Line #57 VideoGame/Soulworker


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/swlogo.png]]
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3	''[[https://soulworker.game.onstove.com/Home/Index [=SoulWorker=]]]'' is a Korean free-to-play MMORPG created by ''Lion Games''. Originally released in April 2016 for open beta testing in Japan, it eventually received a release one year later (January 2017) in Korea. Currently, it is published by ''Smilegate Megaport'' (Korea) and self-published by ''Lion Games'' (Taiwan/Hong Kong/Macau). A North American/European server was published by ''Gameforge'' in February 2018, however it was shut down on April 30th, 2021. A self-published international server from ''Lion Games'' was released May 13, 2021 after the shutdown.
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5	The planet of [[FictionalEarth Second Stair]] was suddenly overrun by a disaster known as the Great Void, a portal that destroyed and consumed any living being that came in contact with it, as well as giving birth to [=SoulDregs=], alien monsters that pose an active threat to humanity. Humans who managed to survive the Void’s onslaught were forced to live within it, harboring the potential to become a superpowered soldier known as a [=SoulWorker=], while those living on the outside of it were left to mourn the loss of their loved ones in a post-apocalyptic world. With no way in or out of the Void, humanity would be permanently shut out until fifteen years later, when the Void suddenly opened to reveal a beam of light, and with it, a person with supernatural powers…
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7	''[=SoulWorker=]'' lets you play as said superhuman characters, whose powers are drawn from [[EmotionalPowers intense emotions]], such as [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge revenge]], madness, and sorrow. Its gameplay is centered on completing Mazes (dungeons) in order to progress through the main story. The game also introduces unique mechanics such as its skill build system (which puts an emphasis on mix and matching different skills in combat, rather than keyboard combos) and the Akasha (special cards obtained from a gacha system that can be activated alongside your skills, providing special buffs, debuffs, or flat-out damage to assist you in Mazes).
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9	A five-episode anime produced by ''Larx Entertainment'' was released from March 17, 2016 to April 5, 2016, and was dubbed in Korean, Japanese, and English. An official playlist of all the English-dubbed episodes can be found [[https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXzW4js3-MKsWFC7Muu75y5azAoSmPg7s here]].
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11	''[=SoulWorker=]'' also currently has three mobile game spinoffs, ''[=SoulWorker=]: Zero'' (a reimagining of the original game with slightly different gameplay), ''[=SoulWorker=] Anime Legends'' (essentially the same game as Zero, but published under ''Gameforge''), and ''[=SoulWorker=] Academia'' (a campus-style SliceOfLife spinoff that introduces new content such as dorm life, club activities, and part-time jobs).
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14	!!This game contains examples of:
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16	* AnAdventurerIsYou: Though all of the characters can qualify for a DPS role, they also have their own individual sub-roles.
17	** Haru is a jack of all trades who is capable of buffing, doing AOE damage, etc.
18	** Erwin is the archer (though ironically, most of his beginning skills are melee).
19	** Lily is a nuker who is capable of doing high amounts of damage if her Soul Gauge is [[DifficultButAwesome managed wisely]].
20	** Stella uses a StanceSystem to switch between being a DPS or a healer/buffer.
21	** Iris is an AOE nuker whose impressive damage is offset by her slow attack speed.
22	** Jin is a jack of all trades whose skill set allows him to be a mitigation tank (with the unique ability of countering enemy hits), a debuffer, and a mezzer.
23	** Ephnel is the scrapper with high attack speed and movement speed stats.
24	* AfterTheEnd: The game's story takes place fifteen years after the Great Void has overrun the world.
25	* AllThereInTheManual: All of the lore regarding how the Great Void formed (as well as Kant and Rosca's role regarding it) is hidden in audio dramas of the game, which have been fansubbed but have yet to receive an official translation.
26	* AlwaysCheckBehindTheChair: [=SoulSequence=] items are hidden throughout the game's Mazes, forcing the player to explore Mazes thoroughly to look for these items (to make the search easier, the game's screen turns black and white when your character is nearby an item).
27	* AlwaysNight: Candus City will always be in nighttime, regardless of when you play.
28	* AndYourRewardIsClothes: Completing the story quests for Rucco Town awards you with temporary clothing. The second promotion quest and [=DesireWorker=] promotion quests award you with permanent clothing.
29	* AnotherSideAnotherStory: Though Haru, Erwin, Lily, Stella, Iris, and Jin follow the same main story, each of them show different nuances in terms of how they interact with other people/respond to the story's conflicts. In addition, Chii, Ephnel, and Nabi show a different side of the main story entirely due to their differing roles (Chii and Ephnel are irregularities that don't fit within Rosca's divine plan, while Nabi is a second generation [=SoulWorker=]).
30	* AprilFoolsDay: For April 2021, all the characters became traditional {{RPG}} party members, with Haru as a priest, Erwin as a ranger, Lily as an alchemist, Stella as a knight, Jin as a thief, Iris as the Hero, Chii as a mage, Ephnel as a bard, and Nabi as a swordswoman.
31	* AxCrazy: Lily. [[PowerBornOfMadness She even gets her powers from it.]]
32	* BadBoss: The NED Company. Hands down, if not just due to their lack of ethics, but also due to their treatment of the mercenaries they hire. In one particular case, Ralph/Bamz is tasked to retrieve documents from a dangerous area belonging to NED, only for the security system's sentry guns to come online and shoot him. An attempt to disable the sentry guns promptly gets denied by NED senior staff, leaving Ralph/Bamz no choice but to deal with the guns.
33	* BlandNameProduct: Candus City is full of these. The storefronts in the city include "Noning Glory" (a parody of "Morning Glory", a Korean company that produces school supplies), Candus Fried Chicken/CFC (UsefulNotes/KentuckyFriedChicken), and Moonbucks Coffee (Starbucks).
34	* CharacterDevelopment: Invoked by Rosca, as she split the characters into separate timelines in order to ensure that they grow into better people, capable of harnessing their powers and taking on their inner demons.
35	* ColorCodedForYourConvenience: Each playable character has a specific color for their [=SoulWorker=] powers.
36	** Haru is orange.
37	** Erwin is sky blue.
38	** Lily is fuschia.
39	** Stella is violet.
40	** Iris is red.
41	** Jin is bright yellow.
42	** Chii is crimson.
43	** Ephnel is green.
44	** Nabi is teal.
45	* CompletionMeter: The game uses this to measure "progress" within towns, which can be filled up by completing main/side story quests and collecting [=SoulSequence=] items.
46	* CreepyDoll: The mannequins and dolls Edgar makes can classify as this.
47	* {{Crossover}}: The game has collaborated with ''Literature/IsItWrongToTryToPickUpGirlsInADungeon'' and ''Literature/KonoSuba'', both of which introduced costumes based on characters from their respective series.
48	* DarkAndTroubledPast: Applies to all playable characters except Erwin. Kant's emotional manipulation only amplified the trauma caused by their pasts.
49	* DarkerAndEdgier: The [=DesireWorker=] forms are this, bringing out the more violent and malicious personalities of the characters.
50	* ADayInTheLimelight: The Corrupted Record quests give Haru, Erwin, Lily, Stella, Iris, and Jin their own spotlight, detailing what their lives were like within the Great Void.
51	* DubNameChange: The ''Gameforge''-published server had a multitude of these.
52	* DullEyesOfUnhappiness: All of the [=DesireWorkers=] have this, minus Erwin. [[spoiler:This is most likely because Erwin didn't become a [=DesireWorker=] out of trauma, but out of necessity to avoid getting killed by Haru (who had already awakened as a full-fledged [=DesireWorker=] by then).]] Customizable eyes can also be purchased from the store.
53	* {{Fanservice}}: As of Chii's release, the game has steadily leaned more and more into this trope, from Chii's NavelDeepNeckline and extremely short hoodie-dress, to Ephnel (who's a WalkingSwimsuitScene with an in-game taunt of pole-dancing on her spear), to Nabi (who has the biggest chest size to date), to the generally form-fitting and/or revealing costumes released for the female characters.
54	* GameplayAndStorySegregation: The main [=SoulWorkers=] never meet each other for the majority of the first story arc, due to being in separate timelines. However, this won't stop you from playing together with other characters in-game.
55	* GameplayGrading: At the end of each Maze, you receive a ranking that spans from from F to SSS.
56	* GoneHorriblyWrong: Rosca's divine interference of destroying the Serenade Guild was intended to keep them from becoming a threat to Second Stair. Instead, it turned Tenebris into a power-seeking FallenHero [[spoiler:as well as one of the main villains alongside Kant, [[NiceJobBreakingItHero making him an actual, if not ''bigger'' threat]] to Second Stair]].
57	* HeelFaceBrainwashing: [[spoiler:Every one of 6 Original Protagonists were [=DesireWorkers=] who committed massacres back in the Void. Rosca pulled them out of Void and tempered with their memories to make them into [=SoulWorkers=].]]
58	* ImprobablyFemaleCast: Over two-thirds of the currently playable characters are female, with the last playable male character (Jin) released in ''2017''.
59	* AnInteriorDesignerIsYou: The Home system allows you to decorate your own one-room apartment.
60	* KarmicDeath: [[spoiler:Henry, after you spend several questlines tracking him down to avenge Catherine's death, dies in the same way she does: Getting turned into a [=SoulDreg=] in the exact same way, forcing the this time more than happy to do the job player to kill him.]]
61	* KillTheCutie: [[spoiler:At the end of the Candus city area quests, Catherine gets turned into a [=SoulDreg=], forcing the player to kill her.]]
62	* PaletteSwap: When first creating a character, you can choose between different palette swaps of the characters' school uniforms. In addition, costumes can be dyed in different colors.
63	* SceneryGorn: The entirety of District 6 has been destroyed and taken over by [=SoulDregs=].
64	* ThereAreNoTherapists: Justified in the original timeline, as most of humanity had been killed/separated by the Great Void, leaving very little room for healing in a broken, post-apocalyptic world. Any emotional healing the characters do accomplish in the original timeline is ruined by Kant in the long run.
65	* TokenMiniMoe: Stella. she is one of, if not the youngest, player character in the game, is the shortest among the playable cast, and definitely acts the most immaturely.
66	* VideoGameCaringPotential: Unlike most [=MMORPGs=], the game's promotion quests will detail your character's psychological state, as well as how they emotionally develop through their promotions, encouraging players to grow attached to them as they watch them move past their respective traumas.
67	* WalkingSwimsuitScene: Applies to Ephnel from the get-go due to her default design, however all characters can be equipped with swimsuits to in-game.
68	* WhamShot: The [=CGs=] of the Corrupted Record quests are dramatic, often depicting the characters right before things go FromBadToWorse.
69	** [[spoiler: In season 1 of the Corrupted Record quests, an exhilarated Lily is shown lying on the ground, finally defeated at the hands of Tenebris. Not long after, she begins to beg for him to end his life, causing him to finally figure out what exactly was fueling her greed as a [=DesireWorker=]...]]
70	--> [[spoiler: '''Tenebris:''' "Lilly. Is your greed... [[WhamLine your own demise?]]"]]
71	* YouDontLookLikeYou: The character model revamp changed the base designs for Haru, Lily, and Erwin, with notable differences on their facial expressions and the way they dress.

Context VideoGame / Soulworker