Beat Down, Rise Up
Heaven Burns Red is a free to play Role-Playing Game/Visual Novel hybrid developed by Key and Wright Flyer Studios.
In the bleak distant future, Earth was besieged by mysterious interstellar lifeforms known as “Cancers”. When humanity had little time until their extinction, a new weapon to effectively harm Cancers called “Seraph” was developed.
Thus, mankind recruited outstanding (if a tad quirky) individuals with the ability to use Seraphs and established the Seraph Regiment, which serves as the last hope of humanity.
This is the story following the girls in the Regiment's military units, each with their very own motivations: 31A, 31B, 31C, 31D, 31E, 31F, 30G and 31X. One of them, Ruka Kayamori, is The Protagonist who commits herself to the battle against the Cancer as The Leader of Seraph Unit 31A.
Heaven Burns Red starts with these tropes:
- Actually Four Mooks: Most Cancer mooks on the overworld are multiple enemies you take on in battle, but it's subverted for the singular bosses.
- Alien Invasion: Some indeterminate time, years at least, before the game's prologue, the Cancer landed on Earth without warning in the form of falling meteors, then proceeded to exterminate humanity on a global scale, impervious to any conventional weapons due to their ability to generate barriers. It was only until the advent of Seraphs, the only weapons capable of destroying Cancer barriers, that their wielders stopped the Cancer threat from growing worse.
- Anti-Grinding: Like most gacha games, the game features a stamina system called "Life" which you can spend on fighting against bosses, exploring dungeons, or doing side activities and interacting with other playable characters. However, you can train your characters in the simulator as much as you want.
- Apocalypse How: Class 1. The Cancer invaded the entirety of Earth, killing at least millions of humans in the process. In Japan's case, the prologue introduces the humanity census meter installed on the base's clock tower, which represents its population number, showing [008065300]. The hidden cities at least have technology significantly more advanced than in real life and more or less sustain civilized societies, but the situation is clearly grim worldwide with the Cancer still swarming the Earth.
- Arbitrary Headcount Limit: Each squad you set up can have only up to six girls. In battles proper, only three can be deployed, though you can switch them out with those in reserve.
- Bribing Your Way to Victory: Downplayed as the game only focuses on characters rolled from the gacha. Though you can recover Life by spending some crystals to level up your rank and access the main story a bit faster.
- By the Power of Grayskull!: Every Seraph User has a "Seraphim Code", a phrase that encapsulates their personality and also acts as a passcode they shout out to summon their Seraphim Weapons. It's not explained how the military knows these phrases suit their users perfectly, something that raises Izumi's suspicions upon asking about this.
- Crapsack World: As stated in the page's description, the world is mostly dominated by monstrous aliens that kill all humans on sight, humanity holds out in small hidden cities throughout the world, and the Seraph Regiment is composed mostly of teenage girls, any of whom could die in combat.
- Crossover: Heaven Burns Red has one with a fellow work of Key, Angel Beats!, which features Yuri Nakamura, Kanade Tachibana, and Miyuki Irie as playable characters, starring in the crossover's story event Where the Cosmos Bloom On. Afterwards, a second collaboration dubbed Beautiful the Blood happens, this time starring Hisako Fuchida as a new fighter.
- A Day in the Limelight: Some story events focus on members from other units, with Ruka and the rest of 31A being Demoted to Extra.
- Dead All Along: In Chapter 3, Tsukasa reveals that according to the secret research and report hidden at Aegis Tower, the entries of the Seraph Units are dead. The one standing is in fact a Navi, an alien life form that can perfectly copy the original human down to their DNA as well as their memories. The Government and the Military use them as a means to fight against the Cancer.
- Deflector Shields: An important factor in gameplay and story. All Seraph Users wear clothing that generate shielding called "Deflectors" (represented as "DP" in-game) which draws on their own energy; taking too much damage means it gives out and leaves the User vulnerable (their LP is the next to to take damage after their DP is '0'). The same goes applies to the Cancer, which also generates shielding that can only be taken down by Seraphs before being dealt fatal blows.
- Improbably Female Cast: Lampshaded early on during the first chapter of the story. None of the Seraph users include a single male, nor does a male NPC appear in the story so far besides a picture taken of a boy-and-girl couple.
- Multiple Endings: Just like other visual novels. At certain parts of the game, some choices will result in a Downer Ending. Fortunately they aren't canon, but unfortunately, if you plan to go for 100% Completion, you'll have to witness the ensuing tragedy yourself.
- Multiple Life Bars: Both playable characters and enemies have two separate types, one for Hit Points (HP) and one for Deflectors (DP). DF must be depleted first before the other side can reduce the characters' HP.
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Nintendo Hard: The game's main story is regarded as one. Chapter 3 will force players to fetch better equipment and farm upgrading materials, and hopefully you'll have characters by then that can deal certain elements that the boss is weak to. - Rare Random Drop: Goldhopper, a rare enemy who tends to run away. If defeated, they have a chance to drop a rare item which can give to your equipment for an extra boost in stats.
- Running Gag: Lord, there's quite a few picks.
- Ruka and Izumi's Boke and Tsukkomi Routine. It happens just about EVERY DAY OF ANY STORY. Imagine straightlaced Izumi having to deal with it every day, who comes out of them sounding like she wished she never retorted.
- Ruka's "Teheperinko" after a klutzy moment, or just for the hell of it. Izumi is never happy to hear it.
- Ruka talking smart with Sergeant Tezuka. Once the sergeant gets fed up, she'll shout "YOU SHIT. FOR. BRAINS. IMBECILE!!"note
- Megumi Suddenly Shouting at Tama once she gets scared before dropping her tone and saying something pointlessly related:Megumi: Oi, Tama!Tama: Y-Yes!Megumi: [Chapter 3, Day 8, about jumping out of a helicopter] Don't worry. You just barely passed the height requirement.
- Teleport Spam: Downplayed; Seraph Users have the power to transport themselves from one spot to another, although this draws on their energy and forces them to usually limit it to fast engagements and battles.
- We Cannot Go On Without You: If ANY single character dies in battle, it's game over.
- Wham Episode: The last portion of Chapter 3 where the list just keeps going on and on with a Cliffhanger ending to add insult to injury.
