Line #32 VideoGame/Implosion


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/implosion_never_lose_hope.png]]
2	''Implosion: Never Lose Hope'' is a BeatEmUp for IOS and Android devices released in 2014 by Rayark Games, the developer of rhythm games VideoGame/{{Cytus}} and VideoGame/{{Deemo}}. A UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch port was released later, in 2017.
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4	The game takes place late in the twenty-second century, twenty years after Earth has fallen to alien invaders named the XADA. Now humanity's new home planet, Gaia, is facing a similar attack that is being orchestrated by the XADA from Earth. You play as Jake Carloway, an Earth refugee and pilot for the Ivonix corporation who controls a [=WarMech=] III battle suit codenamed Avalon via a BrainComputerInterface. If the [=WarMech=] gets destroyed, you die with it, because your mind has been downloaded inside. While Avalon's primary weapon is a {{BFS}} SharpenedToASingleAtom, you can also use ranged weapons to get the job done. Your goal is to search Earth for the XADA invasion signal and shut it down before Gaia also falls. During your journey you'll also find modules known as [=ARK=]s that will upgrade your [=WarMech=].
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6	Available on Google Play, the Apple App Store, and the Nintendo eShop. The official Rayark Games site can be found [[http://www.rayark.com/g/implosion/ here]].
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10	!! ''Implosion: Never Lose Hope'' contains examples of:
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12	* AchievementSystem: The player earns badges for completing levels under certain conditions, some of which are designed to appeal to [[ChallengeGamer Challenge Gamers]] and [[HundredPercentCompletion 100% Completionists]]. Badges can then be used to collect rare [=ARK=]s or weapons.
13	* ActionGirl: Diana May, pilot of the [=WarMech=] codenamed Crimson.
14	* AllegedlyFreeGame: It's such in a different way than typical Free To Start mobile games. It's like a modern Shareware game in that you get the first fraction for free, but need to pay for the rest.
15	* ApocalypseHow: the backstory describes how the Earth was running out of resources to support humanity ([[ApocalypseHow/{{Class3B}} class 3b]]) and then the XADA invaded to bring about [[ApocalypseHow/{{Class3A}} class 3a]] by infecting humans with a virus that puts them under XADA control.
16	* ApocalypticLog: the various personal messages collected by your [=WarMech=]'s hack drone. Since the messages are somewhat random, you not only collect the history of the XADA invasion, but also engineering status reports, interoffice memos, and the results of a company betting pool.
17	* BossBanter: All the bosses except for two indulge in this.
18	* BossInMookClothing: [[spoiler: Praetors. They're big, fast, powerful, and shielded. As the game goes on, you encounter increasing numbers of them in smaller areas.]]
19	* BulletTime: The Precognition Protocol skill allows you slow down nearby enemies while retaining your normal speed.
20	* CharacterCustomization: You change your [=WarMech=]'s abilities by swapping [=ARK=]s.
21	* ChekhovsGun: [[spoiler:The [=WarMech=]s, both versions II and III. The [=WarMech=] II was scrapped because it couldn't protect the pilot inside from XADA infection. The Model III with its neural interface solves this, but leaves the pilot open to mind hacks from XADA tapping into the link. It's also liable to explode if an attack is charged up without releasing it. In the end, the XADA queen is able to freeze Jake in place by hacking his mind link. Jonathan, wearing a [=WarMech=] II, can't be controlled by the queen, so he shoots her with a {{BFG}}. The shot fails, the queen kills Jonathan, and then Jake kills her by detonating his [=WarMech=] III.]]
22	* ChekhovMIA: [[spoiler:Jonathan Carloway, Jake's uncle. Left behind on Earth 20 years previously and presumed dead, he returns in an outdated [=WarMech=] II fighting suit to help Jake. It proves useful.]]
23	* DamnYouMuscleMemory: Can happen when you switch between the Avalon [=WarMech=] and Crimson, because their central [=ARKS=] control different special attacks that don't always fill all available attack slots, so their fighting styles are very different.
24	** Controlling Jonathan may take a while to get used to as he has a very different [[LongRangeFighter fighting style]] and outdated [=WarMech=] that can only Impulse Dash once (as opposed to 3 times) and doesn't have Shield.
25	* DeadpanSnarker: Both Jake and Diana are this, especially when it comes to the accuracy of the intelligence coming from MissionControl.
26	--->'''Zoe:''' Your DropPod will shuttle you to possible XADA locations.
27	--->'''Jake:''' So...we're just ''guessing'' now?
28	--->'''Diana:''' We're correct fifty percent of the time, all the time.
29	* DeusExNukina: [[spoiler: Jake explodes his Avalon [=WarMech=] with his mind still inside it to kill the XADA queen. A [=WarMech=]'s pilot dies if the [=WarMech=] is destroyed.]] Also a classic case of TakingYouWithMe.
30	* DifficultButAwesome: If you wait after hitting a mook it's possible to charge up a flashy heavy attack that will do more damage without costing RA. Really hard to pull off against the faster XADA.
31	* DifficultyLevels: Easy, Hard, and Expert, which also happens to be FinalDeathMode. The other two allow revives.
32	* FinishingMove: several varieties, depending on whether or not you're using RA.
33	* GameplayAndStoryIntegration: The in-game dialogue will change depending on whether you're playing as Avalon or Crimson.
34	* GameplayGrading: each level ends with a ScoreScreen giving you a grade, and listing the XP, money, [=ARK=]s, and badges you earned.
35	* GlassCannon: Jonathan can deal tons of damage with his dual guns and his ballistic is more powerful than Avalon's and Crimson. But his [=WarMech=] doesn't have shield and he can only dash once.
36	* GuiltBasedGaming: Quitting in the middle of a level gets you this question: "Are you quitting on humanity?"
37	* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler:Jake and Jonathan Carloway. Jonathan dies in his last ditch effort to kill the XADA Queen, knowing he would probably fail. Jake finally kills her by exploding his [=WarMech=], killing himself in the process.]]
38	* HoldTheLine: One level per chapter is this, giving you the mission of defending an area from XADA attack. In one instance you're given this exact command from MissionControl.
39	* ImpossiblyCoolWeapon: [[spoiler:The XADA Destroyer shoots stationary spinning discs with lasers that can kill all but the strongest monsters who wander into their radius, but ignore your [=WarMech=].]] It's so powerful its ammo is limited to three shots. Earning enough badges gets you the unlimited version.
40	* IndustrializedEvil: Before they were turned into XADA minions the Buffalos, K-9 robots and Centaur security guards were all designed to protect Earth's remaining humans. Even then they were dangerous enough to frighten the people they were protecting.
41	* InescapableAmbush: Each new area in a level locks down doors or puts up laser fences that won't open again until you've cleared the mooks out.
42	* InterfaceScrew: Mission 3-7 has a variant of this. Because of the in-universe effects of a virus, the background visuals are extremely fuzzy, and both your mech and any enemies you encounter look like pale silhouettes. It's not a short level, either, so by the time you're done, your eyes are probably going to hurt.
43	* KaizoTrap: [[spoiler:The boss monster at the end of the first chapter. It tries to drag you into the pit it's falling into as it's dying.]]
44	* LevelGrinding: Necessary because it's easy to get a [[LevelLockedLoot level-locked]] ARK. Also because it's the only way to earn badge rewards.
45	* LimitBreak: Every XADA you hit collects energy called RA to fill your RA meter for special attacks. Typically the more RA a move uses, the more devastating it is. Accepting a "ranged weapons only" challenge means you'll be completing a level without collecting any RA at all. Other challenges require you to fight with no [=ARK=]s equipped, so you'll be filling up the RA meter with no way to use it.
46	* MentalFusion: The hive-minded XADA use this to control humans, especially [[spoiler:Drs. Raymond and Goldie Millar. One of the XADA you kill early on turns out to be Jane Millar, likely a relative.]]
47	* MindScrew: [[spoiler:The epilogue, in which we see Jake's body in hospital, still alive, but now run by his [=WarMech=]'s AI mind.]]
48	* MissionControl: Napoleon Venefray, Zoe, and Diana. Throughout the game they give status reports on the current invasion, and advise you about the area you're moving through. Some levels cut you off from them, in an version of MissingMissionControl.
49	* MoreDakka: Earn enough badges, and you can collect weapons with unlimited ammo.
50	* OldSoldier: Napoleon Venefray. As a veteran [=WarMech=] pilot who's fought XADA before, he tells you about the strengths and abilities of the XADA you run across. [[spoiler:Late in the game you start encountering XADA he doesn't know about, and he tells you you're on your own.]]
51	* OneWordTitle
52	* OurZombiesAreDifferent: the "mutaforms" in Implosion are stated to be human pilots who were infected, killed, and then reanimated by the XADA virus.
53	* PromotedToPlayable: Diana May, when you unlock the "Crimson" [=WarMech=].
54	* PunBasedTitle: In the opening cutscene, Jake is told "You are Hope." And in order to stop the XADA, Jake must never lose.
55	* SequentialBoss: [[spoiler:Dr. Raymond Millar, over the course of 3 levels, after he's been completely taken over by the XADA queen. ]]
56	* ShoutOut: Messages you collect that aren't part of the storyline tend to be [[ShoutOut shoutouts]] written by people like "Stephen Jobbes" (Head of I.T.), "Albert Weinstein" (Head of R&D), and some lowly researcher named "Nikola Telsar". Other shoutouts: Advertising messages from "Macrosoft Engineering", a memo titled "Film/FullMetalJacket", a plea from someone who lost his "[=IDBook=]" contacts to ''everyone'' asking them to resend their contact info, and a message from a ticked-off victim of a practical joke: [[Film/{{Taken}} "I will find you and I will kill you."]]
57	* ShutUpHannibal: The rousing reply to TheDragon's "You are doomed" speech. "Never underestimate the power of the human spirit."
58	* SpectacularSpinning: Crimson, Diana's [=WarMech=], is equipped with a lance, rather than a sword, and most of her special attacks involve twirling her weapon. One finishing move has her planting the lance and whirling around it like it's a stripper pole, a la VideoGame/{{Bayonetta}}.
59	* SuspiciousVideoGameGenerosity: Increases as the game goes on. By the endgame you're given ''half a level'' of mooks and loot to gain XP and better [=ARK=]s.
60	* TheChessmaster: [[spoiler:Dr. Raymond Millar, even after merging with the XADA queen.]]
61	* TheDragon: [[spoiler:Goldie Millar to her husband, Dr. Raymond Millar. And Dr. Raymond Millar to the XADA Queen.]]
62	* UnlockableContent: With enough badges, the Crimson [=WarMech=]. The message entries for a certain level can't be read until you've cleared the level. The latest update includes an endless mini game with waves of XADA attackers that is available only after you complete the game for the first time.
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Context VideoGame / Implosion