Locke D'Averam has been chilling out in Hell for centuries when someone decided to resurrect him. As it turns out, the Kingdom of Ahkuilon is under attack by a Cult calling themselves the Children of the Change, who kidnapped the king's only daughter, and Locke, the long-dead ruler of a long-gone empire, seems like just the right guy to bring her back. Unable to defy his new master's orders, the eponymous Revenant Zombie sets off on his quest, which proves all but simple and straightforward.
Revenant is a largely forgotten epic Action RPG for PC, developed by Cinematix Studios and released in the year of 1999. One of its most notable features was a complex and elaborate real-time combat system, consisting of a large number of various combos and tactics, which had to be adopted on the fly against specific enemies. Combined with surprisingly fluid animations (for the time), Revenant was a remarkable gaming experience. Despite its relative obscurity, it remains available at GOG
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The game provides examples of following tropes:
- And Show It to You: Locke threatens others with this, among other taunts and jeering, often.
- Anti-Hero: Locke. While the player has the choice sometimes to have him be more polite, charming, patient and empathetic in dialogue, by default most of his lines are aggressive, arrogant, blunt and rude like a classic fantasy antihero. This is even more apparent as his past is revealed, and the demonic power of the Nahkranoth potentially alienates the people of Misthaven to him, and he starts treading down the path of He Who Fights Monsters in his one man war against Yhagoro and his cult.
- Amnesiac Hero: Locke at the start of the game following his resurrection has no memory of his past, but over the course of it uncovers it all a piece at a time, and his major role in events being what they are in the present.
- Back from the Dead: Locke is resurrected as a Revenant at the beginning of the game, after spending ten thousand years in hell.
- Bait-and-Switch: At the end as he approaches the altar the Princess is on after defeating Yhagaro, it looks like Locke will succumb to evil and sacrifice her with a dagger. Instead he cuts her restraints to free her, and they move in to kiss one another, at last reunited. Before they can, Sardok does the evil deed instead.
- Big Bad: Yhagoro, the evil, powerful demonic God who is a disciple of the Demon King Kraxxus and is seeking to resurrect him, while being worshiped by the cult Locke must defeat.
- Bittersweet Ending: On the sweet side, Locke defeats the cult, frees the enslaved Humans, Ogrok, Druhg and other creatures from the cult's magical control, slays Yhagoro in one on one combat, prevents the resurrection of the Demon King Kraxxus, frees the Princess, kills Sardok and stops his plans, frees himself from Sardok's control, and ultimately saves Ahkuilon and the entire world. On the bitter side, one of Locke's mentors, Olihoot, is murdered by the treacherous Sardok, along with Lord Tendrick himself. Locke also potentially alienates the people of Misthaven through the Sanity Slippage caused by the demonic Nahkranoth, frightening them against him. Even more bitter, Princess Andria is revealed to be the reincarnation of Locke's long dead Queen, and the two are finally reunited after ten thousand years. She is promptly murdered by Sardok, dying in Locke's arms, an act that also potentially ends the House of Averam, leaving Ahkuilon without a ruler. The ending cutscene shows a silent Locke, grimly carrying the Princess' body back to the portal to Ahkuilon.
- Co-Dragons: The powerful, cruel sorcerers Jhaga and Sabu serve as this for Yhagaro, leading the Cult of the Change in his absence while he is seemingly tending to more important matters of his Evil Plan. Though it is revealed he is more engaging in Orcus on His Throne behavior, letting the Cult do all the work locating the Nahkranoth while he sits around in Anserak on his throne behind many layers of defensive crystal powered barriers and powerful monsters guarding the way to him.
- Creepy Camel Spider: In the "Maze of Darkness" area, the boss monster is a creature called "Solifuge." It looks like a cross between a camel spider and a scorpion, with the huge fighting claws of a scorpion but the body of a camel spider, and no tail stinger.
- Cruel Twist Ending: Sardok cruelly provides this just as Locke is reunited with his wife, turning what would have been a happy conclusion for Locke and his story into a Bittersweet Ending at best.
- Cult: Children of the Change, the primary villain faction Locke must fight against.
- Dark and Troubled Past: Locke is revealed to have one, as his past life as a King is illuminated.
- Deal with the Devil: Locke has made one in the backstory. Reneging on the deal is what sets the state and events of the universe and game into motion.
- Did Not Get the Girl: For everything Locke accomplished in his quest, his efforts were in vain in regards to the Princess/Queen.
- Did You Just Punch Out Cthulhu?: Locke single handedly confronts and slays the powerful demonic god Yhagoro in an epic one on one duel.
- The Dragonslayer: There are various color types of powerful Dragons throughout Ahkuilon and Anserak for Locke to slay. There is even a quest that involves slaying a Black Dragon that goes by the name of Sidious.
- Dropped a Bridge on Him: Locke's slaying of Sabu despite the buildup to him, as well as the bitter, sudden fates of Olihoot, Lord Tendrick and Princess/Queen Andria at the hands of Sardok.
- Dude, Where's My Respect?: Locke makes it pointedly clear now and again that he thinks this of Misthaven as he single handedly risks himself trying to save them from the cult, with people fearing him for being a Revenant and more so later when he is possessed by the power of the Nahkranoth.
- Easy Road to Hell: Almost every single person goes to Anserak when they die. It was originally intended to be like Purgatory rather than Hell, however, due to the gods leaving there is no one to let people out once they've done their penance. At the end Locke returns to Anserak and kills Yhagoro (the ruler) and his minions, which hopefully is enough to shut the place down.
- Enemy Mine: Locke proves his strength and strikes a truce of sorts between the normally feuding Humans of Ahkuilon and Ogrok against the Cult of the Change. At least between those humans and Ogrok not already under the cult's magical control. Whether it stands after the cult's defeat is unknown, but unlikely.
- Evil Counterpart: An entire enemy caste of them oppose Locke in the form of the Dark Revenants, resurrected warriors who use magic in combat, and are enslaved to serve Yhagaro and the Cult of the Change, just as Locke is to Sardok and Lord Tendrick. A scroll reveals they were specifically resurrected when the Cult found out that Sardok had Locke serving him, in order to counter the powerful Revenant, though as capable as they are they prove to be Locke's lessers.
- Evil Laugh: Sardok has an impressive one after murdering the Princess and seemingly having gained control over Locke... right before his plans immediately backfire on him.
- Evil Overlord: Yhagaro is revealed to be this for Ahkuilon, along with an Orcus on His Throne through and through, leading a powerful cult while seeking to bring about The End of the World as We Know It by resurrecting his master, the Demon God Kraxxus, though mostly sitting on his throne within Anserak while his underlings do the work.
- Friendly Enemy: These are encountered now and again, such as Bullthwort the friendly Ogrok chef, who while serves the Cult, has no choice in the matter, informing Locke he hopes he succeeds in slaying Yhagoro, so he and the other enslaved beings can return to their homes, which he can't do while under the Control Magic of the Cult.
- The Good King: What Locke is revealed to have been long ago, including refusing to go through with a demonic sacrificial pact that would have involved having to murder his beloved Queen, and paying the consequences for it.
- Greater-Scope Villain: The Demon King Kraxxus that Yhagoro and his cult are planning on resurrecting to bring about the end of the world.
- Happily Married: Locke and his beloved Queen were this in the distant past when they ruled together, to the point he was willing to lose everything and spend ten thousand years in hell rather than follow through with a demonic pact to sacrifice her.
- Heartbroken Badass: Poor Locke just can't catch a break, in his past and present lives alike.
- Hell: Called Anserak here.
- Interspecies Romance: Played for laughs. The Druhg (goblin-like beings) female Shegra is very attracted to Locke, and requests a kiss in exchange for a weapon that will kill Sabu, one of the sorcerer overseers of the slave pits, in one hit. Locke, reluctantly, complies and kisses her... and she promptly slobbers all over his face, much to his chagrin and her pleasure.
- In the Back: How Locke slays Sabu, and later how the treacherous Sardok murders the Princess, by levitating the sacrificial dagger into her back before she and Locke are even able to kiss.
- Kick the Dog: The cruel sorcerer Sardok delivers the most worthless, cruel and petty one to the Princess Andria and Locke in the ending, after they are finally reunited after ten thousand years.
- Kill the Ones You Love: Locke was forced to kill his Queen in the past, to save her from eternal damnation at the hands of Kraxxus, at the cost of his own life and empire.
- Large and in Charge: Yhagaro is revealed to be this upon rising from his throne at last, towering over Locke and his own followers.
- Large Ham: Locke has a flair for the dramatic at various points of the game, but especially after receiving the Nahkranoth, whereupon he speaks in nothing but No Indoor Voice.
- Mentor Occupational Hazard: Before the final act of the game, Olihoot, who has been a mentor wizard of sorts for Locke and helping him gradually rediscover his past and role in the events of the game, is suddenly murdered by Sardok through being burned alive, before Sardok takes further control of him and orders him to head to Anserak.
- Mercy Kill: Locke committed one against his Queen in the distant past, in order to prevent her soul from being claimed and tormented for all eternity by the Demon God Kraxxus.
- My Greatest Second Chance: Locke is resurrected as a Revenant, and when his past is revealed to him, he gets another chance to fix his many mistakes as King that set the events of the game and universe into motion, including being forced to kill his Queen. Ultimately, he succeeds, saving the world, but at a great personal cost.
- No-Gear Level: The fight against the Ogrok Hand Combat champion to prove Locke's worth and cement an alliance with the Ogroks.
- Old Master: Jong, the weapons master, veteran of the eastern wars, and one of Locke's mentors in the game who teaches him a good number of fighting moves. Though he refuses to continue doing so after Locke is possessed by the Nahkranoth, believing he has been consumed by evil.
- One-Man Army: Locke pretty much single handedly takes on the entire Cult of the Change, their leaders and their monsters, with little to no help along the way. This can be highlighted upon his resurrection at the start, expecting to be leading armies against the Cult, but finding out from Lord Tendrick that all his soldiers and guards will remain in Misthaven, with Locke having to take on the Cult alone, to his anger and annoyance.
- Orcus on His Throne: Locke discovers Yhagaro to be this, after going through all the effort to bypass the defensive crystal gates in Ansersak, arriving to find Yhagaro on his throne doing none of the work, and revealing he was letting his Cult go through all the effort of finding the Nahkranoth he needed instead of being proactive about it. It's even complete with a Slouch of Villainy in the game and artwork of him in the credits. Though he proves to be every bit as powerful as his reputation suggests when he finally decides to fight Locke personally.
- Reincarnation Romance: Princess Andria is the reincarnation of Locke's beloved Queen from his past life as King ten thousand years before, when he refused to go through with a demonic pact that involved having to sacrifice her.
- Resurrected for a Job: The whole premise of the game.
- Resurrected Romance: Locke and Andria are revealed to be this.
- Revenant Zombie: Locke, the titular Revenant brought back to life many thousands of years after his death.
- Sanity Slippage: Happens to Locke after acquiring the Nahkranoth and being imbued with its demonic power, potentially frightening all the town's folk if he speaks to them after doing so. After slaying Yhagoro he manages to overcome it, through his love of his Queen, unleashing it upon Sardok after her murder and banishing himself of it, returning to sanity.
- Save the Princess: What your quest seems to be at first. Locke's goals soon grow far more numerous and complicated. Tragically, this is the one goal he fails to achieve.
- Shout-Out: A number of them, including a humorous scene where Locke overhears a group of Genre Savvy Dark Ogroks named Slagg, Mort and Urgg in a dungeon referencing 'those idiots from Tristram', and not wanting to imitate them by charging at Locke mindlessly, wanting to hide instead, much to Locke's annoyance.
- Technicolor Science: Revenant features the usual red/health and blue/mana potions, among other vibrant potion colors, codified by Diablo.
- Throne Room Throwdown: The final climactic battle of the game takes place in the throne room Yhagoro has set up in Anserak, with Locke tracking him down and confronting him there at last.
- Training Dummy: One is practiced against in the tutorial mission and training with Jong.
- Treacherous Advisor: The court sorcerer Sardok is obviously this right from the beginning. Clearly keeping his own secrets, plots and murdering anyone who might stand in his way, and even some that don't. Unfortunately, you are in his thrall as a Revenant, and unable to deal with him until it's too late.
- Ungrateful Bastard: A number of the people of Misthaven, in their fear of the Revenant, and even more of them turning their backs on him after he is possessed by the Nahkranoth, despite all he has risked and done for them to free them from Yhagoro and the cult. He points this out now and again as well.
- Villainous Valour: For all his evil and Orcus on His Throne behavior, when all is said and done and Locke arrives to confront him, Yhagaro arises from the throne and fights him to the bitter end.
- You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: Sardok does this to Lord Tendrick when he starts asking too many questions in the final act of the game, murdering him, and later attempting to do the same to Locke after he defeats Yhagoro.
