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1[[quoteright:256:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/256px-Hellgate_London_4129.jpg]]
2
3-> ''"Remember the dead. Fight for the living."''
4-->-- '''Templar Creed'''
5
6''Hellgate: London'' is a sci-fi/fantasy ActionRPG developed and published by now-defunct Flagship Studios in 2007. Many members of the development team previously worked on the ''VideoGame/{{Diablo}}'' series and went on to form Creator/RunicGames, creators of ''VideoGame/{{Torchlight}}''.
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8[[TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture In the near future,]] [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt the world falls prey]] to TheLegionsOfHell. [[FiveRoundsRapid Modern-day weaponry and tactics prove largely useless against the hordes.]] Surviving humans flee underground and much of the surface world suffers from "The Burn", a kind of [[HostileTerraforming demonic terraformation]].
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10The game focuses on [[UsefulNotes/{{London}} London, England,]] [[TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture in the year 2038.]] The streets are overrun by [[TheLegionsOfHell demon soldiers,]] [[ZombieApocalypse zombies]], [[OurGhostsAreDifferent ghosts]] and [[{{Hellhound}} mindless hell-beasts.]] Survivors dwell in UsefulNotes/TheLondonUnderground, protected from intrusion by [[UsefulNotes/{{Alchemy}} Alchemic wards]] built into the stations by [[AncientConspiracy The Freemasons.]] Most people are just trying to survive in this nightmarish new world, but three large organizations are striving for change and searching for ways to hinder or even push the demons back: [[ChurchMilitant The sword-and-light]] swinging [[UsefulNotes/TheKnightsTemplar Knights Templar]] ([[AncientConspiracy yes,]] ''[[AncientConspiracy those]]'' [[AncientConspiracy Knights Templar]]), the [[GadgeteerGenius high-tech Hunters,]] and [[DarkIsNotEvil the sorcerous]] Cabalists.
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12Player characters belong to one of these three factions, each with distinct weapons and methods for combating demons, but the ultimate goal is the same- drive the demons back through the Hellgate once and for all.
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14The game received mixed reviews due to a massive amount of bugs and a generally rushed impression, and the online servers closed down in early 2009 after Flagship Studios declared bankruptcy. Hanbitsoft has since obtained the IP and is now working on [[http://news.mmosite.com/content/2009-11-13/20091113030637844,1.shtml Hellgate: Tokyo]]. In addition, a small modding community is attempting to [[http://hellgateaus.net/forum/index.php revive]] the original game. Finally, Hanbitsoft's relaunch of the game in Korea was successful enough that they are planning on bringing over ''Hellgate: Resurrection'' to International shores, which will include HG: London and HG: Tokyo. A short beta of the game recently started (and ended), with more details on the official website, [[http://hellgate.t3fun.com/News/Notice_List.aspx at T3Fun.com]].
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16The original game has become a [[http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=298851137 Steam Greenlight game]] retitled simply ''Hellgate''.
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18It was silently released on Steam in November 16, 2018, under the name Hellgate: London, but will promise Tokyo content.
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20There's also a novel trilogy, by Mel Odom. Since there are no known coding errors with paperback novels, it has very few detractors.
21
22'''Welcome to London...'''
23----
24!!The game provides examples of:
25* AbnormalAmmo: See BeeBeeGun below. Other examples include "Greek Fire" flamethrowers, tesla guns, palladium bullets and other craziness.
26* AbsurdlySpaciousSewer: Much of the game takes place underground, in ruined subway tunnels and sewers.
27** One of the rare inversions of the trope. The actual London Underground is substantially larger than it is portrayed in the game.
28* ActionGirl: Player characters can be female. BackStory examples include Lyra Darius and much later, Jessica Summerisle, who was only a child when the invasion began but later grew up to be a ranking Templar commander, like her grandfather.
29* AffablyEvil: [[spoiler:Murmur. Even after he reveals he is a demon, he still displays the same polite personality he has exhibited through the entire game.]]
30* AnAdventurerIsYou: Six classes, two per faction.
31* AndYourRewardIsClothes: Played around with, as you can get armor, weapons, weapon mods, or consumables as rewards, in addition to money and reputation. Even weapons get pimped out and display their equipped mods.
32** Subscribers were rewarded with dye kits, which changed the character's clothing color scheme to various presets. Some of the rarer ones also had highly sought after stat-boosts.
33* ArtisticLicenseGeography: Due to randomized level architecture, many areas you visit don't look at all like their real-life counterparts, with exception of fixed areas like Piccadilly Circus.
34* BadPowersGoodPeople: The [[BlackMagic Cabalists']] schtick. They utilize demonic magic and some can be pretty ornery, but are ultimately on the side of good.
35* BattleAura: Templar characters can learn various auras that provide different effects, though you can only employ one of them at a time.
36* BeeBeeGun: The Wasp Hive-type guns shoot a swarm of glowing green insects that devour and demolish everything as long as they last. Perfect [=DoT=]-dealer for the first part of the game at least. Unfortunately, available only to Cabalists. Templars can use "Hive Swords", [[CoolSword blades for which the grip is a hive and the blade is formed of the insects themselves]], who presumably bite as they go. Both inflict [[UniversalPoison toxic damage.]]
37* BeethovenWasAnAlienSpy: Various historical events are said in the BackStory to be averted demonic invasions, most notably UsefulNotes/TheCrusades and the Great London Fire.
38* BlackMagic: This is the Cabalists' [[PlanetOfHats Hat.]] The Cabal as such formed during or after the invasion, but it's made up of the same sort of fringe scientists and arcane scholars that have been hanging around for centuries. [[BeethovenWasAnAlienSpy Famous proto-Cabalists]] include UsefulNotes/IsaacNewton, UsefulNotes/NikolaTesla and Creator/AleisterCrowley. The Cabal want humanity to progress to something called "The Awakening", [[EvolutionaryLevels an evolutionary breakthrough]] brought about by demonic power.
39* BlindIdiotTranslation: The online version released by Hanbisoft falls into this. Even quests that were from the original game, which was in English, fall under this because for some reason they decided to replace the quest text with the same quests, but minus any references to the overall storyline. For example, you still get the quests to clear tunnels of enemies, but no one mentions why you were going through those tunnels in the first place.
40* CassandraTruth: When the invasion began, UsefulNotes/TheKnightsTemplar offered their services and magics to the military, who balked, refusing to believe in such nonsense.
41* CastFromHitPoints: The Summoner's Blood Link ability which heals the main Minion. Also, both Cabalist classes have a skill which can exchange Life Points for Power Points.
42* CatScare / NothingIsScarier: Slain monsters are removed from the map when out of players' range, then are re-spawned and re-killed when returning. The net result is that death cries echo most clearly, and sometimes startlingly, when the map is empty.
43* ChainsawGood: For Hunter classes only. Requires a lot of strength instead of accuracy. [[AwesomeButImpractical Looks awesome against zombies, but is kinda weak otherwise.]]
44* CharacterLevel: Obviously. Monsters have these, too - a level 20 Zombie is a bit harder to kill than its level 1 counterpart.
45** For the same Level 1 character that is. Monster levels are made so the difficulty scales with leveling up without [[UndergroundMonkey adding a lot of monsters differing only by name, stats and maybe skin colour.]]
46* CloudCuckooLander: Many [=NPCs=], but first prize goes to Lucious Aldin, an AxCrazy GibberingGenius. [[MindRape His mind was burnt to a crisp by the darkness]] but his soul was left largely intact, though subsequent years of imprisonment and [[ColdBloodedTorture torture]] by demons didn't help. Though quite mad, he means well.
47* ClusterFBomb: The merchant from the Oxford Circus Station. 50% of his speech consists of [[SoundEffectBleep CensorBleeps]].
48* CoolOldGuy: Templar lord Arphaun, a kindly soul who dispenses [[{{Koan}} Koans]], extols the virtues of patience and TrueCompanions, [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments and warns of the dangers of mayonnaise left unrefrigerated.]]
49-->'''Arphaun:''' ''"You must always be wary of poorly-stored condiments."''
50* CoolSword: Templars can use a variety of [[CoolSword Cool Swords]], like the aforementioned [[BeeBeeGun Hive Swords.]] Each has it's own element and associated [[StatusEffects status effect]], even the humble Negotiator which can stun enemies. In particular there are two {{Hellfire}}-imbued [[FlamingSword Flaming Swords]]: The Firebrand and Molten Edge. The former can inflict splash damage.
51* CoolTrain: One quest has you clear out one of the last stretches of usable tunnel to allow one passage back to Templar territory.
52* CrateExpectations: Start-To-Crate time is instant; the first crate appears within 12 degrees of your first-line of-sight.
53** Also overlaps with DieChairDie, since the 'crates' include cardboard boxes, paint cans, barrels, oxygen tanks, and, yes, chairs along with the standard wooden boxes.
54* CrapsackWorld: Life for humans is hard in this demon-infested future, but that's not even taking into account that this particular demon horde has conquered untold other civilizations and worlds. [[HumansAreWarriors Though, humanity is the first to survive The Burn,]] so there may be hope yet.
55* DarkIsNotEvil: The Cabalists use the powers of the demons against them, though they claim to be on the side of good and have often proven themselves as such. Evokers use their offensive magics, and Summoners create elementals and enslave demon minions. Many regular humans distrust them, [[ChurchMilitant especially the]] [[UsefulNotes/TheKnightsTemplar Templars.]]
56* DemBones: Some of which can fire [[MacrossMissileMassacre homing bone missiles]] and damage the area around them when killed.
57* DemonLordsAndArchdevils: Sydonai, [[BigBad the Elder Demon in charge of the Earth invasion.]] That's his mug on the page image. Said by WordOfGod to be the mythical Asmodeus.
58* DemonSlaying: Though many characters have this sort of focus, some of the ''actual'' demon hunters regard their duty as sport, competing for demon kills and such.
59* DemotedToExtra: Murmur, who was originally the first character you met and remained relevant through the entire story, basically disappeared completely in the retranslation. He went from literally being the most developed character in the entire game to uncredited appearance in a couple cutscenes.
60* DevilInDisguise: The story's narrator / hero's sidekick Murmur turns out to be [[spoiler: the Duke of Hell with the same name]]. To be fair, the name's a lot more subtle that Lou Cypher, and isn't likely to mean anything to players without a background in demonology mythology and/or being a ''Franchise/ShinMegamiTensei'' fan.
61* DualWielding: The Blademaster class has this as one of its gimmicks. Evokers have Dual Focus, which allows for wielding of two more powerful Focus Items.
62* DysfunctionJunction: Almost everyone who isn't suicidally incompetent is a raving psychopath. You'd think that in a demon-possessed future the latter would be a requirement for survival, but there are surprisingly many of the former still living. And sending you on [[FetchQuest Fetch Quests]].
63* ElementalPowers: Not limited to the Evoker class, as all weapons deal elemental damage, beginning with plain old physical but including [[KillItWithFire Fire,]] [[UniversalPoison Toxic]], [[OurGhostsAreDifferent Spectral]], and [[ShockAndAwe Electrical.]]
64* EliteZombie: Many kinds.
65** Grotesques, {{Golem}}-like monstrosities [[{{Squick}} composed of many corpses stitched together.]] When slain some of the corpses will rise anew to continue the fight as standard zombies.
66** Nightmares, the remains of those who died in their sleep.
67** [[BloodyMurder Blood Zombies,]] who [[HealingFactor regenerate to full health if not killed quickly.]]
68** Siege Fiends, [[GiantMook massive,]] [[UniversalPoison poison spewing]] [[HalfHumanHybrids fusions of human]] [[{{Squick}} and arachnid corpses.]]
69* EnemySummoner: Zombie Lords summon zombies, and can buff any zombie types, including each other. Flesh Golems litter the ground with Death Maggots, and can spawn those and Zombies on death, while Wurm creates hordes of Death Maggots and [[KeystoneArmy fortunately takes them with him when he dies.]] Soul Reapers and Orbiles summon Polyps, and Bedlam can summon them all endlessly. Dunder Liches, including Flaw, summon 2-3 Fire Elementals.
70* TheEngineer: [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin The Engineer.]]
71* EvilAllAlong: [[spoiler: Your MrExposition, who's been encouraging and feeding you intel the entire game, turns out to be a demon who stood the most to gain from your success.]]
72* {{Expy}} / NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: ''Lots''. [=NPCs=] the player encounters include thinly-veiled Expies of Creator/WilliamShatner, Creator/PatrickStewart, Creator/GeorgeARomero, Creator/TerryPratchett, Creator/JKRowling (who is apparently [[RaceLift black]] in this universe), and Wirt from VideoGame/{{Diablo}}, among others. Oh, and there's a [[Anime/{{Pokemon}} medic named Joy.]]
73* FaceFullOfAlienWingWong: Technician 314 gets attached to the Oracle. It doesn't stop him from talking, and when he's not speaking in tongues, he complains with every breath about the ancient demon with a deathgrip on the front of his head.
74* FakeUltimateMook: The first boss, of all things.
75* FanService: The female Templar from the trailers, dubbed Avalon, appeared topless in a Magazine/{{Playboy}} spread.
76* FetchQuest: Unfortunately frequent, often combined with TwentyBearAsses. One Cabalist NPC [[LampshadeHanging lampshades this]], she's preparing a ritual or spell of some sort [[ItsUpToYou and commands you to gather reagents]] because she's too damn lazy.
77* FighterMageThief - Templars are characterized by raw combat prowess, Cabalists cast direct damage and debuff magic, and Hunters' skills include evasion and critical strikes.
78* FirstPersonShooter: Default view is a third-person chase cam, though when using exclusively guns you can zoom in to a first-person view with a smart reticule that shows the current accuracy of your guns based on movement and firing speed.
79* GameplayAllyImmortality - Any NPC accompanying you, even NonActionGuy Murmur, is immune to damage from monsters. [[spoiler: But not scripted death. Or your guys in the Millenium Battle]]
80* GargleBlaster: [[TheAlcoholic Perpetual drunkard]] Mac Kenzie has you help him brew one so potent it actually starts attracting demons, [[NiceJobBreakingItHero which you promptly have to go deal with.]]
81* GatlingGood: Of a sort, there is a particular gun with three barrels, each drawing on its own magazine.
82* GiantMook: Variously-sized Giant forms of the usual Mooks appear, not much more difficult than the standard. Champions and other Rare versions get the larger size with a notable power upgrade. A few bosses (Bedlam) are KingMook.
83** Inverted by mini Mooks, who actually are more difficult due to being smaller, speedier targets. In maps combined with GoddamnBats, they can take you down from the kneecaps while you're targeting the more conspicuous attackers swooping down on you. [=AoE=] attacks are your friend.
84* GrapplingHookPistol: Usable by Templars to drag small enemies into melee range.
85* GunsAkimbo: Pistols in each hand for Hunters (Marksmen and Engineers) and Cabalists (Summoners and Evokers). Pistol and Focus Device (magic-enhancing gloves) for Summoners, while the spell-spamming Evokers can equip two Focus Devices with the appropriate skill. Templar classes can equip a grappling pistol and another pistol, but the effectiveness is questionable.
86* {{Hellfire}}: Omnipresent, wether it be leaking through cracks in the pavement or being projected by Cabalists.
87* {{Hellhound}}: The aforementioned Ravagers.
88* HellOnEarth: How the game begins.
89* HolyHandGrenade: Besides their skill at melee combat, the Templars rely heavily on both offensive and defensive holy magic.
90* ImprobableWeaponUser: Cabalists get the greatest and most exotic variety of weapons, including guns that shoot insects and tentacles. The Hunters get a 'ballistic cannon' which shoots [[NinjaPirateZombieRobot electr]][[ShockAndAwe ified]] [[StuffBlowingUp exploding]] [[DeadlyDisc sawblades.]]
91* LightningGun: Several examples, at least one of which is some form of Tesla coil.
92* LoadsAndLoadsOfLoading: Even after the long loading times per map, disk access is almost constant, stalling the game until yet another texture/model/feature can be loaded.
93* LuckilyMyShieldWillProtectMe: Templars are the only classes than can equip shields, and Templar Guardians alone [[ShieldBash can use them to attack as well.]]
94* {{Magitek}}: Hunter classes can call in an artillery strike using a certain skill (even while underground or in Hell), which is a cause for FridgeLogic until you realize how it works - the shell is fired and then a Cabalist teleports it to the target location.
95** Cabalist "Focus Items" are expressly this, being demon magic-imbued gauntlets that amplify and project the powers of their users, essentially, spell-firing guns. Evokers can [[DualWielding dual-wield]] them and depend on them for success, as their spell power is directly proportional to the damage output of their Focus Items.
96* TheMinionMaster: The entire Summoner class, though how much it is this or TheBeastmaster [[CharacterCustomization depends on your skillpoint distribution.]]
97* MoodWhiplash: [[spoiler: The ending leads up to a VERY dramatic HumansAreSpecial moment where finally, something stands up to the forces of darkness and casts them away. [[AWinnerIsYou After defeating the final boss? You are thanked by]] the primary NPC in the game, who turned out to be a demon, [[DragonTheirFeet for offing his superior,]] in a darkly amusing scene. [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness He then effortlessly brushes you away.]]]]
98* {{Mons}} - The basic premise of the Cabalist Summoner. The Hunter Engineer's [[AttackDrone Drone]] also counts.
99* MrExposition: Your eternal companion, [[NonActionGuy Murmur.]]
100* TheMusketeer: It can pay to have a ranged weapon on hand if you are a melee character, and vice-versa.
101* NightOfTheLivingMooks: Zombies are everywhere. They are weak, but very numerous and can be buffed by Zombie Lords. Other, stronger types of undead are sometimes encountered.
102* NoOneCouldHaveSurvivedThat: After making an obvious HeroicSacrifice to save a young Jessica Summerisle in the intro, [[spoiler: Lyra Darius turns up alive, well and not having aged a day since, in Liverpool Street Station. She doesn't understand it either, due to LaserGuidedAmnesia.]] She offers a quest chain that concerns the truth of the matter.
103* OurDemonsAreDifferent: Primus, or "True Demons", use swords and guns similar to the player character's, though with an obviously demonic bent, such as {{Hellfire}} [[FlamingSword Swords]] and [[EnergyWeapon strange energy pistols with rebounding projectiles.]]
104* OurGhostsAreDifferent: Spectral demons are said to exist only partially in our reality, the other half in their own. [[StarfishAliens They are always the most bizarre-looking]] enemies and tend to [[StatusEffects inflict "Phased" status on players]], disabling their ability to use skills.
105* OurZombiesAreDifferent: The zombies of this setting are the tortured remains of humans attacked by spectral demons, [[AndIMustScream left with only the barest vestiges of a soul that keeps them in mindless, perpetual agony.]] Many zombies [[UniversalPoison are poisonous.]]
106* ThePlan: Hunter Jon has a date planned with another Hunter he has a crush on, knowing full well she intends to use him as monster bait to collect a few kills during the outing. He sets up elaborate plans to establish the appearance of success for her without actually putting himself in danger.
107* PostModernMagik: PoweredArmor, [[EnergyWeapon Energy Weapons]] and other high tech coexist with demonic magic and HolyHandGrenade.
108* PoweredArmor: Used by all human factions, [[HolyHandGrenade though the]] [[{{Phlebotinum}} power source]] [[{{Hellfire}} varies.]] Higher level armors often feature TronLines.
109* RagTagBunchOfMisfits: The survivors of the whole, but also specifically the Hunters, who are made up of former soldiers, secret agents, PrivateMilitaryContractors or what have you. They waged a SecretWar on behalf of their governments for many years- [[EnemyMine until the demons came.]] The Hunters were quick to share knowledge and technology with one another and dedicate their skills towards the cause of humanity's survival.
110* RuinsOfTheModernAge: The streets of London are a mess, most buildings are collapsed or at least burnt out, wreckage and debris lie everywhere, and {{Hellfire}} seeps through cracks in the pavement.
111* RuleOfCool: Most of the Hunter guns.
112* {{Satan}}: The BackStory speaks of The First, foremost of The Eldest and master of Dark Wills. May not be a ''direct'' {{Satan}} analogue in that he is written of as [[EldritchAbomination the antithesis of all creation.]]
113* SummonMagic: Eastern variant played straight by the Summoner's Reaper. It's only around for under a minute, but will wreak unholy havoc for the duration of its stay.
114* ShockAndAwe: The Marksman class has a skill with this exact name.
115* ShoutOut: Many from the [[{{Expy}} Expys,]] among other things.
116** An NPC named George gives you a quest chain that begins with [[Film/NightOfTheLivingDead1968 Night of the Zombies]] and progresses to [[Film/DawnOfTheDead1978 Dawn of the Zombies]] and finally [[Film/DayOfTheDead1985 Day of the Zombies.]]
117** In the same station as George is a boy named [[VideoGame/{{Diablo}} Wart who has you retrieve his missing peg leg.]]
118** Hunters can use [[MoreDakka automatic]] [[StuffBlowingUp rocket pistols,]] [[TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}} often called Bolters.]]
119** One particular Templar melee weapon is a [[HolyHandGrenade sanctified]] [[Film/ShaunOfTheDead cricket bat]], the unique version of which is named 'Shaun's Trusty Sidekick'.
120* SniperRifle: A favored weapon of Marksmen.
121* StatusEffects: Stun (no movement, attack or skills), Ignite (lose 5% of your HitPoints per second), Poison (prevents healing while in effect), Phase (halved defense and attack), Shock (no skills for the duration), which may happen if hit with the appropriate damage type. Some of the Engineer's support Bots increase allies' speed and slow down approaching enemies.
122* SwordandGun - An option for Templars alone, as they are the only classes that can wield melee weapons one-handed.
123* ThrowingYourSwordAlwaysWorks: Blademasters can learn to do this. Its their other gimmick.
124* UndergroundMonkey: Mostly averted, see {{Character Level}}s above. Some models are reused however, but a recoloured monster is a bit more than just a [[HitPoints beefier]] version of the weak "prototype" - Poison Zombies, for example, leave a trail of poison damage field; Black Skeletons leave a fire field when killed.
125* UnexpectedGameplayChange: Several. The already mentioned tactical mission. The Big Gundown level - you have to man a gun and shoot down a huge... ''thing'' otherwise outside of range - [[GoodBadBugs normally]]. While you are still damaged and forced out by [[GoddamnedBats Polyps]]. The Angel passage level, described above.
126* {{Unwinnable}}: Among other such {{Game Breaking Bug}}s, it was possible to leave an area called "The Exodus" before having completed it. It was then not possible to get back ''in'' and thus, progress through the main storyline. Due to the way the autosave logic worked, this probably meant you had to restart the entire game after already having progressed quite a ways.
127* WeaponizedCar: As shown in the intro, survivors sometimes travel the surface in armored combat vehicles. They show up in-game but aren't ever usable.
128* WombLevel: [[spoiler: 314's mind.]]. Also, the Exospector level.
129* [[YouHaveResearchedBreathing You Have Researched Crouching]]
130* ZergRush: Most enemies are fond of this, especially zombies. Unfortunately for them, this is unwise to do against Templars, who grow in power the more enemies enter their BattleAura.
131* ZombieApocalypse: A disturbing amount of those who did not flee to safety underground remain walking about- [[OurSoulsAreDifferent souls not included.]]
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