History UnbuiltTrope / VideoGames

** Sonic as a character is often associated with freedom, with this being highlighted by adaptations such as [[WesternAnimation/SonicTheHedgehogSatAM the SatAM cartoon]], [[ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogArchieComics theArchie comics]] and [[ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogIDW the IDW comics]], the latter of which even aims to {{deconstruct|ion}} it somewhat through showing the negative consequences of Sonic's ideals. That all said, Sonic's original portrayal from the games is less so someone who actively fights for freedom and more in the vein of someone who [[{{Ubermensch}} simply wishes to live his life his way]], not caring if his actions involve him [[ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight going against everyone else's ideas of right-and-wrong]]. This is outright stated in an intro message from the Japanese manual for [[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog1 the first game]], written from Sonic's perspective: in it, Sonic states that he ''despises'' people who are all talk and no action, and he affirms that he does what he does because he ''wants'' to do it (because he's a NiceGuy who cares about his friends), rather than because he ''needs'' to do it out of a defined ideal (like freedom or justice).

* ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure'' was the first 3D game in the ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'' series and established both a story and gameplay template for the games that followed, but it should be noted that it did some things a little differently compared to those games:
** This game was notably the first in the series to introduce a LovecraftLite plot where the heroes had to battle an EldritchAbomination, with Chaos being the main antagonist of the game alongside Eggman himself. Unlike the examples that followed him, however, Chaos' desire to cause massive destruction isn't because of [[GenericDoomsdayVillain his inherent nature as a monster]] or even [[ForTheEvulz out of a pure sadistic pleasure]]. Instead, it's revealed that Chaos' wrath is fueled by ''[[TragicMonster grief]]'' for when the Chao he was protecting were brutally hurt by the invading Echidna tribe, and said grief has festered within him to the present day-- where he's first seen being attacked by police officers who shoot him for seemingly no reason other than his monster-like appearance, implicitly confirming to him that [[HumansAreBastards people are still horrible to one another even after thousands of years]]. Likewise, he isn't defeated by being violently attacked to death like the other monsters that followed, but rather [[spoiler:through Super Sonic using the Chaos Emeralds' positive energies to neutralize his anger, allowing him let go of his hate and [[EarnYourHappyEnding have an ultimately happy ending]] like the rest of the cast]].
** Likewise, this game also had the first major instance of [[BigBad Eggman]] being [[EvilIsNotAToy usurped by a villainous force he intended to control for himself]], its specific case of Chaos usurping Eggman is more complex than those of later games. Chaos spends most of the game perfectly content with working alongside Eggman, and his actions at the end of the game-- reaching his "Perfect" form and destroying Station Square-- were ''technically'' [[TheBadGuyWins what Eggman desired to see happen]], albeit only on his terms. As such, rather than Chaos' betrayal coming from Eggman lacking foresight, Chaos' betrayal is heavily implied to be the result of Eggman betraying ''him'' first, likely through leaving him to die on the falling Egg Carrier. Additionally, Chaos only usurps Eggman's role as the main villain ''after'' all the doctor's other plans have already been foiled by Sonic and Tails, in contrast to how later villains usurped him [[TheStarscream at the earliest opportunity they could find]].

* ''VideoGame/IWannaBeTheGuy'': A primal inspiration for tons of PlatformHell video games, the game is, however, different in design from most games that followed. The game itself is quite easier than its imitators; the real challenge comes from its {{Troll}} design, which intentionally baits the players who are used to ordinary video game languages. As the creator talked in the [[https://iwbtg.kayin.moe/faq.html official FAQ]], it's "a game about subversion" and "humor driven game", while avoiding unnecessarily brutal game design to keep the player invested. By comparison, a lot of fangames try to squeezed random and incredibly hard traps as many as possible, thereby missing the point of this game somewhat. In addition, many games like ''VideoGame/MeatBoy'', ''VideoGame/OneThousandAndOneSpikes'', and ''VideoGame/{{Celeste}}'' enjoyed even bigger critical success than this game, but while they're also occasionally light-hearted and funny, they play the platforming straight, lacking the ironic humor in ''I Wanna Be the Guy'' that criticized the unfair TrialAndErrorGameplay in retro games.

** [[Characters/FinalFantasyVIIPlayableCharacters Cloud Strife]] from ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'' and [[Characters/FinalFantasyVIII Squall Leonhart]] from ''[[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII VIII]]'' were two of the first 'cool'-type JRPG protagonists, abandoning more idealistic, fantastical character flaws in favour of dressing in punkish modern outfits and acting like [[EmoTeen modern edgy teens]] - something [[SeinfeldIsUnfunny shocking and innovative at the time]] and [[FollowTheLeader done to death ever since]]. However, both Cloud and Squall use their cool mannerisms as an affectation (Cloud is [[ADarkerMe presenting a false image]]; Squall is [[NeverBeHurtAgain desperately insecure and afraid of loss]] and spends most of the game teetering on the verge of stress-induced meltdown), and are presented as troubled, flawed individuals in need of therapy rather than as cool 'tough guys' to be admired and emulated. The romantic, aspirational "''[[EscapistCharacter chuuniyoubu]]'' character" approach associated with this character type was always a feature of MisaimedFandom, but only began to appear in actual works in TheNoughties (with an early example being both Cloud and Squall's cameos in ''Franchise/KingdomHearts''). To put this into perspective, Cloud and Squall have less in common with their ''Kingdom Hearts'' incarnations that exemplify the exaggerations in question, and more in common with Fei Fong Wong from ''VideoGame/{{Xenogears}}'', who is much more straight to the point in being a {{Deconstruction}} of JRPG protagonists by lacking all the romantic elements of the archetype and instead having all of the focus be on his [[DarkAndTroubledPast ridiculously dark past]], the [[TraumaCongaLine metric shitload of trauma]] he endures, and the [[HeroicBSOD extremely bad effects it has on his mental well-being]].

** There's some misconception about the character of Kratos himself, which was brought to light with the Nordic reboot of the series as people claimed that only now had he become a complex character and was only defined by being nothing but a raging destroyer. [[Characters/GodOfWarSeriesKratos On his character page, Kratos]] qualifies for the tropes of GuiltComplex, MaddenedIntoMisanthropy, EvenEvilHasStandards and EmotionalBruiser, most of which outline the more nuance traits he had in the ''Greek'' saga, where he was basically at his most villainous.

** This is the franchise perhaps most associated with the idea of god-killing, which was at the forefront of the third installment. But in the first two games, whilst the end goal ''was'' to kill a god, the bulk of the quests in either instalment was ''finding the power to do so'', since whilst Kratos is an incredibly powerful demigod, he was still a mortal. In the first game, he needed to find [[ArtefactOfDoom Pandora's Box]] to slay Ares and when Zeus betrays him and tricks him into giving up his godly power, has to use the threads of the Sisters of Fate to travel back in time just to get it back. This trend actually exists in the spin-offs; ''Chains of Olympus'' had Kratos use the Gauntlet of Zeus to kill Persephone, ''Ghost of Sparda'' was during the time Kratos was still a god, and ''Ascension'' saw him attain the Eyes of Truth to counter the Fury's illusions, even though they aren't technically even gods. Even ''God of War 3'' had a more subtle version; Kratos could kill any god by himself except for Zeus, who's pretty much a god '''among''' gods, requiring him to target the Flame of Olympus and attain the power within to ultimately finish him off. In shorthand, if Kratos wants a god dead, it may not be a question of "if?" but it will still be one of "how?".

** There's some misconception about the character of Kratos himself, which was brough to light with the Nordic reboot of the series as people claimed that only now had he become a complex character and was only defined by being nothing but a raging destroyer. [[Characters/GodOfWarSeriesKratos On his character page, Kratos]] qualifies for the tropes of GuiltComplex, MaddenedIntoMisanthropy, EvenEvilHasStandards and EmotionalBruiser, most of which outline the more nuance traits he had in the ''Greek'' saga, where he was basically at his most villainous.

* ''VideoGame/{{Angelique}}'' is the primary inspiration for the otome {{isekai}} genre, much like how ''VideoGame/DragonQuest'' is the primary inspiration for the RPG isekai genre, with the game's rival character Rosalia as the primary inspiration for the stock otome villainess archetype. In many of these stories, the villainess is humiliated and/or executed, and a common plot point in a RebornAsVillainessStory is the protagonist trying to avoid the villainess's bad endings or becoming friends with the heroine. ''Angelique'' already does both of these story elements- nothing bad actually happens to Rosalia in any of the game's endings, the worst being she loses the competition to Angelique but still ends up being Angelique's best friend. Likewise, the otome villainess genre presents a PerspectiveFlip with the villainess becoming the protagonist, but ''Angelique Duet'', a remake of the first game, already allowed the player to choose Rosalia as the player character with Angelique becoming the rival.

** Similarly, RoaringRampageOfRevenge is practically codified by this series but this wasn't actually Kratos' main goal in the first game; whilst he did want Ares dead, what he was promised for killing him was not vengeance alone, but also forgiveness for his sins, as the gods promised to remove his nightmares and shame for the murder of his family as his own hand. However, the gods go back on their promise, revealing it was nothing but a fool's hope, and what this does is extend Kratos' hatred from Ares to all of them, but even then he didn't aim to cast them down directly, just use his godly authority to conquer other lands - which isn't too far from what the original Olympian line-up tended to do. After Zeus steps in out of paranoia than Kratos will aim to dethrone him, this leads straight into what is viewed as the franchise's main deconstruction of [=RRoV=], as the slaughter of the gods causes the destruction of Greece, which Kratos completely ignores as he aims to slay Zeus.

* ''VideoGame/GodOfWar'' is the franchise most associated with the idea of god-killing, which was at the forefront of the third installment. But in the first two games, whilst the end goal ''was'' to kill a god, the bulk of the quests in either instalment was ''finding the power to do so'', since whilst Kratos is an incredibly powerful demigod, he was still a mortal. In the first game, he needed to find [[ArtefactOfDoom Pandora's Box]] to slay Ares and when Zeus betrays him and tricks him into giving up his godly power, has to use the threads of the Sisters of Fate to travel back in time just to get it back. This trend actually exists in the spin-offs; ''Chains of Olympus'' had Kratos use the Gauntlet of Zeus to kill Persephone, ''Ghost of Sparda'' was during the time Kratos was still a god, and ''Ascension'' saw him attain the Eyes of Truth to counter the Fury's illusions, even though they aren't technically even gods. Even ''God of War 3'' had a more subtle version; Kratos could kill any god by himself except for Zeus, who's pretty much a god '''among''' gods, requiring him to target the Flame of Olympus and attain the power within to ultimately finish him off. In shorthand, if Kratos wants a god dead, it may not be a question of "if?" but it will still be one of "how?".

* ''VideoGame/DoubleDragonI'' was the first BeatEmUp to include CoOpMultiplayer. It was also a legendary ''subversion'' of the trope. Two brothers are fighting to save the DamselInDistress... [[spoiler: but only one can get her, so after they bring down the bad guys, they fight to be the one who gets to claim her.]]

* ''VideoGame/ShadowOfTheColossus'' is largely seen as having started a trend in video games of [[YouBastard calling out the player for engaging in violence to accomplish their goal]], such as ''VideoGame/SpecOpsTheLine'' and ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}''. Unlike other games of its ilk however, ''Shadow of the Colossus'' mostly used gameplay mechanics instead of dialogue (which it is rather light on) to communicate to the player that killing the Colossi is a bad idea, and, while most of its followers would openly condemn the player's actions, ''Shadow of the Colossus'' doesn't make a final judgement about whether or not Wander's motivations justified his misdeeds; [[AmbiguouslyEvil as all major players in the plot are framed in a morally ambiguous light]], [[spoiler:Lord Emon heroically sealing away the evil god Dormin, released as a result of Wander's foolishness]] is just as valid of an interpretation of the ending as [[spoiler:the fanatical zealot Lord Emon sealing away the misunderstood god Dormin, released as a result of Wander's well-intentioned determination]].

* ''VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters94'': This is the first arcade fighting game to feature 3-on-3 team matches, followed by games like ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom2'', ''VideoGame/GuiltyGearXX'', and ''VideoGame/{{Skullgirls}}''. However, ''[=KOF '94=]'' is very different from the games that followed it in terms of how it's designed around it. You don't customize the player characters for yourself, but pick one of the preset teams, forcing the player to learn their entire dynamics to get good at it. Non-gameplay aspects are also designed around this, as each team gets unique cutscenes in the Story Mode and its members have a unique VictoryQuote for every team against them. You'd be hard pressed to find a modern fighting game like this.

** The game is slower because Gordon Freeman isn't an ActionHero like VideoGame/{{Doom}}guy, VideoGame/DukeNukem, or any variety of soldier-type protagonists that would come in the following {{Tactical Shooter}} genre. He's is just a scientist wearing PoweredArmor, and as such rushing forward recklessly will get you killed; think of the numerous traps scattered throughout the game, like laser mines, turrets, and HECU ambushes. Instead, the game rewards being a GeniusBruiser and using weapons in creative ways, like throwing Snarks to force enemies out of hiding, setting up your own traps with laser mines and satchel charges, or disarming minefields from a distance using your guns.

** It is common for Mascot Horror games to have some sort of [[JigsawPuzzlePlot hidden lore put into it, leaving the player to put the pieces together]], so it can be a shock for people to discover that the [[VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddys1 first game]] was ''very'' light on plot. While there ''is'' a hidden backstory, it's presented via an EasterEgg. Compare that to the later entries, which often heavily delve deeper into the plot.

* ''Demonophobia'' was one of the very first [[InterplayOfSexAndViolence ero-guro]] games whose main claim to infamy are [[TheManyDeathsOfYou the numerous ways the player character could be killed]] to come to public attention, being released around 2008. Unlike many of its imitators though, it actually went out of its way to [[JustifiedExtraLives explain and make plot-relevant why Sakuri could respawn just to die over and over again]]: [[spoiler:namely, that she has ResurrectiveImmortality and is being mind-wiped regularly to avoid breaking under the strain of her repeated deaths, and when she does remember, she rather quickly flies over the DespairEventHorizon]]. Compare that to most modern ero-guro games, which treat death as a game mechanic for the sake of the player's gratification instead of delving into its deeper ramifications as ''Demonophobia'' did.
* ''[[VideoGame/PennAndTellersSmokeAndMirrors Desert Bus]]'' viciously picks apart and deconstructs both the idea trying to make video games realistic and of [[DeconstructionGame taking video games so seriously]] long before either became trends, predating games like ''Spec Ops: The Line''; it points out how ignoring AcceptableBreaksFromReality just makes a boring and miserable game that the player probably won't waste their time on.

* ''VideoGame/ShadowOfTheColossus'' is largely seen as having started a trend in video games of [[YouBastard calling out the player for engaging in violence to accomplish their goal]], such as ''VideoGame/SpecOpsTheLine'' and ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'', Unlike other games of its ilk however, ''Shadow of the Colossus'' mostly used gameplay mechanics instead of dialogue (which it is rather light on) to communicate to the player that killing the Colossi is a bad idea, and, while most of its followers would openly condemn the player's actions, ''Shadow of the Colossus'' doesn't make a final judgement about whether or not Wander's motivations justified his misdeeds; [[AmbiguouslyEvil as all major players in the plot are framed in a morally ambiguous light]], [[spoiler:Lord Emon heroically sealing away the evil god Dormin, released as a result of Wander's foolishness]] is just as valid of an interpretation of the ending as [[spoiler:the fanatical zealot Lord Emon sealing away the misunderstood god Dormin, released as a result of Wander's well-intentioned determination]].

*** Minwu gives his life to obtain the Ultima spell (a shout out to one of ''FF''[='=]s influences). Ultima is traditionally the strongest spell in ''Final Fantasy''... but in its first appearance it is almost useless. Amusingly, this is because a programmer felt an ancient legendary spell would be weak compared to modern "proper techniques" and that the struggle to obtain it for no gain reflected real life. He refused to fix the spell and coded the game so no one else could do so. In the Remakes that followed, Ultima works as intended.

* Preceding ''Manga/FutureDiary'', ''VisualNovel/SchoolDays'' popularized the {{Yandere}} trope with Kotonoha Katsura but like the aforementioned work, explores just ''how'' the person ended up like that in the first place: [[spoiler:Kotonoha suffered brutal bullying since junior high and Makoto was one of the few people who bothered to show her anything resembling decency. However, he dumps her for another girl, which causes her to go off the deep end and eventually kill the girl he dumped her for.]] Also, unlike other cases, she is genuinely mentally ill and isn't just a ClingyJealousGirl taken up to eleven.

** It is common for Mascot Horror games to have some sort of [[JigsawPuzzlePlot hidden lore put into it, leaving the player to put the pieces together]], so it can be a shock for people to discover that the [[VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddys1 first game]] was ''very'' light on plot. While there ''is'' a hidden backstory, it's presented via an EasterEgg.

** It's hinted that Pokémon are a relatively new discovery, and that they exist alongside regular animals. Professor Oak's desire to study them via the protagonist isn't just because it's his job as the Pokémon Professor, it's also because no one really knows how they work. Later entries would have Pokémon [[FantasticFaunaConterpart more or less replace animals]]. It's even implied that humans ''eat'' Pokémon, though this would largely be dropped in future entries that portrayed Pokémon as fully sapient.

** The stereotypical rival of the {{Mon}}s genre is a that of a rude, arrogant bully for [[HateSink the player to root against]], though Pokémon itself would largely switch to more friendly rivals from ''VideoGame/PokemonRubyAndSapphire'' onwards. Blue, the first such rival, is a bit of an outlier, generally portrayed as smug and abrasive, but actually offering the player [[PlayerNudge some tips on what to do next]] when they beat him. In fact, it's even implied that he grows some respect for the player as their rivalry progresses (albeit still insisting he's the better one), and ''VideoGame/PokemonGoldAndSilver'' shows that he [[TookALevelInKindness mellowed out by the time you meet him]]. Silver was much more abrasive than Blue ever was, though even he [[CharacterDevelopment gradually starts to mellow out]].

** Team Rocket is the first of several villainous teams, antagonistic groups that come into conflict with the player over the course of their journeys. Unlike later groups, their ambitions are purely criminal and, while they apparently have some sort of master plan, it never gets a chance to start thanks to [[SpannerInTheWorks the player's interference]], unlike later villainous teams who continue relatively unhindered, even as the player character defeats their highest-ranking members multiple times, until the plan's gotten to critical levels. In addition, ''VideoGame/PokemonGoldAndSilver'' features their return as a subplot, showing that beating Giovanni wasn't enough to put an end to their operations -- on the flip side, it deconstructs the way the leaders are presented as the single most important individual, with a Giovanni-less Team Rocket being kind of pathetic (their ultimate goal this time is simply trying to get Giovanni to come back).

*** Cloud Strife is [[DeadUnicornTrope frequently viewed as]] the codifier of the angsty pretty-boy JRPG hero, but his dialogue is far less angsty in his game than many remember. If anything, [[MsFanservice Tifa]] and [[BigBad Sephiroth]] wear their neuroses on their sleeves ''much'' more openly than him.

*** Cloud is often misrepresented in spinoff and cameo appearances, with ''Kingdom Hearts'' and ''Advent Children'' codifying the popular image of Cloud for over a decade. To its credit, ''Advent Children'' justifies this: Cloud is suffering from guilt over failing to save Aerith, both he and his adoptive son are dying from a seemingly terminal illness and the world is still dying even after all his and the party's efforts and sacrifices. His character arc is learning to forgive himself and find hope again, and by the end of the film he's let go of his pain and angst.

* The popular perception of the [[Main/MascotHorror Mascot Horror]] genre, can be summerized as [[Main/MoneyDearBoy cash-grab]] [[Main/EnvironmentalNarrativeGame Walking Simulators, where a]] [[Main/FeaturelessProtagonist Featureless Protagonist]], goes to explore some abandoned...[[Main/AbandonedArea whatever]], because of some [[Main/JigsawPuzzlePlot tragedy that happened years ago,]] ends up being chased by the [[Main/MascotVillain titular Mascot]] [[Main/MascotMook (Or somebody from his cast)]] with a dozen of cheap jumpscares during the gameplay. All while you're [[Main/ThatOnePuzzle trying to solve some of the most time consuming puzzles.]]
** First, the idea of a lot of these games being solely made to be [[Main/CashCowFranchise Cash Cow Franchises]] that depends on the playthourgh of famous youtubers\or [[WebVideo/GameTheory the theories of ''MatPat'']] to be relevant isn't entirely true. Most of these games, ''at first'', were independent projects that ''[[Main/ItsPopularNowItSucks just happened to be explode into popularity.]]'' Either because they had a interessing concept, or a geniuinly innovative feature. Or maybe because they ended up [[Main/PanderingToTheBase pandering to be base]] a little bit too much...
** Second, "''the Walking Simulator with a few cheap jumpscares and time consuming puzzles''", isn't that much egregious in the most well known examples. Likewise, the ''FNAF'' games, up until [[VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddysSecurityBreach Security Breach]] was a [[Main/PointAndClickGame point-and-click]] [[Main/SurvivalHorror focused on Survival]], while ''Bendy'' [[Main/ActionHorror focused more on the combat mechanics.]] ''[[VideoGame/HelloNeighbor Hello Neighbor,]]'' at first, focused on stealth, [[Main/TheyChangedItNowItSucks before it became the staple of unnecessary clusterfuck of puzzles.]] ''Duck Season'' was a shooting VR game and ''Choo-Choo Charles'' had a more action vibe put into it. Meanwhile, ''[[VideoGame/SpookysJumpScareMansion Spooky's House]]'' had the cheap jumpscares because... well, ''[[Main/ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin that was the entire main concept, after all.]]''
** The [[Franchise/FiveNightsAtFreddys Five Night's At Freddy's franchise]] popularized the idea of these games having some sort of [[Main/JigsawPuzzlePlot hidden lore put into it, leaving the player himself to put the pieces together.]] So it can be a shock for people to discover that the ''[[VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddys1 first game]]'' was very, ''very'' light on it's plot. [[labelnote: Note]]While ''there was a hidden backstory,'' it's presented via [[Main/EasterEgg Easter Egg]] [[/labelnote]]
** The idea that the titular Mascot should be scary, but appelative enough (often colorful with a toy-like appearance) so that it would atract the attention of Youtubers and Internet kids, while being one of the main characteristics of the genre (next to the hidden lore, of course), depends on what work we're talking about.
*** For example, this is Zig-Zagged within the ''FNAF franchise''. The animatronics of ''the first game'' are too uncanny to fit the description while the ones from ''the third game'', are too rotten and decayed. On the other hand, the ones from the fourth game are too [[Main/NightmareFuel Nightmarefulish]] ''even by Mascot Horror standards.'' Only the ''second game'', ''Sister Location'' and ''Pizzeria Simulator'' fit the description.[[labelnote: Note]] The reason why ''Security Breach'' doesn't counts it's because it was released long after the genre became established.) [[/labelnote]]
** Henry Stein from Bendy and the Ink Machine, is the classic example of an ex-employee who came back to visit his old working place only to discover that everybody went missing and there's some strange evil lurking around the corner. However, [[spoiler: it's revealed in the final chapter that the whole plot of the entire game, it's one big Groundhound Loop day, on which Henry seemily ''cannot get out.'']]

* {{Utsuge}} started with the 1999 visual novel ''VisualNovel/{{Kanon}}''. However, though the game puts you in a standard plotline of an AllLovingHero trying to fix a group of [[BrokenBird troubled girls]], nearly every route reveals that [[spoiler:''[[AwfulTruth you were the cause of the girl in question's problems]]'']].

*** For example, this is Zig-Zagged within the ''FNAF franchise''. The animatronics of ''the first game'' are too uncanny to fit the description while the ones from ''the third game'', are too rotten and decayed. On the other hand, the ones from the fourth game are too [[Main/NightmareFuel Nightmarefulish]] ''even by Mascot Horror standards.'' Only the ''second game'', ''Sister Location'' and ''Pizzeria Simulator'' fit the description.[[labelnote: Note]] The reason why ''Security Breach'' doesn't counts it's because it was released long after the genre became estabilashed.) [[/labelnote]]