Line #42 VideoGame/StartAgainStartAgainStartAgainAPrologue


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/start_again_start_again_start_again_a_prologue.png]]
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3	-->''(Ah... You've seen this before.)''
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5	''START AGAIN START AGAIN START AGAIN: a prologue'' (alternately stylized as ''START AGAIN: a prologue'') is an UsefulNotes/RPGMaker game by ''insert disc 5''. As the name implies, your hero, The Traveler Siffrin, has found themselves [[GroundhogDayLoop trapped in a time loop]], relieving the same events over and over again as he and their intrepid companions face The King. Alongside The Fighter, The Housemaiden, The Researcher and The Kid, you must...
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7	...You... must...
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9	You must ensure that they don't find out. Because it's not like it's a ''problem'', right? Facing the same enemies, traversing the same spaces, staring down the same FinalBoss... You've got this down pat! There's nothing to it but to ''do it'', right? As many times as it takes.
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11	You've ''got this''. You do. It's fine. It will all be fine.
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13	This game can be found [[https://insertdisc5.itch.io/start-again-prologue here]] and [[https://store.steampowered.com/app/1691420/START_AGAIN_a_prologue/ here]]. The game it's a prologue/prototype to, ''VideoGame/InStarsAndTime'', was announced on March 22, 2022, with a release of November 20, 2023.
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15	!!''START AGAIN START AGAIN START AGAIN: a prologue'' contains examples of:
16	* AllForNothing: Siffrin fears that their quest is effectively this, fueling his desperation to keep the others LockedOutOfTheLoop.
17	* ArbitraryHeadcountLimit: PlayedWith; despite having five members, only four enter battle... because they're worried about letting [[JustAKid The Kid]] face monsters. Thus they're on [[ItemCaddy snack duty]] instead.
18	* TheChosenOne: Thanks to the Change God's blessing, the Housemaiden cannot be Frozen, and has the ability to unfreeze her companions. Should she fall, however...
19	* CruelTwistEnding: [[spoiler:The True Ending. Even when you defeat the King and remember everyone's names, [[YankTheDogsChain cue the game]] looping once more to the beginning.]]
20	* CultureClash:
21	** The Researcher is the only party member who's not from Vaugarde; as a result, some of the local customs go over her head. Like the whole crab thing.
22	** The Kid hails from a coastal region, leading to a bit of ForeignQueasine when they [[spoiler:pull out a grilled fish head]].
23	* DeadpanSnarker: The Researcher is by far the snarkiest of the lot... or at least, the most open with her dry commentary, whereas Siffrin [[FirstPersonSmartass tends to keep his thoughts to himself]].
24	* DeliberatelyMonochrome: The graphics are black, white and grayscale.
25	* EyeScream: Implied; Siffrin has an EyepatchOfPower, and is still having some trouble getting used to the change in depth perception. Play your cards right and you'll learn [[spoiler:they lost it while protecting one of the others]].
26	* FiveManBand:
27	** TheHero[=/=]TheHeart: The Housemaiden, returning to what remains of her home with everyone's hopes riding on her shoulders.
28	** TheLancer: Siffrin/The Traveler, a LovableRogue who seems to approach their mission with an irreverent attitude, concealing how much they care about the others with their quips, one-liners and puns.
29	** TheBigGuy: The Fighter, loyal, steadfast and true, encouraging everyone to stand strong.
30	** TheSmartGuy: The Researcher from another land, able to analyze their opponents and determine their weaknesses, then strike accordingly with their Craft.
31	** TagalongKid: The Kid, managing snack duty and moral support with a side of childish snarkery.
32	* GroundhogDayLoop: The central conceit; only Siffrin is aware of this.
33	* HeroesPreferSwords: The Housemaiden, TheHero of the tale, is the only party member to use a sword.
34	* HopelessBossFight: PlayedForDrama. In Siffrin's experience, the King has effectively proven to be one, preventing the heroes from seeing their journey through to the end.
35	* InMediasRes: We join the heroes at the start of the FinalDungeon, after Siffrin has already spent a significant amount of time looping on his own.
36	* JustifiedTutorial: Prompting The Housemaiden to talk about battle strategies can help her feel better before tackling your first Sadness inside the Castle. Not that you ''need'' to, mind you...
37	* LimitedWardrobe: [[JustifiedTrope Justified]] due to the short time span. Notably, Housemaidens of Change are typically expected to switch up their style from time to time as part of their worship.
38	* MultipleEndings: Four variations: 'In Blood and Stars', 'In Tears and Time', the True Ending, and the Perfect Ending.
39	* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Siffrin nearly breaks down from the guilt of realizing that [[spoiler:he's forgotten the names of all of his companions]].
40	* NightmareFetishist: PlayedWith; the Housemaiden enjoys reading horror for the catharsis factor, rooting for the protagonists to survive. Though she also admits that [[spoiler:she likes the ones where they ''marry'' the monsters, as well]]...
41	* NobodyPoops: {{Averted}}; upon finding a bathroom, the party speculates about whether or not The King needs to use it, and consider taking a bathroom break.
42	* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: PlayedWith; each of the heroes has their own names, but are referred to in the game's menus by their respective one-word descriptors. [[spoiler:Siffrin eventually realizes that he's forgotten all of their names, berating themself for it.]]
43	* PersonalityPowers:
44	** Siffrin/The Traveler is a Scissors-type FragileSpeedster with punny techniques like 'Knife To Meet You' and '[[TooCleverByHalf Too Cleaver By Half]]', reflecting his once-playful nature.
45	** The Fighter is a heavy-hitting Rock-type whose techniques are all straightforward and SHOUTED!!!
46	** The Housemaiden is a split Scissors/Paper-type with considerable anxiety who serves as the [[WhiteMage party's healer]]. Many of her techniques sound like MagicalGirl moves.
47	** The Researcher is naturally a Paper-type, but her [[BlackMage Craft skills]] let her effectively strike the weaknesses she pinpoints in her adversaries.
48	* PlayerNudge: PlayedWith; Should the player [[spoiler:lose the final battle]] while on the path to the [[spoiler:True Ending]], Siffrin has decidedly mixed feelings about recreating his actions, questioning and second-guessing his own actions.
49	* SadClown: Before the loops started, Siffrin was a LovableRogue with a knack for quips, puns and one-liners. Now he's trying to keep up the act for everyone else's sake.
50	* SayingSoundEffectsOutLoud: The Fighter is prone to this, along with [[CallingYourAttacks calling his attacks]].
51	* SecretlySelfish: PlayedWith; Siffrin questions his own motivations, particularly after [[spoiler:his friends confront him]] on one route. He can't help wondering whether he's ''manipulating'' the others, and whether or not it's okay to [[spoiler:seek comfort from them]].
52	* SequelHook: As befitting a Prologue. [[spoiler:The True Ending sees the heroes vanquish the King and seemingly break the loop, only for Siffrin to be shunted back even further, to before they entered the FinalDungeon.]]
53	* StepfordSmiler: Siffrin is ''trying'' to be; after all, The Fighter's ''sure'' that he's never seen you worried before, so why would that change now? How well he succeeds is up to the player...
54	* SupportingProtagonist: Siffrin is the PlayerCharacter, but they're not TheHero; that would be [[TheChosenOne the Housemaiden]]. Their role in the group is closer to TheLancer.
55	* SurvivalMantra: The Housemaiden frequently reminds herself to "Stay positive..."
56	* SwitchOutMove: The Traveler and The Fighter can both pass their turn to somebody else.
57	* TacticalRockPaperScissors: Played literally; you have Rock-types, Paper-types and Scissors-types. Rock beats Scissors, Scissors beats Paper, Paper beats Rock. The Researcher can Examine enemies to help ferret out their weaknesses, or you could [[spoiler:look at their hands]].
58	* TearsOfBlood: Combined with BloodFromTheMouth. Happens to Siffrin at the beginning of the prologue, where his blood falls in drops to signify him dying at the hands of the King.
59	* TimeLoopFatigue: Siffrin is naturally suffering from this, though he'd prefer to avoid letting on.
60	* TimeStandsStill: Many of the world's inhabitants have been frozen in time, aside from our heroes and those who oppose them. Touching the tears scattered throughout the castle will inflict the same fate upon anyone or anything, causing an instant GameOver if the party does so.
61	* UnusualEuphemism: Crab is a remarkably flexible one. 'Oh my crab', 'Holy crab', 'mothercrab'...
62	* WasOnceAMan: The Sadness are all that remain of those defeated by The King; remnants of their emotions clinging to existence.
63	* WellIntentionedExtremist: The King is a case of where the problem is the 'problem' -- he's convinced that it would be better for the world to remain frozen in a state of suspended, eternal beauty. How everybody else feels about the matter is completely irrelevant to him, though he still pleads for understanding from the Housemaiden and her companions.
64	* YouCantGoHomeAgain: The House of Change that the Housemaiden used to live in was corrupted and twisted into the King's Castle. As a result, she recognizes many of the rooms, but they've all been rearranged and altered from their original state in ways she finds unnerving, and the familiarity that remains offers little comfort.
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Context VideoGame / StartAgainStartAgainStartAgainAPrologue