Line #29 VideoGame/Compound


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/header_70.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:The TitleScreen]]
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4	''Compound'' is a 2018 VirtualReality video game developed and published by Bevan [=McKechnie.=] It makes intentional use of retro-stylized graphics similar to those found in early PC games from the 1980s and 1990s, such as ''VideoGame/Wolfenstein3D'' and ''VideoGame/BlakeStone'', but also carries some traits of a RogueLike game in the form of randomly-generated levels. Its [[ExcusePlot simplified story]] consists of the player fighting their way through the enemy-infested floors of the eponymous compound while collecting a variety of weapons, and blends elements of {{Dystopia}} and {{Cyberpunk}}.
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6	Like the old [[FirstPersonShooter first-person shooters]] that inspired its design, the game's plot only serves to provide basic world-building. The story takes place in an undefined future where corporate greed runs amok, and the player's only goal is bringing down a MegaCorp that not only manufactures a virus, but also [[PoisonAndCureGambit sells the vaccine for said virus at a premium]].
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8	The game is available for Platform/HTCVive, Platform/OculusRift, Meta Quest 2 and [=SteamVR=].
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10	----
11	!!''Compound'' provides examples of:
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13	* TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture: The game seems to take place in the future due to the presence of security robots and energy weapons, but is still close enough to the present that documents are printed on plain paper and money is distributed as green paper bills.
14	* AbsurdlySpaciousSewer: The sewers underneath the M-Corp compound have wide-open areas and hallways wide enough to fit several people shoulder-to-shoulder.
15	* AchillesHeel: Enemies and bosses with BeehiveBarrier shields can usually be cheesed with explosive weapons. This is particularly apparent with the Accountant boss on level 4-2, whose shield only protects his front side - shoot a grenade at his feet or a rocket to his side, and he dies just as quickly as any other standard {{Mook}}.
16	* AdvancedTech2000: The map that appears on a player's wrist is called the ''[=MapMan=] 9000''.
17	* AdvertisedExtra: [[DownplayedTrope Downplayed.]] The Gold Leader boss is [[MascotMook featured front-and-center]] on the game's box art and promotional images, yet he only appears on Hard difficulty and up on the very last level before the final boss. Some players who don't opt to go for OneHundredPercentCompletion might assume he's [[CoversAlwaysLie not even in the game at all]].
18	* AntiFrustrationFeatures:
19	** Once you've cleared a part of the map, you can teleport back to it at any time by tapping it on your map, saving you the time of having to walk back to the elevator once you've cleared the level.
20	** Since ammunition for all weapons except the three blue pistols is limited, every level is littered with [[InCaseOfXBreakGlass "emergency weapon" boxes]]. These boxes hold a pistol with infinite ammo in them in case you run out of ammunition and still have enemies to fight.
21	* ArtificialStupidity: Enemies make no attempt to evade incoming fire or take up advantageous positions, instead simply taking the shortest path to the player, and will shoot any allies that get between them and the player. They also ignore stage hazards and certain bosses' attacks, leading to instances where they blissfully waltz right in front of a wall-mounted bullet trap or into an active poison gas cloud, getting themselves killed in the process. This is averted by the green attack drones, which are kamikaze in nature and thus ''should'' fly at the player with all due haste, and the pink attack drones, which will attempt to circle the player while firing a barrage of laser bolts.
22	* AttackDrone: The game has flying attack drones that come in three colors, each with different abilities. Blue ones sporadically fire single pulses at the player while zig-zagging around, the pink ones fire a steady, rapid-fire stream of pulses while attempting to circle-strafe the player, and the green ones perform a kamikaze attack, attempting to get close to the player before exploding.
23	* AwesomeButImpractical: The laser rifle. It has a ludicrous rate of fire and lays down enough damage to obliterate most standard enemies in under a second, but it suffers from an extremely painful charge-up time before it can start firing, during which the player is likely under fire. While it can be handy when used against slow-moving opponents in a controlled situation, there's no way it's practical in the middle of a firefight.
24	* BadassInANiceSuit: The Accountant wears a snazzy gold-colored suit jacket along with a matching gold combat vest and boots.
25	* BeehiveBarrier: The Accountant (and on Hard mode, the Gold Leader) is protected by an energy shield of this style, which the player must either destroy or circumvent by bouncing projectiles around it to deal damage.
26	* BlackHelicopter: When you reach the roof of the building, the CEO of M-Corp will assault you from an attack helicopter, alternating between using a machine gun and dropping toxic gas canisters.
27	* [[BoomHeadShot Boom, Headshot!]]: Shooting humanoid enemies in the head scores a critical hit. This is usually enough to drop them in a single shot.
28	* BoringButPractical: The pistol. While it does somewhat poor damage, it never runs out of ammunition, never needs to be reloaded, and is precise enough to be effective at longer ranges. You can also find replacements everywhere if you ever lose the one you started with.
29	* BraggingRightsReward: Your reward for getting OneHundredPercentCompletion? An ''[[MoreDakka infinite-ammo minigun]]'' that shreds through everything in the game with ease. Of course, not much point in using it except to [[VideoGameCrueltyPotential blow off some steam]], since you've already completed everything else.
30	* CasualDangerDialog: While the boss' taunts are anything but casual, at one point when you deal enough damage to his helicopter, he complains because you [[SkewedPriorities made him spill his wine]].
31	* ChallengeRun: Mutators are available that change the way the game plays. One of them makes it so that all enemies die in one hit, but so does the player.
32	* CheckPointStarvation: The game used to have no checkpoints or saving, meaning you had to complete it from start to finish in a single go. Averted as of v0.5.16, which added a save/continue feature.
33	* CityNoir: From the glimpses of the city you can see through windows and from rooftops, the compound is located deep in a forest of gray skyscrapers that dominate the night sky.
34	* ColorCodedForYourConvenience: Weapons and their ammunition are color-coded so you can quickly deduce what type of ammunition they take: Blue (unlimited ammo), pink (bullets), red (shotgun shells), green (explosives), and orange (energy weapons).
35	* CorruptCorporateExecutive: As if M-Corp's actions weren't proof enough of their CEO's corruption, he serves as the final boss of the game, fighting the player from a helicopter while constantly bemoaning how much money the player has cost him getting this far.
36	* CrapsackWorld: The game's setting: a bleak, overpopulated corporatist dystopia where a man-made disease runs rampant.
37	* CriticalHit: Landing a hit on an enemy's weak point will inflict increased damage, complete with the word "Crit!" briefly appearing in floating green text.
38	* DevelopersForesight: Thinking of dual-wielding energy pistols so you have a high rate of fire and never have to reload? Bad news: They both run off of the same heat sink, so any rate of fire increase you gain is completely nullified by having to fire more slowly to avoid overheating the pistols.
39	* DifficultButAwesome: The Sonic Pulse Emitter shoots short-range energy pulses that mostly deal little to no damage on their own. However, these pulses reflect enemy bullets, give them a slight homing effect ''and'' amplify their damage. This makes it a fantastic weapon against enemies who have rapid-fire or shotgun-like weapons, and even most of the ''bosses,'' who [[HoistByHisOwnPetard can't take much more than a few of their own shots.]] The pulse is also capable of destroying drones, which are otherwise difficult to hit, and it can easily be spammed since each magazine holds ''nine rounds''. The only thing this weapon can't do is reflect railgun shots or acidic sprays, which aren't as plentiful as enemies who can fire bullets or explosives.
40	** The laser pistol. If fired too quickly, it has the longest overheating time of the three emergency pistols, and like the regular pistol, dual-wielded laser pistols share the same 'clip', preventing you from spamming shots. However, it's the only {{hitscan}} weapon of the three, it does respectable damage for being an infinite-ammo emergency weapon, capable of downing guards in one headshot even on Hard difficulty and above, and if fired at a steady rhythm, you can shoot continuously over and over without needing to let it overheat or reload.
41	* DifficultyLevels: The game has three by default, with an unlockable fourth: Easy, Medium, Hard and Spicy, with the main difference being the player's maximum health and, at higher difficulties, new boss fights.
42	* DiscOneNuke: Due to the weapon drops being randomly generated and ammunition drops plentiful, it's possible to find a rocket launcher or bouncing shotgun on the first level of the game, which makes the following several levels remarkably easier.
43	* DualWielding: You can wield weapons in each hand, though since an empty hand is needed to reload, you'll ultimately have to put one weapon away to reload the other.
44	* EliteMooks: In later levels, the standard security guards are replaced by elite guards. These guards move faster, are more precise and aggressive, and can withstand a lot more damage thanks to the combat armor they wear.
45	* EndlessGame: While the game, plot-wise, has an ending, completing the game results in the player starting over from level one again but keeping their current weapons. The game keeps track of which loop the player is on.
46	* EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep: The mini-boss found on the level Profit Management 2 is simply referred to as "The Accountant."
47	* EvilInc: M-Corp, through and through. Employees are encouraged to spread the virus to friends via "discrete infection kits" and sell family members to labor camps, among other things.
48	* ExcusePlot: The entirety of the game's plot is told through the environment in the form of posted signs that instruct people to be obedient and loyal and warn them that vaccines are a privilege and can be revoked at any time, cementing the fact that you're fighting a corrupt enemy.
49	* ExecutiveSuiteFight: The penultimate stage ("Executive Power") takes place in such a setting, complete with lots of fancy furnishings for you to destroy.
50	* FacelessGoons: All of the game's human enemies have their faces hidden. The M-Corp's security forces all wear face-concealing combat helmets, and the CEO only fights from a helicopter, never revealing himself directly.
51	** Averted with The Accountant, introduced in v0.5.10, whose face is visible. Dr. Morral's face is also partially visible through the visor of his HazmatSuit.
52	* FailsafeFailure: Destroy the final boss's helicopter, and before he dies in the ensuing crash, there's a chance this voice line will play:
53	-->'''M-Corp CEO''': Where the bloody hell is the '''''eject button'''''- [[KilledMidSentence crash]]
54	* FeaturelessProtagonist: This is common with VR games, as the player is supposed to be the main character. However, the enemies in the game use male pronouns when spotting the player ("Get him!" or "There he is!") suggesting either that the protagonist is male, or that they are wearing clothing that conceals their gender and the guards are simply making assumptions.
55	** The player is confirmed to be male and visible as such according to the developer [[https://discord.com/channels/658153176457019392/658333757899669505/964291356635824188 on the Discord server]].
56	* HandCannon: One of the unlockable weapons is a large, heavy-caliber revolver.
57	* {{Hitscan}}: The rail gun and laser rifle both instantly hit whatever they're aimed at, eliminating the need to adjust for moving targets.
58	* HomingProjectile: The dart gun fires a rapid-fire barrage of darts that will seek enemies, making it handy for blind-firing around corners or hitting fast-moving enemies.
59	* HyperactiveMetabolism: If your health is below maximum, a killed enemy may drop a hamburger instead of ammunition when it dies. Eating this restores one hit point.
60	* HyperspaceArsenal: Averted. You can carry no more than three weapons at any one time, though doing so requires you to carry one in each hand, which prevents you from backpedaling or reloading, since pressing back on the movement pad ejects the ammo/magazine of the weapon in that hand and you need an empty hand to reload weapons. {{Played Straight}} with the 'Old Schooler' mutator, which lets you carry around every weapon in the game at once.
61	* KillEnemiesToOpen: The only way to open the elevator that leads to the next level is to kill all enemies on the current level.
62	* MadeOfIron: Dr. A. Morral appears to be dressed up in just a regular Hazmat suit, yet he's one of the hardiest bosses in the game, taking more punishment than an armored elite guard with a jetpack and a ''giant spider tank.''
63	* MoreDakka: The machine pistol has an high rate of fire, though it depletes its magazine quickly and is too inaccurate to be effective beyond short range. The laser rifle has an even higher rate of fire, but it must be [[ChargedAttack charged up]] each time before firing.
64	* OpportunisticBastard: The description given for The Accountant indicates that it was a combination of boot licking and back stabbing that earned him enough rank and salary in M-Corp to afford his fancy weapons and deflector shield.
65	* {{Overheating}}: The pistol, which will likely be the player's first weapon, has infinite ammo and doesn't need to be reloaded, but if you fire it too rapidly it will overheat and require several seconds to cool down before it can start firing again.
66	* PoisonAndCureGambit: M-Corp has created a virus and deployed it on the population, controlling access to the vaccine to ensure financial gain and absolute loyalty to the company.
67	* PunnyName: [[MadScientist Dr. A. Morral]], the mini-boss of Research & Development 2.
68	* RailGun: This serves as the game's equivalent to a sniper rifle. It has a scope, a slow rate of fire, and a small magazine, but is a pinpoint-accurate hitscan weapon that deals high damage.
69	* RevolversAreJustBetter: One of the unlockable guns is a six-round revolver. It's [[BoringButPractical not as flashy as some of the other, more damaging weapons]], but it still boasts a decent fire rate, good accuracy and high stopping power, able to down normal guards in a single body shot even on Hard and above.
70	* RogueLike: Levels, enemy, and item placement are randomized each time you play, meaning you'll never experience the exact same playthrough twice. The only level that is consistent with every playthrough is the rooftop boss. Exaggerated with the addition of the Chaos Compound mutator, which randomizes the order of the floors as well as giving you a random loadout each floor.
71	* RooftopConfrontation: The game's climax has you battle against the CEO's attack helicopter, which will periodically pull away and order ground troops to storm your location.
72	* RuleOfSymbolism: Executive Power features prominent insect motifs in its decor. Many insects are known to transmit vector-borne diseases to humans.
73	* SchizoTech: Laser weapons, portable rail guns, and walking robots are all employed heavily by the corporation, yet their offices still use CRT monitors and dot-matrix printers.
74	* ShootingGallery: The player's apartment contains a firing range with targets and every weapon in the game (though they cannot be removed from the range). The main purpose for this is so that the player can learn how to reload each weapon, since it varies from one weapon to the next.
75	* ShortRangeShotgun: Subverted. While the spread of the game's two shotguns does limit their effective range, a headshot from a single pellet will still kill a standard trooper in one shot, and the spread is actually useful for shooting down the small, fast-moving attack drones since their low health means one pellet is usually enough to destroy them.
76	** The blast pistol is a more direct example of this trope, as it fires a small spread of several bullets that simply vanish after traveling a short distance.
77	* SewerLevel: The game begins in the sewers, where the player must infiltrate the compound itself.
78	* SonicStunner: While somewhat more lethal than the trope normally calls for, the Sonic Pulse Generator fires a short-range pulse of sound waves that are capable of reflecting enemy projectiles back at the shooter, making it a very effective defensive weapon.
79	* StandardFPSGuns: The weapons available to the player include pistols, shotguns, assault rifles, rocket and grenade launchers, laser weapons, and a few more exotic options.

Context VideoGame / Compound