Basically, it's Donkey Kong as directed by Eli Roth, if he spent most of the production locked in his trailer playing Resident Evil 4.
Rise of Nightmares is the first survival horror game and the first Mature rated game for the Xbox 360 Kinect.
While vacationing in Europe, specifically Romania, Josh and his lovely wife Kate themselves on an elevated train going through the stormy mountains. Their trip gets even bumpier after a discovery is made by Kate when she tries to tell Josh something important.
Since the game requires the Kinect, gameplay requires use of the entire body. Putting one foot forward moves Josh forward, putting one foot behind moves Josh backwards. Turning the shoulders turns Josh around. To fight, simply put the fists up in front of the body and put them down to exit combat mode. Kicking is also possible at anytime; good for putting distance between yourself and enemies. Items can be picked up by reaching out and grabbing them.
Also, there are nightmares, and they rise.
This game provides examples of:
- Action Bomb: Some zombies are implanted with bombs that will explode when hit. The bombs have a timer and will deactivate if the zombie is killed before the bomb goes off.
- The Alcoholic: Kate discovers that Josh is hiding a flask in his jacket. We receive hints about a past drinking problem.
- Apocalyptic Log: The tapes you discover journal the experiences of a British private detective who is searching for Viktor. The guy turns out to be a bit of an ass. Cue his eventual demise.
- Asshole Victim: A few of the passengers on the train have snarky attitudes, which almost assures their painful death. Later, we get a peek into their minds and see just who the real assholes are.
- Bald of Evil: Viktor, Marchosias and Max, but he's mostly just an asshole.
- Blade Below the Shoulder: Most of the zombies have mechanical arms, some with large, sharp blades, others with buzz saws. You can steal those and bring a world of pain to them.
- Blocking Stops All Damage: egregiously, considering that Josh uses his bare forearms to deflect every attack that comes his way, such as Blades Below The Shoulder.
- Breakable Weapons: Every weapon has a limted number of uses before they break; requiring you to find a new weapon. Fortunately the weapon's status in the Heads-Up Display will glow red when it's about to break.
- The Brute: Ernst, the giant masked juggernaut that will easily kill you if he finds you.
- Can't Take Anything with You: Remember that AWESOME meat mincer that you got that ground zombies into chunky salsa? Well guess what, you lose it at the next save point! No matter what condition your current weapon is, you must quickly find a new one once you pass a save point.
- Charged Attack: Azoth can be charged to fire bigger energy blasts. An uncharged blast kills one zombie, but a fully charged blast can kill a group of zombies.
- Creepy Crossdresser: Viktor's insanity and grief over his accidental murder of his wife Mary led him to dressing as her.
- Cyborg: The zombies all have cybernetic implants. Some are even more machine than flesh.
- Death Trap: This game has them in droves, including but not limited to: closing walls, floor spikes, flying spikes, falling chandeliers, electrified puddles, spinning blades, and an eldritch altar on which you must match the pose of a statue or be immolated.
- Defiant to the End: Even when turned into one of Viktor's experiments, Jane was still kicking and trying to fight the parasite within her, even during her boss fight.
- Eldritch Abomination: There are hints of something like this lurking about, but we never know for sure. Azoth, the mystical gauntlet, the tattooed Lovecraftian-style zombies and the parasites could lead us to believe that something...unnatural is guiding all of this.
- Mary transforms into this to attack the player near the end.
- Eldritch Location: A couple of places in the game where you do battle. Could also be percieved as a Dream Land.
- Eye Scream: The main menu screen has a diagram of a human facial profile with the eyeball distended. Also, one of the weaker types of zombies has a eye popping out of the socket.
- Fan Disservice: The zombie nurses, eldritch females, the altered Monica and Jane, and Viktor dressed as Mary. Eugh...
- Fanservice: Katja, Yeli, Monica, and Jane (whom Josh will comment on if looked at.)
- Foreshadowing: A few instances, but some of the most inconspicuous occur in the design of the tarot cards. Play through the game and then look at "The Fool." You'll see it. Aaron and pooch form Marchosias are in it. "The Lovers" features Monica, Max, and Mary. "The Alchemist" is most assuredly Victor.
- Hand Blast: Halfway through the game, you find Azoth, a seemingly eldritch gauntlet that fires energy from the palms. You only get three shots before recharging, but a regular blast can kill one zombie and a fully charged blast can kill multiple zombies.
- Heel–Face Turn: Ernst. Sad, really.
- Henpecked Husband: Viktor by Mary. Subverted with Josh, as Kate does not want to be the "nagging wife" about his drinking (but is).
- High-Pressure Blood: Dismembering or decapitating a zombie will cause it spew a fountain of blood for a few seconds.
- Implacable Man: Ernst. He can't see you, but he can hear you. Whenever he's around you must stay quiet and out of his way. Or else.
- Improbable Infant Survival: Though Viktor tries to steal Josh and Kate's baby's O'Zhuvindo (life force) to ressurect Mary, in the end, Josh is able to rescue him. This trope is also averted when Viktor attempts to make his infant son "perfect" and kills him in the process. This is only referred to, not seen.
- Interface Screw: If a zombie vomits on you, it will obscure the screen. Fortunately, you can clear the screen faster by mimicking wiping your face.
- Ironic Nursery Rhyme: Mary constantly sings a German lullaby. Lovely voice from a creepy broad.
- Jump Scare: Several. Including one where one of your first companions bends down to examine blood and—SCHINK!
- Love Makes You Evil: Viktor's love for his deceased wife Mary made him do monstrous acts to bring her back. This includes killing countless victims and using their bodies as experiments in order to further study the art of raising the dead.
- Mad Scientist: Viktor is one of these. It is inferred that some of his "science" is dark magic granted by an unknown entity.
- Make Me Wanna Shout: The banshees have a painful wail that can be blocked by covering your ears.
- Mercy Kill: Pretty much anytime Josh kills one of the survivors turned into Viktor's experiments, but especially Monica.
- Multi-Melee Master: Melee is the primary means of combat in the game except for Azoth, an seemingly eldritch relic which shoots energy blasts, and Ernst's chain-bolts, so be prepared to have very sore shoulders. From crappy old pipes to bloody chainsaws to a surprisingly effective pair of hedge clippers, there is no end to the hacking and slashing.
- Multi-Ranged Master: Throwing weapons, such as volatile test tubes and scapels can be found throughout the game. Just flick your wrist and watch the weapon fly. One you find Azoth, you can fire energy blasts.
- Musical Trigger: "Josh...can you hear that music? It sounds...so familiar..."
- Off with His Head!: It is possible to decapitate zombies; which will die a few seconds afterwards. This also how Monica dies at the hands of Ernst.
- Ominous Music Box Tune: One of the doors is unlocked by a hand-cranked musical lock, much like a hurdy-gurdy. Crank too fast or too slow and...well...just don't.
- One-Hit Kill: While Ernst is patrolling, getting noticed as he nears you is instantly fatal.
- Azoth can kill any zombie in one hit.
- Press X to Not Die: There are quick time movement events sprinkled throughout the game. Seconds are precious in these instances.
- Puppet Permutation: Josh meets up with two of the original survivors, Max and Monica, now held up by strings controlled by Mary's Jester Dolls.
- Puppeteer Parasite: Viktor, the mad genius, is little more than a vessel for a vile parasite that takes a different body once the old one wears out, while Viktor's intelligence and personality are carried over with it. The little beast gets very personal with Josh later, stealing his identity, but putting Josh's mind in Ernst's body.
- Rapid-Fire Fisticuffs: Possible when unarmed. Since every punch does the same damage regardless of how hard you punch, fast light jabs are a great strategy when unarmed since unarmed attacks do minimal damage.
- Regenerating Health: Once you know how to block or back away during a fight, dying is pretty easy to avoid. Just wait until all redness goes away and you're all good.
- Save Point: There is no option to save the game whenever you want, so be ready to play until you pass the next save point.
- Scare Chord: This happens when you must stand perfectly still in order to remain unnoticed by Ernst.
- Scenery Gorn: Blood-soaked floors. Walls splattered with gore. Stained torture devices. Human remains strewn about. Yup. This trope fits.
- Schmuck Bait: These can be described as many of the "Look" commands. Also, one of your first companions bends down to examine blood and—SCHINK!
- Slashers Prefer Blondes: Poor Monica. Later on, we find that Mary was killed by Viktor also.
- Twist Ending: During the post ending cutscene, we see a man covered in bandages boarding a train with Josh and Kate. He sits besides Kate and opens a bag to reveal parasites. It is left up to debate whether this is either Viktor or Marchosias. This could also fall under The End... Or Is It?.
- The Walls Are Closing In: Among the plethora of deathtraps in the mansion, this perennial favorite makes a pointed appearance early on.
- Well-Intentioned Extremist: Viktor's motives behind his depraved methods are to resurrect his wife and baby. We feel a miniscule speck of sympathy for him, then we find out HE killed them both (unintentionally, sure). Back to the slashing.
- Wicked Cultured: Viktor. His Establishing Character Moment is torturing a victim to the cheerful strains of "Der Vogelfänger bin ich ja" from The Magic Flute.
- Vomit Indiscretion Shot: There are some zombies who vomit green sludge at quite a distance. Normally, not a problem. In Torture Mode, where everything can be a problem, it's one of the grossest and most embarrassing ways to die.
