Line #78 Videogame/WineAndRoses


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/wine_and_roses.png]]
2
3	->''"It is good to have an end to journey towards, but it is the journey that matters in the end."''
4
5	'''Wine & Roses''' is a freeware RolePlayingGame made in RPG Maker VX Ace by Craze, made for the 2012 All Hallow's Event contest.
6
7	The premise of the story is simple. A lord named Luc Francisco has been usurped from his home of Fort Adder and placed under a curse that makes him [[DemBones skeletal]]. He enlists the aid of three exorcists to clear his manor of the infestation of demons and undead that are now plaguing it. As time goes on, however, the exorcists begin to question Francisco's ethics and wonder whether his curse was warranted.
8
9	Though there are strategically placed StoryBreadcrumbs relating to this, the meat of the game revolves around exploration of Fort Adder and creative EasternRPG battles with the various enemies within. The game is described as a rough mix of ''Videogame/ShadowOfTheColossus'' and ''Videogame/MegaManClassic'' -- each enemy is unique and often appears frighteningly powerful, but defeating them grants access to a specialized slew of specific rewards, which can be used to enhance the player's strategy and often contain an AchillesHeel to another foe. The game is highly nonlinear, to the point of being almost a {{Metroidvania}} in RPG form; though there is an intended order in area progression, there is nothing preventing players from exploring every area from the start, and powerful enemies can even be defeated far before they're "supposed" to be, with clever strategizing.
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11	The game can be downloaded [[http://rpgmaker.net/games/4526/ here.]]
12	----
13	!!This game contains examples of:
14	* AbandonedLaboratory: The edges of Bohea sector.
15	* ActionGirl: The exorcists.
16	* AfterCombatRecovery
17	* AmazingTechnicolorBattlefield: The FinalBoss'.
18	* AnachronismStew: The majority of the game seems to take place in a BigFancyCastle, and society seems to be under some kind of feudalistic system, at least in the place Francisco rules over. Argent's use of a CoolSword and AutomaticCrossbow seems to cement the game in this time period... however, Nynavae uses a gun, and the characters seem to instantly recognize Bohea's AbandonedLaboratory for what it is.
19	* TheAtoner: [[spoiler:Francisco, possibly. In some of his battle commentaries, he seems to express guilt over his actions and realizes that he kind of deserved the TorchesAndPitchforks. It doesn't amount to anything, though, as Delilah [[HeelFaceDoorSlam kills him in the end]].]]
20	* AttackReflector: This is the Usurper's entire schtick. He literally has ''no offensive abilities'' -- all he does is heal (and occasionally debuff) himself. (It's not a true "reflector", however, as he still takes normal damage himself.)
21	* AxCrazy: [[spoiler:Delilah.]]
22	* BeefGate: Unlike the other sectors, which can all be explored to your heart's content from the beginning, Daedra's entrance is blocked by an enemy that must be defeated in order to continue.
23	* BigFancyCastle: Fort Adder, though by the time the game begins, it has undergone heavy reality warping due the infestation of TheLegionsOfHell ([[spoiler:and [[OurAngelsAreDifferent Heaven]]]]).
24	* BossBattle: A bit of a weird example, since ''all'' fights are technically unique boss battles. However, each area has an end-stage opponent (usually in a throne room or something similar) with a unique sprite that is more difficult than normal and who gives greater-than-normal rewards.
25	* BossOnlyLevel: Etalon sector, which contains only the FinalBoss. The developer has stated that this was an artifact of the time constraint, however, and plans to expand it to be the size of the other sectors at a future date.
26	* CharacterLevel: Averted. Rewards are granted after each battle, but they are always specific assets or direct stat upgrades rather than levels or experience points.
27	* ChestMonster: Upon encountering one, Francisco is insulted that his usurpers went to the effort of cursing his treasure.
28	* CompetitiveBalance: You can play against type of course, but generally:
29	** StoneWall: Argent
30	** SquishyWizard: Carmanth
31	* ContemplateOurNavels: The exorcists can get pretty philosophical during their {{Inner Monologue}}s, especially in Daedra.
32	* ContractualBossImmunity: Averted. Some enemies do have higher resistances to certain ailments, but for the most part, you're free to let loose with the StatusEffects.
33	* CrazyPrepared: Nynavae wears an acid-proof turtle-neck.
34	* DefeatEqualsFriendship: [[spoiler:Delilah, as an angel of chaos, whimsically decides to help the exorcist trio when they defeat her.]]
35	* DeathOfAThousandCuts: The Byrde, both to you and from you. All of its attacks are weak, but hit multiple times. It also inflicts daze, which reduces the exorcists' energy -- this only allows you to use their weaker attacks, most of which are weak but hit multiple times.
36	* DemBones: Francisco's curse has turned him into this. [[spoiler:His entire household was similarly cursed, too, though they have not retained their sanity.]]
37	* DisconnectedSideArea: In one section of Bohea, you can see an area from another sector. It's an end area of Daedra, however, so you won't physically reach it until you get to Daedra (for all intents and purposes the final dungeon) and explore it fully.
38	* DualBoss: Stark and Lannis, [[spoiler:Francisco's son and his lover]].
39	* EasterEgg: [[spoiler:After Delilah is defeated, she will take over Francisco's battle commentary duties. This results in some unique text changes in certain battles if you fight them with her in tow.]]
40	* ElementalRockPaperScissors: Downplayed. There are only two, [[ThePowerOfTheSun Solar]] and [[{{Lunacy}} Lunar]], and they are diametrically opposed for the most part. They mainly do this by lumping all of the typical ElementalPowers together:
41	** LightEmUp / PlayingWithFire / ShockAndAwe / BlowYouAway: Solar
42	** CastingAShadow / AnIcePerson / MakingASplash / DishingOutDirt: Lunar
43	* FinalBossNewDimension: Somewhat. Etalon, the seat of the FinalBoss, certainly has this feel, but it's not explicitly stated to be another dimension, just the most "warped" section of Fort Adder due to its proximity to the Gehenna Gate.
44	* FlunkyBoss: Many. Most notable is the FinalBoss, who starts alone, but summons more and more flunkies as the battle progresses.
45	* GameOver: Completely averted. Losing a battle will simply send you back to the map screen with a "better luck next time" message and no penalties whatsoever. This is somewhat of a necessity with the open-ended nature of the game.
46	* GradualRegeneration: Never Fall bestows this, as well as increased maximum health.
47	* GreekChorus: Francisco, who idly comments from the sidelines during battles while the exorcists do all the work. [[spoiler:Subverted in the final battle, however, where his commentary has plot relevance, and he is attacked directly by Delilah.]]
48	* HailfirePeaks: The Celsius sector subverts this. It contains both [[SlippySlideyIceWorld icy sections]] and ''temperate'' sections where greenery thrives.
49	* HintSystem: Francisco's commentary, usually. Annoying as he can be, he does often give useful advice on how to beat an enemy, especially at the beginning, when the player is still learning the ropes.
50	* HumanSacrifice: [[spoiler:This is what Francisco did to incite the TorchesAndPitchforks.]]
51	* ImGoingToHellForThis: Francisco says this of himself after making a pun. The pun in question? [[spoiler:"I'm glad he's found someone he can have a happy bone with."]] Francisco is talking about [[spoiler:his son and his son's lover]], who are both skeletons at the time.
52	* IncrediblyLamePun: Francisco is fond of these.
53	-->'''Francisco:''' Sorry. My wife and son left me. I survive with puns.
54	* InfinityPlusOneSword: Sort of. Each character has a late-game Gift with above-average bonuses across a variety of stats, instead of only one, as is the norm.
55	* KillerRabbit: The Byrde.
56	* LethalLavaLand: Bohea sector, though the edges are an AbandonedLaboratory.
57	* LongHairedPrettyBoy: Francisco has ''very'' long and remarkably silvery hair, though the latter could be a result of his curse.
58	* {{Metroidvania}}: Contains many elements of this.
59	* MirrorBoss: The Angelis trio. They're three women, one a fighter (Argent), one a Solar spellcaster (Carmanth), one an assassin-type and Lunar spellcaster (Nynavae).
60	* MysticalWhiteHair: Subverted by Argent. True to her name, she has silvery-white hair, and she ''is'' a demon hunter...but her specialty lies in physical weaponry and endurance, not magic like the other two exorcists.
61	* NonActionGuy: Francisco.
62	* NonElemental: Argent specializes in physical skills, unlike the other exorcists, who specialize in one of the two magical elements.
63	* OptionalBoss: ''Every'' fight except for the opening tutorial battles and the FinalBoss is technically optional. However, The Ordeal, Dante, Stark & Lannis, and the Devourer are possibly closer to the spirit of the trope. They all tend to be relatively close to the beginning of their areas, but are on par or more difficult than the "boss" of the area, generally requiring players to come back later to finish them off. None of them are stronger than the FinalBoss, though.
64	* OrderVersusChaos: Angels devote themselves to this cause; they choose one side or the other to adhere to, and spend the rest of their existence fervently trying to bend human society towards it. With both sides pushing, however, neither ideal can be achieved, so it simply results in a balance.
65	* PowerOfTheVoid: Lunar magic could be interpreted as this -- it utilizes [[CastingAShadow darkness]] and [[AnIcePerson cold]], which are ''literal'' voids of energy in the physical sense. PowerOfTheVoid would also be an appropriate contrast with the more energetic, flashy spells of the Solar element.
66	* PuzzleBoss: Almost every boss to one degree or another, but the Devourer is a notable example. Its only attack is so powerful as to be a OneHitKO, and it absorbs enchantments, so you can't even hide behind defensive buffs. [[spoiler:The solution is to feed it an enchantment that has a negative component: Serenity. Its damage-decreasing component makes its attack survivable, turning it into a MarathonBoss instead.]]
67	** Alternatively, you can simply [[CuttingTheKnot overpower it before it kills you]].
68	* RushBoss: Rapture, an early-game enemy. It uses ''extremely'' powerful attacks, but is relatively weak defensively, so you must overwhelm it before it overwhelms you.
69	** Alternatively, you could just put it to sleep, rendering it harmless while Nynavae rends it to death.
70	* SanityMeter: It increases damage dealt and decreases damage received. It's drained by spells and enemy attacks. If it hits zero, the character will waste a turn performing a "crazed attack" and recover some sanity.
71	* ShoutOut: All over the place.
72	** Every upgrade that isn't tied to one of the three exorcists specifically elicits a quote from Francisco that references, alternatively, Creator/MaryShelley, Creator/HPLovecraft, Creator/StephenKing, Creator/BramStoker, Creator/AnneRice, and Creator/UrsulaKLeGuin. The game even comes with a text file citing them all!
73	** All of the gifts contain references too, some of their flavor texts being direct quotes. Referenced material includes ''Videogame/LeagueOfLegends'', ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'', ''Anime/SummerWars'', ''Manga/BlueExorcist'', and ''The Big Lebowiski''.
74	** There are some references to Videogame/VisionsAndVoices. The [[TomeOfEldritchLore Telgium and Wicodian]] make guest appearances, and one spell is called "Visions" (it even has the same effect as the spell by the same name in Videogame/VisionsAndVoices). Curiously, there is no corresponding "Voices" spell.
75	** One boss fight is a DualBoss containing two enemies called [[Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire "Stark" and "Lannis"]].
76	** Another enemy is [[VideoGame/DevilMayCry Dante]], complete with many of his trademark weapons.
77	** It seems more than just items, a few enemies are also reference other media, such as a jester's underlings being named "[[VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends Shaco]]"
78	** One of the battle themes samples a quote from [[Film/TwoThousandOneASpaceOdyssey HAL 9000]]
79	** One of Nynavae's weapons is a gun called the [[VideoGame/CaveStory Polar Star]]
80	* SilverBullet: Argent's crossbow is loaded with silver bolts, which makes them more damaging against TheUndead.
81	* TheSmartGuy: Carmanth. From what little characterization we get of her, she appears to be the most inquisitive, perceptive, and knowledgeable of the three exorcists, sometimes even functioning as [[MrExposition Ms. Exposition]] in explaining important aspects of the world to the player.
82	* SoundtrackDissonance: The BattleThemeMusic for the FinalBoss is a sappy romance song with a calm, melodious pace. [[spoiler:The FinalBoss is Francisco's wife Delilah, who responds to his entreaty to talk their differences out peacefully by killing him.]]
83	* TheStoic: From what we can see from her flashes of characterization, Argent seems to be this. She's very hard-nosed, cerebral, and goal-oriented -- she apparently graduated top of her class at the exorcist training academy.
84	* StoryBreadcrumbs: Interacting with any of the gift-giving spirits will elicit a monologue from one of the exorcists reflecting or commenting on the situation. With enough of them, you can start to paint a picture about the events of the BackStory and other events in the world. Francisco's battle commentary also contains occasional examples of these.
85	* TorchesAndPitchforks: And angry mob of Helenite peasants under Francisco decided to storm Fort Adder in response to [[spoiler:his practice of HumanSacrifice]].
86	* TurnsRed: Subverted. Most bosses do not become stronger by being injured themselves, but ''do'' become more aggressive when their ''allies'' fall.
87	** The Agent of Chaos is a straighter example.
88	* UselessUsefulSpell: Averted. Every spell is generally effective against at least one enemy, and some niche status effect spells can be crucial elements in many battles.
89	%%** Argent: CoolSword and AutomaticCrossbow
90	%%** Carmanth: Whip
91	%%** Nynavae: WolverineClaws and MoreDakka
92	* WolfpackBoss: A few.
93	** The Kybros pack is ''literally'' a wolf pack.
94	** [[spoiler:Francisco's servants]] are this, as well as having a few [[FlunkyBoss flunkies]].
95	** The three witches (Red, Yellow, and Indigo).
96	** The Angelis trio.
97	** The FinalBoss could be considered this instead of a FlunkyBoss -- the enemies she summons are clearly lesser than her, but they are unique and powerful enemies in their own right.
98	* WombLevel: Daedra sector.

Context Videogame / WineAndRoses