History VideoGame / LaPucelle

* BlessedWithSuck: [[spoiler:The Maiden of Light has awesome divine powers to defeat the Dark Prince, yes, but she dies if she uses them all, and it pretty much takes all her power and then some to defeat him in the first place.]]

* BadassGrandpa: Father Salade. Just to give a hint, the first thing he does when it's time to [[LetsGetDangerous get serious]] is singlehandedly take down a demon of the same species as one that you've fought twice now as a boss.

** [[spoiler: Even ''[[UpdatedRerelease Ragnarok]]'''s GoldenEnding has some of this. EverybodyLives thanks to [[DemonOdfHumanOrigin Prier's newfound Overlord powers]], but she must now separate from her friends and live in the [[{{Hell}} Netherworlds]] from now on due to the fact she's now a demon.]]

** [[spoiler: Even ''[[UpdatedRerelease Ragnarok]]'s GoldenEnding has some of this. EverybodyLives thanks to [[DemonOdfHumanOrigin Prier's newfound Overlord powers]], but she must now separate from her friends and live in the [[{{Hell}} Netherworlds]] from now on due to the fact she's now a demon.]]

* {{Bowdlerization}}: Mastiff censored the game for the North American release, such as changing the shape of Croix's guns and the spell animations, because they were not prepared to handle attention and criticism from [[MoralGuardians demographics unfamiliar to them.]]

* {{Bowdlerization}}
** Particularly annoying in light of the fact that Mastiff (the North American localizers) fancied themselves to be the next Atlus, with all of the attention such a position carries...but sanitized the game because they were not prepared to handle attention and criticism from [[MoralGuardians demographics unfamiliar to them.]] Even more irony is involved when NIS started an American branch about a year later, and had Mastiff not butted in, the damn game could have been released with no changes whatsoever. Not to mention the legal hurdles to port the PSP UpdatedRerelease.

''La Pucelle'' (a.k.a. ''La Pucelle: Tactics'') is a TurnBasedStrategy game released on the UsefulNotes/PlayStation2 by Nippon Ichi. In Japan, it came out a year before ''VideoGame/DisgaeaHourOfDarkness'', but was released several months after that game in other countries. It is set in the same world as the ''Marl Kingdom'' series, and one of the characters is the grandson of the main character of the first ''Marl Kingdom'' game (a.k.a. ''VideoGame/RhapsodyAMusicalAdventure''.)

* [[MonsterIsAMommy Monster Is A Daddy]]: If you kill the Forest Lord in chapter 3, and then return to the scene of the crime later on, Prier finds his cub son and heals a minor injury it has. The cub follows her around, prompting Prier to decide to raise him. After leveling him up and returning later on, he'll leave, having grown up, but not before granting Prier [[LaserGuidedKarma a new skill that lets her call him out to crush her enemies.]] The whole scene is a serious CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming.

''La Pucelle'' (a.k.a. ''La Pucelle: Tactics'') is a TurnBasedStrategy game released on the UsefulNotes/PlayStation2 by Nippon Ichi. In Japan, it came out a year before ''VideoGame/DisgaeaHourOfDarkness'', but was released several months after that game in other countries. It is set in the same world as the ''Marl Kingdom'' series, and one of the characters is the grandson of the main character of the first ''Marl Kingdom'' game (a.k.a. ''RhapsodyAMusicalAdventure''.)

* TheCameo: The shopkeeper Erie is actually from ''Tenshi no Present'', part of the Marl Kingdom series started by ''RhapsodyAMusicalAdventure''. Of course, [[NoExportForYou the game wasn't]] [[MarthDebutedInSmashBros released in America]].

* {{Expy}}: Eclair's Princess and Dark Forms are clear homage to Princess Gradriel of ''VideoGame/PrincessCrown.'' Papillon is also an expy of Kururu and the fairy class type monster from their earlier work ''RhapsodyAMusicalAdventure''.

* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: [[spoiler:Homard is in fact the Prince of the Marl Kingdom. He's [[RhapsodyAMusicalAdventure Cornet's]] grandson. (Amusingly, in the Cornet DLC; he shakes his head and says "Nah, couldn't be".)]]

* DownloadableContent: In Ragnarok, you can recruit Erie, the Rosenqueen shopkeeper, [[VideoGame/PrinnyCanIReallyBeTheHero Hero Prinny]], [[RhapsodyAMusicalAdventure Cornet]], and [[VideoGame/Disgaea2CursedMemories Rozalin]].

''La Pucelle'' (a.k.a. ''La Pucelle: Tactics'') is a TurnBasedStrategy game released on the UsefulNotes/PlayStation2 by Nippon Ichi. In Japan, it came out a year before ''VideoGame/DisgaeaHourOfDarkness'', but was released several months after that game in other countries. It is set in the same world as the ''Marl Kingdom'' series, and one of the characters is the grandson of the main character of the first ''Marl Kingdom'' game ( a.k.a. ''RhapsodyAMusicalAdventure''.)

* AlwaysChaoticEvil: All the demons are assholes. The only known exception was Noir's father [[spoiler: so not surprisingly he doesn't think any higher of them than he does humans.]]

* ArtEvolution: Nippon Ichi had Ryoji Majima, the original artist for La Pucelle and the Marl Kingdom series, return as the lead artist for the UpdatedRerelease and his art has gone through some [[BreastExpansion noticeable changes]] since then.

* BattleInTheCenterOfTheMind: [[spoiler:Fallen Angel Calamity's influence on Croix is represented as a monster]].
* BelligerentSexualTension: Prier and Croix

* BilingualBonus: A lot of the characters, locations and spells are French words. In no particular order : La Pucelle (The Maiden, a Joan of Arc reference), Prière (Prayer), Croix (Cross), Culotte (Breeches, but a sideways Bastille Day reference as the revolutionaries called themselves the "Without Culottes"), Alouette (Sparrow), Eclair (Lightning, also a kind of pastry), Homard (Lobster), Salade (Lettuce), Papillon (Butterfly)... However, the bonus-est is probably Goddess Poitreen, meaning Breasts (although it's spelled "Poitrine" in actual French).

* BlessedWithSuck: [[spoiler:The Maiden of Light has awesome divine powers to defeat the Dark Prince yes, but she dies if she uses them all, and it pretty much takes all her power and then some to defeat him in the first place.]]

* BreakingSpeech: [[spoiler: The Demon Overlord Prier who manifests in chapter 1 & 2 delivers one to Prier pointing how much she values power. While Prier and friends defend her, it becomes clear that it will take more than that to solve the problem since they never actually address Prier's desire for power.]]

* TheCameo: The shopkeeper Erie is actually from ''Tenshi no Present'', part of the Marl Kingdom series started by ''RhapsodyAMusicalAdventure''. Of course, [[NoExportForYou the game wasn't]] [[MarthDebutedInSmashBros released in America]]/

* CreepyCoolCrosses: Croix's gun is shaped like a cross. [[{{Bowdlerise}} It, along with several other crosses were removed from the game for the US release.]]
* CrucifiedHeroShot: [[spoiler:Prier]]. With bonus [[{{Bowdlerise}}cross censure]], making it looked like she's tied to a pole with her arms just floating there.

* CurbStompBattle: [[spoiler:Croix does this to a Demon Lord who has been pretty much winning in the first round after he unleashes his SuperpoweredEvilSide]]
* CutsceneIncompetence: [[spoiler:Prier]] gets captured offscreen following a boss fight. The music playing at the time, the character dialogue and the boss' reactions to said dialogue hangs a nice [[LampshadeHanging lampshade on it...]] Until [[SuperpoweredEvilSide things]] [[CurbStompBattle turn]] [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone serious.]]
* DarkMagicalGirl: Princess Eclair

* DistressedDude: [[spoiler:Croix, for the last chapter of the game]].

* EvilCostumeSwitch: Aside from the above example, this trope is played with, in that [[spoiler:Croix switches to his ''normal'' outfit that you usually see him in when he became the Dark Prince.]] Played straight though, [[spoiler:in that he more recently loses his CoolShades when he unleashes his SuperpoweredEvilSide]].
* TheEvilsOfFreeWill: [[spoiler:Noir's motivation. Killing all demonkind won't bring about a paradise as the humans believe; they only started hunting half-breeds as an excuse to knock out dissident voices and take out their repressed anger on someone, and then turned on each other once all the demons in their village were finally gone. As long as there are more than two people existing in the same world, there will ALWAYS be conflict; no two people, even those brainwashed by religion, ever see things the same way. So Noir's plan is to kill everyone else.]] Prier is outright disgusted and believes that the reasons why Noir hates everybody are the same reasons why conflict is so ''fun'' and meaningful.

* GodWasMyCopilot: It is heavily implied that [[spoiler: the girl in town asking all kind of questions to Prier is actually the goddess Poitreene]].
* GroinAttack: Prier's Coup de Grâce attack, which she also uses in a cutscene to reveal a fake Father Salade (the real Salade would have simply ''shrugged that kick off''.)

* HalfHumanHybrid: Noir, the BigBad

* HumansAreBastards: And how! [[spoiler:Croix felt strongly this way with the unjust execution of his lover Angelique that he turned into the [[SuperpoweredEvilSide Dark Prince]]. [[KickTheSonOfABitch And it's justifiable!]]]]

* ImprobableWeaponUser: Culotte's method of attack is throwing various objects at the enemy - apples, lollipops, rocks, Mushroom monsters...just about anything he can find in those little pockets of his. Alouette often uses a Holy Book as a weapon.

* LevelGrinding: It seems this is what brought about Nippon Ichi's love of this. It is possible to "reverse" the Gates which spawn monsters and enter Hell; or "The Dark World" as the westernization puts it; in itself a direct translation of the word ''Franchise/{{Disgaea}}'' (hint, hint). Hell is a completely randomized dungeon filled to the brim with Demons, Demon Lords and Demon Overlords, stronger than any enemy in the main game.
* LoveRedeems: [[spoiler:Prier's feelings for Croix help him break free from his dark side]].
* LuckBasedMission: Going for the good ending in Chapter 10 are you? Better start praying to Poitreene that the computer's (random!) enemy movement and actions are agreeable, and that the sole mook type's paralyzes-inflicting special isn't used and doesn't work too often.

* NiceHat: Homard again

* NoSmoking: The American release censored out the image of Croix's cigarette (but only the image; he still frequently pulls nothing from his lips and puts it back a moment later.)

* ReallySevenHundredYearsOld: [[spoiler:Croix and, to a lesser extent, Alouette are both much older than they appear]].

* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: [[spoiler:Homard is in fact the Prince of the Marl Kingdom. He's [[RhapsodyAMusicalAdventure Cornet's]] grandson. (Amusingly, in the Cornet DLC; he shakes his head and says "Nah, couldn't be")]]
** Eclair counts too

* [[HesBack She's Back]]: [[spoiler:Prier snaps out of her HeroicBSOD just in time for the battle with the newly-reborn Dark Prince, AKA Croix]].

* AsLongAsThereIsEvil: [[spoiler: After Demon Overlord Prier is defeated at the end of Chapter 2, she swears that even she's defeated, she will manifest again the moment the real Prier wishes for power.]]
* BattleInTheCenterOfTheMind: [[spoiler:Two entire chapters are dedicated to Prier fighting her dark self inside her heart]].
%%* BonusLevelOfHell:

* DownloadableContent: In Ragnarok, you can recruit Erie, the Rosenqueen shopkeeper, [[VideoGame/PrinnyCanIReallyBeTheHero Hero Prinny]], [[RhapsodyAMusicalAdventure Cornet]], and [[VideoGame/Disgaea2CursedMemories Rozalin]]

** EnemyWithout: [[spoiler: Unusually, Demon Prier first appears this way. She initially appears as a little girl trying to encourage Prier to become an Overlord before revealing herself. While she and her friends defeat her, since she's a part of Prier she points out that she'll be back.]]

* KickTheSonOfABitch: [[spoiler:Sure Prier is completely consumed in darkness, but after being forced to kill Croix and having Noir destroy his body and soul, it's hard not to cheer for her as she kills him]].

** NonstandardGameOver: [[spoiler:Father Salade kills Prier after she turns into a demon and attacks everyone in Church in confusion]].
** Bad Ending: [[spoiler:Prier utterly fails to save Croix despite all her best efforts and he is destroyed by Noir whilst dying in Prier's arms. The following UnstoppableRage causes Prier to be completely consumed by her SuperpoweredEvilSide]].
** Normal Ending: [[spoiler:Same as above, however, a small part of Prier's "Light" seems to linger on in the real world as an individual entity.]]

* NiceJobBreakingItHero: [[spoiler: Prier in the Bad Ending kills her friends, including Alouette, which allows the Dark Prince to fully awaken. She still defeats him, but Croix nearly dies and is killed by Noir.]]
* NobleDemon: While the original game averts this; ''Ragnarok'' makes it possible.

* ShutUpHannibal: [[spoiler: in the good ending and in response to Noir's threats, Prier and Croix tell him he's wrong and kick his ass.]]
* TalkingIsAFreeAction: [[spoiler: In the good ending, Prier and Croix have '''lengthily''' conversation while Noir mostly stands by and does nothing besides express shock when [[ItMakesSenseInContext Prier kicks Croix]].]]
* TalkToEveryone: The key to getting the GoldenEnding, talking to the children at the start of each chapter opens a "plot square" in one of the stages of that chapter, and each must be visited in all chapters.
* TookALevelInJerkass: Noir is far more of jerk in the Overlord Prier story.

* UnreliableNarrator: [[spoiler:In Overlord route, Prier is succumbing to Darkness, so a lot of things in the real world may not quite be so. Like her seeing her friends as demons and demons as her friends. Whether she snaps out of it in time depends on a number of factors]].

* {{Expy}}: Eclair's Princess and Dark Forms are clear homage to Princess Gradriel of ''PrincessCrown.'' Papillon is also an expy of Kururu and the fairy class type monster from their earlier work ''RhapsodyAMusicalAdventure''.

* TalkToEveryone: The key to getting the GoldenEnding, this allows for alternate "storysquares" in stages. And represents Prier keeping her connectino to humanity.

* BattleInTheCenterOfTheMind: [[spoiler:An entire chapter is dedicated to Prier fighting her dark self inside her heart]].

* GameplayAndStorySegration: One can unlock Overlord Prier as a transformation from the start in NewGamePlus.

* GameplayAndStoryIntegration: One can unlock Overlord Prier as a transformation from the start in NewGamePlus.

The kingdom of Paprica exists under constant threat from "Dark Portals", which spread the evil energies and demons of [[{{Hell}} The Dark World]] across the land. To protect the peace, the [[SaintlyChurch Church of the Holy Maiden]] has established "La Pucelle", an order of [[TheHunter demon hunters]] dedicated to slaying these monsters and purifying the Dark Portals.

* BonusLevelOfHell: And how!

* HannibalLecture: [[spoiler: The Demon Overlord Prier who manifests in chapter 1 & 2 delivers one to Prier pointing how much she values power. While Prier and friends deliver a ShutUpHannibal, it becomes clear that it will take more than that to solve the problem since said Shut Up moments never actually address Prier's desire for power.]]

* ShutUpHannibal: [[spoiler: Prier and Croix deliver one to Noir in the good ending in response to his threats, and kick his ass.]]

''La Pucelle'' (a.k.a. ''La Pucelle: Tactics'') is a TurnBasedStrategy game released on the PlayStation2 by Nippon Ichi. In Japan, it came out a year before ''VideoGame/DisgaeaHourOfDarkness'', but was released several months after that game in other countries. It is set in the same world as the ''Marl Kingdom'' series, and one of the characters is the grandson of the main character of the first ''Marl Kingdom'' game ( a.k.a. ''RhapsodyAMusicalAdventure''.)

An UpdatedRerelease has been released for the {{PSP}} entitled ''"La Pucelle: Ragnarok".'' It has some ''Franchise/{{Disgaea}}'' cameos, multiple new endings, and an additional scenario in four acts following on from the comedy ending where Priere (accidentally) becomes a Demon Overlord. [[NoExportForYou NISA has officially announced that they will not be localizing it.]] There is a playthrough and partial translation of the new content [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2qCUSdAXhw here.]] There is also a mostly complete FanTranslation.


You can also download the game on the ''PlaystationNetwork'' [[http://www.siliconera.com/2012/09/10/la-pucelle-tactics-returns-as-a-downloadable-ps2-classic/ as of July 11, 2012.]]

* LikeABadassOutOfHell: It is possible to conquer Hell if Prier defeats enough Demon Overlords. They make her their leader. There's a "faux" ending to this, as the main plot continues [[GameplayAndStorySegregation without paying attention to this]]. Later games elaborate.

* LikeABadassOutOfHell

* SameContentDifferentRating: The original game was rated Cero A, but Ragnarok was upped to Cero C. No explanation was given as to why. This is especially strange when you consider that ''VideoGame/SoulNomadTheWorldEaters'' and its infamous "Demon Path" is rated Cero A...

* AlwaysChaoticEvil: All the demons are assholes. The only known exception was Noir's father [[spoiler: so not surprisingly he doesn't any higher of them than he does humans.]]

* StoneWall: Eclair, who has the party-best base defense and resistance combined (two others beat her in those stats separately, but are basically defenseless for the other) but low-end (for the front-row fighting characters) attack, and her speed is also low. Her dark half is a mixture of a FragileSpeedster and a GlassCannon.

* NobleDemon: Averted, especially when you consider how demons are portrayed in other [[Creator/{{Nippon Ichi}} Nippon Ichi]] games...

!In addition to many of the tropes mentioned in the NipponIchi article, this game provides examples of:

* ArtEvolution: NipponIchi had Ryoji Majima, the original artist for La Pucelle and the Marl Kingdom series, return as the lead artist for the UpdatedRerelease and his art has gone through some [[BreastExpansion noticeable changes]] since then.

* NobleDemon: Averted, especially when you consider how demons are portrayed in other {{Nippon Ichi}} games...

* ShootTheShaggyDog: The Overlord Ending, in which Prier fights through the demonic hordes of the Dark World only to kill one too many demons and turn into a Demonic Overlord herself. This causes all of her friends and allies to leave her, [[LonelyAtTheTop alone]] and trapped in the Dark World with nothing but a [[EvilIsSexy sexy]] [[EvilMakeover new makeover]] to show for it. Worse, this ending is ''canon'': Overlord Prier makes cameos in every other ''NipponIchi'' game, and the UpdatedRerelease has an entire bonus story based upon what happens next.