History VideoGame / Darkwood

** In the epilogue, [[spoiler: this is [[ZigZaggedTrope zig-zagged]] with [[EldritchAbomination “The Being”]], an entity of light who is responsible for everything that has happened to the forest and to its inhabitants. [[BlueAndOrangeMorality There’s nothing to suggest the The Being is intentionally hostile to humanity]], but it’s responsible for creating several nightmarish creatures, leaving it up to the player whether it should be burned to keep the rest of humankind safe or embrace it and find out what it has planned for humankind]].

*** Speaking of lives, on Hard Mode you can get more if you consume “Embryos” instead of cook them into a serum at a hideout. Also, in a rare case of VideoGameCaringPotential not screwing you over, [[spoiler:choosing to spare the Doctor allows you to obtain up to three Embryos from him if you find him in the Swamp at different points]].

** If you die, anything in your hot bar will not drop unlike part of your inventory which is left where you died. This is helpful for keeping useful tools like guns with you at all times, and the map will give you a rough idea where you lost your items which will appear as a bloody backpack when you find them. This is assuming you don’t [[VideoGameLives lose all your lives]] on Hard Mode and is averted on [[FinalDeathMode Nightmare Mode]] where death is [[{{Permadeath}} permanent]].
*** Speaking of lives, on Hard Mode you can get more if you consume “Embryos.” Also, in a rare case of VideoGameCaringPotential not screwing you over, [[spoiler:choosing to spare the Doctor allows you to obtain up to three Embryos from him if you find him in the Swamp at different points]].

* ApatheticCitizens: The Villagers do not care about you and anyone outside their homes.

** [[ZigZaggedTrope Zig-Zagged]] with the Double Barrel Shotgun. It can be fired twice, but it has a longer reload speed than the Single Barrel Shotgun, either of which generally only need one shot to lay out most monsters. Furthermore, upgrading the workbench to max level (which is only one more level after the one required to build the double barrel variant) lets you craft the Pump Action Shotgun, which requires nearly the same rare resources as the Double Barrel Shotgun but is objectively superior in every way, making it hard to craft both shotguns in the same play-through. There is virtually no reason not to wait until you max your workbench level in order to build a better shotgun.

* HazardousWater: In the Swamp, water serves as both a movement hazard and obscures the presence of the crocodile-like Swampers. While in the water, the Protagonist moves at half speed and consumes stamina twice as fast while sprinting. The Swampers, meanwhile, move mich faster in the water and can only be detected by water disturbance a few moments before they strike. On the plus side, however, all other enemies are slower than the Protagonist in water, making it a useful way to hobble the tougher enemies.

** Killing a Centipede while standing in a body of water will cause the mutated insect to drown instead of burrow to safety. Even if the plague mutated it into a stronger and bigger form, it’s still not strong enough to detach from its human corpse host quickly enough to avoid drowning, plus the corpse would add to the weight.

** [[ZigZaggedTrope Zig-Zagged]] with the Double Barrel Shotgun which can be fired twice, yet it has a longer reload speed than the Single Barrel Shotgun. Furthermore, upgrading the workbench to max level (which is only one more level after the one required to build the double barrel variant) lets you craft the superior Pump Action Shotgun, yet requires a great deal of expensive and rare parts to build, making it hard to craft both shotguns in the same play-through. You may have no reason to build the double barrel variant and instead wait until you max your workbench level in order to build a better shotgun.

* BreakableWeapons: Melee weapons can break, though they can also be repaired at a workbench. Firearms are [[UnbreakableWeapons indestructible]], but have [[ResourcesManagementGameplay limited ammo]] as a tradeoff.

** Sprinting on pathway that is marked on your map uses far less stamina to do.

* AnimalisticAbomination: The Red Chompers, giant canine-shaped monsters who have a jaw that splits across their midsection of their bodies. Highly aggressive, they are dangerous enemies who are later revealed to be [[spoiler:[[TranshumanAbomination former humans]] who suffered advanced stages of the plague]]. There is also the Snail in the Swamp, who is as big as a house and capable of speaking to you, and the [[CreepyCrows Banshees]] who are revealed to have a human head buried within their beaks whenever they [[MakeMeWannaShout scream at you]]. Finally, there is the [[OurWerewolvesAreDifferent Wolfman]], a werewolf-like being who is intelligent and watches over the Protagonist... [[ToxicFriendInfluence in his own way]].

** When morning comes a special buff called "Time Freeze" activates that [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin stops time]] as long as you stay close to the hideout. It allows you to trade with the [=NPCs=], make plans for looting during the day, craft supplies, and re-barricade your hideout along with preparing traps, all without fear of losing precious daytime progress. Time freeze also applies when talking to someone, looking at your map/journal, and becomes active in large, plot-relevant sub-areas like the Village [[spoiler:and the Doctor's House when you visit the area once more]].

*** Speaking of lives, on Hard Mode you can get more if you consume “Embryos” that you find randomly. Also, in a rare case of VideoGameCaringPotential not screwing you over, [[spoiler:choosing to spare the Doctor allows you to obtain up to three Embryos from him if you find him in the Swamp at different points]].

* ApocalypseHow: As time goes on, various lore bits reveal that the situation you face is [[spoiler:Class 0. It turns out the Polish military has a research group that can freely enter the forest underground using tunnels, having done so to study the phenomenon that led to eldritch activity within the woods. The Protagonist himself was on his sixth visit before a group of Savages murdered everyone in his camp except him, believing he’d make an excellent tree accessory and hung his bloodied body to die.]]

** [[ZigZaggedTrope Zig-Zagged]] with the Double Barrel Shotgun which can fire twice before needing to reload, but has a longer reload speed than the Single Barrel Shotgun. Furthermore, upgrading the workbench to max level (which is only one more level after the one required to build the double barrel variant) lets you craft the superior Pump Action Shotgun, yet requires a great deal of expensive and rare parts to build, making it hard to craft both shotguns in the same play-through. You may have no reason to build the double barrel variant and instead wait until you max your workbench level in order to build a better shotgun.
** [[ZigZaggedTrope Zig-Zagged]] with the [[SniperRifle Hunting Rifle]]. It deals damage equivalent to a shotgun and has the longest accurate range of all firearms, but it tunnel visions your sight. This isn’t too big an issue outdoors during the day since the enhanced scope range will spot enemies from further distances, [[SoundCodedForYourConvenience plus enemies gives noise cues that warn you if they’re about to attack]], but the restricted width of sight makes this firearm almost useless in close quarters combat and the enhanced range won’t help at nighttime since you cannot see in the dark, so its usefulness is limited to your daytime travels away from the hideout.

Upon confiscating the flamethrower that Maciek stole before he defected and ran off into the woods, the Protagonist [[KillItWithFire burns everything and everyone around him]], starting a massive inferno that [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu dissipates The Being]], albeit it also [[BrokeYourArmPunchingOutCthulhu causes the Protagonist to die from asphyxiation and torches the entity's sleepers which spreads to the rest of the forest and engulfs most of the [=NPCs=] you met]]. Though depending on your actions, it's possible for some to survive,[[labelnote:note]]The Runaway Elephant Child, the Musician, Piotrek, the Villagers, and possibly the Wolfman (his fate is stated to be left unknown)[[/labelnote]] and those who do are able to make contact with the outside world thanks to the trees burning down (even the Polish military lends a hand in some cases). It’s also hinted that The Being's disappearance has ended the madness tied to the forest, but there’s no guarantee it died in the inferno and there may be other eldritch entities who are aware of humanity as well; it’s possible the whole situation may repeat itself in the future.]]

* BoobyTrap: Many places are armed with various traps, requiring the Protagonist to handle the obstacle(s) with care or face the deadly consequences. A vicious one can be sprung on him in [[spoiler:the Old Woods at the Train Wreck, which happens if he gives the Musician the “Key Covered in Chicken Feces” and the violin from his parent’s house, resulting in the boy telling the Doctor about you and setting up a meeting between the two of you. When the Protagonist arrives, the train is suddenly filled with toxic gas that knocks him out, which the Doctor takes advantage of to continue his interrogation of the former where they left off at the prologue]].

** The Wolfman thrives on making other people’s lives miserable, but he seems to avert this with the Protagonist, treating him like a genuine comrade and giving him valuable rewards for completing the Wolfman’s quests. [[spoiler:It’s later revealed that the Wolfman simply wants the Protagonist to get out of what the Wolfman considers “his forest,” [[PragmaticVillainy but decided it was more pragmatic to first promise valuable rewards to the Protagonist as a way to get him to accomplish the Wolfman’s goals beforehand]]]].

* KarlMarxHatesYourGuts: The “prices” in-game do not change, tend to be rather high, and you always exchange for less — which makes it difficult to build a surplus of credit known as “Reputation.” But depending on how dangerous the area your hideout is located, the merchant(s) of the area will grant you freebie Reputation if you prove your survivor mettle by surviving the night in order to help you acquire more products to help you survive, yet you still won’t acquire much this way and this is done because the merchant(s) hope you’ll find more useful loot to exchange with them in the future. They also have a rather limited supply of items, so even if you manage to build up a surplus of Reputation there isn’t much to exchange for.[[labelnote:note]]You can reload the game, however, to reset the shops and continue to obtain useful items as well as trade away all your unneeded loot to save space, though whether or not you consider this cheesing the system is up to you.[[/labelnote]]

** In the epilogue, [[spoiler:you can burn [[EldritchAbomination “The Being”]] and its many people under its thrall along with the entire forest, albeit this comes at the cost of the Protagonist’s life and several other people living in the forest. It’s left ambiguous if the Being actually perished in the fire, but what is known is that the forest is finally open to the world once again with its madness having come to an end]].

* ThePlague: A mysterious plague is responsible for the forest rapidly growing and spreading new trees as well as warping the wildlife into violent abominations. [[spoiler:It’s the result of an EldritchAbomination known as “The Being,” who is spreading its influence throughout the forest for unknown reasons.]]
* PointOfNoReturn: Upon reaching the entrance that leads to the Swamp, the Protagonist realizes this is a one way trip, therefore the player should plan appropriately with the items they want to bring. [[spoiler: If you spared the Doctor after finding him at the Train Wreck in the Old Woods and agree to accompany him to the Underground Entrance, he will warn the Protagonist that the entrance is a one-way trip, [[MercyRewarded giving players an earlier warning to start planning]]]].

* AcidRefluxNightmare: Some food the Protagonist finds can be cooked at a hideout’s oven, which is distilled into a serum he injects into himself. One of the side effects are playable dream sequences at random; they help reveal more of the forest’s past as well as the Protagonist’s background, albeit they devolve quickly into [[NightmareSequence nightmares]]. [[spoiler:What’s worse is one of these “nightmares” ends up being an acid trip instead that made the Protagonist go crazy. It’s the one involving the Church Ruins in the Old Woods where he hallucinates that a man living in the ruins is instead a violent Black Chomper]].

* AdamSmithHatesYourGuts: Averted. However, because all traders can only barter a meager amount of items every day, the problem you’ll run into is having a surplus of Reputation with a trader who can’t barter many items because of their scarcity.[[labelnote:note]]You can reload the game, however, to reset the shops and continue to obtain useful items as well as trade away all your unneeded loot to save space, though whether or not you consider this cheesing the system is up to you.[[/labelnote]]

* OrWasItADream: Many dream sequences have a hidden goal, and in some cases completing it will grant you an [[FantasyKeepsake item]] in your inventory when you wake up, hinting there might be something in the forest blurring the line between dream and reality.
* OutlivingOnesOffspring: Zig-zagged with Hanuska, whose child is technically “alive” if you consider a mutated abomination that is more monster than human at that point as being alive. Though you will encounter the creature in the well and have to defend yourself against it if you want to obtain the “Key Covered in Chicken Feces,” likely ending its life in the process and playing this straight.
* ParasiteZombie: The Centipedes of the Swamp, giant mutated bugs that take over a human corpse by replacing the corpse’s head with their top portion plus one of the arms with their bottom. They will attack the Protagonist if he wanders near a hole with a centipede burrowed inside,[[labelnote:note]]These particular holes will have bugs swarming around them, plus you will hear a distinct noise when close.[[/labelnote]] or randomly as part of a night event where it burrows from underneath the Protagonist to ambush him. They are one of the few enemies in-game with a ranged attack, slinging rocks from a considerable distance in a spray pattern, and are fast as well as willing to tackle the Protagonist, making it difficult to escape their wrath. Fortunately, [[FragileSpeedster despite their speed and range of attacks they’re rather fragile]].

* PracticalCurrency: The way to obtain and sell goods is a simple barter system, but with a catch: most items have a pre-set value called “Reputation” which acts as credit that must be earned with every merchant you find.[[labelnote:note]]The morning traders that appear at your hideout will reward you with credit if you survive the night as well as whatever you trade with them, but other merchants require you to give them items they want in exchange for credit to obtain their goods.[[/labelnote]] Since many items have a set Reputation value regardless of circumstances, it leads to cases like a cloth you found off a dead body being worth the same as one you found tucked away in a cabinet that is far cleaner. Though considering how the local area is devolving into a CrapSackWorld where useful goods are scarce, the merchants might not have much choice but to ignore the condition of the items other than how much utility they can get out of them.

** [[ZigZaggedTrope Zig-Zagged]] with the [[SniperRifle Hunting Rifle]]. It deals damage equivalent to a shotgun and has the longest accurate range of all firearms, but it tunnel visions your sight. This isn’t too big an issue outdoors during the day since the enhanced scope range will spot enemies from further distances, [[SoundCodedForYourConvenience plus enemies gives noise cues that warn you if they’re about to attack]], but the restricted width of sight makes this firearm almost useless in close quarters combat and the enhanced range won’t help at nighttime since you cannot see in the dark. As a result it’s situationally useful, but at least you can buy ammunition for cheap from the morning traders, not to mention you can get one preassembled if you [[spoiler:complete the Wolfman’s quest regarding the Pretty Lady and don’t push him back when he jumps on you.]]
* AwesomeButTemporary: The Flamethrower. You only get to use it when [[spoiler:you’ve chosen to reject “The Being” and its offer to bring you into its fold, choosing instead to confiscate a stolen flamethrower from one of the sleepers named Maciek and set everything on fire, [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu including the Being]]. Unfortunately, [[BrokeYourArmPunchingOutCthulhu this comes at the cost of the Protagonist’s life]], who dies from asphyxiation shortly after, plus anyone in the forest who couldn’t escape the inferno in time]].

* BerserkBoardBarricade: One strategy to stay alive at night is keeping boards and nails handy on you, so when a monster breaks down your window’s barricade (or destroys your entire door) you can fix and/or re-barricade it immediately after killing the perpetrator. This helps prevent other monsters in the area from overwhelming you by climbing through the exposed hole in your defenses. Unfortunately, you will make a lot of noise doing this; nearby enemies will figure out you're in the hideout as well as where you are specifically, [[AbsurdlyIneffectiveBarricade which means it's only a matter of time before the monsters reach you]] unless the [[CueTheSun morning sun rises]].

** As of v1.0, if you die on Normal or Hard, you'll respawn in the Hideout with half your inventory left where you croaked.[[labelnote:note]]It'll appear as a small bright red blip on your map, and unlike ''VideoGame/DarkSouls'', it doesn't disappear if you die again without retrieving it.[[/labelnote]] Furthermore, if you die during the night you’ll awake up at 8:00 AM the next day, though you’ll get no Reputation bonus from the morning trader(s). On the Hard difficulty, you'll also lose one of your [[VideoGameLives limited lives]], which can only be regained by consuming an Embryo.
* TheCorruption: The forest is contaminated by a [[ThePlague mysterious plague]] that mutates wildlife into bigger and/or dangerous animals, plus it has caused the forest to grow towering trees ''faster than a body can decompose'' that has blocked off access from the outside world [[spoiler:unless you knew about the underground tunnels that the Outsiders use to wander in, out, and around the forest with ease]]. It also turns many humans into mutant-like beings who grow increasingly violent as time goes on, and while the Protagonist still has his marbles he’s no longer a normal human being.

* DarknessEqualsDeath: Enemies become far more aggressive at night, plus the [[BorderPatrol Floor Gore]] will hunt you down for failing to reach your hideout before 20:00 o’ clock. And if you have the "Shadows" negative perk, or have reached the Swamp Hideout, the darkness itself becomes a serious danger at nighttime.[[labelnote:note]]At random, ghosts called “Shadows” start swarming around the hideout, knocking out all floodlights and leaving only one of the movable lamps active (except in the Old Woods, where ''all'' the hideout lights are snuffed out). The Shadows will attack you in the dark and only flashlights as well as flares will ward them off besides the remaining lamp, making it imperative you seek a source of light the moment you see ghosts floating around on the screen.[[/labelnote]]
* TheDeadCanDance: Upon entering the Wedding building after entering the gate code,[[labelnote:note]]The code is random each play-through, being revealed in a night event at the Dry Meadow Hideout when you answer someone knocking on the front door and pick up the invitation to the Wedding.[[/labelnote]] you’ll come across cheerful dancing women who ask if you’d like to join them. Further exploration of the area makes it apparent these women aren’t normal, and upon meeting the “Bride of the Wedding,” the women disappear for good. You can attack them, but their corpses will disappear as well, [[OurSpiritsAreDifferent making it apparent they were some kind of supernatural beings]].

* DecoyProtagonist: The prologue starts the game with the Doctor, who happens upon a wounded stranger that is carrying a journal and strange key. The Doctor nurses the stranger back to health... only to tie him to a chair and interrogate him, demanding to know where the way out of the forest is, believing the stranger knows. After the Doctor leaves we take control of the stranger, the true Protagonist, who frees himself and discovered the Doctor has stolen an important key as well as several pages from the Protagonist’s journal.
* DevelopersForesight: If you approach the Sawmill when the Wolfman is there at dusk or night, he will tell you to go back to your own home and come back the next day, likely because he wants nothing to do with the [[SuperPersistentPredator Floor]] [[InvincibleBoogeyman Gore]].

** Leveling Up. Although you gain useful skills and/or perks, you have to obtain a [[ChooseAHandicap mandatory negative perk]] with each new tier of perks unlocked. Some negative perks can be trivialized depending on your play style though (e.g. taking “Shaky Hands” on a play-through where you won’t use guns), plus overall the positive passives and skills unlocked are worth the tradeoff.

* DontGoInTheWoods: Regular creatures like wild dogs and elk are territorial and will attack you if you don’t keep your distance, most of the inhabitants are [[ApatheticCitizens indifferent towards you at best]] and [[TorchesAndPitchforks hostile at worst]], and the supernatural elements are pure nightmare fuel. This only gets ''worse'' once the sun starts to fade away and nighttime comes...
* DuctTapeForEverything: Tape rolls are used in-game to build several different melee weapons and firearms, plus its necessary for the “Light Materials” melee weapon upgrade.

** In the epilogue, [[spoiler:this is [[ZigZaggedTrope zig-zagged]] with the burning of [[EldritchAbomination “The Being”]] in the “Burn Them All” Ending. You get to free all the Sleepers who were trapped in a LocusEaterMachine devised by the Being to keep them under its control... by setting them all on fire and also threatens several NPCs in the forest above you as the inferno continues to spread. This does end the plight of those who were stuck in the forest that managed to escape, but threatening everyone with the dangers of being burnt alive or suffocating to death — even if unintentional — still wanders rather murky waters in terms of morality. Whether or not you decide its worth the cost to end the Being’s plot is up to you, but even then there’s no guarantee you killed the Being since it could’ve instead been forced away from that location and you’re just delaying the inevitable.]]

* BarbarianTribe: The Savages are humans who’ve degraded into more primitive mindsets due to the Plague, causing them to become territorial and violent warriors who fight with large tree branches and thrown rocks. At nighttime this gets worse, for they shed the “territorial” part and will invade your hideout to make life miserable for you.

* BothOrderAndChaosAreDangerous: On the side of Order, the Villagers of the Silent Forest have used brutal measures against anyone they believe is infected by the Plague to ensure their safety. There’s also the Soviet-aligned Polish military that burned down houses and forced people to evacuate their homes in the forest (against their will) to escape the Plague. [[spoiler:And to add insult onto injury, the military is studying the forest using underground tunnels, all the while ignoring the plight of anyone stuck inside]]. For Chaos, the forest is one giant dark eldritch ecosystem where much of the wildlife mutates into violent abominations, ones who will at best attack outsiders of the forest and at worst attack everything moving on sight.

* DarkFantasy: Several staple dark fantasy examples are in play like a supernatural plague inducing madness in people and [[EldritchAbomination eldritch-like creatures]] of varying nature wandering about. In a twist, they were inserted into a more realistic 1980’s Polish rural environment in a forest; [[DontGoIntoTheWoods the results aren’t pretty]] and get worse when [[spoiler:the whole scenario leads to a CosmicHorrorReveal. Everything that happened resulted from the actions of an EldritchAbomination known as “The Being,” who is trying to bring humans under its control [[BlueAndOrangeMorality for unknown reasons]]]].

* HarmonyVersusDiscipline: The forest represents Harmony as a location of great and untamed wilderness that has flourished due to [[EldritchLocation eldritch-like conditions]]. Those who aren’t a part of its ecosystem are typically dealt with through violence, plus the forest acts like it has a will of its own [[spoiler:because it’s controlled by an EldritchAbomination that you can choose to follow or kill in the epilogue]]. The Protagonist represents Discipline as a hardened survivor who isn’t native to the forest, thus he has to deal with its [[DarkFantasy dark and mysterious eco-system]] that contains several [[NatureIsNotNice natural dangers]] as well as mutated abominations that are either hostile or neutral towards him. He has an unknown goal, but its clear he sees the forest as a major obstacle of sorts as he continues to search for the “Road to Home” [[spoiler:and later can discover it’s a LotusEaterMachine designed to ensnare him. He can choose to burn the forest down and spare others from [[BodyHorror suffering the same fate he did]], albeit it will also endanger everyone living in the forest who cannot escape in time]].

This is hinted to be how “The Being” is creating all the monsters as well as strange eldritch beings who wander the forest and/or are stuck in certain areas. For whatever reason, the Being strives towards creation and does its best to lure people into obeying its will, many of whom turn into Savages that obey the Being’s will. It’s also hinted many of the eldritch beings are replicas of former humans, specifically the Mushroom Granny.[[labelnote:note]]In the Bliss Ending, if the Mushroom Granny is alive and Marcinek the child is still with her, she eventually regains some of her memories and remembers the boy is her original human counterpart’s grandchild, plus the Trader wears the same hazmat suit as the Protagonist did at one point, hinting he was either a mushroom replica of one of the Protagonist’s allies or a replica of the Protagonist himself while he was still bound to a tree before the prologue began[[/labelnote]] The game does not give all the details, but its clear the Being is pulling the strings behind every eldritch being you encountered in ''Darkwood'']].

** [[CloudCuckoolander Piotrek]] wants to build a rocket that will rival UsefulNotes/YuriGagarin's and take him into space; the Wolfman [[SillyRabbitIdealismIsForKids detests the lunatic so much]] that he's more than happy to [[HopeCrusher sabotage Piotrek’s dreams]]. If the Wolfman finds out the Protagonist is collecting parts for Piotrek, the Wolfman will ask for one of the parts, and if the Protagonist agrees then the Wolfman rigs it with a bomb, ensuring that Piotrek will die once he activates the rocket upon completion. Unfortunately, the Wolfman neglects to mention the bomb part to the Protagonist until it’s too late.\\

* BrownNoteBeing: [[CreepyCrows Banshees]]. If they’re looking at you, [[InterfaceScrew your interface will flash violently and be partially blocked by a visage of its face]]. If you look at them as well, your screen itself will shake while [[MakeMeWannaShout it is screaming]].

If you don’t euthanize her, [[spoiler:either her condition eventually devolves to the point that she becomes a murderous cannibal, or she was that way all along and managed to fool you (albeit the Protagonist had no interest in freeing her); this is revealed if you choose the “Bliss” ending. The Pretty Lady goes on to murder different [=NPCs=] depending on who is still alive, but this fate can be averted if you give the Wolfman the key. However, there’s no guarantee she had gone mad by that point and you’re still helping a dangerous individual kidnap and murder her. Or you can choose the “Burn Them All” ending and she’ll get torched regardless. [[CrapsackWorld In short, no matter what you do, something bad will happen]]]].

** In the epilogue, [[spoiler:this is [[ZigZaggedTrope zig-zagged]] with the burning of [[EldritchAbomination “The Being”]] in the “Burn Them All” Ending. On the one hand, you get to free all the Sleepers who were trapped in a LocusEaterMachine devised by the Being to keep them under its control, but setting it fire also kills the Sleepers as well as several NPCs in the forest above you. This does at least end the plight of those who were stuck in the forest that managed to escape, but setting the rest of them on fire — even if unintentional — still wanders rather murky waters in terms of morality. Whether or not you decide its worth the cost to end the Being’s plot is up to you, but even then there’s no guarantee you killed the Being since it could’ve instead been forced away from that location and you’re just delaying the inevitable.]]

* MercyKill: Euthanasia is a commonly explored theme throughout the game, and some of the biggest choices you make involve whether to do the deed with beings afflicted by the plague.

* ApatheticCitizens: The Villagers do not care about you and anyone outside the Village.

* BothOrderAndChaosAreDangerous: On the side of Order, the Villagers of the Silent Forest have used brutal measures against anyone they believe is infected by the Plague to ensure their safety. There’s also the Soviet-aligned Polish military that burned down houses and forced people to evacuate their homes in the forest (against their will) to escape the Plague [[spoiler:and the military is actively studying the forest using underground tunnels, all the while ignoring the plight of anyone stuck inside]]. For Chaos, the forest is one giant dark eldritch ecosystem where much of the wildlife are mutating into violent abominations who attack anything moving on sight.

* MaddenIntoMisanthropy: Deconstructed with the Doctor. He gets fed up with the [[UngratefulBastard Villagers]] blaming him for the Plague, which leads to him unleashing his rage upon the Protagonist when they first met and beating him senseless when he wouldn’t reveal the exit to outside the forest (or rather he couldn’t because [[BodyHorror he can’t talk in his current state]]). Unfortunately, after choosing to steal the Protagonist’s key [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge he begins hunting down the Doctor]], who discovers that pissing off and stealing from a hardened survivor who is hellbent on taking back his stolen property and getting even with his perpetrator wasn’t worth the ego-boosting trip.\\