History VideoGame / DeptHeaven

* '''Episode I:''' ''Yakusoku no Chi Riviera''/''VideoGame/RivieraThePromisedLand'', which tells the story of an angel named Ecthel(/[[DubNameChange Ein]]) and his attempts to save the eponymous island from both Asgard and Niflheim. Originally released for the UsefulNotes/WonderSwan Color (2002), ported to the UsefulNotes/GameBoyAdvance (2004), and there localized by Creator/{{Atlus}}. Then ported to the UsefulNotes/PlayStationPortable, and localized by Atlus yet again (2006).

* '''Episode IV:''' ''VideoGame/KnightsInTheNightmare'', the story of a world overrun by demons and the unlikely pair of a disembodied soul and mysterious valkyrie trying to save it. First released on UsefulNotes/NintendoDS in 2008. Published by Atlus. PSP remake released in 2010, which contains the Yggdra route cut during the DS game's production. A Nintendo Switch remake was released in 2022, [[NoExportForYou but only in Japan]].

* GenreBusting: Gameplay-wise, [[DoingItForTheArt this is the whole point of the series]].

* '''Episode IV:''' ''VideoGame/KnightsInTheNightmare'', the story of a world overrun by demons and the unlikely pair of a disembodied soul and mysterious valkyrie trying to save it. First released on UsefulNotes/NintendoDS in 2008. Published by Atlus. PSP remake released in 2010, which contains the Yggdra route cut during the DS game's production.

* BlueAndOrangeMorality: The gods.

* DemonLordsAndArchdevils

* HaveYouSeenMyGod

* LazyBackup

* MindScrew

* OrderVersusChaos
* OurAngelsAreDifferent

* WhoWantsToLiveForever

* '''Episode I:''' ''Yakusoku no Chi Riviera''/''VideoGame/RivieraThePromisedLand'', which tells the story of an angel named Ecthel(/[[DubNameChange Ein]]) and his attempts to save the eponymous island from both Asgard and Niflheim. Originally released for the [=WonderSwan=] (2002), ported to the Game Boy Advance (2004), and there localized by Creator/{{Atlus}}. Then ported to the PSP, and localized by Atlus yet again (2006).

* '''Episode IV:''' ''VideoGame/KnightsInTheNightmare'', the story of a world overrun by demons and the unlikely pair of a disembodied soul and mysterious valkyrie trying to save it. First released on Nintendo DS in 2008. Published by Atlus. PSP remake released in 2010, which contains the Yggdra route cut during the DS game's production.

This is the setting of Creator/StingEntertainment's Dept. Heaven series. Each game released thus far has taken place in a different mortal world, depicting the struggles taking place therein (and, often as not, how interference courtesy of Asgard and demons has made it worse). The series as a whole is known for its GenreBusting gameplay, [[DarkFantasy dark storylines]], [[GrayAndGreyMorality morally ambiguous characters]], purposeful ArtStyleDissonance,[[note]]Creator/SatokoKiyuduki, famed for her [[PuniPlush puni-moe\]] art style, has been the art director since the second game, 'natch[[/note]] and oblique references to Myth/NorseMythology.

One thousand years ago, [[{{Gotterdammerung}} the gods and the most powerful demons enacted an extremely destructive war called Ragnarok]]. The gods, who otherwise would have lost, broke the taboo that mortal creatures must not have godly powers in order to create the Grim Angels, incomplete yet extremely powerful beings who were able to turn the tide. Afterward, the gods vanished, sealing their powers within the recently liberated land of [[VideoGame/RivieraThePromisedLand Riviera]] and entrusting the rule of Asgard to seven proxies called the Magi. The Grim Angels, too, were sealed away until the time would come that their powers would once again be necessary to protect Asgard from the threat of demons.

* CelestialBureaucracy: Which is currently being taken care of by a...
** CouncilOfAngels
* DarkerAndEdgier: ''Knights'', ''Blaze Union'', and ''Gungnir''.
** LighterAndSofter: ''Unison'', ''Riviera'', and ''Gloria''.

** LightIsNotGood / DarkIsNotEvil: In all games but ''Riviera''.

This is the setting of StingEntertainment's Dept. Heaven series. Each game released thus far has taken place in a different mortal world, depicting the struggles taking place therein (and, often as not, how interference courtesy of Asgard and demons has made it worse). The series as a whole is known for its GenreBusting gameplay, [[DarkFantasy dark storylines]], [[GrayAndGreyMorality morally ambiguous characters]], purposeful ArtStyleDissonance,[[note]]Creator/SatokoKiyuduki, famed for her [[PuniPlush puni-moe\]] art style, has been the art director since the second game, 'natch[[/note]] and oblique references to Myth/NorseMythology.

* '''Episode I:''' ''Yakusoku no Chi Riviera''/''VideoGame/RivieraThePromisedLand'', which tells the story of an angel named Ecthel(/[[DubNameChange Ein]]) and his attempts to save the eponymous island from both Asgard and Niflheim. Originally released for the [=WonderSwan=] (2002), ported to the Game Boy Advance (2004), and there localized by {{Atlus}}. Then ported to the PSP, and localized by {{Atlus}} yet again (2006).
* '''Episode II:''' ''VideoGame/YggdraUnion: We'll Never Fight Alone'', wherein Princess Yggdra attempts to rescue her kingdom from the empire that has conquered it. Released for the GBA (2006), localized by {{Atlus}}, ported to the PSP (2008), and rereleased by {{Atlus}}.

** ''VideoGame/BlazeUnion: Story to Reach the Future'', a PSP-only prequel to ''YggdraUnion''. The game takes place in Bronquia three years prior to ''Yggdra'''s story, and focuses on Gulcasa ([[spoiler:Garlot]]) and the Imperial Army. Released in 2010. NoExportForYou.

* PacingProblems: All the games but ''Unison'' have a little trouble with this. Chapters four and five of ''Riviera'' drag, as does the beginning of ''Knights''; in ''Yggdra'', important character Nessiah's backstory is AllThereInTheManual because there wasn't enough unvisited map nor enough space to deal with it in-game. Two of ''Blaze Union'''s routes have this problem, as well. Appears yet again in ''Gungnir'', where the final chapters open up a few new subplots...only to ignore them. Unlike Yggdra, there ''was'' enough unvisited map space, meaning there's little excuse.

One thousand years ago, [[{{Gotterdammerung}} the gods and the most powerful demons enacted an extremely destructive war called Ragnarok]]. The gods, who otherwise would have lost, broke the taboo that mortal creatures must not have godly powers in order to create the Grim Angels, incomplete yet extremely powerful beings who were able to turn the tide. Afterward, the gods vanished, sealing their powers within the recently liberated land of [[RivieraThePromisedLand Riviera]] and entrusting the rule of Asgard to seven proxies called the Magi. The Grim Angels, too, were sealed away until the time would come that their powers would once again be necessary to protect Asgard from the threat of demons.

This is the setting of StingEntertainment's Dept. Heaven series. Each game released thus far has taken place in a different mortal world, depicting the struggles taking place therein (and, often as not, how interference courtesy of Asgard and demons has made it worse). The series as a whole is known for its GenreBusting gameplay, [[DarkFantasy dark storylines]], [[GrayAndGreyMorality morally ambiguous characters]], purposeful ArtStyleDissonance,[[note]]Creator/SatokoKiyuduki, famed for her [[PuniPlush puni-moe\]] art style, has been the art director since the second game, 'natch[[/note]] and oblique references to NorseMythology.

* NorseMythology: Played up in {{Atlus}}' localization, but there are still references throughout the series.

* HostileShowTakeover: The Episode II games have become as much Gulcasa's story as Yggdra's (they each have main-charactership of two); Yggdra has usurped partial main-charactership of ''KnightsInTheNightmare'', and has been featured in the concept art for Episode IX.

* BiggerBad: [[spoiler:Hector]] until ''Riviera.''

This is the setting of StingEntertainment's Dept. Heaven series. Each game released thus far has taken place in a different mortal world, depicting the struggles taking place therein (and, often as not, how interference courtesy of Asgard and demons has made it worse). The series as a whole is known for its GenreBusting gameplay, [[DarkFantasy dark storylines]], [[GrayAndGreyMorality morally ambiguous characters]], purposeful ArtStyleDissonance,[[note]]SatokoKiyuduki, famed for her [[PuniPlush puni-moe\]] art style, has been the art director since the second game, 'natch[[/note]] and oblique references to NorseMythology.

* NamesTheSame: As noted above, there are far too many things named Ancardia--the island, the world, the angel's staff, and the scepter Yggdra receives in certain endings of ''YggdraUnion''.

* DevelopmentHell: Both ''Knights'' and ''Gungnir'' have suffered from this--Ito describes the trials and tribulations of developing the former [[http://community.livejournal.com/disaresta/65959.html#cutid1 here]], and the latter dropped off the radar for a full two years before it was finally announced.

* CrackIsCheaper: Especially given the rampant amount of AllThereInTheManual.
* [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome Crowning Soundtrack Of Awesome]]: Every single game. Adachi Minako and Hayashi Shigeki have collaborated on most of the soundtracks.

* PlayerPunch: At least one per game.

* PacingProblems: All the games but ''Unison'' have a little trouble with this. Chapters four and five of ''Riviera'' drag, as does the beginning of ''Knights''; in ''Yggdra'', important character Nessiah's backstory is AllThereInTheManual because there wasn't enough unvisited map nor enough space to deal with it in-game. Two of ''Blaze Union'''s routes have this problem, as well.

This is the setting of StingEntertainment's Dept. Heaven series. Each game released thus far has taken place in a different mortal world, depicting the struggles taking place therein (and, often as not, how interference courtesy of Asgard and demons has made it worse). The series as a whole is known for its GenreBusting gameplay, [[DarkFantasy dark storylines]], [[GrayAndGreyMorality morally ambiguous characters]], purposeful ArtStyleDissonance[[hottip:*:SatokoKiyuduki, famed for her [[PuniPlush puni-moe\]\] art style, has been the art director since the second game, 'natch]], and oblique references to NorseMythology.

The series is meant to span [[NumerologicalMotif nine core episodes]], not counting spinoffs. It should be kept in mind that episode number has nothing at all to do with series chronology[[hottip:*:the episode numbers are in fact just the order that the games' original concepts were pitched in]], and that the games are released out of chronological order as well. Usually, though, series mainstay characters (most often the archangel Marietta) will pop up briefly to give series fans an idea of when the story takes place.

Those of the games which have made it into English have always been localized by Atlus[[hottip:*:and TLC'ed by 505 Games for Europe and Australia]], and around the time of the announcement of their localization of ''Knights in the Nightmare'', it was announced that Atlus of Japan would be Sting's exclusive publisher. Ideally, this would ensure that this series would continue being localized for the foreseeable future. ''Ideally.''

And so, in the countless mortal worlds that lie between Asgard and Niflheim, life tends to be rather grim. And to make matters worse, even when their lives ''aren't'' being sidelined by the heavenly cold war, [[HumansAreBastards the people of the human realms have usually got their hands full persecuting and killing each other]].

* '''Episode I:''' ''Yakusoku no Chi Riviera''/''VideoGame/RivieraThePromisedLand'', which tells the story of an angel named Ein and his attempts to save the eponymous island from both Asgard and Niflheim. Originally released for the [=WonderSwan=] (2002), ported to the Game Boy Advance (2004), and there localized by {{Atlus}}. Then ported to the PSP, and localized by {{Atlus}} yet again (2006).

* '''Episode IX:''' ''VideoGame/{{Gungnir}}: Inferno of the Demon Lance and the War of Heroes,'' the story of a young boy named Julio and his comrades, who come upon the eponymous lance while struggling to rise up against the ruling class of their Empire. Has finally reemerged after two solid years of DevelopmentHell. Published by Atlus on the PSP. Released in May 2011. Set for a North American release in June 2012.

* FromBadToWorse: [[spoiler:Marietta's character arc through the series,]] if speculation about the unnamed fourth boss in ''Riviera'' can be believed.

* ItGotWorse: [[spoiler:Marietta's character arc through the series, if speculation about the unnamed fourth boss in Riviera can be believed.]]

This is the setting of StingEntertainment's Dept. Heaven series. Each game released thus far has taken place in a different mortal world, depicting the struggles taking place therein (and, often as not, how interference courtesy of Asgard and demons has made it worse). The series as a whole is known for its GenreBusting gameplay, [[DarkFantasy dark storylines]], [[GrayAndGreyMorality morally ambiguous characters]], purposeful ArtStyleDissonance[[hottip:*:SatokoKiyuduki, famed for her [[PuniPlush puni-moe]] art style, has been the art director since the second game, 'natch]], and oblique references to NorseMythology.

* '''Episode I:''' ''Yakusoku no Chi Riviera''/''[[RivieraThePromisedLand Riviera: The Promised Land]]'', which tells the story of an angel named Ein and his attempts to save the eponymous island from both Asgard and Niflheim. Originally released for the [=WonderSwan=] (2002), ported to the Game Boy Advance (2004), and there localized by {{Atlus}}. Then ported to the PSP, and localized by {{Atlus}} yet again (2006).
* '''Episode II:''' ''YggdraUnion: We'll Never Fight Alone'', wherein Princess Yggdra attempts to rescue her kingdom from the empire that has conquered it. Released for the GBA (2006), localized by {{Atlus}}, ported to the PSP (2008), and rereleased by {{Atlus}}.
** ''YggdraUnison'', an [[GaidenGame alternate-universe spinoff]] that gives [[DemotedToExtra almost]] everyone a chance to be the main character. Originally released as a cellphone-exclusive [=MMO=] in 2007, but a DS remake was also released in late 2009. NoExportForYou.
** ''BlazeUnion: Story to Reach the Future'', a PSP-only prequel to ''YggdraUnion''. The game takes place in Bronquia three years prior to ''Yggdra'''s story, and focuses on Gulcasa ([[spoiler:Garlot]]) and the Imperial Army. Released in 2010. NoExportForYou.
** ''GloriaUnion: Twin Fates in the Blue Ocean'', another PSP game. Is largely unconnected to the other Episode II games, and is a {{pirate}} dramedy. Released in June 2011. Still NoExportForYou.

* '''Episode IV:''' ''KnightsInTheNightmare'', the story of a world overrun by demons and the unlikely pair of a disembodied soul and mysterious valkyrie trying to save it. First released on Nintendo DS in 2008. Published by Atlus. PSP remake released in 2010, which contains the Yggdra route cut during the DS game's production.
* '''Episode IX:''' ''{{Gungnir}}: Inferno of the Demon Lance and the War of Heroes,'' the story of a young boy named Julio and his comrades, who come upon the eponymous lance while struggling to rise up against the ruling class of their Empire. Has finally reemerged after two solid years of DevelopmentHell. Published by Atlus on the PSP. Released in May 2011. Set for a North American release in June 2012.

!!The Dept. Heaven series includes: