Line #54 VideoGame/LostRuins


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lost_ruins_altari_games.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:]]
3
4	''Lost Ruins'' is a {{Metroidvania}} Action Survival game developed by Altari Games, an indie development team based in South Korea. Following [[https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/altarigames/lost-ruins a successful campaign]] on Website/{{Kickstarter}}, the publishing rights went to Creator/DangenEntertainment, and the game was released in May 2021 for PC through Platform/{{Steam}} and Platform/{{GOG\|DotCom}}, with Platform/PlayStation4, Platform/NintendoSwitch, and Platform/XboxOne versions announced for later in the year.
5
6	A young girl wakes up in a dimly lit dungeon without any of her memories. Surrounded by horrible, bloodthirsty monsters, she is rescued by a mysterious magician, Beatrice. With Beatrice's help, the girl goes on a perilous journey to find answers and unlock the secrets of the Lost Ruins.
7	----
8	!!Tropes:
9	* ActionBomb:
10	** Walking Mushroom enemies explode in a cloud of spores a few seconds after they're killed.
11	** In the catacombs, a Skeleton Bomber can be found that carries around a huge bomb and will explode if the player gets close, [[spoiler:something the two zombie girls were unfortunate enough to learn the hard way]].
12	* AddedAlliterativeAppeal: Sadora the Ascetic's first conversation involves one with P in Hardcore Mode:
13	--> Veritably. The passage you have pursued is the preeminence of perilousness. Pursuing such perturbation is precisely why you'll prevail.\
14	Take possession of these items. It will render your passage less perilous.
15	* AIBreaker: Sometimes, bosses will just stand in place:
16	** Main mode, first phase Rosie, until attacked, even when she's not tired out.
17	** AnotherSideAnotherStory mode, first phase Lami, for some reason.
18	* AnotherSideAnotherStory: Beating the game unlocks a mode in which you play as [[spoiler:Kana, Yuri, and Jun, three of the more humanoid bosses, sharing one body after the remainders of their souls were linked together]].
19	* AntiWastageFeatures: The AnotherSideAnotherStory mode's HP restoration pickups won't be used up if you're at full health and touch them.
20	* ApocalypticLog: The Heroine can come across various discarded journals during her adventure, such as Lami's Journal, which tells how its writer was abandoned by her friend and left to fend for herself [[spoiler:before she turned into a slime monster]].
21	* ArbitraryWeaponRange:
22	** Missiles, whether the magic or robotic kind, don't travel the whole room.
23	* ArtificialHuman: In addition to a RobotMaid that has to be hunted for Lusty's sidequest, there's also [[spoiler:the Heroine]], who is [[spoiler:a magical construct created by Beatrice to hunt down the uncooperative summoned humans]].
24	* AstralProjection: In their first meeting, Yuri tells the Heroine that her frosted glass appearance is due to astral projecting:
25	--> Foolish fledgling! My evanescent appearance is merely a consequence of astral projection from another realm.
26	* BackgroundBoss: There are a few very large bosses that are fought this way, such as:
27	** Lami's giant SlimeGirl form
28	** YukiOnna
29	** Mimic
30	** Near-final boss: [[spoiler:the "Dark Lady" Beatrice summons]].
31	* BigDamnHeroes: In the [[MultipleEndings regular ending]], [[spoiler:Boris the Goblin Merchant helps the Heroine escape from the pit Beatrice leaves her in, and encourages her to leave the ruined castle to live her own life]].
32	* BigRedDevil: All the demonesses in the game are based on the classic interpretation of red skinned devils.
33	* TheBlacksmith: Soarvi, who is found in the room before Rosie is encountered.
34	* BloodKnight: Kana, another human the Heroine can meet and assist, loves her katana and can tell the Heroine a story of how she enjoyed torturing a goblin by cutting off its fingers before killing it. [[spoiler:Her bloodlust eventually transforms her into a demon]].
35	* BlushStickers: In the best endings, we see [[spoiler:the Heroine's original body]] has red circles on her cheeks.
36	* BoobBasedGag: The ChestMonster Mimic boss has the largest bust in the game, as a joke of her being a "Chest" monster. She even uses her massive breasts to attack the player, slamming them on the floor to create earthquakes or making her breasts jiggle so that gems fall out of her VictoriasSecretCompartment. And the player has to damage her by jumping up and attacking her chest.
37	* BookEnds: The first boss fight, against [[spoiler:Slime Lami]], takes place in a pit and ends with the Heroine realizing she can't climb out, so Beatrice summons a TemporaryPlatform for her. The final boss fight [[spoiler:takes place in a deep ravine, and Beatrice plans to abandon her there]].
38	* BringMyBrownPants: An item dropped by the first boss, [[spoiler:the slime girl Lami]], is yellow-stained Striped Panties, which [[ImprobableAccessoryEffect somehow]] allow the Heroine to use one more piece of wearable equipment.
39	* ChestMonster: Mimic, an OptionalBoss, is a CatGirl with {{Magical Eye}}s in a chest, [[MakeMyMonsterGrow who grows]] into a ''[[DoubleEntendre literal]]'' chest monster.
40	* ClippedWingAngel: The YukiOnna boss starts differently from other bosses, being a huge giantess BackgroundBoss ''first'', whose breath attack covers much of the screen, leaving two static platforms as safe zones; her second form is a giant (though smaller) floating lady who flies around summoning and attacking with giant ice crystals. If you beat ''that'', she proceeds to a third form... consisting of three tiny child-sized Yuki-Onna who throw slow, easy-to-dodge snowballs that do only a single point of damage if they hit.
41	* CursedItem: Elanor the princess ghost's Best Friend and [[SinisterScythe Cursed Scythe]], the latter of which is the best weapon in the game (assuming you don't miss your swings) and the former provides you with a virtually infinite source of MP if used right.
42	* CuteMonsterGirl: The game is filled with an incredibly wide variety of monster girls. From slimes, harpies and Spiders to Banshees, goblin girls and red skinned demonesses. There's even a cute CatGirl mixed with a ChestMonster!
43	* DestructibleProjectiles:
44	** The Katana can destroy projectiles, as implied by its FlavorText:
45	---> Its blade can even cleave flying arrows.
46	** Shock Wave and the Throwing Ham can knock arrows out of the air.
47	** Yuri's skulls can only be destroyed by the Heroine if she uses magic.
48	* DevilsPitchfork: The standard demoness enemy, found in the hallway after Kana, uses a trident as her weapon to summon waves of hellfire.
49	* DiscountCard: The Hair Band reduces prices by 20%:
50	--> A charming accessory.
51	* {{Doppelganger}}: Jun's first ApocalypticLog is an account of a girl who's been encountering enemies that have been mimicking her specifically, and the boss of the area you find them in is one of these beings while the original's corpse is nearby. [[spoiler:In the AnotherSideAnotherStory mode, the "Jun" part of the trio is also a Doppelgänger native to the ruined castle, which is why Kana and Yuri's souls are still trapped instead of returning to their original bodies.]]
52	* DoubleEdgedBuff: Hitting an enemy with the Cursed Scythe gives the Heroine a status that increases her damage with said Scythe given by 60% and attack speed by 1, but also increases the damage taken by 40%, and it stacks up to 4 times, along with all the buff stacks being removed if she misses with the scythe. But, taking off the scythe preserves the buff stacks, not that it has use with other weapons.
53	* DropDeadGorgeous: Once defeated, Lami tries covering her chest as she dies and explodes back to her normal form, leaving her slimy naked corpse bobbing in the water. To add insult to injury, you get to loot her [[BringMyBrownPants pee-stained]] panties.
54	* EasyAmnesia: The Heroine has completely forgotten her past when she's summoned into the ruined castle, including her own name. Beatrice states that it's likely an effect of the ruined castle's dark magic, and her memory will return once she defeats the followers of the Dark Lady. [[spoiler:The endgame twist is that she doesn't ''have'' memories, being a magical creation.]]
55	* EasyLevelsHardBosses: The game loses quite a bit of challenge once you realize that the majority of enemy encounters can simply be run past; since you don't gain levels, most of the time there's really no reason to fight them. But of course that's not an option with the bosses.
56	* ElementalPowers: The Heroine can gain and utilize a variety of elemental magic, such as [[PlayingWithFire Fireball]] and [[ShockAndAwe Lightning]]. A major element of combat is how these elements can mix; for example, burning away dangerous acid, or electrifying an entire water basin.
57	* EnemySummoner: Goblin Shamans can summon more goblins to fight.
58	* EverybodyLives: At the end of the AnotherSideAnotherStory mode, [[spoiler:we see all of the people that died in the ruined castle had their souls returned to their real-world selves, including Sora & Minji]].
59	* FieldOfBlades: After the Castle, the Heroine comes across a place with one of almost every weapon stuck in the ground.
60	* FieryRedhead: The TreasureHunter Jenny, a goblin girl with a pickaxe who rivals the Heroine in an optional area.
61	* FlunkyBoss: Quite a few of the bosses make their fights harder by summoning enemies from the preceding level:
62	** Lami has the first phase of the boss battle just fighting off both a red and a green slime girl without being able to escape. Then she fights herself.
63	** The YukiOnna summons snowmen ninjas in her first phase and snowman samurai in her second phase, to assist with attacking the Heroine.
64	* GiantMook: Orcs are giant versions of goblins.
65	* GuideDangIt: Obtaining [[spoiler:the Holy Sword]] requires either [[HardModePerks playing on Hardcore mode]], or [[spoiler:clearing the "Way of the Ascetic" quest by not opening any golden chests after meeting Sadora the Ascetic]].
66	* HardModePerks: In addition to obtaining [[spoiler:the Holy Sword]] without having to [[spoiler:clear "Way of the Ascetic"]] on Hardcore mode, there is [[spoiler:an additional scene in the GoldenEnding]] that is only available while playing on Veteran or Hardcore difficulty.
67	* HarpingOnAboutHarpies: Harpies are some of the earliest appearing aerial enemies on the game. They are also the favorite prey of Astarte.
68	* HealItWithWater: The Purifier equipment gives RegeneratingHealth when the Heroine is has the Wet status, a.k.a when standing in water:
69	--> Regenerates +1 HP while wet.
70	* HeartContainer:
71	** Max HP +5 foods:
72	*** The Mysterious Meat:
73	----> Has a remarkably unpleasant appearance.
74	*** Guardian's Sausage:
75	----> An appetizingly juicy sausage.
76	** The Striped Bra is very defensive, increasing the Heroine's HitPoints to 150% of their initial value:
77	---> A robust and defensive brassiere.
78	* TheHeroDies: In the [[spoiler:good]] ending, the Heroine [[spoiler:accepts her created body being disintegrated by the Goddess so that her soul can return to its rightful body in the human world, even though there's a chance it's]] too late to save. [[spoiler:Fortunately, it succeeds]].
79	* HiddenMechanic: Before the battle, if you freeing a goblin hanging in Rosie's room then leave and return the room, the freed goblin is removed from the room, and therefore Rosie can't use them, at least until the room resets.
80	* HomingProjectile: Some magical attacks from both the Heroine and the enemies, mainly bosses, will home in on the enemy.
81	* HorseOfADifferentColor: The Turtle Rider is a spear-throwing goblin girl riding a giant turtle.
82	* ImAHumanitarian: Astarte, a demonic huntress that sells supplies to the Heroine, claims that the human-like qualities of the harpies she hunts makes them ''more'' delicious.
83	* InconsistentSpelling: The game's [[https://store.steampowered.com/app/1306630/Lost_Ruins/ description on Steam]] refers to Sora & Minji as "Sora & Mingi".
84	* InvincibleVillain: In the [[MultipleEndings regular ending]], [[spoiler:Beatrice cannot be killed by the Heroine, having taken appropriate precautions when creating her, and claims that even if the Heroine "[[TemptingFate were to possess some kind of enchanted, divine weapon,]]" she still couldn't inflict a scratch]]. In the good ending, [[spoiler:it's averted, as Beatrice is taken out with the Holy Sword]].
85	* LethalJokeItem: The Throwing Ham. It's one of the few ranged weapons you can get with (effectively) unlimited ammunition and no real costs or restrictions beyond the need to retrieve it after throwing it, which is partially negated if you wait long enough. Getting it immediately trivializes most normal enemies, since they tend to be balanced around the danger of approaching them.
86	* LifeDrain: The HP Absorption Orb:
87	--> Summons an orb which absorbs an enemy's vitality and transfers it to the summoner.
88	* MagicalGirlWarrior: You're a pretty young girl in a serafuku, you can get a magical girl style wand for a weapon, and equipping the right accessories gives you so much MP regen you can pretty much fight exclusively with spells.
89	* MagicWand: In the AnotherSideAnotherStory mode, Yuri's Wand reduces ray duration by 30%. What it actually means is that it takes 70% the amount of time it used to, to complete, a.k.a it has sped up, to be 142% the original speed.
90	* MultipleEndings: The Steam version of the game lists two achievements tied to endings: "[[BittersweetEnding The End]]: Arrive at the end" and "[[GoldenEnding Reincarnation]]: Discover another ending". The AnotherSideAnotherStory mode also has its own ending.
91	** [[BittersweetEnding The End]]: [[spoiler:After tracking down Beatrice to the pit where the "Dark Lady" resides and defeating it, Beatrice shows up again to mock Heroine. Due to Heroine's status as an ArtificialHuman created by her, Beatrice is completely invulnerable, and leaves with the Dark Lady's powers. Boris the Goblin Merchant then helps the Heroine escape from the pit Beatrice leaves her in, and encourages the Heroine to [[KarmaHoudini leave the untouchable Beatrice to her machinations]] and [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere just escape the ruined castle to live her own life]].]]
92	** [[GoldenEnding Reincarnation]]: [[spoiler:Same as before, but obtain the Holy Sword. After using the Holy Sword to kill Beatrice, the Dark Lady is revealed to in fact be a benevolent goddess that allows the Heroine to return back to home, but warns that she may die if her other body is dead. The Heroine takes the offer anyways, tired of the ruined castle. Thankfully, TheStinger shown on Veteran or Hardcore mode reveals that she returned safely to her original human body.]]
93	** AnotherSideAnotherStory Ending: [[spoiler:After defeating Sadora the Ascetic, the Goddess gives Kana and Yuri the spell to separate from "Jun" and go home, which frees not only them, but the others who were trapped in the ruined castle by Beatrice]].
94	* MundaneFantastic: The game is set in a ruined castle filled with a variety of monsters, and the Heroine can wield various magical spells to help her fight back. However, there are also vending machines, computers that act as {{save point}}s, and equipment such as a toilet plunger and high school swimsuit.
95	* NeuralImplanting: A divine force teaching a spell has a sparkly effect, and its speed implies that the information was magically planted into the recipient's brain.
96	* OcularGushers: The third phase of [[spoiler:the Rosie fight is simply her running around the stage wildy swinging her weapons around]], tears streaming all around her.
97	* OneWingedAngel: All of the bosses start out in human-like forms that use rather limited attacks, but once they're beaten the first time, each transform into more monstrous forms that bring whole heaps of new attacks.
98	* {{Otaku}}: Two of the [=NPCs=] the Heroine encounters are Sora & Minji, a pair of zombie girls who are absolutely enamored by a [[KoreanPopMusic K-pop]] group, referring to its members as "oppa" (a flirtatious term for an older male) and requesting help retrieving a stolen Dakimakura (body pillow).
99	* OurBansheesAreLouder: Banshees are an enemy seen after Lami's defeat, that can literally freeze the Heroine with their piercing screams.
100	* ThePaladin: Soon after defeating the first boss, the Heroine can encounter Sadora the Ascetic, a [[{{Acrofatic}} large but agile]] holy warrior. [[spoiler:She's also the final boss of the Another Side, Another Story mode]].
101	* PermanentlyMissableContent: If the first goblin is in the middle of the room its fought in, instead of at the far end from the Heroine, there won't be a cutscene where she tries to say "Hello" to it.
102	* PostFinalBoss: [[spoiler:Beatrice. She is fought after the Dark Lady. Without the Holy Sword, she doesn't attack you nor does she have to, as she is invincible. Strike her with the Holy Sword, and she will retaliate with magic, but she goes down in two hits]].
103	* PrehensileHair: The first boss, [[SlimeGirl Lami]], has two large pigtails that are also hands, that turn into fists when she attacks.
104	* PsychicLink: Happens to [[spoiler:Kana, Yuri, and Jun]] in the AnotherSideAnotherStory mode.
105	* RandomDrop: Enemies and furnishings may drop items such as food, or dynamite, respectively.
106	* ReluctantFanserviceGirl: On her final phase, Lami transforms into a slime giantess and bashfully covers her large breasts whenever she dives into the sewers.
107	* SchoolSwimsuit: One shows up as an item you can equip that prevents water slowing you down. [[{{Fanservice}} And yes, it does show on your sprite]].
108	* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: In the [[MultipleEndings regular ending]], [[spoiler:Boris the Goblin Merchant encourages the Heroine to leave the untouchable Beatrice to her machinations and just escape the ruined castle to find ways to enjoy her life]].
109	* SelfDeprecation: When the AnotherSideAnotherStory mode encounters a vending machine, why they still exist is questioned:
110	--> The creator must have been too lazy to design a merchant NPC.
111	* SuddenlyFluentInGibberish: AnotherSideAnotherStory shows that somehow, Lusty can speak to the apparently silent Jun.
112	* ShadowOfImpendingDoom: Sakura petals are relevant as a sign of where the boss drop will happen, in the fight with a sakura tree.
113	* ShoutOut:
114	** One of the [=NPCs=] the Heroine encounters is [[Literature/TheElderScrollsInUniverseBooks an Argonian maid named Lusty who's looking for her master's sausage]].
115	** The Ninja enemy's appearance and attacks are based on [[Franchise/MortalKombat Sub-Zero]], and is even internally designated as "[=SnowZero=]".
116	* SlimeGirl: In the sewers are red, green, and blue slime girls. The first boss, Lami, is a green one that is utterly huge.
117	* {{Snowlems}}: The Ninja and Samurai enemies are depicted as living snowmen.
118	* SoulPoweredEngine: In the [[MultipleEndings good ending]], [[spoiler:although the Heroine's ''body'' is a construct, the Goddess reveals that Beatrice had stolen a real human's soul to give her life]].
119	* SpiderPeople: [[TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons Drider]]-like Spider girls are some of the tougher enemies one can encounter in the early parts of the game [[spoiler:and Heroine eventually fights Jun as a boss]].
120	* SplitMindSplitPowers: The unlockable AnotherSideAnotherStory mode has a ManySpiritsInsideOfOne protagonist, instead of just personalities, transforming between each spirit gives access to the powers of their original body, but can't use all of them at once, meaning that the ability to roll and fit into small gaps, for instance, is locked to one of the three forms, although all three bodies have movement abilities, but only rolling can fit into small gaps.
121	* SupernormalBindings: The FinalBoss is [[spoiler:the Dark Lady]] with four shackles, which break away when defeated. [[spoiler:In the good ending, she reveals herself as the goddess Sadora serves, who Beatrice had imprisoned in the ruined castle to siphon power from]].
122	* TakeThat: Some interpret Sadora as a parody of western female characters. As she is decidedly not drawn in an anime style, is ugly and obese, has a goofy "punk" haircut, and has an abrasive self-righteous attitude.
123	* TemptingFate: At the end of the game, [[spoiler:Beatrice]]'s taunt that they can't be harmed even if the Heroine "[[spoiler:were to possess some kind of enchanted, divine weapon]]" becomes this if the player [[spoiler:obtained the Holy Sword]]; else, it's just gloating and a hint on how to obtain the GoldenEnding.
124	* TheyKilledKennyAgain: Boris, an eye-patched Goblin Merchant, keeps getting blasted by Beatrice for his keys only to inexplicably appear again later on. [[spoiler:He eventually reveals in the regular ending that Beatrice cursed him to never truly die, as he was her former minion.]]
125	* TomatoInTheMirror: In the climax, [[spoiler:the Heroine learns that she's a magical creation that just looks human, and never had any memories to lose]]. Another twist is added in the GoldenEnding, as [[spoiler:while her body isn't real, she's powered by the soul of a real person]].
126	* TrappedInAnotherWorld: The Heroine is an ordinary schoolgirl who was warped to the ruined castle for her potential power. It's stated that this is a common occurrence, and while many of the previously summoned people have already perished trying to defeat the Dark Lady, there are some survivors that the Heroine can cross paths with. [[spoiler:In the Another Side, Another Story mode, it's revealed that only their ''souls'' were summoned and trapped within humanoid vessels, and they returned to their original bodies after Beatrice's defeat]].
127	* TreacherousAdvisor: The game's [[https://store.steampowered.com/app/1306630/Lost_Ruins/ description on Steam]] states that Beatrice, the summoner that guides the Heroine on her journey, "seems to be hiding something". [[spoiler:She's actually the only true follower of the Dark Lady, who created the Heroine and tricked her into obtaining the life energy of uncooperative humans]].
128	* VagueHitPoints: Precise hit point values of enemies and destructible objects can only be figured by guessing and checking.
129	* VagueStatValues: Attack speeds have numerical values, but that's only for increase and decreases. Guessing and checking by comparing weapons ''may'' reveal what values and what tiers Slow, Slower, Normal, Fast, Faster, Fastest fall.
130	* VictoriasSecretCompartment: Mimic's [[StealthPun treasure chest]], of course. One of her attacks is to bounce gems out of her cleavage at you.
131	* VillainousGlutton: Rosie, the one who bullies and commands the goblins while also gorging herself on raw meat. As a result, she has a noticeable potbelly. During her battle, she will also eat nearby goblins to restore her health.
132	* WasOnceAMan: After fighting Lami, the Heroine notices that many of the enemies she fights somewhat resemble girls like herself. Although Beatrice claims they're monsters that stole the identities of those they've killed, there are hints that it's actually this trope. [[spoiler:The truth is somewhere in the middle; their souls were once human, but were forced into possessing monsters when Beatrice summoned them into the world and their vessels failed]].
133	* WeaponizedOffspring: The Spider moms give birth to [[MiniMook Spiderlings]] to attack the Heroine.
134	* WeaponOfXSlaying: Some weapons are better against certain enemies than they would be otherwise, like how the Club is stronger against goblins.
135	* YouAreWhoYouEat: In her second phase, Rosie [[HulkingOut Hulks Out]] in the form of a goblin.
136	* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: In the climax, [[spoiler:once the Heroine has collected the energy to summon the Dark Lady, Beatrice decides she's no longer of use, and a boss fight ensues against the Dark Lady. After beating it, Beatrice then shows up to mockingly congratulate her before letting the Heroine take a swing at her. Depending on whether you have the Holy Sword or not, she'll either leave after several useless attempts on her life, taking the Dark Lady's powers and leaving the Heroine to follow Boris and live outside the ruined castle...or pride will lead to her downfall as the sword pierces her protections and slays her]].
137	* YouNoTakeCandle: The goblins tend to have a fairly simple speech pattern when compared to most other sapient monsters, even the more humanoid ones, with one notable exception being the intelligent yet brash Jenny.
138	* YukiOnna: The boss of the snow-themed second stage is a yuki-onna, which uses a lot of ice-and-snow themed attacks along with spawning the {{snowlem\|s}} Ninja and Samurai enemies as {{flunk\|yBoss}}ies.
139	* ZeroEffortBoss: If you opened any chest and failed the "Way of the Ascetic" quest, Sadora the Ascetic fights you near the final dungeon. A single swing defeats her instantly. [[spoiler:However, by the end of the AnotherSideAnotherStory mode, her goddess has been freed and you're playing as monsters instead of a human, increasing her power and making her a worthy final boss]].
140	* ZombiePukeAttack: Zombie Pukers do this.

Context VideoGame / LostRuins