Line #51 Main/ScriptedBattle


1	A battle in a video game, often an RPG, that follows a script, either for a segment or for the entire thing, instead of acting like a regular battle. Often serves as an aversion of GameplayAndStorySegregation. If a battle is scripted in its entirety, it will often be either HopelessBossFight or ForegoneVictory, but the reverse is less likely: a battle whose outcome is predetermined may not care how you arrive at that outcome. A HopelessBossFight that immediately kills you on the first turn simply because the boss is so powerful can be an example, depending on how important the manner in which that's done is. A normal boss battle that scripts you to lose in the end is also HeadsIWinTailsYouLose.
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3	Subtrope of ScriptedEvent. Compare CutsceneBoss.
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5	For a UsefulNotes/ProfessionalWrestling example, see {{Kayfabe}}.
6	----
7	!!Examples:
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9	[[foldercontrol]]
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11	[[folder:Roleplays]]
12	* ''Roleplay/DestroyTheGodmodder'': The entire fight against the [=ACNTT=] in the end of the first game, and in fact a lot of other story events, as it would be pretty hard to continue the game if the players somehow game overed, considering it takes days to get through small events.
13	[[/folder]]
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15	[[folder:Video Games]]
16	* The battle with Nyx at the end of ''VideoGame/{{Persona 3}}'' is scripted to portray the protagonist charging up his CombinedEnergyAttack [[spoiler: and HeroicSacrifice]].
17	* In addition to the above, ''VideoGame/Persona3Reload'' has a fight where the protagonist [[EnemyMine teams up with Takaya]] against a Shadow. No matter how much damage the protagonist does, the Shadow will always survive with 1 HP so Takaya can finish it off with Megidola.
18	* ''VideoGame/{{Persona 4}}'' has three examples:
19	** The first battle in the game is like this, with [[spoiler: the 'mysterious figure' being impossible to hit after using "Bewildering Fog"]]. The fight predictably ends after a few turns.
20	** [[spoiler: Shadow Rise]] will become invincible and taunt you for a few turns when you take off half her HP bar. Then she blasts you into oblivion. It's possible to deplete her HP if you're overpowered enough (and get a bonus reaction in the original release), but it still won't change the outcome.
21	** The final boss, [[spoiler: Izanami-no-Okami]], once [[spoiler: her]] HP reaches 0, [[spoiler: starts using a guaranteed instant-kill attack. Each of your party members in turn will knock you out of the way with their DivingSave ability and take the attack themselves, until you're the only one left. Then you get hit, a cutscene ensues in which you charge up your CombinedEnergyAttack, and you come back. Izanami gets several turns in a row to hit you with deadly attacks, which you shrug off, and when your turn comes, your only choice is to use the skill Myriad Truths and defeat her.]]
22	* ''VideoGame/Persona5'' uses scripted battles a few times.
23	** When trying to exit the first Palace after doing some digging around for proof [[spoiler: that Kamoshida has been regularly abusing his students]], the party is surrounded by three enemies; even on a NewGamePlus they can't be beaten, and will automatically knock the party down after a few turns. It's meant to get your new party member to awaken to their rebellion spirit, thus becoming playable (and they have the enemy's weakness, to boot).
24	** One of the Mementos targets is a guy who cheats at a video game and believes himself to be invincible. As a result, you can't actually hit him: he cheats and dodges all attacks, forcing you to retreat, find and start the Tower Confidant, and return with a never-miss special attack that knocks down the cheater and lets you unleash an All-Out Attack, killing him instantly.
25	** The final act of the game includes a battle with [[spoiler: Caroline and Justine]], where you are clearly and completely outmatched. Except that Joker refuses to give up, staying at one hit point, and the battle ends when [[spoiler: the Wardens]] realize something is wrong.
26	** The FinalBoss battle against [[spoiler: Yaldabaoth]] is a pretty typical boss battle, until you reduce his HP to zero. The game then goes into a scripted sequence that gives you only one option: [[spoiler: shooting a god in the head with a bullet made of the seven deadly sins and fired from a gun the size of a skyscraper!]]
27	** The UpdatedReRelease ''Persona 5 Royal'' adds a couple more: the one in the prologue alongside Kasumi, later replayed when the story catches up with the present (Kasumi automatically initiates an All-Out Attack that wipes out the enemy party) and the third and fourth phases of the final boss [[spoiler:Maruki and Adam Kadmon]], which both end after a few turns.
28	* ''VideoGame/DigitalDevilSaga'' has one between you and [[spoiler: Heat, where he pummels you in a ploy to get back Sera]]. Fortunately, he'll only beat you up so much, before the next cutscene happens.
29	* Many games have scripted tutorial battles.
30	** ''VideoGame/{{Disgaea\|HourOfDarkness}}'' plays with this: Etna scripts the tutorial battle to make you lose.
31	--->'''Etna:''' That was an example of something ''not'' to do.
32	*** [[VideoGame/Disgaea2CursedMemories Rozalin]] and [[VideoGame/Disgaea3AbsenceOfJustice Mao]] both do the same thing. Notable for the latter as he winds up doing ''himself'' in.
33	** ''VideoGame/LaPucelle'' had something similar, as Culotte attempts to explain combat basics, only to end up getting in over his head, taking a critical hit that one-shots him (even if you hack him to be Level 9999).
34	-->'''Alouette''': That was an example.... of what ''not'' to do.
35	* The third form of ''VideoGame/KingdomOfLoathing'''s Naughty Sorceress can take one of two paths depending on whether or not you have a certain item, and will either be a HopelessBossFight or a ForegoneVictory by the time you make it there. Either way, the battle consists of one entirely scripted attack (barring years' worth of SequenceBreaking).
36	** You automatically lose the first "fight" against Dr. Awkward, but after beating you up he [[TooDumbToLive drops an item with a convenient clue to help you defeat him.]] Naturally, [[YouShouldntKnowThisAlready even if you know the clue already]], [[ButThouMust you have to go through your scripted defeat before you can fight him properly.]]
37	** The special "Last Stand" ending of the War is mostly scripted. There's a lengthy written buildup to the battle, you make an irrelevant decision and use a single item, and then another giant text-dump explains how a DeusExMachina obliterates your opponents.
38	* ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' does this quite a lot.
39	** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV''
40	*** The fight with the king and queen of Elban proceeds normally until "the king and queen break free of their spells" and you have a long conversation in combat mode.
41	*** Several battles with Golbez in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV'' are entirely scripted. The first battle is between Golbez and Tellah, and the player never gains control. The second fight against Golbez is with a full party, but only starts proper after a few scripted turns. Also, the battle against Cecil's inner darkness isn't technically scripted, but the only way to advance is to [[SheatheYourSword sit there and do nothing]].
42	*** The battle with [[spoiler:TheManBehindTheMan Zemus]] is scripted, and an automatic win, but it just summons the FinalBoss. Also, during the FinalBoss fight, the only way to actually start the battle is to have Cecil use an item on him.
43	** The trend continues with ''The After Years''. There are several boss battles that are scripted. Including [[spoiler: The Creator, who continues to follow you throughout the escape of the final dungeon, but wriggles away after a few turns of punching himself]].
44	** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyV'' uses this to good effect in the first fight against Exdeath: no matter what happens, [[spoiler: Galuf]] cannot be killed. [[spoiler: This results in his death for fighting well beyond the limits of survival.]]
45	** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'':
46	*** The fight with Vargas in the beginning of the game is a one-on-one battle. The only commands available to Sabin are Attack and Blitz, and you don't know how to use Blitz until a conversation when the battle's almost over, after which you defeat Vargas by using Raging Fist.
47	*** The third battle with Ultros in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'' is a normal boss fight until Relm shows up, and then, after a conversation, you win the battle by having Relm use her Sketch ability to paint a picture of the boss.
48	*** The first random encounters you come across in the World of Ruin have Sap and very low HP, so they tend to immediately die off on their own; this illustrates the bleak state of the new world.
49	*** When you find Terra in the ruined version of Molbiz during the World of Ruin story, Humbaba appears and she fights it alone to protect the children. Due her losing her fighting spirit, she's not strong enough to kill the creature and she is defeated in the battle. The monster flees after the other party members step in and fights in Terra's place.
50	** Cloud's last battle with Sephiroth in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'' is lots of staring, multiple camera cuts, and one [[LimitBreak Omnislash]]. If you really want, you can just sit there, but [[DevelopersForesight the developers thought of that]], so Sephiroth will attack but Cloud will counter, ending the battle anyways.
51	** If you have Odin when you fight Seifer for the last time in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII'', he'll appear at the beginning of the battle and Seifer will kill him. Halfway through the battle, Gilgamesh will show up, grab Odin's sword, and defeat Seifer for you.
52	*** Also in this game, the FinalBattle with [[BigBad Ultimecia]]. When her HP drops to 0, she will not immediately die, and will continue to fight. Each attack that hits her from this point on, no matter how much damage or what status effects it inflicts, will only cause her to speak a few lines from her parting monologue. Once the player has attacked all the lines out of her, she finally dies.[[note]]However, it ''is'' possible to kill her before she starts her monologue, by hitting her with Selphie's ultimate LimitBreak The End, an exceedingly rare ability that will destroy literally every enemy on the battlefield. It's also possible to use The End after she begins her monologue, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iL0OOpeSWJU resulting in an absurdly anticlimactic defeat.]][[/note]]
53	** Beatrix and Kuja in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX'' defeats your party instantly with a powerful attack once you drop their HP to zero or after a certain amount of time has passed and it is completely unavoidable. On top of this, they are still standing, despite everything you threw at them. [[spoiler: The only exception is the final battle against Kuja at the end of disc 3 since his lifespan is nearly at its end and he does collapse later on after the FinalBoss.]] This is to emphasize just how powerful these characters are, no matter how much LevelGrinding the player had done previously.
54	*** Similarly, the fight against the Masked Man in the very beginning advances the plot whether you win the battle or not since the fight was just a surprise training for the party.
55	** At one point in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'' Tidus faces a powerful enemy alone, until two other characters show up mid-battle and speak to him.
56	*** Once you beat [[spoiler:Braska's final aeon]], you proceed to fight [[spoiler:every single Aeon you had acquired throughout the game, then Yu Yevon himself.]] In these final battles, every character in your party is bestowed with permanent Auto-Life status, making it impossible to lose. The very last boss even damages ''himself'' more than you probably will.
57	*** The first random encounter after a new party member joins will always be scripted for the purpose of teaching the player how to use the new member's unique skills.
58	** Subverted in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTactics'': Many plot-important battles include conversations between characters, such as Ramza debating the ethics of [[spoiler: killing Delita's sister]] with Argath while the two of them are actively trying to kill each other. The subversion is that there's zero requirement to actually ''listen'' to the conversation: if you're good enough to take down your target before they finish talking, you are essentially telling the target ShutUpHannibal. And this actually fits with Ramza's belief system: he recognizes evil when he sees it, and generally isn't interested in debating the finer points of what makes someone evil.
59	* During the final battle of ''VideoGame/PaperMario'', at one point, the game cuts away to a secondary fight of Peach and Twink vs. Kammy. You control it like a normal battle, but each character has only one action, so there's only one path the battle can take.
60	** In ''VideoGame/SuperPaperMario'', in the final battle with Count Bleck, he's impervious to your attacks at first. After you hit him a few times, a cutscene occurs where Bowser, Peach, and Luigi return, and the Count becomes vulnerable. A similar stunt is done with [[spoiler:Super Dimentio]] afterward, with [[ExpositionFairy Tippi]] coming back in this case.
61	* ''Franchise/{{Metroid}}'':
62	** The Super Metroid at the end of ''VideoGame/SuperMetroid'' is unkillable and will usually capture you almost immediately, draining you to 1 energy before recognizing Samus and stopping. It is a storyline reminder of the creature's earlier encounter with Samus, and also serves to prime you for a way out of the following unwinnable battle with Mother Brain.
63	** The battle with Mother Brain also has a scripted segment, involving [[spoiler: the Super Metroid's HeroicSacrifice and Samus's MamaBear reaction with her new [[EleventhHourSuperpower Hyper Beam]]]].
64	*** However, if you haven't found enough Energy Tanks or skipped out most of the items via SequenceBreaking, it IS possible to actually lose the fight you're supposed to survive in.
65	** Similarly, in ''VideoGame/MetroidFusion'', the final boss is an Omega Metroid. You cannot harm it at all, and you must take a hit that automatically puts you with one health unit left. The Core-X arrives, becomes an SA-X, and fires Ice Beams at the Omega Metroid in an attempt to kill its natural enemy. After taking a few hits, the Omega Metroid reduces the SA-X into a Core-X again, giving Samus the opportunity to absorb it and regain all her health and the Ice Beam.
66	* ''Franchise/FireEmblem'' does this from time to time, such as ensuring that certain attacks hit or miss during ''Blazing Sword's'' tutorial segment, or forcing a critical hit so that someone is killed or injured in spectacular fashion. Some people usually hack the game to see what happens if there ''is'' no critical hit, or to break the script only to find that the game freezes.
67	* Every final boss in the ''VideoGame/{{MOTHER}}'' series. [[VideoGame/EarthBoundBeginnings The first game]] had you sing to win, [[VideoGame/EarthBound1994 the second game]] had you pray, and [[VideoGame/{{Mother 3}} the third game]] simply had you do nothing (well, except for guarding and healing yourself) until the battle ended.
68	** ''[=EarthBound=]'' has a segment where Poo meditates before heading to meet the rest of the party. This takes place in a "battle" where the enemy systematically takes Poo's limbs and senses. You emerge completely fine, with a rather nice level up, despite being reduced to 0 HP during the sequence, which normally would invoke a GameOver.
69	* In ''VideoGame/TheForceUnleashed'' the end of every boss battle (as well as fights against Imperial Walkers) is scripted out with {{Quicktime Event}}s. The main reason is so that you can be even more badass than usual; seriously, jumping onto a walker's head, stabbing through the windshield with a lightsaber, zapping the bejeezus out of it, then taking a flying leap away and crushing the whole thing into a tiny ball?
70	* The final boss in ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiPartnersInTime'' is this, with only Shrowser (the boss) getting to attack, Mario and Luigi having to dodge and each dodged attack hurting Shrowser/ghost Princess Shroob.
71	* The original ''VideoGame/{{Persona 1}}'' had segments where your friends would get their Personas for the first time. They look like standard battles on the surface, but they're deliberately designed so that [[ForegoneVictory your party members get away]] [[FlawlessVictory without a scratch]]. Everyone also gets a free level-up in the process, regardless of how many EXP you would get from fighting the enemy party in an actual battle.
72	%%* ''Penny Arcade OTRSPOD ep II'' has one and lampshades it.
73	* ''VideoGame/DynastyWarriors'', ''VideoGame/SamuraiWarriors'', and ''VideoGame/WarriorsOrochi'' are rife with scripted events that can be either triggered or prevented depending on the circumstance.
74	* ''VideoGame/BaldursGate'': The first time you encounter Sarevok, Gorion covers for your retreat by engaging him and his minions. In an interesting variation of the trope, only half of the battle is scripted. No matter how effective Gorion's attacks are or how ineffective Saverok's attack are, the former will always be killed by the latter (even if Saverok is in between attacks)[[note]]Essentially, the game script runs normally, but after a certain number of rounds, the game runs a "Kill Gorion" script that does just that, regardless of what else might be happening[[/note]]. Whether or not Gorion manages to kill any of Saverok's minions is not scripted so their deaths are variable[[note]]In the enhanced edition, which includes Sarevok's lover in the battle, she is immune to death[[/note]].
75	** Later in the game, there's another such battle with Sarevok. While you're in the city of Baldur's Gate, you encounter him and his minions at a palace party event (or something... it's been a while), and no matter how well you fight, you can't kill him. He can kill you, however, so you can either lose or die, but not win. The battle isn't scripted in the sense that anything specific happens during the fight, but at the end, the script is that Sarevok and pals walk away.
76	** Specifically, Sarevok is scripted to attack the PC for 15 seconds, while the other members of his band slaughter as many guests as possible. It is possible to lose the game 2 ways here. If either the PC dies, or if the lord the PC is supposed to protect dies.
77	* In ''VideoGame/TheNightmareBeforeChristmasOogiesRevenge'', the final boss has a scripted RhythmGame section after the first, standard battle. While all the bosses allow you to play a RhythmGame in order to deal extra damage, the final boss makes it mandatory and you can't beat the game without going through it
78	* ''VideoGame/HyperdimensionNeptunia'': The "first" battle is Neptune receiving ''all of the {{Limit Break}}s'' of [[Platform/PlayStation3 the]] [[Platform/XBox360 three]] [[Platform/{{Wii}} goddesses]].
79	** This gets played again in ''VideoGame/HyperdimensionNeptuniaV'' where Neptune still gets hit with all the LimitBreak attacks of the other three goddesses. Only to find out that the entire sequence was the four goddesses playing a video game.
80	* In ''VideoGame/GoldenSun: The Lost Age'', a scene plays out where Isaac and Ivan fight against Agatio Karst in the Jupiter Lighthouse. You get to watch a battle scene take place where Ivan is already down and Agatio downs Isaac with powerful Psynergy. Even though the scene takes place on a battle screen, you don't get to control Isaac or Ivan but you do get to fight the antagonists a few minutes later with your own party.
81	** And when you do get to fight the pair, the beginning of the fight is scripted. The battle starts with just Felix and Piers in your party and after two turns have passed, Jenna is shown walking in and then joining in on the fight. After another two turns, Sheba shows up and joins in as well. The script here ends and the battle proceeds as normal.
82	* The final level of ''VideoGame/AceCombatAssaultHorizon'' is this entirely (and there are various other examples in the game before that.) It doesn't matter how many missiles you cram up the final boss' PAK-FA fighter plane, the game forces you to play out the scripted dialogue for the mission. Any form of ScriptBreaking the level results in you failing it because it'll give the proper conditions for the boss to win. In fact, you have to keep fighting him just because that's the only way to advance the script.
83	* [[spoiler:Harbinger]] at the end of ''VideoGame/MassEffect3''.
84	* The ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWars'' series regularly uses these to reenact scenes from anime or otherwise advance the plot. It's very common for a unit to be crippled at the beginning of a stage, leaving it with just a fraction of its HP and unable to move.
85	* The Handsome Men in ''VideoGame/{{Killer7}}''. The fight takes place as a series of one-on-one duels between the members, and the Handsome Men only attack when you do, meaning that the same characters win every time (and the final match between Garcian and Handsome Pink is interrupted by a cutscene.)
86	* ''VideoGame/PokemonTradingCardGame'' starts you off with a tutorial match where each player's deck is stacked, and gives you step-by-step instructions on what to do to win. Interestingly, this "duel" can be repeated indefinitely, rewarding the player with one booster pack containing only energy cards for each win.
87	* In ''VideoGame/SuperLesbianAnimalRPG'', the first enemy you end up fighting is the Behemoth Boar, which has stats that would normally result in a certain loss. After a few turns, Claire joins the battle, hits it with fire magic, and the boar promptly flees. [[spoiler:Later in the game, it can be fought by Melody, in an actual non-scripted battle.]]
88	* In ''VideoGame/{{Deltarune}}'', Susie gets extremely angry with Lancer due to him betraying her as ordered by his father (though he ''really'' did not want to do so since he became friends with Susie). She responds by starting a battle against him and attacks him every turn without input from the player. Lancer does fight back, but he eventually starts steer his attacks away from Susie on purpose, which makes losing against him impossible. Susie cannot be controlled other than having her soul avoid Lancer's first few attacks. After several turns, Susie unleashes her final blow and purposely missed knowing she couldn't bring herself to kill a friend. From there, Susie's CharacterDevelopment kicks in.
89	* ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'' has a few of these, assuming you don't play violently.
90	** The very first battle of the game (against Flowey) ends (or at least is supposed to end) with Flowey's attack reducing your HP to 1, at which point he surrounds your SOUL with a ring of bullets that closes in, only for Toriel to rush in and knock him flying at the last minute. If you dodge his bullets instead, he accuses you of already knowing what's going on and then does the ring of bullets as usual.
91	** Next, you fight a Dummy in another scripted tutorial battle, which ends after one turn, no matter what you do.
92	** In the first battle against a proper enemy (a Froggit), after a single turn Toriel will enter and scare the enemy away.
93	** The fight against Mad Dummy. You can't hurt it (FIGHT does nothing) and you can't Spare it either, so all you can do is survive its attacks until Napstablook shows up to drive it away.
94	** In the first "real" battle against Mettaton, the only thing you can do is press the yellow button on your phone's ACT menu, which turns your SOUL yellow and makes it able to shoot bullets. You then shoot Mettaton, which causes him to leave. This is the only way to win the battle, since neither FIGHT nor MERCY work in this case. [[spoiler:It later turns out it was a "scripted" battle in the literal sense, as in Mettaton was actually following a script - Alphys made him pretend to be an enemy so she could save you from him in order to make you like her more.]]
95	** The final battle of the Neutral route, [[spoiler:Photoshop Flowey, ends with a scripted event where Flowey does the same "ring of bullets" trick, only for the player to be restored to full health instead. Flowey tries to reload his save state (which he's been doing the entire battle), but it fails. Then the [=SOULs=] that Flowey absorbed break free of his control and combine together to destroy him.]]
96	** The TrueFinalBoss, the final battle of the True Pacifist route, [[spoiler:Asriel, the Ultimate God of Hyperdeath, has a few scripted moments. After a normal battle (though one in which you can't die, since having your HP reduced to zero simply gives the message "But it refused" and resumes the battle from before the attack which killed you), Asriel uses a very difficult to avoid attack that reduces your HP to 1, after which you become unable to do anything (the only option available is "Struggle", which has no effect). After dodging a few more attacks, something else happens and your ACT option becomes SAVE, in glowing rainbow letters. You use the new option to save all the Lost Souls that Asriel[=/=]Flowey absorbed before the fight (i.e. the friends you made along your journey), then finally SAVE Asriel himself. Asriel then blasts you with an unavoidable attack that ends up reducing your HP to a tiny fraction (representing the player character's sheer Determination and willingness to cling to life no matter what), then you finally Spare him and the battle ends.]]
97	** In a way, the final boss of the Genocide route is one of these. [[spoiler:You can't hurt Sans, since he dodges your attacks (and he is the ''only'' enemy in the game who can do that), but the battle doesn't progress unless you attack him. Every time you attack (and miss), he says a few more lines of dialogue, so the battle essentially plays out like an interactive cutscene as you both dodge each other's attacks (or, more accurately, as he dodges your attacks and you attempt to dodge his). Eventually he traps you by making it his turn forever, meaning you can't do anything. You have to wait until he falls asleep, then push the battle box over to the FIGHT command and select it to finally kill him.]]
98	*** The battle after that [[spoiler:is literally one of these, since you have no control - the player character automatically beats Flowey to a pulp with no input needed or even possible at all.]]
99	* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfDragoon'' has a scripted ''boss fight''. The only characters in your party are Dart and [[spoiler:Lloyd]], the latter of whom immediately attacks [[spoiler: the FinalBoss, Melbu Frahma]], and is swatted down in a single hit after [[TheWorfBarrage launching an impressive barrage of attacks]].
100	** Earlier on, you fight [[spoiler:Lloyd]] in a scripted DuelBoss, where he dodges all of your attacks and the battle ends automatically after a certain time.
101	* ''VideoGame/LostOdyssey'' has the battle against [[spoiler:mind-controlled Jansen]] - attacking him hurts you, so all you can do is defend and heal and wait the battle out.
102	* ''Videogame/AWayOut'' [[spoiler: Has this in the end of the game where you fight against the other player, despite the presence of health bar for each character, ultimately the outcome of the fight and ending is decided at the last button mashing to reach a single gun.]]
103	** However, [[spoiler: the preceding battle, in which Leo and Vincent try to kill each other and there's a clear victor after each "phase", will determine who wins the button mashing battle: the lower a character's health, the harder it is to get to the gun. Essentially, if one character has more health than the other, the healthier character will get the gun first unless they are ''trying'' to lose.]]
104	* In ''VideoGame/{{Miitopia}}'', a scripted battle plays out with the Princess's true love attempting to fight a powerful monster who has stolen said Princess's face. The young man attempt of an attack does no damage while the monster counters with a powerful punch that instantly defeats him. Your party immediately intervenes and are able to beat the monster themselves.
105	[[/folder]]

Context Main / ScriptedBattle