History VideoGame / RUINER

* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler: "Big Dog" is finally killed, meaning that HEAVEN will take heavy damage that it will unlikely recover from, which will allow many to enjoy some sort of freedom. On the other hand, the protagonist was the younger brother tricked by Her, and an UnwittingPawn that ultimately have nowhere to go safe maybe the Creeps hideout. The latter view is inforced in the ending cutscene, as it cuts with the protagonist driving away in a motorcycle right after Big Dog's death.]]

* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler: "Big Dog" is finally killed, meaning that HEAVEN will take heavy damage that it will unlikely recover from, which will allow many to enjoy some sort of freedom. On the other hand, the protagonist was the younger brother tricked by Her, and an UnwittingPawn that ultimately gains nothing from the events of the game (with the exception of becoming the Creeps' leader from defeating Nerve). The latter view is inforced in the ending cutscene, as it cuts with the protagonist driving away in a motorcycle right after Big Dog's death.]]

''RUINER'' is a hardcore, isometric twin-stick shooter made by the Polish indie studio Reikon Games and published by {{Creator/Devolver Digital}}, released September 26 2017 for {{UsefulNotes/PC}}, {{UsefulNotes/PS4}} and {{UsefulNotes/Xbox One}}.

''RUINER'' is a hardcore, isometric twin-stick shooter published by indie studio {{Creator/Devolver Digital}}, released September 26 2017 for {{UsefulNotes/PC}}, {{UsefulNotes/PS4}} and {{UsefulNotes/Xbox One}}.

* ChallengingTheChief: After killing Nerve, he [[GracefulLoser acknowledges your skill]] and essentially names you the new leader of The Creeps. The next level is filled with many non-hostile Creeps cheering you on as their new boss [[spoiler:as you go to finish off Wizard]].

* CyberpunkWithAChanceOfRain: Rengkok is your typical Cyberpunk Dystopia, grimy, crowded, and with a perpetual drizzle slicking the pavement.

*** Wizard: ''"You're just a dog on a leash, chasing his own tail."''

* ArtificialLimbs: Cybernetic prosthetics are a common sight in Rengkok, even on lowly thugs. The [[NoNameGiven Protagonist]] has an (allegedly outdated) artificial left arm that gets replaced with a newer model after the prologue.
* ArcWords: HELLO DARKNESS

*** Basically, anything that appears on the protagonist's mask is going to feel somewhat poignant, given the dark overtone most of the phrases have, the situations the protagonist experiences, and the frequency of the mask animations that contain those phrases.

** HEAVEN's top ominous cyber-mooks are named "ANGELS", and their weakspot is a red, spherical core. Every Angel ([[spoiler:since they're merged with a human host]]) possesses a distinct personality and attack patterns. [[{{Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion}} Ringing any bells?]]
** On a broader scale, the game's visual style pays homage to many Cyberpunk Anime series. It's easy, while playing, to be reminded of the likes of {{Manga/Ghost In The Shell}}, {{Manga/Akira}} or {{Manga/Appleseed}}.

* PeoplePuppets: When Wizard hacks the protagonist at the start of the game and takes him over, it seems to be at least a certain degree of this coupled with other forms of coercion.

* KnucklesCracking: A reply option is to have your protagonist do this to either intimidate or tell the boss to bring it.

* LongLostRelative: [[spoiler: In the end, turns out you ''never'' had a kidnapped third brother, like Her made you believe...but nonetheless, you '''do''' have a brother: Big Dog, none other than HEAVEN's CEO - yes, the same guy you were trying to kill in the prologue. And a pretty shitty one at that too, as he (by his own words) views you as nothing more than "spare parts", given that you're biologically compatible]].

** HEAVEN's top ominous cyber-mooks are named "ANGELS", and their weakspot is a red, spherical core. Every Angel ([[spoiler: since they're merged with a human host]]) possesses a distinct personality and attack patterns. [[{{Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion}} Ringing any bells?]]

* TheFaceless: The Protagonist, whose face is costantly hidden behind a mask that projects digitally what he's thinking. [[spoiler: Also counts for "Big Dog", the boss of HEAVEN, who wears an identycal mask. Given that he's the protagonist's older brother, it must run in the family, although he ''does'' speak, too.]]

* BatmanGambit: [[spoiler: The ''whole'' plot, masterminded by Her. After rescuing the Protagonist from Wizard, she tells him that his younger, "third child" brother has been kidnapped by HEAVEN and convinces him to stage a OneManArmy rescue. This turns out to be a the first part of her gambit, however, as her goal was to have the Protagonist track down and kill the heads of a conspirancy againist Big Dog (Wizard, Trafficking and Mother), in order to gain the CEO's trust. After the Protagonist is captured, however, She puts in motion the second part of her plan and reveals the truth: her goal, all along, was to destroy HEAVEN and its monstrous grip on Rengkok, and to do so, she had to give a motivation to both parties to trust Her, until she could finally get her "Puppy" close to the Boss, aka his brother.]]

** Among the various jacket pins of you hacker friend, one depicts the Manga/{{Berserk}} Brand of Sacrifice.

* ThrowAwayGuns: Every gun (except for the Ruiner) has limited ammo. Picking up a weapon mid-combat will also trigger a brief BulletTime effect, encouraging you to constantly scavenge for guns to survive.

* ThrowAwayGuns: All guns (except for the Ruiner) has limited ammo. Picking up a weapon mid-combat will also trigger a brief BulletTime effect, encouraging you to constantly scavenge for guns to survive.

The year is 2091. Technology may have advanced, but the human soul has not changed -- or if it has, [[HumansAreBastards it has been for the worse]]. In the (fictional) city of Rengkok, a dirty, neon lit {{Cyberpunk}} dystopia, where cybernetically-enhanced crime runs rampant and a gun ([[StarterEquipment or even just a sturdy steel pipe]]) is the only thing keeping you alive, a huge, shiny building towers over the darkness of the maze-like streets below: the HQ of [[MegaCorp HEAVEN]], an incredibly powerful corporation specialized in virtual reality, a nest of horrific secrets and shadowy corruption, a place where average people's lives are nothing more than amusing playthings.

* ArtificialLimbs: Cybernetic prosthetics are a common sight in Rengkok, even on lowly thugs. The [[NoNameGiven Protagonist]] has an (allgedly outdated) artificial left arm that gets replaced with a newer model after the prologue.

The year is 2091. Technology may have advanced, but the human soul has not changed -- or if it has, [[HumansAreBastards it has been for the worse]]. In the (fictional) city of Rengkok, a dirty, neon lit {{Cyberpunk}} dystopia, where cybernetically-enhanced crime runs rampant and a gun ([[StarterEquipment or even just a sturdy steel pipe]]) is the only thing keeping you alive, a huge, shiny building towers on the darkness of the maze-like streets below: the HQ of [[MegaCorp HEAVEN]], an incredibly powerful corporation specialized in virtual reality, a nest of horrific secrets and shadowy corruption, a place where average people's lives are nothing more than amusing playthings.

* ExpressiveMask: The protagonist's helmet is also a full-face LCD display, which he uses to display his thoughts and feelings [[TheVoiceless rather than saying them out loud]].

* RedAndBlackAndEvilAllOver: The Game. Rengkok is a dark and shadowy urban hellhole lit primarily by glaring red neon and hazard lights, with the occasional lonely island of white, green, or blue.

* IGaveMyWord: The Creeps may be a band of violent, psychopathic dregs, but when they make a deal with someone, they ''will'' follow through,

* MissionControl: The prologue starts with [[TheCracker The Wizard]] hijacking your brain for a corporate hit, before switching over to Her once the main game starts.

* NoNameGiven: Most of the main characters: the protagonist, his brother, the Boss of HEAVEN, and the hackers Her and Wizard (aka. "Your Master").

* SmugSnake: Wizard. While you're under his control he acts all condescending and superior towards you (even showing up in dialogue as "Your Master"), but other characters (especially "Her") consider him a mediocre hacker and small-time at best and he's reduced to running scared once you slip his leash. He even acts like a smug dick to the Creeps protecting him, even though he has no sway with them other than his deal with Nerve. Once that's been dealt with, he goes down ''eeeeeasy''.
* TimedMission: During the boss fight against HEAVEN's security chief Watayama, Your Master sets a timer for fifteen seconds; when it hits zero, the protagonist dies. Killing an enemy adds five seconds to the timer, and thankfully Watayama [[TacticalSuicideBoss is kind enough to keep throwing mooks at the protagonist, allowing him to stay alive]]. Given how counter-intuitive this is to Your Master's stated intention of having the protagonist kill the Boss, it seems he does it solely ForTheEvulz.

* NoNameGiven: Most of the main characters: the protagonist, his brother, the Boss of HEAVEN, and the hackers Her and Your Master.
* PeoplePuppets: When "Your Master" hacks the protagonist at the start of the game and takes him over, it seems to be at least a certain degree of this coupled with other forms of coercion.