History VideoGame / ArcTheLad

** Although, the way the cabal treat [[MrFixit Vilmer]] it's fair to say that not all scientists are enthusiastic about promoting Romalia's imprialism

* ApocalypseHow: A Class 2 happened 3000 years before the first game. [[spoiler: The reason ''Arc'' 2's ending isn't considered a downer ending is because this time it was only a class 1]].

* TheIshmael: Elc toward Arc, even if he is a very badass Ishmael.

This game series provides examples of:

* BigfootSasquatchAndYeti: The Hemo-ji are this, with a heavy helping of UncannyValley thrown in. And your party members can be ''[[StandardStatusEffects turned into them]] [[NightmareFuel by touch!]]''

* BurnTheOrphanage: What eventually happens to [[spoiler: the White House]]. In fact, this "[[OrphanageOfFear orphanage]]" was [[NightmareFuel so bad]] that even [[spoiler: slaughtering the children found in the playground]] does not qualifies as a MoralEventHorizon, considering [[spoiler: [[FateWorseThanDeath what had been done]] to them]]

* OrphanageOfFear: the facility code-named White House: unlike most exemples of this trope, the kids are not openly mistreated by uncaring or sadistic by the people in charge (in fact, [[spoiler: one of its former managers, Vilmer is shown to be a descent, loving grandfather]]), but when the employees are pretty much on [[EldritchAbomination Cthulhu's]] payroll, you know that the facility hides [[NightmareFuel very dark, horrific secrets]]

* WhamEpisode: a tons of them, especially in the first two episodes, mostly here to show that things [[ItGotWorse are getting worse]].
** Arrival at Saryu village: for the first time we are shown the devastating effects of the industrialization of Arc's World, with one of its most ancient human dwellings slowly dying from the pollution caused by the extraction and processing of energy stones. Then, out of the blue, [[spoiler: Romalia's airforce raze the village, send it's turned-into-monsters super-soldiers to finish the job and find the key to the water shrine]]: it's the first time Arc's team is facing [[The Empire Romalia]] directly, the first time Arc display some real anger and the first punch [[PlayerPunch thrown at the player]].
** The last trip to Seyria: [[spoiler: Andel fatally wounds Seyria's king, who confess that he is the one who sent Arc's father away in order to inherit the throne, Arc is framed for the King's murder, Seyria turns into a police state controlled by Andel.]] If this was not enough [[spoiler: just after finding the Ark, Arc & co have to give it up to Andel who uses Arc's mother and the other residents of Touvil's lives as [[ManipulativeBastard a bargaining chip]], the seal on the [[BigBad Dark One]] starts breaking down: Kukuru has to remain hidden in Touvil ruins to maintain what remains of the seal in place while the rest of Arc's group become wanted fugitive]]: [[CliffHanger The first episode ends here]]
** First scene of Arc 2: Elc's -Arc 2 {{SupportingProtagonist}}- people get genocided by [[TheKingdom Seyria's]] military.
** End of the [[spoiler: White House story arc]]: Elc & co appear successful at first, [[spoiler: rescuing Mariel and finding the other orphans]], at which points [[spoiler: Gallarno turn all the orphans into monsters, forcing Elc & co to [[PlayerPunch kill them]], after which he entraps Elc and [[ChildhoodFriendRomance Mariel]], uses his MindControlDevice to forces the two to fight, nearly destroying Mariel mind in the process.]] When [[spoiler: she manages regain her consciousness because she [[PowerOfLove refuses to hurt Elc]], Gallarno uses a [[CrazyPrepared contingency plan]] and uses the bomb he had [[WhyAmITicking implanted in Mariel's body]], critically injuring Eld and leaving him nearly dead]].

** End of the [[Spoiler: White House story arc]]: Elc & co appear successful at first, [[spoiler: rescuing Mariel and finding the other orphans]], at which points [[spoiler: Gallarno turn all the orphans into monsters, forcing Elc & co to [[PlayerPunch kill them]], after which he entraps Elc and [[ChildhoodFriendRomance Mariel]], uses his MindControlDevice to forces the two to fight, nearly destroying Mariel mind in the process.]] When [[spoiler: she manages regain her consciousness because she [[PowerOfLove refuses to hurt Elc]], Gallarno uses a [[CrazyPrepared contingency plan]] and uses the bomb he had [[WhyAmITicking implanted in Mariel's body]], critically injuring Eld and leaving him nearly dead]].

* AngstComa At the end of the [[spoiler: White House story arc]], Elc [[spoiler: ends up at the ground zero of an explosion which leave him half dead]]. While [[spoiler: [[KungFuWizard Kukuru manages to]] heal his physical wounds, he remains comatose as a result of [[spoiler: the guilt he feels from being unable to protect/avenge his tribe nor save Mariel from the White House]]

* AngstComa At the end of the [[Spoiler: White House story arc]], Elc [[spoiler: ends up at the ground zero of an explosion which leave him half dead]]. While [[spoiler: [[KungFuWizard Kukuru manages to]] heal his physical wounds, he remains comatose as a result of [[spoiler: the guilt he feels from being unable to protect/avenge his tribe nor save Mariel from the White House]]

* BullyingADragon: During the [[MoralEventHorizon slaughter of the Pyrenians]], Seyras soldiers and researcher find a young Elc who proceeds to burn half a dozen of them to a crisp. The survivors then decide that such a prodigy would make a very good guinea pig. Three guesses at what happens when he turns into an adult

**

** Arrival at Saryu village: for the first time we are shown the devastating effects of the industrialization of Arc's World, with one of its most ancient human dwellings slowly dying from the pollution caused by the extraction and processing of energy stones. Then, out of the blue, [[spoiler: Romalia's airforce raze the village, send it's turned-into-monsters super-soldiers to finish the job and find the key to the water shrine]]: it's the first time Arc's team is facing [[The Empire Romalia]] directly, the first time Arc display some real anger and the first punch [[PlayerPunch thrown at the player]].

** BadassAngster: Elc is the main culprit here, But Arc starts angsting as well at the end of ''Arc'' 2. In both cases the player can sympathize with them, given the ungodly amount of [[ItGotWorse pain]] they had to go through.

* BullyingADragon: During the [[MoralEventHorizon slaughter of the Pyrenians]], Seyras soldiers and researcher find an infant Elc who proceds to burn half a dozen of them to a crisp. The survivors then decide that such a prodigy would make a very good guinea pig. Three guesses at what happens when he turns into an adult

* BlackAndGreyMorality: The bad guys are genocidal bastards, while Arc is by the second game a wanted terrorist. Keep in mind that this is not just propaganda: Arc Ricolne is very pragmatic, and will do [[IDidWhatIHadToDo whatever it takes]] to defeat Romalia, and while he does not willingly target civilians, he shows little concern for collateral damage when he or one of his allies start to blow things up.

* BullyingADragon: During the [[MoralEventHorizon slaughter of the Pyrenians]], Seiyras soldiers and researcher find an infant Elc who proceds to burn half a dozen of them to a crisp. The survivors then decide that such a prodigy would make a very good guinea pig. Three guesses at what happens when he turns into an adult

The original Arc the Lad was a fun, albeit short T-RPG, which followed the adventures of a [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin young lad called Arc Ricolne]] and his [[RagtagBunchOfMisfits six traveling companions]].

''Arc'' II, its direct sequel, follows the adventures of Elc, a bounty hunter who is the last survivor of a nation of [[ElementalPowers fire users]] slaughtered by Seyra, the country Arc hails from. Being longer, more complex, and infinitely DarkerAndEdgier than the previous episode, ''Arc'' 2 [[TrueArtIsComplex has been lauded]] [[TrueArtIsAngsty as the supreme game in the series]] and a legitimate contender for the title of "Game with the most {{Player Punch}}es thrown."

''Arc'' II, its direct sequel, follows the adventures of Elc, a bounty hunter who is the last survivor of a nation of [[ElementalPowers fire users]] slaughtered by Seyra, the country Arc hails from. Being longer, more complex, and infinitely DarkerAndEdgier than the previous episode, ''Arc'' 2 has been lauded as the supreme game in the series and a legitimate contender for the title of "Game with the most {{Player Punch}}es thrown."

* HoYay: Tosh and Shu.

* TooLongDidntDub: Kukuru's name, several of Iga and Tosh's attacks.

* TheChessmaster: The BigBad of the series is good. [[BeyondTheImpossible Deep Blue]] good.

* TheManBehindTheCurtain: Gaidel, the King of Romalia is one of the only fully human antagonists of ''Arc'' 2 and has no supernatural power whatsoever. His lack of power other than political is an [[XanatosGambit important plot point]]

* XanatosGambit: [[BigBad The Dark One]] is very competent when it comes to this.