History VideoGame / SoulSacrifice

** ClassicalMythology: The war that tore apart the world was called the Olympian War, the tribe of humans born without magic are called the Romalus, there are numerous areas named after things from the mythos: the Plains of Olympia, the Catacombs of Pandora, the Ruins of Tartarus where the Cerberus dwells, Mount Helios, the Icarus Pasture, the Poseidon Inn, Lake Andromeda. Gorgon and Vulcan are Black Rites.

** NorseMythology: There is the Valhalla Abbey, a Valkyrie is an Archfiend, and Gleipnir is a Black Rite. ''Delta'' reveals that the founder of the Sorcerers' Guild became a monster which they named Odin.

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* CrapsackWorld: It goes without saying.

* {{Expy}}: Librom is one to [[VideoGame/{{NieR}} Grimoire Weiss]] and the [[Film/EvilDead Necronomicon]].

* ElementalRockPaperScissors: [[KillItWithIce Ice]] beats [[KillItWithFire fire]], which is effective against [[GreenThumb venom]] who beats [[DishingOutDirt stone]], which in turn curbstomps [[ShockAndAwe lightning]] who finishes the circle by cracking the [[KillItWithIce ice]].

* WasOnceAMan: The backstories of many bosses in this game start out that way.

* EarnYourHappyEnding: [[spoiler: It took an UpdatedRerelease, but in contrast to the original release, Delta's {{TrueEnding}}s are both, barring the token warning about HopeIsScary, unambiguously happy. Considering what the characters go through (and how insanely hard the game is at that), they are planted firmly in this territory.]]

* GodAndSatanAreBothJerks: Technically a spoiler, but given that both the "good" and "evil" gods appear as DLC bonus bosses, and the state of the world, it'd be more surprising if it ''wasn't'' true. [[spoiler: Come Delta, and they upgrade from super-hard DLC bosses to the {{BiggerBad}}s, whose feud has caught humanity in the middle and drives the EternalRecurrence, and thus the plot.]]

* BiggerBad: The younger of the two Gods who created the setting's world. While the older believes in order, the other likes chaos and greed, and that's why he created the chalice and gave sorcery to his people (the druids). [[spoiler: And that's why the world is in a constant state of destruction and restoration, because he engineered for an especially greedy individual to destroy the world.... the ''same person who was chosen by the other god to be devoid of greed and be able to save it.'']]

* {{Expy}}: Librom is one to [[VideoGame/{{NieR}} Grimoire Weiss]].

* GodAndSatanAreBothJerks: Technically a spoiler, but given that both the "good" and "evil" gods appear as DLC bonus bosses, and the state of the world, it'd be more surprising if it ''wasn't'' true.

* CallAPegasusAHippogriff: Standard monster names, decidedly NON-standard designs and origins. Goblins are rat-men made up out of other, smaller rats. "Orcs" are housecats mutated by magic into horrible blobby cannibalistic things with gaping mouths full of human skulls. Koholds are trees that are transformed by residual magic. Ghouls are crows who fed on the corpses of sorcerers until the magic made them just as intelligent as humans, even creating their own society.
** ''Soul Sacrifice Delta'' introduces fairies, which were bees infected with magic, gaining self awareness and had overthrown their queen. Also introduced are gnomes (rabbits that have been horrifically mutated by magic, gaining the ability to merge with the ground and attack with giant ear hands) and orichalcum (snails who have gained a sense of self through magic, and had their shells transformed into treasure chests).

* VideogameCrueltyPunishment: Actually this trope could be ''inverted'' since the game constantly punishes moral choices, while giving easier outcomes and rewards to those who choose selfishly. In one boss battle, choosing to save your enemy will not only drag the battle, but ''drain half of your current health on the spot, giving it to your enemy.''

* BloodMagic[=/=]BloodyMurder: One of the possible offensive magics. While these are powerful, they are CastFromHitpoints, meaning you have to watch out for your health.

* [[spoiler:AndThenJohnWasAZombie: Depending on whether you choose to sacrifice or save Magusar in the final battle, you will either become the new Magusar or the new Librom.]]

* BonusBoss: While it's not exactly harder than, say [[spoiler:Double Illecebra]] the Leviathan you see in tutorial can only be encountered in the tenth Avalon pact's group, where all combats are extremely hard.

* MultipleEndings: Three in the original game.
** If you [[spoiler:defeat Magusar before finishing all the main story chapters in Librom, the game ends immediatly after Magusar's defeat, with the protagonist musing about how his/her actions have saved himself/herself, but the future of the world is still uncertain.]]
** If you [[spoiler:complete all the main story chapters and choose to ''sacrifice'' Magusar in the final battle, then the grail fulfills your wish and returns the world to its original form, however the protagonist is left with the curse of Magusar and his right arm, unsure of what the future holds for him or the world but still believing that hope can change it for the better.]]
** If you [[spoiler:complete all the main story chapters and choose to ''save'' Magusar, the protagonist begin a cycle of defeating and saving Magusar over an over, while line between the protagonist and Librom becomes blurred and they become one. They fight with Magusar for years until the protagonists body breaks down and can no longer fight. Like the original Librom, they sacrifice their body to become a book that will pass on both their story and Librom's tale to the next prisoner that can take on Magusar.]]

''VideoGame/SoulSacrifice'' is a video game developed by Marvelous AQL and Japan Studio for the PlayStationVita. The concept was created by Creator/KeijiInafune, best known for being the co-designer for the ''VideoGame/MegaMan'' franchise.

''VideoGame/SoulSacrifice'' is played in the third-person perspective. The player character is a slave that serves a powerful and cruel sorcerer. Just before the protagonist is going to be sacrificed, a demon in the form of a book appears before him. The book is a collection of stories that describe past fights between monsters and the powerful sorcerer. The player character is able to enter the book's world and experience the fights, thereby gaining experience and power. One particularly notable mechanic is the ability to sacrifice parts of the character's body or items to create devastating attacks. These sacrifices will be permanently marked on the player character's body, meaning that unless a slow-regaining resource is spent, they are not an infinite resource that can be tapped into.

!! VideoGame/SoulSacrifice contains examples of:

* {{Expy}}: Librom is one to [[NieR Grimoire Weiss]].

* YourSoulIsMine: When you sacrifice monsters, this is essentially what you do.

A combination sequel-UpdatedRerelease, ''Soul Sacrifice Delta'', released in Japan on March 6, 2014, and in the US and EU on the Playstation Network on May 13 and 14 of 2014, respectively. It will receive overhauled graphics, systems, and AI. There will be an enhanced focus on co-op play, a number of new spells, more areas, monsters, and archfiends based on [[Creator/TheBrothersGrimm the Grimm Fairy Tales]]. Players will be able to choose between the two old factions and the third new one: Avalon, {{Knight Templar}}s who seek to destroy all monsters, no matter if it helps the situation of the world or not; Sanctuarium, a splinter group of sorcerers who believe that monsters can and should be saved; and the new faction Grimm, who believes in choice and leaves the monsters fates to the heavens, using both the rite of salvation and rite of sacrifice at the same time, leaving which one that happens up to chance. Which organization the player chooses to join will change what mission rewards and types of magic they can gain.

* BiggerBad: The younger of the two Gods who created the setting's world. While the older believes in order, the other likes chaos and greed, and that's why he created the chalice and gave sorcery to his people (the druids). [[spoiler: And that's why the world is in a constant state of destruction and restoration, because he engineered for an especially greedy individual to destroy the world.... the ''same person who was chosen by the other god to be devoid of greed an be able to save it.'']]

** Soul Sacrifice Delta introduces fairies, which were bees infected with magic, gaining self awareness and had overthrown their queen. Also introduced are gnomes( rabbits that have been horrifically mutated by magic, gaining the ability to merge with the ground and attack with giant ear hands) and orichalcum( snails who have gained a sense of self through magic, and had their shells transformed into treasure chests).

* DubNameChange: The Japanese version makes whole references to the Arthurian mythos, while the US/EU English versions have the references veiled due to some areas of Europe still treating the mythos as SeriousBusiness. Hence the changing of the names of the depicted characters from the Arthurian mythos in the English version.

** KingArthur: A number of (renamed) characters from the Arthurian mythos, Avalon, and the Holy Grail appear. Excalibur is even one of the Black Rites.

** NorseMythology: There is the Valhalla Abbey, a Valkyrie is an Archfiend, and Gleipnir is a Black Rite.

A sequel, ''Soul Sacrifice Delta'', was announced for release in Japan on March 6, 2014. It will receive overhauled graphics, systems, and AI. There will be an enhanced focus on co-op play, a number of new spells, more areas, monsters, and archfiends based on [[Creator/TheBrothersGrimm the Grimm Fairy Tales]]. Players will be able to choose between the two old factions and the third new one: Avalon, {{Knight Templar}}s who seek to destroy all monsters, no matter if it helps the situation of the world or not; Sanctuarium, a splinter group of sorcerers who believe that monsters can and should be saved; and the new faction Grimm, who believes in choice and leaves the monsters fates to the heavens, using both the rite of salvation and rite of sacrifice at the same time, leaving which one that happens up to chance. Which organization the player chooses to join will change what mission rewards and types of magic they can gain.

* MultipleEndings: Three.

* NintendoHard: Yeah... It's pretty much DarkSouls for the PS Vita. Difficulty and tone wise.

A sequel, ''Soul Sacrifice Delta'', was announced for release in Japan in March 2014. It will receive overhauled graphics, systems, and AI. There will be an enhanced focus on co-op play, a number of new spells, more areas, monsters, and archfiends based on [[Creator/TheBrothersGrimm the Grimm Fairy Tales]]. Players will be able to choose between the two old factions and the third new one: Avalon, {{Knight Templar}}s who seek to destroy all monsters, no matter if it helps the situation of the world or not; Sanctuarium, a splinter group of sorcerers who believe that monsters can and should be saved; and the new faction Grimm, who believes in choice and leaves the monsters fates to the heavens, using both the rite of salvation and rite of sacrifice at the same time, leaving which one that happens up to chance. Which organization the player chooses to join will change what mission rewards and types of magic they can gain.

** Soul Sacrifice Delta introduces fairies, which were bees infected with magic, gaining self awareness and had overthrown their queen.

A sequel of sorts, ''Soul Sacrifice Delta'', was announced for release in Japan in March 2014. It will receive overhauled graphics, systems, and AI. There will be an enhanced focus on co-op play, a number of new spells, more areas, monsters, and archfiends based on [[Creator/TheBrothersGrimm the Grimm Fairy Tales]]. Players will be able to choose between the two old factions and the third new one: Avalon, {{Knight Templar}}s who seek to destroy all monsters, no matter if it helps the situation of the world or not; Sanctuarium, a splinter group of sorcerers who believe that monsters can and should be saved; and the new faction Grimm, who believes in choice and leaves the monsters fates to the heavens, using both the rite of salvation and rite of sacrifice at the same time, leaving which one that happens up to chance. Which organization the player chooses to join will change what mission rewards and types of magic they can gain.

Soul Sacrifice Delta introduces fairies, which were bees infected with magic, gaining self awareness and had overthrown there queen.
* CosmicPlaything: [[spoiler:What the chosen saviours amount to. The older god chooses a person completely devoid of greed, then that sorcerer is forced to face the apocalypse caused by a crazed magician. The sorcerer wins and sacrifices the magician to restore the world... ''in that point becoming tainted with the same curse that causes the previous end of the world''. With luck they may fight the greed that consumes them since their victory, and avoiding losing their very identity, but even if they'd be able to win against it, it'd only mean than another crazier sorcerer would take their place, forcing for a new saviour to come and repeat the process.]]

The game was released in Japan on March 7, 2013, while the North American and European versions hit stores on April 30, 2013 and May 1, 2013 respectively. An UpdatedRerelease, ''Soul Sacrifice Delta'', is in the works and will be released in Japan in 2014.