Line #41 VideoGame/Mythos


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mythostvtropes_4654.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:Only the very brave - or the very foolish - would enter Harborough Asylum.]]
3
4	''Mythos: The Beginning'' is a SurvivalHorror RPG for [[UsefulNotes/IBMPersonalComputer PC]], developed by Dark Gaia Studios (of ''VideoGame/OneNight'' and ''{{VideoGame/Legionwood}}'' fame) and released in September of 2014.
5
6	Envisioned as a love letter to the GothicHorror films of the early 20th Century, ''Mythos'' is the story of a famous paranormal investigator (whose name, background and appearance is decided by the player) tasked with uncovering the mystery of London's dreaded Harborough Asylum -- a place rumored to be full of ghosts, zombies and other nasties. It is the player's job to search the asylum for traces of three missing university students, all the while fighting for their life against the EldritchAbomination that has taken control of the grounds.
7
8	The game attempts to combine classic survival horror gameplay with the structure and mechanics of an old-school dungeon crawling RPG. There are stat checks, dialogue trees and non-combat proficiencies, but there are also jump scares, resource management and an emphasis on avoiding enemies which can decimate the party in a single encounter.
9
10	Like most adventure games, ''Mythos'' is best played without spoilers. Read the tropes below at your own risk.
11
12	!!This game provides examples of:
13	* AbandonedHospital: The game takes place in a disused lunatic asylum. It was closed down in 1914 [[spoiler:because the lead doctor was subjecting the patients to occult rituals]].
14	* AffectionateParody: The game is "inspired by 1930s pulp horror movies".
15	* AFriendInNeed: In two of the game's endings [[spoiler:when you're trapped by a falling rock and have to rely on Luana to help you. She'll only save you if she likes you]].
16	* AllThereInTheManual: The game has some tutorials, but the mechanics are explained in far more depth in the Investigator's Handbook.
17	* AntiFrustrationFeature: If you enter the game's final room without any supplies, it helpfully leaves a cache of them on the floor to help you fight the boss.
18	* ApocalypticLog: You find several notes left behind by former employees of the asylum.
19	* AssholeVictim: It becomes apparent halfway through the game that [[spoiler:''someone'' has to be Kraxat's host. It ends up being Blacktail]].
20	* TheBadGuyWins: Act like an asshole throughout the game and you accept [[spoiler:Kraxat]]'s offer at the end.
21	* BadassBoast: You can make a few of them.
22	* BattleThemeMusic
23	* BittersweetEnding: The Karma ending. Why is it bittersweet? [[spoiler:Kraxat is dealt with, Luana is letting the public know about the Old Ones, but you're ''dead'']].
24	* BodyHorror: Quite a lot of it.
25	* BoldInflation: Peter seems quite prone to doing this.
26	* BossInMookClothing: Any of the normal enemies could be this due to the player character's (by design) frailty.
27	* ButThouMust: Inverted -- you have the option of simply walking out the front gate and leaving the asylum at any time. Who cares about completing the rest of the game, right?
28	** Later played straight when [[spoiler:Blacktail]] arrives and breaks the gate's control panel to prevent you from leaving.
29	* CatScare: There's a literal one when you first enter the stairwell in the main building.
30	* CaptainObvious: "Watch out, it's a trap!" Why thank you for that observation, Peter. It's not like we didn't notice the roof slowly descending upon us.
31	* CruelToBeKind: Want [[spoiler:Peter]] to survive? You'll have to alienate him to the point where he decides to take his chances on his own, making sure he isn't around in the endgame.
32	* DescendingCeiling: The second crest puzzle. You can avoid getting squashed by [[spoiler:putting the Fake Crest in the old one's place]].
33	* DefeatingTheUndefeatable: The ingame lore tells you [[spoiler:Kraxat]] is an ancient demigod responsible for destroying countless worlds, but you can just shoot it to death with your .32.
34	* EldritchLocation: The [[spoiler:Old Ones' world]].
35	* EnemyScan: The Study Enemies skill.
36	* EnterSolutionHere
37	* EliteMooks: The "Old One" enemies. They usually appear alone, but a single one of them tends to be more powerful than three normal mooks combined.
38	* EvilIsHammy: Played straight intentionally. The game is, after all, a pastiche of pulpy horror movies.
39	* GetAHoldOfYourselfMan: You can do this to your companions when they begin to freak out. Usually it doesn't work unless you have the Persuade talent.
40	* GiantSpider: You can encounter them in the juvenile ward.
41	* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler:Peter]] can do this, if he hasn't decided to leave before the end of the game.
42	* HiddenSupplies: The bonus items that only exist if you have a high Sense attribute. They're impossible to find ordinarily.
43	* IntrepidReporter: You can choose a journalist background for your character.
44	* JumpScare: Plenty, though not quite as many as Dark Gaia's previous games.
45	* LaserGuidedKarma: Choose the wrong dialogue responses or threaten an NPC one too many times? Say goodbye to the perfect ending.
46	* LockedDoor: Despite the fact that there's a specific talent for lockpicking, you usually have to find a key or solve a puzzle to advance.
47	* MultipleEndings: There are four of them.
48	* NintendoHard: The combat is very difficult on the default setting, with your character doing little damage to monsters while they wipe the floor with you. Reviewers complained, leading to an update that allows for difficulty levels, but even the easiest, level zero (supposedly if you just want to enjoy the story) can be challenging.
49	* NonElemental: Strangely for an RPG, there are no elemental properties whatsoever.
50	* NostalgiaLevel: YMMV, but many of the locations are reminiscent of the first ''One Night'' game.
51	* OneWordTitle
52	* PointBuildSystem: You level up your character by spending EXP directly on attribute increases and skills.
53	* RelationshipValues: How you treat your companions ultimately determines what happens to them in the endings.
54	** Interestingly, being nice isn't always the best option, as the only way to save [[spoiler:Peter]] is to force him to leave by being nasty to him.
55	* RPGElements: HP and SP, full-fledged turn based battles, dialogue trees... the game ''does'' bill itself as a "survival horror RPG".
56	* SavePoint: The "save rooms" scattered throughout the game. You can also find Notepads that allow you to save anywhere, but they can only be used once each.
57	* ScratchDamage: Averted -- if your Guts attribute is high enough, you can cancel out enemy attacks altogether.
58	* ShoutOut: There are plenty, to other SurvivalHorror games and GothicHorror in general.
59	** When generating a random name for your character, you can get Harker, Helsing and Mina.
60	*** You can also end up with a character named Mulder (if male) or Scully (if female)
61	** The main antagonist of the game is a member of a race of [[spoiler:Eldritch "Old Ones"]].
62	** And let's not forget the shout-out to ''Resident Evil 1'' in the credits list.
63	* SkippableBoss: All of them, provided you've taken the time to master the correct talents.
64	* SpiritualSuccessor: To the ''One Night'' trilogy.
65	* StoryBreadcrumbs: You can get the gist of the story just by playing through normally, but much of the important background detail is hidden in files you can only access with certain talents.
66	* SurvivalHorror
67	* TacticalDoorUse: Exiting and re-entering a room resets all the monsters within back to their default positions.
68	* TheUnfought: If you have the right talents, you can bypass every battle in the game.
69	* ZombieGait: Played straight. They even groan "brainnsss".

Context VideoGame / Mythos