History VideoGame / WorldWarZ2019

* WeaponOfChoice: While not explicitly marked in-game:

** During the first Jerusalem mission, [[WhatAnIdiot the only way]] to lessen the number of zekes that are besieging Doctor Greengold's compound is by sounding an alarm near the Old City's defensive walls to attract them. Remember how Jerusalem eventually fell to the zekes in the movie?

** The Payload Rifle is what happens when you mix a Barrett M82 with .50 cal BMG Incendiary rounds, the result being a hefty weapon with enough power to kill scores of Zekes with ease at the bare minimum, and anything that isn’t killed from a bullet that can deal with a ''tank'' is turned into giblets and red mist by the following detonation of said round. Fixers can obtain a skill which [[UpToEleven increases its' magazine size and damage (maximum number of Zeke killed per shot) by 50%]]. Oh, and they also start the match with one of those on their back.

** Played straight with one of Exterminator skills, aptly named "Third Hand". Your weapon automatically reloads, without the reload animation, if you score 15 kills in a quick succession. Done right during a horde event and you can use up your entire ammo supply - which can be hundreds of rounds - without a single reload. And it goes UpToEleven with the Paladin LMG, as it by default carries over 100 rounds in a single belt in all variants, meaning it will operate just like a stationary machine gun when combined with the Third Hand skill.

** ''Aftermath'' expansion introduced Paladin LMG. It's a belt-fed gun and for all accounts, is a weaker, reloadable version of the heavy machine gun normally found as a support weapon. It goes UpToEleven for Fixers, as deploying a supply crate allows one to instantly replenish the ammo - ''with explosive rounds'' - giving 249 rounds without the slow and lengthy reloading. Exterminator's "Third Hand" skill becomes particularly viable for the prestige version of this gun, as it gains extra penetration when continuously firing - and that skill automatically replenishes the current magazine after 15 kills in a row, so once you activate the bonus, it just never stops.

** [[UtilityPartyMember Fixers]] profit from using semi-automatic rifles, due to their high penetration (which can be [[UpToEleven bumped up with a class skill]]), making use of explosive ammunition they carry, and can upgrade the [[{{BFG}} Barrett M82]] to start on their back and be even more potent than it already is.

* TheVirus: If you're... unlucky enough, you turn into a walking bag of poison gas (if you're wearing a hazmat suit after getting infected), get [[Characters/MortalKombat3 Sindel]]'s shriek, or turn into the [[Comicbook/IncredibleHulk Hulk]] (if you're wearing a riot uniform after getting infected).

* ArtisticLicenseMilitary: The final upgrade tier for the Revolver replaces the barrel assembly with an energy drink can-sized suppressor that reduces the gunfire noise level down to a light pop. In reality, conventional revolvers are practically impossible to accept suppressors[[note]]They ''can'', but the gun itself along with its ammo both have to be specifically-designed for this function, like the Nagant M1895 and its necked bullets[[/note]].

The game is split into four chapters taking place in four different cities in four different countries:

* FlareGun: A rare secondary option, and makes a plot appearance in the finale for the American episode. In normal gameplay, the zombies chase the flare (which will explode with a small area of effect after a few seconds), while in the American episode you're using it to mark locations for bombardment by friendly air support.

* {{Foil}}: NY team vs. Tokyo team, both at large and character-to-character. NY group is acting out of purely selfish survival drive and couldn't care less about others, while Tokyo team operates under WeHelpTheHelpless. Both Tashuan and Sho are former rescuers, but Tashuan is ''incredibly'' selfish and self-centered (standing out even in his group), while Sho's main driving force is a desire to save as many people as he can. Angel is a JustAGangster and proud of it, while Hiroji is a NeighbourhoodFriendlyGangsters that went back to Japan and then stayed behind to help civilians. Bunko used her hacking skills to prepare herself - and only herself - for the incoming apocalypse, while Kimiko uses her Olympic shooting skills for the good of many. Arnetta is a former civil servant who couldn't care less about her job, while Tatsuo is a police officer still on active duty - and one to which he volunteered.

** This is even further contrasted with the documents you can find scattered through the related levels. The American recruitment posters are about [[{{Eagleland}} gung-ho]] [[TestosteronePoisoning machismo adventure]], the Japanese ones are about [[TheNeedsOfTheMany saving the lives of many]] and [[TeamSpirit working together]]. The ultimate goal - stopping Zekes - remains unchanged.

* GenreSavvy: Bunko Tatsumi, full stop. In her backstory, once she learned about the Solanum Virus long before the public does (after [[HollywoodHacking hacking into the US military's computer network]]), [[CrazyPrepared she smartly fills her entire apartment up with weapons, traps, food, water, and medications]], and when the Zekes ''finally'' began knocking on her door, she simply grabs a gun and kills them all.

** Played straight with one of Exterminator skills, aptly named "Third Hand". Your weapon automatically reloads, without the reload animation, if you score 15 kills in a quick succession. Done right during a horde event and you can use up your entire ammo supply - which can be hundreds of rounds - without a single reload. And it goes UpToEleven with Paladin LMG, as it by default carries over 100 rounds in a single belt in all variants, meaning it will operate just like a stationary machine gun when combined with Third Hand skill.

** Initially, the game had "weekly challenges": any given mission, with 3 specific modifier, and increased difficulty with NonIndicativeDifficulty ("Normal" is actually regular Hard, and "Hard" is Very Hard). Those are randomly selected and the debuffs for them too, but come with a hefty payoff of challenge coins: 100 and ''400'' for finishing each. However, certain missions are near-impossible to finish when particularly bad set of debuffs is applied, especially on Hard difficulty
** After Rome campaign was added, "daily challenges" came with it. They operate on similar principle as weekly challenges (still present in the game), but there are few tweaks: they can have from 1 to 4 modifiers (which means you can be lucky and get [[CursedWithAwesome a buff instead]] due to specific modifier). Due to being more common and at least in theory easier to finish, daily challenges offer lesser pay-off, mostly in form of loads of regular coins. The name itself is also misleading - daily challenges refresh on regular basis every two hours or when you clear all three of the current set. This game mode ''significantly'' revitalized the gameplay and player count, as there is an ever-changing objective and extra challenge, rather than just casually going through the same levels time and again.

** ''Aftermath'' expansion introduced Paladin LMG. It's a belt-fed gun and for all accounts, is a weaker, reloadable version of the heavy machine gun normally found as a support weapon. It goes UpToEleven for Fixers, as deploying a supply crate allows one to instantly replenish the ammo - ''with explosive rounds'' - giving 249 rounds without the slow and lengthy reloading. Exterminator's "Third Hand" skill becomes particularly viable for prestige version of this gun, as it gains extra penetration when continuously firing - and that skill automatically replenishes current magazine after 15 kills in a row, so once getting the bonus, it just never stops.

** ''Aftermath'' expansion introduced Paladin LMG. It's a belt-fed gun and for all accounts, is a weaker, reloadable version of the heavy machine gun normally found as a support weapon. It goes UpToEleven for Fixers, as deploying a supply crate allows one to instantly replenish the ammo - ''with explosive rounds'' - giving 249 rounds without the slow and lengthy reloading.

* BottomlessMagazines: Subverted in most cases. The players must reload them, while supply caches provide replenishment for your main weapons - and those become finite, too, on higher difficulties. However, played straight with one of Exterminator skills, aptly named "Third Hand" - your weapon automatically reloads, without the reload animation, if you score 15 kills in a quick succession. Done right during a horde event and you can use up your entire ammo supply - which can be hundreds of rounds - without a single reload. And it goes UpToEleven with Paladin LMG, as it by default carries over 100 rounds in all variants, meaning it will operate just like a stationary machine gun when combined with Third Hand skill.

* BottomlessMagazines: Subverted in most cases. The players must reload them, while supply caches provide replenishment for your main weapons - and those become finite, too, on higher difficulties. However, played straight with one of Exterminator skills, aptly named "Third Hand" - your weapon automatically reloads, without the reload animation, if you score 15 kills in a quick succession. Done right during a horde event and you can use up your entire ammo supply - which can be hundreds of rounds - without a single reload.

** Snakebite SMG is a prestigious version of the regular, tier I SMG. You can empty the entire, 40-rounds magazine in ''one second''. It's as useful and practical as you think it is.

*** Prestige version of the Classic Bullpup Rifle takes it a step further. Once you are down to last six rounds in your mag, it receives a massive damage and penetration bonus. But since it's a burst-fire gun, that means two shots that only with perfect aiming and favourable situation will be anything else than total overkill of two targets. And then you have to reload anyway, making the power up a complete gimmick.

* FourPhilosophyEnsemble: This doesn't apply to all groups but the general dynamic can be observed as such. The Optimist will show a lot of faith in the current plan and will express concern over other survivors, the Cynic thinks terrible things are going to happen and wants to prioritize the safety of their squad over anything else, the Realist stops infighting and reasons that they don't have better plans, while the Apathetic avoids confrontation.

* {{Griefer}}: Being a team-based game, it is extremely easy to grief other players. Even if the griefer gets kicked, they can just join a new game and do it again to others. This also results in HeelFaceTurn because you never know who will be the first to shoot you dead when it is time to escape.

* HarderThanHard: Bordering with NintendoHard, Extreme difficulty is this. To start, its' description is a warning instead of a description of how it is more difficult than everything else. When you finally load up the level, you will notice that all of the interactable objects are no longer highlighted, meaning that you only have your memory and - rarely - an objective marker to follow. Upon your first encounter with zombies, you will notice that they take twice as much punishment unless you go [[BoomHeadshot for the head]], hit twice as hard compared to Insane and you retain a "one down" policy. To add insult to injury, you will be lucky to find any resources, and ammo boxes that players regard as a safe haven (unless a [[ItemCaddy Fixer]] is present) suddenly start running out of ammo as well! Left 4 Dead's Realism mode says hello.

** LethalJokeItem: ....unless you unlock it and use it in combination with Hellraiser while carrying a potent sidearm. The added bonus of being immune to one's own explosions turns a Hellraiser into a suicide bomber without the "suicidal" part.
* KillItWithFire: The [[MeaningfulName appropriately-named]] update introduces flamethrowers that allow players to burn down big swarms of regular Zekes at a wide-angle.

** Using a whole bottle of hydrogen peroxide on your wound is not a good idea in real life, but somehow is if you're low on health.
*** First-aid kits, which visibly just have hydrogen peroxide bottles in them. Got shot? Use hydrogen peroxide. Got torn apart by zombies? Use hydrogen peroxide. Infections, blood loss, rest, fractures? Just pour some hydrogen peroxide on your wounds and you're good as new!

* DefiantToTheEnd: The Japanese army in the final act for the Tokyo chapter, up until [[spoiler: the oil refinery's destruction]].

* TakingYouWithMe: The Bomber. Unless you incapacitate and defuse his bombs before he arms them, he'll blow himself up and kill you and your teammates.

* SpiritualSuccessor: Four survivors in an episodic campaign surviving against zombie hoards with innovative and terrifying crowd size, an AI Director that controls all the spawns, logic-defying medkits, events that cause massive spawns of hoards, and unique zombies with new powers. [[VideoGame/Left4Dead Sounds familiar.]] Not only that, but two of them are direct copies of cut ''Left 4 Dead'' zombie concepts, one is a copy of the same series’s Charger with the look of the SWAT zombies and one is straight up the Hunter. [[Creator/Valve Corporation Valve]] may not be able to count to three, but at least there’s ''World War Z''.

* BadassBeard: Most of the playable male characters sport one.