Line #15 VideoGame/MadnessProjectNexus2


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/project_nexus_3.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:Aside from the "Project Nexus" part, it's [[WebAnimation/MadnessCombat about]] [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin what you would expect]].]]
3
4	-> ''[[ArcWords "Just do what comes natural..."]]''
5
6	''MADNESS: Project Nexus'' (often abbreviated to [=MPN=] or simply [=PN2=], formerly known as ''Project Nexus 2'' before a rebranding) is a game developed by Matt "Krinkels" Jolly and Michael Swain of Website/{{Newgrounds}} fame and serving as a sequel to the original ''[[https://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/592473 Madness: Project Nexus]]''. It is a game set in the ''WebAnimation/MadnessCombat'' universe as a 3D ShootEmUp / HackAndSlash hybrid resembling an arena-type arcade game (such as ''VideoGame/SmashTV'' or ''VideoGame/FinalFight'', as described by Swain). The game released on September 29th 2021, and includes a "Story Campaign" mode, "Arena Combat" and [[CallBack "Interactive Mode"]] (later renamed the Playground) (the latter is essentially a sandbox for messing around with enemies and weapons).
7
8	Staying true to its ''Madness Combat'' roots, [=PN=] is a title filled with the expected dose of [[{{Gorn}} "ultraviolence"]] and functions as a MurderSimulator in regards to gameplay. Many "real" and improvised weapons are included in the game, mostly featuring guns and melee weapons alike.
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10	'''Warning: all spoilers for the first game will be unmarked!'''
11	----
12	!! F:TROPESREAD.TXT:
13	%%Krinkels has confirmed on [=CuriousCat=] that the Project Nexus games take place in the '''same timeline''' as the main ''Madness Combat'' series, therefore making it a '''subversion''' of AlternateContinuity.
14	* AbsurdCuttingPower: Decapitation is possible in some instances when the conditions are right. One such condition is having the "Lawnmower" skill while throwing a bladed weapon towards a line of bad guys and watching all of their heads get sliced off. A later update allows slicing heads clean in half.
15	* AKA47: Applies to almost all of the guns in the game. Many of them have instantly recognizable aliases, such as "[=N911=]", "[=NPK=]", and "[=NN 57=]", and are modeled after their real life counterparts. In most of them, at least one "N" stands for [[BlandNameProduct "Nevadean" or "Nevada"]].
16	* AllSwordsAreTheSame: This gets downplayed, since most swords handle the same way regardless of type. Rapiers and eastern swords handle with their own styles, but only if the wielder has the skill to do so.
17	* AmmunitionBackpack: Certain gear items in arena mode allow you to carry more magazines. This is shown with the "[=MagBonus=]" attribute.
18	* {{Antepiece}}:
19	** The first Arena Mode mission turns death into a slap on the wrist, allowing you to die, skip waves and experience the basics without any danger.
20	** Pilot Episode shows the player how Corpus Blocks work; at one point, the player gets onto an elevator platform, to which a swarm of enemies show up and blast them relentlessly; this is very likely to break a Corpus, but after a wave of enemies, the player will be able to heal the missing Corpus with a first-aid cabinet.
21	* AndIMustScream: Lamenter Abominations get their name from the fact that, while still rendered insane by the process of creating them, they maintain just enough of their awareness to make them scream for answers as to why they were made.
22	* ArcWords:
23	** "It's like two soda cans", used by both Krinkels and characters in-story to describe and theorize about the relationship between Nevada and the Other Place. [[spoiler:As in, they are two separate but identical containers, and shaking them up makes things very messy when you try to open them up.]]
24	** The opening phrase "Somewhere in Nevada..." is given new meaning by two major revelations in Arena mode, one for comedy, one less so. [[spoiler:Firstly, the phrase "Somewhere" is in fact referencing a large span of empty desert in particular that's literally named "Somewhere". Secondly, there is a matching space called "The Nowhere", that is essentially the ''edge of reality'' as the inhabitants of Nevada know it, and it's been designated a no-fly zone by any and every organization worth a damn within Nevada because nothing that enters The Nowhere ever comes back.]]
25	** But both Story and Arena modes reveal another set of words: "Not long for Nevada". [[spoiler:Going through Arena mode again after beating once allows the Arena Player Character to meet The Maker, one of the Higher Powers and the one who had a part in the creation of Nevada. The Maker reveals that doom is coming to Nevada, and merging with the Nowhere over and over is the only way to stop it (at least for now). If the Arena Player Character refuses to do it, then that's it; the world falls, and ''none'' of them are long for Nevada]].
26	* ArtificialStupidity: The friendly/hireling AI is ''notorious'' for being extremely stupid. For example, they refuse to pick up weapons if their guns lose ammo, can get swarmed very quickly, and even when directed to go do something, they will usually prioritize attacking enemies first. It also does not help that "Climb", which is by most considered the [[ThatOneLevel hardest story mode level]], requires you to split up, and should your AI companion die, it will result in a game over.
27	* ArtShift: The loading screens portray the main characters in a more realistic style, with fully human facial features.
28	* AudibleSharpness: Bladed weapons make a "SHING!" when being pulled out. Some blunt weapons do, too. Naturally averted with the Dragonslayer, which comes with the infamous [=CLANG=] when swung.
29	* BankRobbery: The main setting of The Heist stage in Arena Mode, which involves your team robbing the First Nevadean Repository Union. While the first vault has to be breached, if one is daring enough, they can continuously breach up to three times, with their efforts being rewarded with lots of money and three Tokens.
30	* BareHandedBladeBlock: Even without holding a weapon, a player with enough unarmed skill can outright block incoming sword attacks with their bare hands.
31	* BigBad:
32	** [[spoiler:Director Phobos is this for Story Mode, with the reveal of his [[OurSoulsAreDifferent S-3LF]] controlling Project Gestalt and attempting to reach godhood.]]
33	** [[spoiler:The Machine can be considered this for Arena Mode since the plot starts because of it and what's likely its avatar serves as the FinalBoss.]]
34	* BigDamnHeroes: During the Vampires' attack on Club Advent, Doc leaves out the back door, seemingly because he's not a fighter... Then meets you at the bus stop by running over a trio of Vampire Bruisers that would give you no end of hell given how low on weaponry you're likely to be.
35	* {{BFG}}: The "Mhati-999" is a gigantic anti-tank rifle that can be held, slung around, and used as a normal weapon. The kicker is that it's ''over twice as long as the wielder's body,'' and the magazine alone is the size of a character model's head. There's also a comically oversized handheld minigun as well.
36	* {{BFS}}: The game borrows [[{{Manga/Berserk}} Guts']] Dragonslayer for the player's use and true to form it's still too big, too thick, too heavy and too rough to be called a sword.
37	* BitchSlap: [[spoiler:During the flashback where Crackpot is gloating his promotion in front of Christoff's face, you can actually ''punch him out cold'', with Christoff giving a BadassBoast afterward.]]
38	* BittersweetEnding:
39	** Arena Mode's ending. [[spoiler:The Protagonist manages to create a quite powerful organization and defeats the Machine but to prevent Nevada's destruction he has to repeat the same story all over again for all eternity.]]
40	** In the "Legacy of the [=S-3LF=] Eater" DLC, [[spoiler:the heroes beat the [=S-3LF=] Eater by using the Prime Blade and returning it to the shrine. The game warns that despite being trapped, it's only a matter of time until someone else finds the shrine and accidentally frees the robotic monster again.]]
41	* TheBladeAlwaysLandsPointyEndIn: This happens with thrown swords, but surprisingly, after getting the "Lawnmower" skill which puts a spin on the blade when you throw it, this stops happening. Then played ridiculously straight again with the ability to impale enemies with thrown ''blunt'' weapons. Even before this, you can achieve the same effect by throwing a heavy-enough gun.
42	* BlownAcrossTheRoom: One skill for shotguns is called ''"Shotgun Blastoff"'', which [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin blows enemies across the room]] at point-blank range "in a shower of blood and shame".
43	* BoomHeadshot: Since the game is a 3D arena-style game that would otherwise have no real way of aiming at certain points on a single target, [[DevelopersForesight the developers have dedicated a whole button to headshots]]. Holding down left shift will make the player character aim up slightly with their gun, allowing them to shoot enemies in the head.
44	* BoringButPractical: Arena Mode offers some unexciting equipment, but in turn offer valuable abilities:
45	** The Casual Shoes. Two stats: -10% Vs. Dizzy and -2 Encumbrance. Nothing flashy, but those two extra points open up room for armor- especially important if your character has low Endurance.
46	** Handguns. Not nearly as cool as heavy rifles or shotguns, but they’re light, fairly cheap, [[JackOfAllStats don’t have any major weaknesses,]] and easy to get extra magazines for early on.
47	** The Headband and Ghi. They don't offer much armor, but both offer a boost towards punching speed, benefiting an Unarmed playstyle.
48	* BrickJoke: During the opening tutorial level, Hank quips that Gil, a burger joint owner, is "probably Zed chow". [[spoiler:Fast forward to later in the plot, and it's revealed that while it was true at first, Zombie Gil turned the tables on them and is now ''eating other Zeds''.]]
49	* BulletDodgesYou: There is an entire subset of skills devoted to "TAC-Bar", which is a near-impenetrable bullet shield made out of tactical sense and "pure reflex". Essentially, it's a (marginally) more realistic take on a reliable bullet defense mechanism, mostly just to avert DeflectorShields.
50	** A new update to this mechanic is the "Directional TAC-Bar", which makes it a bit harder to maintain. The TAC-Bar only protects the character in a ~180 degree arc in front of where they're aiming, meaning anyone can still get [[InTheBack gunned down from behind]] if they're not expecting incoming fire. Unfortunately though, [[TheComputerIsACheatingBastard computer controlled enemies will usually see this coming]] and [[ComputersAreFast adjust their TAC-Bar at the last second]] to dodge incoming fire anyways. One way to prevent this is by having a squad member distract them so that you can reliably shoot them in the back.
51	* BulletproofVest: For the most part, this trope is used semi-accurately to RealLife: Different types of vests defend against different types of bullets; some bullets make it through depending on caliber, while others get blocked. Bullets that are blocked will still do, albeit reduced, damage to your health from the force of the round impacting on the vest.
52	* CallAHitPointASmeerp: Characters each have a set of Corpus that acts as their HitPoints. A Corpus can be damaged by attacks and healed by not taking damage, although once it breaks it's gone for the rest of the level or until the player reaches a medical station.
53	* CallBack: One of the game modes was originally titled "Interactive Mode" after an early Madness Combat flash game called "Madness Interactive" and one of the weapons in the game is a urinal, which was one of the weapons in Madness Interactive.
54	* ChainsawGood: THE most damaging melee weapon in the game, it can drop most {{Mooks}} with one hit.
55	* ChainsawGripBFG: The minigun has one of these.
56	* CuttingTheKnot: Attempting hacking while playing as Hank will have him stare at a computer in confusion before he declares that he "doesn't ''do'' hacking", at which point he instead decides to just smash a nearby terminal.
57	* DeadGuyOnDisplay: [[spoiler:After you finish Story Mode, the chamber that allows you to replay the fight with Project Gestalt still has its corpse on display as a mark of success for the player.]]
58	* DevelopersForesight:
59	** Normally, the [=G03LM=] helmet knockoff and execution animations involves the characters climbing on top the [=G03LM=] and either knocking off the helmet or performing a NeckSnap or vice-versa. However, if the character is big enough (which is only possible in the Playground or by playing Arena Mode as The Massive), they'll simply knock off the helmet off them, and in the case of executions, finish them off like any other grunt.
60	** In Story Mode's "Base Jumping" mission, should you go back downstairs to see the Concierge after finishing the lounge area's combat sequence, he will comment on the commotion from said combat sequence.
61	---> '''Concierge:''' Hey, I don't care what those guys upstairs say. You checked in. You're good in ''my'' book. You know. Literally.
62	** At the end of the game, you can mess around in the main city as Dr. Christoff with the Sheriff accompanying him. When the "Legacy of the [=S-3LF=] Eater" update added a new post-game story, Gibbing Tree made sure to add new dialogue for him relating to the storyline's different twists and turns. The same applies to Tricky, who despite not being playable, can still be a part of the party and has dialogue relating to killing the [=S-3LF=] Eater if he deals the final blow.
63	* DownerEnding: [[spoiler:Story Mode's ending. The Nexus Core is finished, but any good will that could have come of the Project is ruined by Hank's psychopathic dedication to his mission, with him forcibly ejecting Christoff and soon after being shot off himself by Sanford and Deimos, and [[TheStinger the Employers choose to abandon Project Nexus]] and instead recruit Christoff for their own ends...also revealing that one of those Employers ''is [[BigBad the Auditor]]'', the primary antagonist of the main series and a figure Christoff's original counterpart worked with. Since the game has been [[WordOfGod confirmed]] to be canon to the main series, it's only a matter of time before the Savior turns his back on the Employers.]]
64	* EmptyShell: One of the arena stages (removed from the final release), Training Room 3.0, has a particularly disturbing briefing.
65	--> ''Our programmers have all been fired, thanks to their inability to effectively stop your progress through our VR training rooms. Now, each coder has been neurally linked to a VR combatant; every one you kill will render a single coder braindead. Don't go easy on them. This is their punishment, after all.''
66	* EasyModeMockery: Zigzagged with the Tourist difficulty, which has an icon resembling a Nevadean in a baby bonnet. Its description then claims that they included the difficulty so that people of all skill levels could play and that players shouldn't feel ashamed to play this difficulty if they want to enjoy the experience...[[HypocriticalHumor then immediately goes on to say that]] [[ImmediateSelfContradiction yes, this is the baby mode for babies.]]
67	* EveryBulletIsATracer: [[JustifiedTrope Justified]], as otherwise you wouldn't know where your shots actually are going.
68	* FaceHeelTurn: [[spoiler:After defeating the ghostly Director Phobos and Gesalt, Hank turns on Sanford and Deimos by shooting Christoff and stubbornly sticks to their original objective, [[ItsAllAboutMe claiming most of the credit for the work]] and forcing the two to face off against him in order to prevent Hank from obliterating Nevada, as Hank [[BloodKnight downright]] ''[[AxCrazy gleefully]]'' declares that he had been ''hoping'' it would end this way.]]
69	* FireBreathingWeapon: The "firebug" works by shooting fireballs of ignited napalm onto targets.
70	* FiringOneHanded: Characters with enough skill can do this with two-handed guns, such as shotguns and rifles.
71	* {{Foreshadowing}}: "Hard Sell" has you protecting an unknown "Artifact" until the Enmeshment Drive can be properly set up to analyze it for the location of the Mandatus. [[spoiler:When all four locks are broken open, it's revealed the artifact is a Gen 01 Nevadean's corpse coated in stale marshmallow, hinting at not just the nature of the Mandatus, but the player character's true origin in particular.]]
72	* GangstaStyle: Any character, including the player, will hold guns sideways if they don't have the "Core: Gun Handling 1" ranged skill. The game also pokes fun at the concept when you take your first gun handling skill.
73	--> ''Also, you now hold your gun upright like a professional.''
74	* GatlingGood: There's a minigun in the game. Naturally, it can be equipped.
75	* GoodGunsBadGuns: Notably [[AvertedTrope averted]], mainly since weapons spawn randomly and the player can use whatever gun they like, including picking up the bad guy's guns to use against them. See also ThrowawayGuns below.
76	* GrenadeLauncher: The [=M79=] and [=N 32=]. The latter has a hilarious description.
77	--> ''When exploding something isn't enough, and you find yourself needing to explode five more somethings, reach for the biggest six shooter Nevadean Arms has to offer!''
78	* GroundhogDayLoop: [[spoiler:The events of Arena Mode are revealed to be this, as the player must create Enmeshment imprints of themselves ad infinitum to prevent an untold calamity from befalling Nevada.]]
79	* GuiltBasedGaming: Pause the game, and a blurb around the center of the screen with a depiction of Phobos will appear, accusing you of being a cheater, a {{Scrub}}, a SoreLoser, or a DirtyCoward, among other things.
80	** Here's a few examples;
81	--> ''See ya later, coward!''
82	--> ''Yeah, you would quit, wouldn't you? Typical.''
83	--> ''Bet you wish this game had an even easier difficulty, huh?''
84	--> ''Were you looking for a cheat menu or something, Chester [=McCheaterson=]?''
85	* GunAccessories: There are many gun attachments to be had, from suppressors, to scopes, to stocks.
86	* GunPorn: In classic ''Madness Combat'' taste, the guns themselves are in big focus.
87	* GunsAkimbo: Almost all of the guns can be dual-wielded with the right stats, though some remain firmly too heavy for ''anyone'' to dual-wield.
88	* {{Handguns}}: An entire class of guns are these.
89	* HollywoodSilencer: The gun mechanics downplay this. Most smaller caliber guns such as pistols and small rifles don't make much noise in the first place, and the suppressors only decrease the sound by a little bit. However, there are different suppressors that have different amounts of effectiveness, and they will still decrease the "Loudness" attribute on the gun making them slightly harder to detect.
90	* ImmuneToBullets: The [=G03LM=] enemies are this: they're giants who wear impregnable bulletproof metal armor. You have to get a bit creative to take them down.
91	* ImprovisedWeapon: Lots of the melee weapons in the game fall under this category, as well as some of the guns; most notably, the Merc weapons.
92	--> ''Blurring the line between improvised and mass produced. These assembly line, machine shop firearms are as cheap as they are effective.''
93	** Combined with {{Organ Drop\|s}}, some robots can sometimes drop their leg as a melee weapon. [[spoiler:One of the strongest melee weapons in the game is one of Project Gestalt's metal tusks, counting as a Massive bladed weapon.]]
94	* InfinityPlusOneSword:
95	** [[spoiler:The Prime Blade, introduced in the "Legacy of the S-3LF Eater" update as a Loadout option for completing the update's questline. As a sword made from a fragment of the Machine itself, swinging it doesn't just kill an enemy. It ''removes them from existence''. The only thing strong enough to resist it is the titular S-3LF Eater, because it's ''also'' an aspect of The Machine. Sadly, it is only for Story Mode, and is not available for Arena Mode.]]
96	** The Minigun for Arena Mode. It is the most expensive weapon in the game (a whopping ''1 million dollars'', much more than what you get through progressing the story naturally), but it is well worth the price. It can easily shred through any enemy that doesn't have bulletproof armor, and if you play as the [[GunNut Tinkerer]], you can mod it to fire Dissonant Energy, making it ''even stronger''. The only downside is that it slows your movement speed by a ton, but that won't matter when you kill anything in your path.
97	* InstantDeathBullet: This is usually what happens when characters get shot.
98	* KatanasAreJustBetter: [[WordOfGod Krinkels]] has said that the katana is the best sword. Hank's loadout comes with a katana by default. Downplayed however, in that it's roughly on par with the equally effective Fantasy Sword, and overshadowed by Jesus's [[CoolSword signature weapon, the Binary Sword]], although the latter is ''much'' larger and harder to wield.
99	* KungFuJesus: Dr. Jebediah Christoff.
100	* LeapAndFire: There is a skill dedicated to this called "shoot-dodging".
101	* LittleUselessGun: Downplayed, since certain "weaker" guns can still be good when used by a player with good skills. This is especially true for the [=NPK=]. This stops being true later on, however, as ArmorIsUseless isn't entirely true here and enemies increasingly become both more numerous and better equipped.
102	* LongRangeFighter: Merc Sniper enemies are this. They will fight you from a distance and attempt to run away if you get too close.
103	* LudicrousGibs: With the right weapons (such as shotguns), shooting enemies will blow chunks of meat from their bodies. Headshots with powerful guns [[YourHeadASplode reduce heads to bloody chunks]].
104	* MadeOfPlasticine: Just about everybody's body can be caved in or sliced apart in various ways.
105	* MainCharacterFinalBoss: Hank, the protagonist of Project Nexus and the Madness series in general, [[spoiler:becomes the final enemy for Sanford and Deimos to fight after pulling a FaceHeelTurn and seeking to destroy Nevada.]]
106	* MatterReplicator: Pretty much anything needed in Nexus City - and presumably Nevada in general - is made from several substances collectively known as "Matter" that's typically mined from underground. Most forms of matter get turned into materials to build vehicles, buildings, clones, or the hundreds upon hundreds of gun models found throughout Nevada. Even food products are made using specific forms of "protein matter", due to a lack of edible plants to harvest and any recognizable animals to hunt.
107	* MetaFiction: [[spoiler:The truth behind the Arena Mode plot. The Player must merge with an event called the Mandatus and relive the events of the game over and over again to forestall the "Machine" from causing EndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt, reflecting the declining popularity and presence of the Madness Series from it's heyday with the age of Flash Animation, and Project Nexus's attempt to keep that torch light, by playing through the Arena, the main gameplay mode with replayability in mind, through countless cycles as they're enmeshed over and over. Furthermore, the Protagonist of this mode is portrayed as what is ultimately the first person to ever exist - that is, the first character in a Madness cartoon to do something of interest - and acts as a metaphor for fans of the series who were with it from the start, either watching the original episodes to marvel at the detail or even making their own fan-animations with their own characters.]]
108	* MookChivalry: Swain has been quoted to say that while it would be a great combat simulation to have everyone attack at once, [[AcceptableBreaksFromReality it wouldn't be very fun for the player]]. They will surround you, but they'll take turns swinging at you in this case.
109	* MookDebutCutscene: In various missions of the story mode, a special cutscene plays to introduce a new enemy you will encounter throughout the rest of the mission, or through the rest of the game. This includes, but not limited to:
110	** Asylum patients in the Seeking Asylum mission, whose cutscene involves them stuttering and asking Hank to let them out of the cage they're currently in
111	** The Sleepwalker [=GO3LM=] in Sleeper Labs, whose cutscene involves him crashing down in a ThreePointLanding-esque position then attacking Hank & Christoff
112	-->'''Sleepwalker:''' BIG BOY. BIG DREAMS...
113	** In the level Chasms, Deimos & Sanford come across the Abomination enemy feasting on a corpse.
114	-->'''Deimos:''' The heck is that!
115	* MultiMeleeMaster: Any character can equip more than one type of melee weapon.
116	* MythologyGag: The "Slaughter Rank: Genocider" achievement is unlocked by killing a total of 53,594 enemies. The achievement itself is a nod to a similar achievement from ''Madness: Project Nexus Classic'' that players unlocked by killing the same total number of enemies in Arena mode.
117	* {{Nerf}}:
118	** [=GO3LMs=] were notorious in the original flash game for being armored giant mooks that had a very hard-to-exploit weakness through meleeing their armor until the helmet falls off, which was made harder when they can easily melee you in retaliation for that. Here, the reworked mechanics allow players to easily provoke a [=GO3LM=] into an easily telegraphed DeathOrGloryAttack, them performing a takedown to remove their helmet to shoot at the unarmored head, or locking them into a CycleOfHurting through continuously provoking them into attacks, then performing takedowns on them until they're dead. On the other hand, they're no longer vulnerable to being cheesed by spamming dash attacks on them.
119	** The Hook was the weapon for Sanford in the classic ''Project Nexus'' game, and it was unbreakable, meaning that it can serve as an EmergencyWeapon for him very well. This game, while it still has the ability to "hook" in enemies, is now as breakable as any other melee weapon, though to compensate, anyone can now use it and Sanford's ability is now expanded on other hook-like weapons.
120	* NerfArm: [[{{Squick}} The "Porcelain Club".]] It's essentially [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin just a giant urinal used as a blunt melee weapon]], despite the description's insistence.
121	--> ''This is a porcelain club. That's it. That is all that it is used for. [[BlatantLies Nothing else]].'' [[note]]This is actually a CallBack to the original ''Madness Interactive'' flash game long preceding [=PN=] (or even [=PN=] Classic). In it, the player could get a urinal as a weapon by pulling it off the wall in the men's restroom in one level. It was a joke melee weapon that could be swung around, and shattered after hitting enemies a few times.[[/note]]
122	* NeverBringAGunToAKnifeFight: Any gun, knife, or fist can be equally deadly, it just depends on the context.
123	* NewGamePlus: Completing Arena Mode rewards you with an Imprint that gives you a gradually stacking boost to all of your stats as well as unlock new Origins that are a lot more powerful than the starting ones.
124	* NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished: [[spoiler:The Arena Player Character's decision to let "Fence" examine at the Enmeshment Drive, as well as provide him with Matter from his Heist contract, means that Dr. Crackpot has enough resources to continue Project Zed without the help of the Nexus Core.]]
125	* NostalgiaLevel: [[spoiler:The Sleeper Labs contain a segment where you fight through waves of enemies in the original game's Arena Mode zone, complete with two barrels, an (unfortunately unusable) armory doorway, and messages still built to reference 1v02P_6, the player character of the mode. ''This'' game's own arena mode also features the very room in its heyday as your first Arena stage.]]
126	* NoticeThis: Items nearby that you can interact with will have your character stare at them as the prompt becomes available. Weapons that are empty or in poor condition will even be highlighted red to show they're not particularly useful anymore. It also gets parodied with certain interactable items; If something can be used once by multiple characters in the group, and you try to use it with someone who's already had their interaction, you typically just get the message "You don't care about that."
127	* NotUsingTheZWord: Zombies in-game are simply referred to as "zeds". [[note]]The label of "zeds" given to zombies is actually part of an oddly consistent naming convention for enemies: "Zed" is how many non-American countries pronounce the letter "Z" (an abbreviation for "Zombie" in this case), which Americans pronounce as "Zee". Similarly, the [=AAHW's=] [=ATP Soldats=] and Nexus Soldats use the word "soldat" (pronounced "Zoldat") in place of the American term "soldier" -- which is also the noun for "soldier" in many non-American countries. This makes this trope arguably [[JustifiedTrope justifiable]]. However, the setting for the main ''Madness Combat'' series is simply "Somewhere in Nevada", [[FridgeLogic which is an American location]], but in Project Nexus Nevada refers to the ''whole world.''.[[/note]]
128	* NonLethalBottomlessPits: Falling offscreen or into a pit will take off a Corpus block before dropping you back on solid ground.
129	* OneBulletClips: Notably [[AvertedTrope averted]] in this game. Tac-reloading costs you your magazine and any rounds that were left in it.
130	* OneHandedZweihander: It's possible for a skilled character to do this with 2-handed swords, and blunt melee weapons, for that matter.
131	* ParryingBullets: One skill allows the player to deflect incoming bullets with a sword or blunt weapon, and yet another skill allows them to ''[[AttackReflector direct it back at their attackers.]]''
132	* PistolWhipping: Appears as a skill in the game, and can be used to stun enemies.
133	* QuickDraw: There's a skill dedicated to this that allows the player to switch to ranged weapons faster.
134	* RedshirtArmy: Most of the enemy factions are this. As finishing a room/wave requires killing every last one, its a welcome appearance.
135	* RecurringBoss: Church and Jorge, the Nexus Core [=G03LMs=] who repeatedly tail the protagonists constantly due to never being finished off while they're incapacitated. [[spoiler:They even try to go for one more round just before the showdown with Project Gestalt, but are summarily squashed and eaten by the giant. Even ''that'' doesn't keep the brothers down long however, since the fellas at MERC recover their bodies and resurrect them. ]]
136	* RocketTagGameplay: The basic setup of Madness difficulty. On the plus side? Enemies die faster. On the negative side? So do you. This mimics the original animations having their enemies be mowed down by the dozens, and the main characters usually taking heavy damage if they can't evade it or kill the enemy first.
137	* ShockAndAwe: Certain weapons possess shock damage, which has the cosmetic effect of killed enemies convulsing with a chance for their head to explode. The Gudgeons of the Slaughter Time arena possess unique shock weaponry that causes victims to violently convulse before exploding into giblets.
138	* ShoutOut:
139	** Slaughter Time is an WholePlotReference to ''Smash TV'', a stated inspiration for the gameplay of ''Project Nexus''.
140	** One of the weapons is the "Fantasy Sword", with its only description being "[[Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda We swear we didn't steal this.]]"
141	** In "The Rush", one of the Combat Wave announcements says "[[WesternAnimation/AquaTeenHungerForce What has science done!?]]"
142	** Quartermaster Bert's name is shortened to "[[VideoGame/QBert Q-Bert]]" in-game.
143	** Chopper Dave's name, profession and off-screen habit of horrific accidents is a reference to a ShowWithinAShow from ''[[WesternAnimation/Sealab2021 Sealab 2021]]''
144	** Q-Bert sometimes tells the player character "Oh hey, [player name], I didn't recognize you. You're my favorite customer", which is a sentence taken from ''Film/TheRoom2003'' when Johnny buys flowers.
145	** The achievement "Slaughter Rank: Genocider"'s very-specific number is a reference to ''VideoGame/DeadRising'', which had the achievement "Zombie Genocider" for killing 53,594 zombies; enough to (story-wise, at least) kill the entire population of the town the game took place in.
146	** The early-game Toughs gang look like stereotypical greasers and will sometimes go "[[VideoGame/RiverCityRansom BARF!!]]" when beat up.
147	** Chopper Dave complains to Sweet-Tony that "[[Film/ANewHope sometimes even I get boarded]]!" as an excuse for ditching the Toughs' goods.
148	* SillinessSwitch: Though the game is already very rapid fire with its balance of BlackComedy, the Magiturge origin casting you as a literal wizard, complete with pointy hat, also produces a slightly goofier version of the Arena storyline to match.
149	* SpentShellsShower: Can easily happen with the higher fire rate guns in the game.
150	* SpreadShot: Shotguns, obviously.
151	* StoryAndGameplayIntegration:
152	** Upon first encountering Gestalt, Hank will insist he can take him while Jebediah urges him to run. Since the room that introduces Gestalt requires the player to grab two Divergence Keys, which can only be done with Christoff, Hank will likely be controlled by the CPU... and since the CPU [[ArtificialStupidity doesn't factor for enemies being invulnerable]], Hank will constantly attack Gestalt without any care for his inability to damage him, leaving Christoff to escape.
153	** In the Arena Mode, the first level you unlock is a Sleepwalker training memory, a completely virtual recreation of the first game's Arena Mode. As such, death has no penalty; you can skip waves for free and hirelings will not be sent to Skinner if they die here.
154	* SuddenlyVoiced: Many returning characters from the animations now get fully-voiced incidental dialogue for the first time, including Jebus, Tricky, Sanford & Deimos, and even The Sheriff. Even the basic mooks get voice lines now.
155	* SwordAndGun: Definitely possible in-game due to dual wielding mechanics.
156	* SwordLines: Affects not just swords, but also blunt weapons and fists.
157	* TakeThat: The Dragonslayer Sword is the only sword that doesn't make a "SHING" sound and makes a [=CLANG=] sound instead, referencing the [[Anime/Berserk2016 2016 anime adaptation of]] ''Manga/{{Berserk}}'''s infamously having it sound like a frying pan.
158	* ThrowawayGuns: Most "smarter" enemies will do this upon running out of ammo in order to pick up a loaded gun or melee weapon on the ground instead. The player is encouraged to do so as well.
159	* TookALevelInBadass: [[spoiler:The Sheriff from the early episodes of Madness Combat has pulled of a villainous version, and is no longer the useless good-for-nothing coward he was back then. He's still a coward, but is more than capable of actually defending himself now.]]
160	* UnintentionallyUnwinnable: Step One: Replay The Last Leg ''without'' using a loadout that can equip grenades, such as the Crackpot and Savior loadout. Step Two: Realize you screwed up hard because since there aren't any explosive launchers in those levels, it's impossible to get the switch down.
161	* VideoGameCrueltyPotential: In Arena Mode, jumpkicking [[BadBoss your subordinates]] and random civilians around can be rather fun. They don't complain either, they just take it and get back up.
162	* ViolentGlaswegian: All the bandits inexplicably have Scottish accents [[RuleOfFunny despite the game taking place in Nevada]].
163	* VoiceGrunting: Adding on to SuddenlyVoiced, Hank also has voice acting, but his "voice" consists solely of grunts that can only be heard whenever he's attacking or whenever he's getting attacked. If it weren't for said grunts, one would be forgiven for thinking he was TheVoiceless since said grunts aren't heard whenever he has dialogue in the text box.
164	* WhamLine: The Magiturge provides one as part of the introduction; [[spoiler:"THE MACHINE DIVERGES..."]]
165	* YouHaveResearchedBreathing: Many of the early upgrades in Arena are ones that characters in the Story Mode already possess, like the TAC-Bar and zip-dodge. Others are even more basic, such as the ability to shove foes or hold a gun upright.
166	** One of the purchaseable accessories is Sanford's distinctive lip. Since Sanford's is something he just had after being content with his look, you are essentially buying the ability to use your own mouth.
167	* YourHeadASplode: A later update added exploding heads.
168	* ZergRush: One of the mid-level rooms in Story Mode's "Climb!" mission illustrates just how bad the basic "Agent with a Nightstick" squad can be. A few of them aren't too hard to cut down, but when they keep coming in ''droves'', it gets to the point where they will physically bar you from getting out of melee range if they corner you.

Context VideoGame / MadnessProjectNexus2