Line #52 VideoGame/TribesVengeance


1	[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Tribes_Vengeance_poster_9940.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:300:Clockwise from the top: [[RebelliousPrincess Julia]], [[ImplacableMan Mercury]], [[OldSoldier Jericho]], [[WideEyedIdealist Victoria]], [[BarbarianHero Daniel]], CoolStarship.]]
3
4	''Tribes: Vengeance'' is a FirstPersonShooter with elements of VehicularCombat, set in the universe of the ''VideoGame/{{Tribes}}'' series but a [[DistantPrologue few thousand years before the core installments]].
5
6	The story takes place at the dawn of the Tribal Wars between the [[TheEmpire Galactic Empire]] and the "tribals", [[BarbarianTribe population of the fringe planets seen as barbarians]] by the Imperial citizens. The game opens with an attack on the spaceship carrying the Imperial King's daughter Victoria by members of the Children of Phoenix tribe. Victoria is captured by Daniel, a Phoenix clan leader, who holds her for ransom and, along the way, shows her how the tribesmen ''really'' live and die. Before long, she develops a bad case of Stockholm syndrome and convinces her captor to return her to her father, as an act of goodwill to start searching for a diplomatic solution to the long-standing conflict between the Empire and the tribes.
7
8	Fast-forward about twenty years into the future. An anti-Tribal extremist Julia ([[spoiler:who is actually Daniel and Victoria's daughter]]) makes life hell for the tribesmen--which reflects the popular Imperial attitude all too accurately. Victoria and Daniel are nowhere to be seen, but Daniel's brother Jericho is still out there, and Julia is after his head for personal reasons. There is also a [[ImplacableMan mysterious cyborg assassin]], a DiabolicalMastermind, and the [[BloodKnight nasty chief of the Blood Eagles tribe]], all wrapped up in the same mess. And, of course, the story of Victoria and Daniel is not over yet, so we will [[AndNowForSomeoneCompletelyDifferent keep jumping between Past and Present a couple more times]] before it's all over.
9
10	''Vengeance'' was developed by Creator/IrrationalGames based on the [[MediaNotes/GameEngine Unreal Engine]] and published by Vivendi in 2004. Although met with good critical reception, the game was [[ScrewedByTheNetwork plagued by Vivendi's refusal to support it]], including cancellation of the much-needed patch 1.1. As a result, it left a whole lot of players dissatisfied, placing the future of the ''Tribes'' series in question for the next six years.
11
12	----
13	!! The game provides examples of following tropes:
14
15	* ActionGirl: Victoria qualifies but Julia outmatches her by far, what with [[spoiler:inheriting the badass gene from both parents]].
16	* AnachronicOrder: You heard about jumping between Past and Present.
17	* AndNowForSomeoneCompletelyDifferent: Interestingly, the narration jumps not only between different characters (five in total) and places, but even times (mainly Victoria and Julia's respective time frames, but there is one level seen from young Julia's POV).
18	* AnyoneCanDie
19	* ArmCannon: The Heavy Armor has all weaponry built into its arms with the wearer controlling it via joystick.
20	* BarbarianTribe: This is how the Imperials see the tribals.
21	* BloodKnight: The Blood Eagles, or "Beagles", especially their AxCrazy leader Seti.
22	* BigBad: [[spoiler:The real villain of the story? Victoria's CoolBigSis Olivia.]]
23	* ClusterFBomb: Yes, the ''whole game.''
24	* CycleOfRevenge: As befit its name, the game runs on this. An incredibly short summary: [[spoiler:RebelLeader Daniel is tricked into killing the Emperor Tiberius. He is in turn killed by the Emperor's daughter Victoria. Victoria is hunted down and killed about 6 years later by Daniel's [[TheDragon Dragon]] Jericho...which inspires Victoria's ([[RoyalBastard and Daniel's]]) daughter Julia to find and kill ''him''. However, Mercury steals that kill from her, so she kills him instead. In process, Julia ''also'' finds those originally responsible for the... miscommunication, and kills them too]]. Good ''lord''.
25	* DuelingPlayerCharacters: Happens often. First is when Victoria fights and kills [[spoiler:her lover Daniel after he is tricked into killing her father]]. Then subverted when Julia [[spoiler:chases after Jericho, only to be one-upped by Mercury (who is ''also'' a player character)]] but played straight when she fights and kills [[spoiler:Mercury himself]].
26	* EleventhHourSuperpower: The Buckler, a thrown energy shield capable of killing most enemies in a single hit. You learn to use it during [[spoiler: Julia's trials to join the Phoenix tribe]], and afterwards, [[spoiler:you are locked into light armor for the rest of the game, [[SubvertedTrope meaning you never get to use it again]]. [[FlatWhat What]].]]
27	* TheEmperor: Curiously, Tiberius is ostensibly styled "Imperial King".
28	* TheEmpire: The Imperial faction.
29	* FalseFlagOperation: [[spoiler:The Blood Eagles stage an attack on the Phoenix tribe disguised as Imperials while Daniel is away negotiating with the Imperial King.]]
30	* FirstPersonShooter
31	* GrapplingHookPistol: There is even a single level where it is the ''only'' weapon you can use. This weapon is practically required in Multiplayer as you can use it to supplement your jetting and skiing such as using it to redirect yourself, performing hairpin 180s, even firing at the ground to sling yourself upward for distance or downward for even more speed.
32	* HelmetsAreHardlyHeroic: Julia had artificial eyes implanted specifically to do away with the bulky standard gear helmet.
33	* HeroicBastard: Julia. She is more of an AntiHero, though.
34	* ImplacableMan: Mercury. He came damn close to killing Daniel [[spoiler:before being called off. He also fragged Jericho right under Julia's nose.]]
35	* JetPack: A staple and the core element of all ''Tribes'' games. Averted by Julia who places her jets on her calves instead (while wearing light armor).
36	* JumpingOnAGrenade: [[spoiler:Victoria does it to save Daniel. She survives thanks to wearing an armor suit and Daniel stealing a truckload of medical supplies for her.]]
37	* JustifiedTutorial: The trials to join Phoenix Clan teach you a number of advanced maneuvers, such as how to best leverage skiing physics. [[spoiler: Pity it doesn't happen until about 85% into the game.]]
38	* KarmaHoudini: [[spoiler:Olivia]] escapes Julia's wrath in the last moment.
39	* LadyOfWar: Julia. She even wears custom armor to look graceful on the battlefield.
40	* LeftHanging: The BigBad's ultimate fate. Presumably, it would have been explored in an [[WhatCouldHaveBeen unreleased expansion]].
41	* {{Masquerade}}: It's implied that the few remaining [[VideoGame/{{Starsiege}} Cybrids]], like Mercury, have chosen to infiltrate human society rather then flee from it forever.
42	* NinjaPirateZombieRobot: Mercury is a literal ninja zombie robot... [-FROM SPACE-]. [[spoiler:In other words, he is a Cybrid, one of the deadly enemies of humanity from the ''Earthsiege'' series.]]
43	* PoorCommunicationKills: Jeez, Daniel, you think you could have waited a bit before you [[spoiler: jammed a [[BladeBelowTheShoulder wrist-dagger]] [[{{Squick}} into the King's skull?]]]] On a grander scale, the war between the Empire and the Tribes is largely due to this, with some manipulation from [[spoiler: [[TheChessmaster Olivia]] and Seti.]]
44	* ProtectionMission: Victoria protecting Daniel while he hacks into Beagle base security. Can be a case of ThatOneLevel for some.
45	* {{Prequel}}: To ''Starsiege: VideoGame/{{Tribes}}''.
46	* RediscoveringRootsTrip: After the Imperial Princess Julia discovers that she is a half-Tribal on her father's side, she seeks out his old tribe and asks to undergo their initiation rites. By enduring their trials, she is then admitted into the Children of Phoenix tribe.
47	* ReentryScare: [[spoiler:In the end of the game, Julia pulls off an atmospheric reentry protected by nothing but a medium armor and her sheer badass.]]
48	* TheRemnant: As shown in ''VideoGame/{{CyberStorm}}'' and ''[=CyberStorm=] 2'', a handful of Cybrids has survived the events of ''VideoGame/{{Starsiege}}'' and continually eluded TheEmpire's hunt for them. Additionally, the [[AllThereInTheManual manual]] for ''Starsiege'' [[spoiler:mentions the Metagen, a faction of Cybrids who had come to respect humanity and fought with it during Starsiege. Mercury is simply the natural progression of the Metagen philosophy]].
49	* RescueRomance: Victoria and Daniel's relationship starts with them saving each other's lives.
50	* RoboticReveal: [[spoiler:Imperial general Albrecht is, in fact the Cybrid assassin Mercury.]]
51	* RocketlessReentry: Julia is stranded on the BigBad's spaceship as it makes an uncontrolled reentry and, naturally, starts falling apart. Being the badass she is, however, she surfs the falling debris all the way to the surface, jumping off to the next one just as the piece she's currently on burns up.
52	* SupernaturalGoldEyes: Julia's eyes are actually artificial, complete with integrated HUD support.
53	* TellMeAboutMyFather: Julia goes to [[spoiler:the Phoenix chief Esther for guidance after discovering her tribal roots]].
54	* ThrowingYourShieldAlwaysWorks: The Buckler shield is quite handy for midair kills.
55	* TimeSkip: The storyline flips between the lives of Victoria and Julia, about 20-25 years apart.
56	* TribalFacePaint: Unique facial markings are worn by the Tribesmen and, ironically, by the anti-Tribal extremist Julia, [[spoiler:who is unknowingly a half-Tribal by blood herself.]]
57	* TheUnfought: [[spoiler:Julia kills ''two'' Dragons in close succession, yet when it comes to killing the actual BigBad Olivia, the latter promptly hops into an escape pod and runs for it. Granted, Olivia has never displayed any fighting prowess whatsoever, but if she is ''anything'' like her little sister, she had to put up a hell of a fight.]]
58	* VehicularCombat: There are a few levels where land (jeeps, tanks, etc.) and even air combat are of essence.
59	* YouKilledMyFather: [[spoiler:Julia is after Jericho's head for killing her mom. In front of 10-year-old Julia, no less.]]

Context VideoGame / TribesVengeance