Line #126 VideoGame/Gungnir


1	%% Administrivia/ZeroContextExample entries are not allowed on wiki pages. All such entries have been commented out. Add context to the entries before uncommenting them.
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3	[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/gungnirkeyvisual_9797.jpg]]
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5	If you reached this page looking for the mythological weapon, try Myth/NorseMythology or PublicDomainArtifact.
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7	Developed by Creator/StingEntertainment and published by Creator/{{Atlus}}, a StrategyRPG''[[GenreBusting -ish]]'' game for the Platform/PlaystationPortable. It was announced at the end of February 2011, and then released in Japan that May, almost a full year after ''VideoGame/BlazeUnion''. It is Episode IX of VideoGame/DeptHeaven. ''Gungnir'' was released in the summer of 2012 in North America, making it the first DHE game to escape NoExportForYou since the PSP remake of ''VideoGame/KnightsInTheNightmare''.
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9	The game's full title is ''Gungnir: Inferno of the Demon Lance and the War of Heroes'', and the story dawns in the year 983, on an empire torn by conflicts between its two races, the noble Daltania and the "accursed" Leonica, who are badly oppressed by the nobility. The Leonica and a few sympathetic Daltania have formed a resistance known as [[MeaningfulName Esperanza]], but they're struggling to hold their own against the Imperial Army's greater force and skill.
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11	One day, fifteen-year-old Giulio Raguel--a low-ranking captain in Esperanza--and his men come upon a slave trader and "liberate" his captive, a beautiful girl named Alissa who (unbeknown to them) happens to be Daltanian. Giulio invites Alissa to join his cause with open arms, and although she has her worries, she accepts.
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13	Not long after this, in a battle so desperate that it looks like Giulio will be killed, he discovers the eponymous demonic lance Gungnir and takes it up, managing to turn the situation around. The resistance rejoices, but this marks the creaking of Destiny's cogwheels into motion. And remember: This is a Sting game. Destiny is a ''total douche.''
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15	The game handles similarly to your garden-variety isometric SRPG such as ''VideoGame/TacticsOgre'' or ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTactics'', but is [[AntiGrinding entirely linear]] in grand Sting tradition and includes a system that allows the player to completely ignore the established turn order for strategic purposes. This makes for a system where WeakButSkilled units stay just as useful as powerful ones in the hands of a wily enough tactician.
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17	For more about the game's development, see [[http://disaresta.livejournal.com/75948.html#cutid1 this interview with the creators]] ('''SPOILERS!''').
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19	Finally, as with many other games in the series, Atlus USA changed a number of characters' names in their localization. Since both sets of names are used throughout the wiki, you may want to consult the [[{{Characters/Gungnir}} character sheet]] to see what everyone is called in both versions.
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21	!!''Gungnir'' utilizes the following tropes:
22	* AlliterativeName: '''R'''agnus '''R'''aguel and '''R'''icardo '''R'''aguel.
23	* AlternateCharacterReading: "Inferno" is spelled with the kanji for "war god", causing a number of title mistranslations until the Inferno were introduced on the official site. The game is rife with these; a few more examples are the Grim (the Spinner) and the Legia (demon mark).
24	* ArtificialStupidity: Some enemies will (rarely) attack someone even if they have immunity to an attack. Even if the AI has a different move that ''will'' cause damage.
25	* AwesomeButImpractical:
26	** The War Gods would amazingly helpful if they had better aim.
27	** Gungnir itself is arguably this in the early stages, due to being so heavy. Whether or not it is depends on how useful the player sees it.
28	* BackFromTheDead: Isabelli does this often, being able to revive herself. [[spoiler:Though Elise seals her after coming back three times, outright removing her from the world.]]
29	* BecomingTheMask: [[spoiler:Natalia is, at first, willing to use the Leonicans to get Alissa on the throne, under the pretense that it will be for the good of the Leonicans. By the end of the game, she's fighting for equal rights for all Leonicans.]]
30	* BestServedCold: Ragnus lost his father to Imperial troops as a little kid. He's been itching for revenge since.
31	%%* BittersweetEnding: Ending A.
32	%%* BlackAndGrayMorality
33	%%* BlessedWithSuck: Gungnir.
34	%%* CainAndAbel: Who's who depends on your view.
35	%%* TheCallKnowsWhereYouLive
36	%%* ChangelingFantasy: [[spoiler:Ragnus]].
37	* ContinuityNod:
38	** All the mercenary generics you can hire are named after knights from ''VideoGame/KnightsInTheNightmare''.
39	** Along with various other items common to the series, Gulcasa's armor and Milanor's cape and weapon can be purchased at shops.
40	%%* CostumePorn
41	%%* CrushingThePopulace
42	%%* CrutchCharacter: While not noticeable in Basic or Advance, Nightmare has Ragnus as one.
43	%%* CursedWithAwesome: Gungnir, again.
44	%%* DarkerAndEdgier: If you thought ''VideoGame/KnightsInTheNightmare'' and ''VideoGame/BlazeUnion'' were bad...
45	%%* DeadpanSnarker: Elise.
46	%%* DealWithTheDevil
47	%%* DeceasedParentsAreTheBest: Ricard.
48	%%* DirtyOldMan: Paulo, a mostly benign version.
49	%%* DoomedHometown
50	* DullEyesOfUnhappiness: Giulio has them constantly despite being a {{keet}}.
51	%%* EmotionlessGirl: Elise.
52	* EscortMission: Before Alissa joins the active roster, there are two battles (one optional, one mandatory) where you must defend her from enemies while simultaneously trying to accomplish your objective. She's not a OneHitPointWonder, but she's pretty close.
53	%%* EvilWeapon: Gungnir.
54	* TheFairFolk: Sprites of various types inhabit the world.
55	* FamousAncestor: Giulio and Fiona's ancestors were knights who protected the Leonican people. Ragnus, as the adopted son, has a bit of an inferiority complex over not being a "real" Raguel.
56	* FantasticNuke: Gungnir has been referred to as one by WordOfGod and in the story.
57	%%* FantasticRacism
58	* GoingNative: Ragnus' family in the backstory and Alissa in the present day.
59	%%* GoldenEnding: The A+ ending is the closest.
60	* GratuitousEnglish:
61	-->"Be Drowned!"
62	-->"AIMU A BATTO!"
63	* GuideDangIt:
64	** Want the A+ ending? Hope you know the specific conditions! [[note]]Have Alyssa participate in every possible battle she can from start to finish. This means she cannot fall in battle or retreat even once.[[/note]]
65	** The War Gods can be purely beneficial, but they require you to meet certain conditions to do so, usually your team being at a disadvantage.
66	%%* HarderThanHard: Nightmare.
67	* HealingFactor: In battle, Gungnir heals the user by absorbing the life force of foes it damages.
68	* HeroesPreferSwords: Though ours will switch to Gungnir itself when need be.
69	* HeroicSelfDeprecation: Both Giulio and Ragnus have inferiority complexes over each other. They become closer after realizing this.
70	* HonorBeforeReason:
71	%%** Natalia.
72	** [[spoiler:Valerie states she would rather die than submit to Alissa]] in Ending A.
73	* HopelessBossFight: Against Pierre, which would actually be winnable [[TheComputerIsACheatingBastard if the CPU didn't make him automatically recover from zero HP]].
74	** [[spoiler:Robertus, the first time you fight him.]]
75	* HotBlooded: Ragnus. He tries to leave his personal feelings out of his decisions as leader, but this doesn't work too well whenever the subject of his father's killer comes up. This is one of the many reasons he thinks Giulio would be a better leader than him.
76	* HumansAreBastards: Discussed by two fae.
77	* IAmNotLeftHanded: [[spoiler:Elise]] pulls out quite an interesting weapon during the endgame.
78	* InTheHood: Alissa in the OP.
79	* InventoryManagementPuzzle: The weight system.
80	* JokeWeapon: A few weapons that appear in Nightmare (a broken sword, a rope) appear to be this and deal next to no damage.
81	* KarmaMeter: Which of the MultipleEndings you get mostly depends on whether you decide to be nice or a douche.
82	* KatanasAreJustBetter: Averted. Katanas can only be used by a single class, and even then only to counter. This makes it worse than it sounds, due to the complicated countering mechanics.
83	* KickTheDog: The people of Espada, including those who joined Esperanza, [[spoiler:have discriminated against Ragnus ever since he came to Espada as a little boy, and even now like to talk about how unfit he is to lead them compared to Giulio when they know he's in earshot]]. This is part of what leads to that character's behavior in scene 10, although Giulio (and hence the audience) doesn't learn about it until it's too late.
84	* KidHero: Giulio at the outset of the story.
85	%%* LaResistance
86	%%** TheRevolutionWillNotBeCivilized / YourTerroristsAreOurFreedomFighters
87	%%* LadyOfWar: Alissa.
88	* LethalJokeWeapon: Some weapons in Nightmare (such as a broken sword and a rope) look useless (and indeed deal pathetic damage), but are ''very'' useful in dealing with the challenges given by Nightmare, due to having a secondary effect (usually triggered by Beat) that more than makes up for it.
89	* MauveShirt: Noah, Claude, and Teresa. [[spoiler:All three die.]]
90	* MarkOfTheBeast: Giulio is purported to have one somewhere on his body.
91	%%* TheMedic: Paulo.
92	* MercyMode: Though you're able to refuse it by choosing Restart over Retry.
93	* MoralityPet: Alissa is yours, and because most of the choice points have to do with her, your ending will depend a lot on how you treat her.
94	* MultipleEndings: Two general ending patterns with a number of smaller variations, starting at the end of the very first battle.
95	* MusclesAreMeaningless: In effect everywhere and lampshaded in Ragnus' case.
96	%%* MysteriousPast: Both Alissa and Elise.
97	* NeverFoundTheBody: [[spoiler:Fiona's body isn't shown in the second Espada Massacre, telling she's alive. Though you won't see her unless you have the A ending.]]
98	* NintendoHard: The Advance and Nightmare settings. ''Especially'' Nightmare.
99	* NoOneCouldSurviveThat: Giulio survives fatal wounds thanks to Gungnir. Though he would've died if Paulo were even a day later at arriving back at Espada.
100	* NobleBigot: Noah, Robertus.
101	* OffingTheOffspring: Wolfgang did this in order to [[NiceJobBreakingItHerod escape a prophecy that his successor would kill him]]. Of course, he missed a couple.
102	* OrcusOnHisThrone: Justified with Wolfgang's illness, the political spats between Zaird and Robertus, and the difficulty Zaird would likely have on a battlefield with uneven ground in his war wheelchair/personal chariot.
103	%%* OurAngelsAreDifferent
104	* PrincessesPreferPink: Well, a redish colour.
105	* PostVictoryCollapse: Giulio manages to hold out despite his ordinarily fatal wounds long enough to get Gungnir and kick Pierre out, then faints and is in bed for about a week.
106	* RealIsBrown: ''Gungnir'' has the most subdued palette of any VideoGame/DeptHeaven game released thus far--even ''VideoGame/KnightsInTheNightmare'' had brightly colored characters and bullets.
107	* ScarfOfAsskicking: Ragnus.
108	* SequelHook: We never find out what happens to [[spoiler:Ragnus or Valerie]], Robertus is still a problem, and then there's all that stuff Hierameir and Isabeli were saying about TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt.
109	%%* ShrinkingViolet: Alissa.
110	* SiblingRivalry: Giulio has an inferiority complex over how accomplished Ragnus is and wants to catch up to him.
111	%%* SillyRabbitIdealismIsForKids
112	%%* SmugSnake: Pierre.
113	* SpoilerOpening: The initial appearance of Gungnir is depicted, as is [[spoiler:the final battle versus Isaveli and Ragnus]], although it's not readily apparent that the latter is a spoiler.
114	* StarCrossedLovers: [[spoiler:Giulio and Alissa, even in the best endings. Thanks for that, Robertus.]]
115	* StatusEffects: Such as Undead and Batrify[[note]]Changes the target to a skeleton or bat during the night, respectively. [[/note]], as well as element-ism [[note]]Makes the target's affinity become a certain element[[/note]], for starters.
116	%%* SupremeChef: Fiona.
117	* TearsOfBlood: Giulio in the opening. They are also ''BlackBlood.''
118	* TellMeAboutMyFather: Giulio was very young when his father died, so this is the natural end result.
119	* ThemeNaming: There's a lot of Hispanic influence in the names thus far; "Esperanza" specifically means "hope".
120	* ThroughHisStomach: Esperanza owes more than half of its recruits to Fiona's cooking.
121	%%* TraumaCongaLine: Poor Ragnus.
122	* TryNotToDie: Fiona says this to Ragnus and Giulio after they leave to the Gate of Lament. You can either promise to return alive or promise victory.
123	* UnluckyChildhoodFriend: Noah, Claude, and Teresa are ''so'' unlucky that [[spoiler:they die as soon as the third stage]]!
124	* WakeUpCallBoss: Played through on Basic first and found Nightmare to not be too big an increase in difficulty? The Gate of Lament fixes that for you.
125	* WeHardlyKnewYe: [[spoiler:Noah, Claude, Teresa]].
126	* WutaiTheft: [[spoiler:Ragnus pulls it when the army retreats from Robertus and stays behind to help everyone else escape. Valerie pulls it later, but she comes back after strengthening Esperanza, subverting it.]]
127	%%* YouKilledMyFather
128	* YouShallNotPass: [[spoiler:Ragnus]] pulls this to ''an entire army''. While he ultimately fails, he accomplished his goal.
129	* YoungestChildWins: It's Giulio rather than his older siblings Ragnus and Fiona who gets to be the hero of the story. Granted, this may not be such a good thing.

Context VideoGame / Gungnir