not like thats really a problem]]. [[ExcusePlot The gist]] is that you play as the [[PlayerCharacter Warlock]], [[MagicKnight a dude who's good with guns and magic]], out on a righteous quest to eradicate evil that has corrupted four different realms ([[DarkFantasy Medieval]], [[SlippySlideyIceWorld Antarctica]], AncientEgypt, and [[RobotWar Industrial]]) before taking the fight to said evil on it's home ground: Hell ([[VideoGame/{{Doom}} obviously]]).

The game was released on [[https://www.gog.com/game/project_warlock GOG]] on October 18, 2018 and later released on [[https://store.steampowered.com/app/893680/Project_Warlock/ Steam]] on 7 December, 2018.

!! Tropes in ''Project Warlock'' include:
* AbominableSnowman: Yetis and Shamblers in the second episode, Antarctica.
* AnIcePerson: The Warlock becomes this when using the Freeze Blast spell. [[VideoGame/{{Quake}} Shamblers]], which are featured in the Antarctica levels, also utilize an ice attack that holds you in place for a few seconds instead of the usual lighting attack (the Anubis enemies get this instead).
* AwesomeButImpractical: Unless you have been investing in your Spirit stat and bought the Magic Master perk, magic spells become this due to the large amount of mana they consume per use, meaning you won't be able to use them as often. Some spells are also quite expensive to purchase.
** The {{BFG}} can clear entire hordes of enemies in an instant but it's shots '''must''' hit them in order to deal damage. Shooting it at a wall will simply make it harmlessly disappear. You can literally shoot it right next to an enemy but it will do [[NoSell jackshit if it hits even an inch of the world's geometry]]. Combined with it's very slow firing animation and it becomes less effective than it should be if you don't time your attacks right.
** The Slugshot upgrade for the shotgun makes it more powerful and accurate at longer ranges but is a waste of upgrade points if you also upgraded your pistol into a [[HandCannon Magnum]] which is [[BoringYetPractical cheaper and while not as powerful, is still effective at long ranges with plenty of ammo to spare]].
** The Nailgun upgrade for the SMG enables you to fire around corners due to the [[PinballProjectile ricocheting nails]]. The problem comes when they [[RealityEnsues start bouncing back at you]]. Its basically suicide to fire this weapon in tightly-packed areas with little room to dodge them.
* {{BFG}}: Its the last weapon you find unless you've been looking for secrets and just like the TropeNamer it fires a huge plasma ball of death that can destroy groups of enemies in a single hit. For added carnage, it [[RecursiveAmmo splits into several smaller plasma balls]] that can hit nearby enemies.
** Really most of the weapons become this after an upgrade, becoming satisfyingly large and packing equally satisfying firepower. Even your dinky pistol can be upgraded into a HandCannon that can quickly kill tougher foes in the later levels.
* BigBad: [[{{Satan}} The Lord of Hell]], who has conquered the other realms and turned their inhabitants into his EvilMinions which the Warlock has to cleanse the [[KillEmAll only way he knows how]].
** [[spoiler: The Warlock himself becomes this after [[KlingonPromotion killing the Lord of Hell and usurping the throne]].]]
* BloodKnight: The Warlock becomes increasingly addicted to fighting over the course of the game that by the end of it [[spoiler: he ascends to become the new Lord of Hell by virtue of how bloodthirsty he has become. [[FromBadToWorse And he isn't satisfied yet]].]]

** Your starting [[AnAxeToGrind axe]] is one of the most powerful weapons in the game due to the huge damage it inflicts in a wide arc, enabling you to blitz through the earlier levels without having to waste ammo. It's upgrades only make it deadlier by increasing it's range and damage output while, depending on your chosen upgrade, [[LifeDrain replenishing some health or mana with every kill you make]]. Thats not taking into account your Strength stat which increases your overall melee damage. The only thing you'll have to contend with is it's slow rate of fire.
** The Magnum upgrade for your pistol turns an otherwise ubiquitous EmergencyWeapon into a HandCannon that remains useful even in the later levels as an alternative to the shotgun due to it's high damage output while retaining its fast rate of fire and it's ammo being abundant. Its also very cheap, costing you only three upgrade points.
** As expected of an old-school shooter, the [[ShotgunsAreJustBetter shotguns]] are your go-to weapons for most of the game due to their high stopping power and plentiful ammo. Of note is the shotgun's Autoloader upgrade which omits it's reload animation, enabling you to hold down the fire button and spray the room with impunity.
** The SMG is already powerful enough on its own but when you have [[GunsAkimbo two of them with the Akimbo upgrade]] you deal twice as much damage without compromising the rate at which you consume ammo. Combine this with the Leadfarmer perk for even MoreDakka.
** The [[TabletopGame/Warhammer40000 Heavy Bolter]] upgrade for the minigun simply removes the spin up time and increases the damage, making it one of the most powerful weapons in the game, capable of tearing up virtually anything within seconds.
** The spell Sammoner is a spell that costs only 4 unlock points which allows you to generate ammo for whatever weapon you have equipped, including the late game weapons aside from the {{BFG}} for a paltry cost of mana. For any runs not big into spells, the usefulness is increased as any mana you find can just be used to generate more ammo.
* {{Cephalothorax}}: Mummies take on this appearance, having only one [[EyeScream removable]] eye and a [[MoreTeethThanTheOsmondFamily huge maw]] hidden under their wraps. They kinda look like mummified [[VideoGame/SeriousSam Gnaars]] actually. Hell Knights also take up this form when badly injured, being [[DemBones skulls]] on legs that shoot rockets out of their eyes.
** [[spoiler: The Lord of Hell's OneWingedAngel form is a massive purple [[VideoGame/{{Doom}} Cacodemon]] fittingly called the Cacodevil.]]

* DownerEnding: [[spoiler: The Warlock takes over the FinalBoss as the new Lord of Hell and intends to TakeOverTheWorld with his newfound demon army [[ForTheEvulz just to satisfy his own bloodlust]]]].

* ExcusePlot: You're a [[MagicKnight gun-trotting wizard]] out to slay evil. [[KillEmAll Go kill every bad guy that stands in your way]].
* FantasyKitchenSink: You'll be fighting against a wide variety of enemies across the different realms including but not limited to: [[TheUndead Undead]] knights, giant bats and spiders, HornyDevils, [[EvilSorcerer Evil Sorcerers]], AxCrazy polar station workers who might mutate into the creature from ''Film/TheThing1982'', [[EldritchAbomination Eldritch Abominations]], [[AbominableSnowman Abominable Snowmen]], the [[VideoGame/{{Quake}} Shambler]], [[{{Mummy}} mummies]], {{golem}}s made of sand, [[BeastMan Beast Men]], [[CatGirl Cat Girls]], [[ScaryScorpions scorpion]] girls, [[NinjaPirateZombieRobot mummies armed with rocket launchers]], cyborg soldiers, AttackDrone, MiniMecha, HumongousMecha, cumulating in you kicking demon ass in Hell itself [[spoiler: along with a mix of the previous enemy types]].
* FlunkyBoss: [[TankGoodness The Massive Tank]] is the only boss that is ''not'' this. [[spoiler: The Lord of Hell also seems to [[AvertedTrope avert]] this until he assumes his OneWingedAngel form, [[MookMaker vomiting out dangerous mooks]] in between shooting you with his EyeBeams. And he doesn't stop even after he is defeated.]]
* GenreThrowback: To FirstPersonShooter games from the 90's with it's non-linear levels, fast-paced gameplay, and plenty of guns and magic to mess with. The use of lives instead of quicksaves and the pixel art graphics also recall to mind the ShootEmUp games that were popular during the time as well.

* KlingonPromotion: [[spoiler: The Warlock becomes the new Lord of Hell after defeating the FinalBoss, with Hell's army bowing down to him without question.]]

* MagicKnight: Your character can use both guns and magic spells effectively, with guns requiring their respective ammo and magic spells drawing from your mana pool. You can further improve your arsenal by upgrading your guns and learning new magic spells by purchasing them with upgrade points found throughout the game, as well as upgrading your stats and buying perks relevant to your preferred weapons and magic. The catch is that upgrade points are spent on both gun upgrades and magic spells so you won't be able to upgrade all of your guns and learn all the magic spells. Depending on your playstyle, you may opt for a gun build, a magic build, or [[JackOfAllStats a balance between the two]].
* MonumentalDamage: Art/TheSphinx serves as the boss of the third episode, AncientEgypt. Its notable for being the only boss that does not attack you immediately so you're gonna have to wake it up with your guns.
* MookMaker: Soul Eaters and Abominations. Amusingly the former are also created from the latter. [[spoiler: The Lord of Hell spawns in mooks when in his OneWingedAngel form and [[DesperationAttack starts rapidly spamming them when he's incapacitated]].]]
* MotiveDecay: The Warlock went from eradicating evil to [[spoiler: taking Hell for himself because he thinks its more fun that way]].
* NotQuiteDead: [[spoiler: Defeating the Lord of Hell's OneWingedAngel form will reduce him into a huge pile of gore that will continue to [[MookMaker spawn mooks]] and attack you with CombatTentacles.]]
* PuzzleBoss: The second boss, The Great Old One, can only be damaged when all of it's tentacles are destroyed.
* ShowsDamage: Bosses and most [[GiantMook Giant Mooks]] need to be damaged two to three times before they go down for good, looking increasingly battered up with each damaged state. [[GiantMook Giant Mooks]] in particular will also be unable to use some of their attacks such as a heavily injured Shambler having to rely on biting you as both of it's arms are blown off, preventing it from using it's ice attack.
* SlouchOfVillainy: [[spoiler: The Warlock does this on the throne he just [[KlingonPromotion usurped from the Lord of Hell]] at the end of the game.]]
* StandardFPSGuns: The game features the usual weapon archtypes consisting of melee weapons (a [[KnifeNut knife]] and an [[AnAxeToGrind axe]]), a pistol, [[ShotgunsAreJustBetter shotguns]] (single-shot pump-action and double-barreled "boomstick"), an [[MoreDakka SMG]], a [[GatlingGood minigun]], [[StuffBlowingUp sticks of dynamite, and a rocket launcher]]. Less standard weapons include a [[BoomStick magic staff]] (which uses mana as ammo and can launch a powerful ChargedAttack), a [[TheStraightAndArrowPath crossbow]] (whose bolts can be reclaimed after firing), a [[KillItWithFire flamethrower]], a [[FrickinLaserBeams laser gun]], and the game's take on the {{BFG}}. With the exception of the knife and BFG, all weapons can be further upgraded into either more powerful or exotic versions of themselves.

* TyrantTakesTheHelm: [[spoiler: Sure the [[{{Satan}} Lord of Hell]] was never a nice guy to begin with but the Warlock's first act as the new Lord of Hell is to TakeOverTheWorld [[ForTheEvulz for kicks]]. Its implied that its only [[FromBadToWorst gonna get worse from here..]]]]

* WeaksauceWeakness: [[spoiler: The Lord of Hell's last two forms have [[DamageSpongeBoss crazy high health]] but can be taken out with a single shot of the {{BFG}} each.]]

[[caption-width-right:350:[[ATopAMountainOfCorpses Dead bodies makes for a good pedestal]]]]

* AwesomeButImpractical: Unless you've been investing in your Spirit stat and bought the Magic Master perk, magic spells become this due to the large amount of mana they consume per use, meaning you won't be able to use them as often. Some spells are also quite expensive to purchase.

** The spell Sammoner is a spell that costs only 4 unlock points which allows you to generate ammo for whatever weapon you have equipped, including the late game weapons for a paltry cost of mana. For any runs not big into spells, the usefulness is increased as any mana you find can just be used to generate more ammo.

* FantasyKitchenSink: You'll be fighting against a wide variety of enemies across the different realms including but not limited to: {{Undead}} knights, giant bats and spiders, HornyDevils, [[EvilSorcerer Evil Sorcerers]], AxeCrazy polar station workers who might mutate into the creature from ''Film/TheThing'', [[EldritchAbomination Eldritch Abominations]], [[AbominableSnowman Abominable Snowmen]], the [[VideoGame/{{Quake}} Shambler]], mummies, golems made of sand, [[BeastMan Beast Men]], [[CatGirl Cat Girls]], [[ScaryScorpions scorpion]] girls, [[NinjaPirateZombieRobot mummies armed with rocket launchers]], cyborg soldiers, AttackDrone, MiniMecha, HumongousMecha, cumulating in you kicking demon ass in Hell itself [[spoiler: along with a mix of the previous enemy types]].

* LovecraftLite: The general theme of the second episode, mixed with SlippySlideyIceWorld and a few [[ShoutOut references]] to ''Film/TheThing''.

* AbominableSnowman: Yetis and Shamblers in the Antarctica levels.

** The {{BFG}} can clear entire hordes of enemies in an instant but it's shots '''must''' hit them in order to deal damage. Shooting it at a wall will simply make it harmlessly disappear. You can shoot it literally right next to an enemy but it will do [[NoSell jackshit if it hits even an inch of the world's geometry]]. Combined with it's very slow firing animation and it becomes less effective than it should be if you don't time your attacks right.

* HarmlessFreezing: Enemies hit by the Freeze Blast spell will unfreeze after some time, suffering no ill effects.

* MonumentalDamage: Art/TheSphinx serves as the boss of the third realm, AncientEgypt. Its notable for being the only boss that does not attack you immediately so you're gonna have to wake it up with your guns.

* TyrantTakesTheHelm: [[spoiler: Sure the [[{{Satan}} Lord of Hell]] was never a nice guy to begin with but the Warlock's first act as the new Lord of Hell is to TakeOverTheWorld [[ForTheEvulz for kicks]]. Its implied that it goes [[FromBadToWorst way more downhill from here..]]]]
* TurnsRed: Bosses become more aggressive the more damaged they become. [[InvertedTrope Inverted]] with [[GiantMook Giant Mooks]] who get weaker instead. Exceptions are most of Hell's mooks, namely the Incubi, Hell Knights, Abominations, and Cybermons.

* DownerEnding: [[spoiler: The Warlock takes over the FinalBoss as the new Lord of Hell and intends to set in motion his [[TakeOverTheWorld conquest of the world]] with his newfound demon army for the [[ForTheEvulz sake of his own bloodlust]]]].

* StandardFPSGuns: The game features the usual weapon archtypes consisting of melee weapons (a [[KnifeNut knife]] and an [[AnAxeToGrind axe]]), a pistol, [[ShotgunsAreJustBetter shotguns]] (single-shot pump-action and double-barreled "boomstick"), an [[MoreDakka SMG]], a [[GatlingGood minigun]], [[StuffBlowingUp sticks of dynamite, and a rocket launcher]]. Less standard weapons include a [[BoomStick magic staff]] (which uses mana as ammo and can launch a powerful ChargedAttack), a [[TheStraightAndArrowPath crossbow]] (whose bolts can be reclaimed after firing), a [[KillItWithFire flamethrower]], a [[FrickinLaserBeams laser gun]], and the game's take on the {{BFG}}. With the exception of the knife and BFG, all weapons can be further upgraded into either more powerful or exotic versions of themselves.

** Really most of the weapons become this after an upgrade, being satisfyingly large and packing equally satisfying firepower. Even your dinky pistol can be upgraded into a HandCannon that can quickly kill tougher foes in the later levels.
* BoringYetPractical: Your starting [[AnAxeToGrind axe]] is one of the most powerful weapons in the game due to the huge damage it inflicts in a wide arc, enabling you to blitz through the earlier levels without having to waste ammo. It's upgrades only make it deadlier by increasing it's range and damage output while, depending on your chosen upgrade, [[LifeDrain replenishing some health or mana with every kill you make]]. Thats not taking into account your Strength stat which increases your overall melee damage. The only thing you'll have to contend with is it's slow rate of fire.

''Project Warlock'' is an [[GenreThrowback old-school style]] FirstPersonShooter developed by Buckshot Software (who largely consists of [[IAmTheBand one 19-year-old Jakub Cislo]]) and published by gaming company, taking inspiration from classic titles such as ''VideoGame/Wolfenstein3D'', ''VideoGame/{{Doom}}'', ''VideoGame/{{Heretic}}'', and ''VideoGame/{{Quake}}''.

* {{BFG}}: Its the last weapon you find unless you've been looking for secrets and just like the TropeNamer it fires a huge plasma ball of death that can destroy groups of enemies in a single hit. For added carnage, it [[RecursiveAmmo splits into several smaller plasma balls]] that can hit nearby enemies.

* TheCorruption: Hell is this, having conquered the other four realms and turned their denizens into [[EverythingTryingToKillYou evil beings vying for the Warlock's blood]]. This is best seen in the later Hell levels [[spoiler: which are [[AllTheWorldsAreAStage amalgamations of the previous environments]] overgrown with [[EvilIsVisceral demonic viscera]].]]
* ExcusePlot: You're a [[MagicKnight gun-trotting wizard]] out to slay evil. [[KillEmAll Go kill every bad guy that stands in your way]].
* GenreThrowback: To FirstPersonShooter games from the 90's with it's non-linear levels, fast-paced gameplay, and plenty of guns and magic to mess with. The use of lives instead of quicksaves and the pixel art graphics also recall to mind the ShootEmUp games that were popular during the time as well.
* MagicKnight: Your character can use both guns and magic spells effectively, with guns requiring their respective ammo and magic spells drawing from your mana pool. You can further improve your arsenal by upgrading your guns and learning new magic spells by purchasing them with upgrade points found throughout the game, as well as upgrading your stats and buying perks relevant to your preferred weapons and magic. The catch is that upgrade points are spent on both gun upgrades and magic spells so you won't be able to upgrade all of your guns and learn all the magic spells. Depending on your playstyle, you may opt for a gun build, a magic build, or [[JackOfAllStats a balance between the two]].
* StandardFPSGuns: The game features the usual weapon archtypes consisting of melee weapons (a [[KnifeNut knife]] and an [[AnAxeToGrind axe]]), a pistol, [[ShotgunsAreJustBetter shotguns]] (single-shot pump-action and double-barreled "boomstick"), an [[MoreDakka SMG]], a [[GatlingGood minigun]], [[StuffBlowingUp sticks of dynamite, and a rocket launcher]]. Less standard weapons include a [[BoomStick magic staff]] (which uses mana as ammo and can launch a powerful ChargedAttack), a [[TheStraightAndArrowPath crossbow]] (whose bolts can be reclaimed after firing), a [[KillItWithFire flamethrower]], a [[FrickinLaserBeams laser gun]], and the game's take on the {{BFG}}. With the exception of the knife and BFG, all weapons can be further upgraded into either more powerful or exotic versions of themselves.