History VideoGame / BlacklightRetribution

* AllThereInTheManual: Where the heck are those zombies in Onslaught mode coming from, and who are those soldiers backing up said zombies? They're holdovers from the co-op mode in the first game, which explained the zombies as victims of [=SIV=], a widespread virus that rots flesh and turns its victims insanely homicidal, while the soldiers are Agents of The Order, a secretive terrorist group that has ex-US Special Forces in them, who are helping the [=SIVs=] attempt to kill you and your team for reasons unknown.

** [[MiniMecha Hard]][[MightyGlacier suits.]] They're good to use against regular enemies, but are slow to manoeuvre, making it incredibly easy to leave them wide open for flamethrower or rocket launcher ambushes - and they're near-useless in Onslaught mode, because by the time you get enough points to call down one, the game will already begin to spawn Order Agents who will wield rocket launchers against you.

* KatanasAreJustBetter: There's one, the KTN8 Katana, which is only available to be used as a depot item. It costs 350 CP to use in a match, but it does a lot of damage and increases movement speed while actively being used. Plus, it has a [[FlashStep lunge attack]] that can kill multiple foes in one swift assault. It also throws a nice diagonal blood splatter across the screen whenever an enemy is killed by one.

* KillItWithFire: The FT18 Flamethrower, of course. Effective against Agents and especially against Hardsuits - they cook their pilot alive. However, don't even think about [[HoistByHisOwnPetard stealing that Hardsuit you just emptied out while it's still glowing red-hot.]]

* MiniMecha: The normal and Gunman Hardsuits are combat mecha, and come equipped with either a [[MoreDakka minigun]] and a [[OneHitKill railgun]] or an [[BFG Auto-Cannon]] and a [[InterfaceScrew Digi Grenade cluster]]. These things are very dangerous from the front and the former can even run you down with it's boost. They do, however, [[AttackItsWeakPoint have a randomly generated weakpoint]]. Hitting it causes your weapon to deal ''ten times'' it's normal damage to the Hardsuits. Also, the former has slow turning rates, making teammate backup pretty much mandatory in taking one down - which additionally makes them near-useless in Onslaught mode, as Agents of The Order armed with rocket launchers spawn later in the game mode - while the latter is a .
* MoreDakka: The T56 Trident minigun depot weapon, as well as the normal Hardsuit's minigun arm.

** ''Onslaught Mode'' was intentionally designed as something of a NoobCave, with decent [=XP=] and [=GP=] payouts even on Easy Difficulty, so that new players can level up and unlock gear without being hammered by veterans. One should also keep in mind that it goes all the way up to [[HarderThanHard Hardcore Difficulty]] (which makes only headshots deal any damage to the enemies), so it's not ''just'' for rookies.

** The Order returns in Onslaught Mode, as the soldiers attacking you while you try to fend off the [=SIV=] infectees.

* TechnicolorBlade: The Combat Knife Mk.II, Throwing Knives, Exploding Tomahawk and the KTN8 Katana have blue/orange outlines implying a high tech nature, explaining their presence in the futuristic combat.

* VideoGameFlamethrowersSuck: Not exactly. They can kill faster than Assault Rifles and Submachine Guns (and have no recoil, either), and can cook enemies out of their Hardsuits (unless they're using the Hardsuit Battle Mode Tactical Gear), and in Onslaught mode, bypass shield-wielding zombies and kill regular Order soldiers and [=SIVs=] quickly. However, you can't spread fire to deny areas, and enemies don't catch fire.

* ZombieApocalypse: The whole [=SIV=] [[TheVirus virus]] crisis caused by The Order back in Tango Down. Also, the new ''Onslaught Mode'' pitches you against ten waves of increasingly difficult foes, with four possible difficulty levels, and assorted rewards for collecting special tokens during the match.

* Everybody has the HRV (Hyper Reality Visor), which let players see enemies and objectives through walls. This comes with a downside, though--you can't use any weapons while it's in use and you have to wait for it to fully recharge before you can use it again.
* The game features weapon depots scattered around the maps that lets players restock on their ammo and health, as well as bring heavy weapons such as a flamethrower, a rocket launcher, or even a [[MiniMecha Hardsuit]] into the fight in exchange for CP gained from kills, assists or completing objectives.
* Players receive GP and experience points at the end of a match depending on how well they have performed, the former being used to acquire new equipment such as weapons, armor, and utility gear. Of course, [[BribingYourWayToVictory paying for ZEN to buy them instead is much faster]].

The game features classic game modes like Deathmatch, Capture the Flag, Domination, and KOTH, alongside new ones like [=NetWar=] (A combination of CTF and Domination), Siege and Kill Confirmed. A recent update added Search & Destroy, Last Man Standing, and Onslaught, while another update also removed [=NetWar=] and Siege from the gamemode playlist.

[[http://store.steampowered.com//app/209870 The game is currently available through the Steam platform]].

In 2014, the game also made a transition to Perfect World's ARC Games platform (where it unfortunately entered a long period of content drought due to the dissolution of Zombie Studios and a lack of updates), before it eventually migrated back to Steam under the development and publication of Hardsuit Labs and a new server provider in late 2017.

Now available for the PlayStation 4!

* AbnormalAmmo: Electro ammo does less damage to Agents (unless they're Stunned) but does extra damage to Hardsuits and turrets, Toxic ammo obscures enemy vision and does mild damage over time, Explosive ammo jars enemy vision to throw off their aim and prevents Reviving, Magnum ammo increases base damage dealt at the cost of increased recoil and reduced range, and Incendiary ammo sets your enemies on fire, doing more damage in total in exchange for less damage up-front. The former four veer into AwesomeButImpractical territory, though.

** For more specific examples, the Heavy Pistol receiver is clearly based off the old Colt [=M1911=], the Burstfire Pistol is some manner of Glock, The heavy Assault Rifle resembles the FN Carbine and the complete StarterEquipment rifle bears a ''remarkable'' resemblance to the [=SIG 550=]. One foregrip/barrel segment is highly similar to the [=MP7=], whilst another resembles the [=FN MAG=]. The newly introduced Snubnose Revolver is nearly identical to the snub-nosed Chiappa Rhino.
** Two new assault rifle-like receivers don't even try to hide what guns they are based on. Their names are the AK-470 and [=M4X=], and their flavor text states they're modernized versions.
* AllegedlyFreeGame: Originally, you could still play without ZEN (which is obtained using real money or from surveys/offers), Players just had access to higher-level equipment at a slower rate. Even then, some items could only be ''rented'' with GP. Also originally, the elemental ammunition also could only be rented up to 7 days with GP (after reaching level 30) or up to 30 days with ZEN and no way to permanently purchase this ammo. However, some decorative items which have no effect on gameplay (like camouflages or taunts) are available with ZEN only, and weapon parts that are ZEN-only tend to have niche advantages.
** The first year anniversary of the game being on Steam gave the developers an excuse to sell Anniversary Packs. Purchasing the Gold Pack for 10000 ZEN ($100 US) and later for 8000 ZEN unlocked all first-year items with the exception of taunts, tag lines and weapon tags. This included ''permanent unlocking of elemental ammo for those weapons''. The second year brought out a Platinum Anniversary Pack for 10000 ZEN which also unlocked year 2 items sans the taunts, player tags and weapon tags.
** Somewhat averted after the PC Parity Update (which made the PC version work like the [=PS4=] version and allowed cross-platform play), all items that were not cosmetic in nature became available to purchase with GP and now doesn't require levels to unlock. ZEN is still required for taunts, weapon tags, player tags, patch patterns, camouflage and special editions of normal armor.
* AllThereInTheManual: Where the heck are those zombies in Onslaught mode coming from, and who are those soldiers backing up said zombies? They're holdovers from the co-op mode in the first game, which explained the zombies as victims of SIV, a widespread virus that rots flesh and turns its victims insanely homicidal, while the soldiers are Agents of the Order, a secretive terrorist group that has ex-US Special Forces in them, helping the SIVs attempt to kill you and your team for reasons unknown.
* AnAxeToGrind: The new Exploding Tomahawk.
** And now the Sonic Tomahawk.

** [[MiniMecha Hard]][[MightyGlacier suit]]s. They're good to use against regular enemies, but are slow to manoeuvre, making it incredibly easy to set them wide open for flamethrower or rocket launcher ambushes - and they're completely useless in Onslaught mode, because by the time you get enough points to call down one, the game will already begin to spawn Order goons with nearly one-hit kill rocket launchers.
** [[OneHitKill Anti-Material Rifle]]. It has a very slow reload speed, which doesn't help as it needs to chamber another round after every single shot, and an equally long scope-in time when aiming. While very powerful, it's not commonly used and is rarely seen only in the hands of a competent or experimenting player.

* BrokenFaceplate: Battle-damaged variants of the Hunter and [=R5X=] Ghost were given out as awards somewhat recently - though in this case the damage is purely cosmetic and they have the same stats as the undamaged models. Whether or not they make your Agent look badass is up for you to decide.

* ColorCodedElements: The 'elemental' ammo types above tends to have unique impact effects, and each elemental magazine has a color-coded warning notice to indicate the type of ammo in it. Explosive is orange-yellow, Electro is blue, Toxic is green, and Incendiary is red. Equipment that protects against these types of damage are also color-coded to indicate what type of damage they protect against. Oh, and there's also 'Magnum' ammo, which is purple and does more damage at the cost of increased recoil and reduced range.

* CyberPunk: Between the ''Film/BladeRunner'' scenery, the armor designs, and the electronic warfare, it's definitely fitting.

** Let's just say you don't want to be standing where a Hardsuit is going to land - whether from the initial drop-in, or if it just decides to drop off a ledge.

** The Combat Rifle. It is a semi-automatic rifle, making it quite nice to use at mid to long range. Problem is, [[MasterOfNone at any range there's a receiver that does its job better.]] It's low ammo count tends to cause problems too. But in the right hands they're capable of downing ANYONE in quick 2-4 shots, assuming the user is careful of the weapon spread.
** The Light Machine Gun. Even before the Recoil Update, it is highly inaccurate against other automatic receivers at most ranges, leading to itself being more useful in defensive or ambush situations. However, it boasts the highest damage per shot of all automatic receivers - and with the right weapon parts, it can even be used as a long distance receiver capable of out-damaging enemy fire.
** The Stun Shurikens. Stealth builds can throw them well, but even if they miss and hit a wall or the floor, they will go off in proximity to an enemy and hurt them as though they were hit by a stun grenade/mine.
* FacelessGoons: Almost ''everyone''. But the helmets are awesome looking, so it's forgiven. Most hero characters, however, have an option to go helmet-less, or at least have some form of skin exposure (Viper only shows off his arm, and MARS is all-robot).
* FlareGun: The Breech-Loaded Pistol works like this. One ammo type is even named Flare. Fairly accurate, and the flares explode shortly after striking a target. One of its alternate ammo types converts it into a ShortRangeShotgun, and another turns it into an actual flare gun that sticks to and incinerates anyone it hits.
* FragileSpeedster: Speed-oriented builds, as you have to sacrifice maximum health for increased speed. Pure speed builds are uncommon, as most feel they sacrifice too much and gain too little. This is Viper's gimmick - he's ''extremely'' fast, but one good hit from even an SMG will kill him dead. This can be mitigated somewhat with the Cloak Backpack. A common tactic for some players is to combine light armor, the "Speed Demon" boots and the Cloak mk.I gear as well as either one of the Combat Knives or the Breach Hammer to do a silent kill from behind.
* FriendlyFireproof: Although you can shoot enemy mines, setting them off next to allies can injure or even kill them. Unoccupied Hardsuits can be damaged by both teams, too, and the resulting explosion will injure Agents who happened to be close by.
** This can leads to some clever schmucks doing things like sticking an Airstrike Beacon or a Explosive Tomahawk on their teammates, detonating them when their enemies least expect it.
* GoodOldFisticuffs: Since the [[{{BFG}} Anti-Materiel Rifle]] is too heavy and large to use it as a makeshift club in close quarter combat, the player's Agent will simply ''punch'' the enemy instead as its melee attack.
* GrenadeSpam: ''Mostly'' averted, as you can only carry a single grenade of any given type at a time, though with the right kit setup and a lot of GP and/or Zen you could feasibly carry up to four different kinds. Of course that all goes out the window if someone gets their hands on the "Bear Claw" revolver-mechanism grenade launcher...
* GunPorn: Players praised the game's customization feature. ''Metallic pink'' automatic death spewing machine with attached 1.8x holographic scope, short damage-enhancing barrel complete with foregrip and silencer, anyone?

* HaveANiceDeath: Leaping off of Vertigo, jumping down from height when on low health (or quitting a match):

* HazmatSuit: The new ''Prex Chemical/Hazmat Respirator'' helmet, added in the Evacuation Update. It claims to reduce damage taken from ''explosive'' attacks, however, not chemical weapons. The bright yellow-orange visor also makes your head ''very'' visible.
** There's also two other variants, in blue/green and red/orange, for reducing toxic and incendiary damage respectively.
* HealThyself: The Heal Injector Mk.1 tactical gear, which holds 15 'charges' and slowly regenerates them over time. It restores 50 health at the cost of all 15 charges if you use it on yourself, or 100 health at the cost of 3 charges if you use it on allies. It is much more team-oriented than it used to be.
* HelmetsAreHardlyHeroic: Played with. Standard characters can't remove their helmets (the closest one can get to being helmet-less is by wearing a face-covering goggles getup, with a balaclava covering the rest of head). However, a few of the hero characters have the option to get their helmet removed, and certain heroes, like Duchess, don't even come with one.

** There's also various "unique" camouflages you can buy with ZEN or get as a reward from chance packs, certain events, or promotions. Purple, red, baby blue, bright pink, metallic gold/silver, solid white... take your pick.

* InterfaceScrew: Digi Grenades act like a smokescreen by creating a cloud of digital interference; entering it will also obscure your view. Shock Grenades and Mines make your display fuzzy and stop you from turning around. Being hit with explosive ammo and nearby explosions will jar your vision as you'd expect. EMP Grenades are the worst, throwing the ''Blue Screen of Death'' all over your interface!

* IShallTauntYou: Most need to be purchased with ZEN first, though a couple are free. They can be used in-game, and give a small Combat Point bonus depending on length and type, with longer stationary taunts (during which the taunter is defenseless) providing a greater bonus than one of the quick taunts that allow movement.

** Active camouflage tactical gear, though it doesn't hide you from infrared scopes or HRV, and [[VisibleInvisibility you're still somewhat visible (especially when sprinting)]].
** The HRV Blackout item will prevent anything nearby from appearing on HRV, though, to the naked eye, it has a very noticeable distortion field. Often used to hide mines, snipers, turrets, or [[UpToEleven all of ]][[CrazyPrepared them at once]].
** HRV Cloak Tactical Gear is a backpack that hides its user from HRV. It's a good way to screw with most players.
** A lesser one is the Infrared Protection Gear, which allows someone to not be seen well with IR scopes.
* KatanasAreJustBetter: Available as depot item. Costs 350 points, and does a lot of damage, plus it has a [[FlashStep lunge attack]] that can kill multiple foes in one swift assault. It also throws a nice diagonal bloodsplatter across the screen.

* KillItWithFire: The flamethrower, of course. Effective against Agents and Hardsuits--they cook the pilot alive. However, do not [[HoistByHisOwnPetard try to steal that Hardsuit you just flamed while it still red-hot.]]
** Incendiary ammo, to a lesser degree. Whilst bullets do less damage per-hit, the target takes damage over time as mentioned above.
* KukrisAreKool: The so-called Machete has a inward bowed blade resembling a kukri much more than an actual machete.
* [[LandMineGoesClick Prox Mine Goes Beep]]: Now in delicious Frag and Stun flavours! They make a nice little ''bee-beep'' noise just before exploding, so sometimes you can at least avoid dying. Keep an eye on your HRV; mines are marked with an exclamation symbol. Also, you can 'safely' detonate enemy mines using gunfire or grenades to earn a few Combat Points, and maybe hurt any enemies standing close to them.
* LethalJokeItem: The Burst-Fire [=SMG=] used to be one of these (or just a ScrappyWeapon depending on who you ask), as its recoil and spread usually had the third and fourth (sometimes even the second!) shots going way off target, essentially wasting them. Then the new spread/recoil system came along, and it's turned ''deadly'' all of a sudden, able to put all four rounds on target and the recoil only really kicks in around the end of the burst.
* LettersToTheEditor: Not exactly. But Zombie Studio was once answering questions through Blacklight Retribution Patch Minutes videos which come out with every game updates. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XEuS2msbpE&feature=youtu.be Here's one for 0.964.]]
* LightningBruiser: The Gunman Hardsuit (currently only available on [=PS4=] version) trades the normal Hardsuit's OneHitKill railgun and anti-personnel minigun for lighter armor, an auto-cannon and freakishly-fast movement speed, making it a nightmare to fight with in close-quarter combat. However this also means its more susceptible to rocket launchers.
* LuckilyMyShieldWillProtectMe: Like ''[[VideoGame/CallOfDutyBlackOps2 Black Ops 2]]'', you can use and deploy a shield. Some SIV infectees and Order Agents also carry them in Onslaught mode.
* MagneticWeapons: Seriously, don't get in the way of any sort of [[OneHitKill Railgun]].
* MightyGlacier: The normal Hardsuit. Though they have a 'boost' function, they can't move, turn, or fire their weapons for a few moments after using it, and Agents can easily outrun it - allowing someone to plant C4 behind it or strafe circles as they flame out the person inside.
* MiniMecha: The Hardsuits are combat mecha, and come with a [[MoreDakka minigun]] and a [[OneHitKill railgun]]. These things are very dangerous from the front and can even run you down with its boost. They do, however, [[AttackItsWeakPoint have a randomly generated weakpoint]]. Hitting it causes your weapon to deal ''ten times'' it's normal damage.. Also they have slow turning rates, making teammates backup pretty much mandatory, and making them useless in Onslaught, as Order goons with rocket launchers spawn when you call them down.
* MoreDakka: Minigun, both on the Hardsuit and handheld.

** There was an era when the Assault Rifle would kill anything it was pointed at regardless of range or how bad its user modded its accuracy.
** Heavy Assault Rifles made using a Bolt-Action Rifle for sniping useless due to very predictable recoil pattern; it also had ridiculously high damage, so much so that it could beat an SMG in close quarters. Now reduced to a more [[PVPBalanced balanced]] level with a smaller magazine, lower damage and slightly less range.
** During the closed beta, by either bug or poor design, the SMG had such a low spread that its 10 points of damage at long range could kill a target was no issue even with full-automatic fire. Pretty impressive for the 9mm round of the future.
** World's End brought some long-overdue (at least as far as many are concerned) nerfs to the Exploding Tomahawk, Machine Pistol, and maximum-damage oriented Bolt Action Rifle builds. The Health Injector got adjusted around the same time, and now players aren't quite sure about the results.

* NoobCave: New players can choose to play on Proving Ground servers that only allow players level 1-10 to play in. They're a good way to get a handle of the game mechanics without having high-level players stomping you while you're still learning.
** There's also the new ''Practice'' option, which allows the player to go head to head with a mob of robots on one of the most hectic close-quarters maps in the game.
** ''Onslaught'' was intentionally designed as something of a NoobCave, with decent [=XP=] and [=GP=] payouts even on Easy Difficulty, so that new players can level up and unlock gear without being hammered by veterans. One should also keep in mind that it goes all the way up to [[HarderThanHard Hardcore Difficulty]] (which makes only headshots deal any damage to the enemies), so it's not ''just'' for rookies.

** The world seems to be going to hell in a hand-basket, with no real governments, and the players are the best of the best picked out by Blacklight to help protect the world. A virus of some description is ravaging the civilian population, with automated broadcasts recommending people stay in their homes as much as possible. See the Fridge page! A popular theory is that the 'game' is basically a virtual reality simulation in which Blacklight uses to train their recruits.
** Another popular theory says that after Tango Down, Blacklight failed to maintain peace. Many Blacklight/The Order Agents (like you) went rogue, each fighting for their own interests.
** The Order returns in Onslaught mode, as the soldiers attacking you while you try to fight off zombies.

* RagdollPhysics: May cause corpses to spin or breakdance on their own. Especially if they get one limb stuck in something.
* RareGuns: Along with some gun parts, the new ''Snub 260'' Revolver has its barrel aligned with the bottom chamber, likely drawing inspiration from the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mateba_Autorevolver Mateba Autorevolver]] and its kin.

* RegeneratingHealth: If knocked below half health, you regenerate up to half way - but for a full heal, you may want to visit the depot or get a teammate to heal you using the Health Injector.

* QuickMelee: Pressing the melee key will make you melee with your gun's stock or [[PistolWhipping pistol's grip]]. However the game also has a number of stronger dedicated melee weapon like combat knives, machetes, and the Breach Hammer - which is a OneHitKill on any agent.

* SentryGun: A depot item you can buy. It has a fairly limited firing arc. Used to love shooting at walls but recent patches fixed its targeting behaviour. Savvy players can use Shock and [=EMP=] grenades to temporarily disable it.

** Now we have the [[VideoGame/HalfLife Black Mesa Crowbar]] available for purchase in celebration of the Steam launch, for a limited time, and a Headcrab Weapon Tag recently became available for playing prior to a certain date. There were also limited-edition Portal Gun weapon tags.

* ShotgunsAreJustBetter: Currently the pump action and automatic shotgun are around the most popular secondary weapons, especially after the MP was nerfed. They offer good damage over short range and are also ideal for detonating mines.

* SniperPistol: You could, with the plethora of customization options... but it's not very effective. Damage falloff kicks in pretty quick for pistols. Even the Revolver has an optimal range of 40 meters and effective maximum range of 60 meters.

* SprintMeter: Wearing heavy armour to increase your health decreases the sprint speed and the amount of time you can sprint, wearing light armour (thus decreasing your health) increases your sprint speed and time. It's a balancing act.
* StarterEquipment: Everyone is given a set of basic armor, a light pistol, and a basic assault rifle with iron sights. They are [[BoringButPractical pretty reliable]], mind you. It's not unusual to see BLR newcomers [[CurbstompBattle kicking the snot out of multiple level 30+ veterans]] using these things, and some vets like to go back to them just for the fun of it.

* StandardFPSGuns: Though it should be noted that the role of the primary weapon mostly depends on how you configure it and which parts you use. You can have a compact AR that's good at close combat, or one with a powerful scope better suited to mid/long range combat. A bolt-action rifle ideal for high-damage long-range shots, or shorter-range engagements and quickly moving between vantage points. And so on.
** Assault Rifle. Jack of all trades, can be customized and tuned to suit almost any role - though a more specialized weapon will do the job better.
*** [=M4X=] Rifle. Based on the M4 carbine. Increased rate of fire, but reduced damage, range and accuracy. Better for close-up combat.
*** [=AK470=] Rifle. Based on the [=AK47=]. Increased damage and accuracy at the cost of increased recoil.
*** Heavy Assault Rifle. Increased damage and accuracy at the cost of increased recoil, a lower rate of fire, and reduced ammo capacity.
*** Parity Patch adds Tactical Assault Rifle; another heavy hitter that fires even slower than Heavy Assault Rifle, but has better overall accuracy and recoil making it more reliable at closer range.
** Burst-Fire Rifle. Bullpup config, three-round bursts. Exceptionally accurate with the recoil kicking in at the end of each burst. A patch in late-2017 patch reduces its clip size to compensate.
** Bullpup Full Auto. Bullpup config again, more a hybrid of the AR and SMG than a long range gun like the [=BFR=] above.
** Combat Rifle. Semi-automatic rifle. A 'lite' edition of the bolt-action rifle, much better rate of fire and higher ammo capacity, but less damage. Somewhere between the [=BFR=] and [=BAR=], in theory.
** Bolt-Action Rifle. Very small ammo cap and low rate of fire, but high damage and generally pinpoint accurate. Lower damage builds have a higher rate of fire, whilst high damage builds tend to have an even lower rate of fire ''or'' reduced accuracy.
*** Anti-Materiel Rifle. Single-shot, ''very'' slow reload, very slow scope-in time, but always one-hit kill regardless of where you hit the target.
** SMG, very good at close quarters but less effective at range; and the Machine Pistol, its smaller, sidearm cousin.
*** Tactical SMG, faster but weaker version of the SMG. Deadly in close quarters. For Even MoreDakka. Looks vaguely like a [[RareGuns P-90]].
*** Burst-fire SMG, exactly what it sounds like. Once thought to be weak and ineffective, now proving to be surprisingly deadly in the right hands.
** Light Machine Gun, fast fire rate for suppressing enemies and MoreDakka. Recoil is high, reducing the effectiveness of short bursts, but decreases during prolonged firing.
*** LMG-Recon. A lower rate of fire than the standard [=LMG=], and exceptionally high accuracy when correctly configured. Works best when you have a significant range advantage.

** Shotgun, an 'up close and personal' secondary weapon. Straight ouf of the ShortRangeShotgun school of thought.
*** [=SARk=] Automatic Shotgun, the Shotgun, but with less recoil, fewer pellets, and a massively increased rate of fire. Oh, and a very silly firing noise.
* TechnicolorBlade: The combat knife mk.2, throwing knives, exploding tomahawk and the katana have blue/orange outlines implying a high tech nature, explaining their presence in the futuristic combat.
* TournamentPlay: General community's clan vs clan scrim ruleset ban the use of Hardsuits, [[AbnormalAmmo elemental ammo]] and depot weapons. Other weapons may apply depending on their current GameBreaker status.
* VideogameCrueltyPotential: It's entirely possible to kill an enemy who just ordered a Hardsuit, then hack into said Hardsuit to use it yourself. Woo, free hardsuit! It's also possible to destroy a hardsuit by deploying your own. You can also abandon badly-damaged hardsuits and use them as bait for unsuspecting enemy players. Mines can also be used to boobytrap depots.
* VideoGameFlamethrowersSuck: Not exactly. They can kill faster than assault rifles and submachine guns (and have no recoil, either), and can cook enemies out of their Hardsuits (unless they're wearing the Battlesuit upgrade), and in Onslaught, bypass shield-wielding zombies and kill regular Order soldiers and zombies quickly. However, you can't spread fire to deny areas, and enemies don't catch fire.
* ViolationOfCommonSense: Of the ''VideoGame/CounterStrike'' kind: equip the pistol or knife to sprint faster.

* ZombieApocalypse: The whole [=SIV=] [[TheVirus virus]] crisis caused by The Order back in Tango Down. Also, the new ''Onslaught'' mode pitches you against ten waves of increasingly difficult foes, with four possible difficulty levels, and assorted rewards for collecting special tokens during the match.

''Blacklight: Retribution'' is a [[AllegedlyFreeGame free to play]] sequel to ''Blacklight: Tango Down''. Created by folks at ''Creator/ZombieStudios'' (and later ''Hardsuit Labs'' when the former went defunct in January 2015) and was published by ''Perfect World Entertainment'', it's a standard FirstPersonShooter powered by the Unreal Engine, though it's got some features to set it apart from the pack:

* Everybody has the HRV (Hyper Reality Visor), which let players see enemies and objectives through walls. This comes with a downside, though--you can't use any weapons while it's in use and you have to wait for it to recharge.
* The game features weapon depots scattered around the map that lets players restock on ammo and health, and bring heavy weapons like a flamethrower, rocket launcher, or [[MiniMecha Hardsuit]] into the fight in exchange for CP they gained from kills, assists or completing objectives.
* Players receive GP and experience points at the end of a match depending on how well they performed, which you can use to get new gear. Of course, [[BribingYourWayToVictory paying for it is much faster]].

The game feature classic game modes like Deathmatch, Capture the Flag, Domination, and KOTH, alongside new ones like [=NetWar=] (A combination of CTF and Domination), Siege and Kill Confirmed. A recent update added Search & Destroy, Last Man Standing, and Onslaught.

[[http://store.steampowered.com//app/209870 The game is currently available through Steam platform]]. In 2014, the game also made a transistion to Perfect World's ARC Games platform (where it unfortunately enter a long period of content drought due to dissolution of Zombie Studios and lack of updates), before eventually migrating back to Steam under development and publication of Hardsuit Labs and a new server provider in late 2017.

[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lv9mGHZKWk And now coming for the PlayStation 4!]]

* AbnormalAmmo: Electro ammo does less damage to troopers (unless they're Stunned) but extra to Hardsuits and turrets, Toxic ammo obscures your vision and does mild damage over time, Explosive ammo jars the target's vision to throw off their aim and prevents Reviving, and Incendiary ammo sets your enemies on fire, doing more damage in total in exchange for less damage up-front. The former three veer into AwesomeButImpractical territory, though.

** For more specific examples, the Heavy Pistol receiver is clearly based off the old Colt [=M1911=], the Burstfire Pistol is some manner of Glock, The heavy Assualt Rifle resembles the FN Carbine and the complete StarterEquipment rifle bears a ''remarkable'' resemblance to the [=SIG 550=]. One foregrip/barrel segment is highly similar to the [=MP7=], whilst another resembles the [=FN MAG=]. The newly introduced Snubnose Revolver is nearly identical to the snub-nosed Chiappa Rhino.
** Two new assault rifle like receivers don't even try to hide what guns they are based on. Their names are the AK-470 and [=M4X=], and the flavor text states they're modernized versions.

** Somewhat averted after the PC Parity Update (which made the PC version work like the [=PS4=] version and allowed cross-platform play), all items that were not cosmetic in nature became available to purchase with GP and now doesn't require levels to unlock. ZEN is still required for taunts, weapon tags, player tags, patch patterns, camoflage and special editions of normal armor.
* AllThereInTheManual: Where the heck are the zombies coming from, and who are those guys backing up said zombies? They're holdovers from the co-op mode in the first game, which explained the zombies as victims of SIV, a virus that rots flesh and turns the victim homocidally insane, while the Order are a terrorist group that has ex-US Special Forces in them.

* AttackItsWeakPoint: If you're skilled/crazy/stupid enough, you can hit the weak points on a Hardsuit for ten times the damage.

** [[MiniMecha Hard]][[MightyGlacier suit]]s. They're good to use against regular enemies, but are slow to maneuver, setting them up wide open for flamethrower or rocket ambushes - and they're completely useless in Onslaught, because by the time you get enough points for it, the game will begin to spawn Order goons with one-hit kill rocket launchers.
** [[OneHitKill Anti-Material Rifle]]. Reload every single shot. Extremely long scope-in time. Not commonly used.

* BlownAcrossTheRoom: Shotguns and the Anti-Materiel Rifle can throw ragdolls a fair distance, often causing a slightly more conventional RailingKill.
* BodyArmorAsHitPoints: Wearing heavier armor pieces increases your health; wearing lighter pieces reduces it.

* CallBack: After killing an enemy agent, agents will sometimes say, "Tango down! Heh. That's appropriate."
* ColorCodedElements: The 'elemental' ammo above tends to have unique impact effects, and each elemental magazine has a color-coded warning notice to indicate the type of ammo in it. Explosive is orange-yellow, Electro is blue, Toxic is green, and Incendiary is red. Equipment that protects against these types of damage are also color-coded to indicate what type of damage they protect against. Oh, and there's also 'Magnum' ammo, which is purple and does more damage at the cost of increased recoil and reduced range.

** Let's just say you don't want to be standing where a hardsuit is going to land - whether from the initial drop-in, or if it just decides to drop off a ledge.

** The Combat Rifle. It is a semi-automatic rifle, making it quite nice to use at mid to long range. Problem is, [[MasterOfNone at any range there's a receiver that does its job better.]] Low ammo count tends to cause problem too. But in the right hands they're capable of downing ANYONE in quick 2-4 shots assuming the user is careful of the spread.
** Light Machine Gun. Even before Recoil Update it is highly inaccurate against other automatics at range, lending itself toward defensive or ambush situation. However, it boast highest damage per shot of all automatic receivers.
** Stun Shurikan. Stealth builds can throw them well, but even if they miss and hit a wall or the floor, it will go off in proximity to an enemy and hurt the enemy as though they were hit by a stun grenade/mine.

* FlareGun: The Breech-Loaded Pistol works like this. One ammo type is even named flare. Fairly accurate, and the flares explode shortly after striking a target. The other alternate ammo type converts it into a ShortRangeShotgun.
* FragileSpeedster: Speed-oriented builds, as you have to sacrifice maximum health for your increased speed. Pure speed builds are uncommon, as most feel they sacrifice too much to gain too little. This is Viper's gimmick - he's ''extremely'' fast, but one good hit from even an SMG will kill him dead. This can be mitigated somewhat with the Cloak Backpack. A common tactic for some players combined light armor, "Speed Demon" boots and the Cloak as well as either one of the Combat Knives or the Breach Hammer to do a silent kill from behind.
* FriendlyFireproof: Although you can shoot enemy mines, setting them off next to their friends. Unoccupied hardsuits can be damaged by both teams, too.
** This leads to nasty schmuck like sticking Airstrike Beacon or Explosive Tomahawk on teammates.
* GoodOldFisticuffs: Since the [[{{BFG}} anti-materiel rifle]] is too heavy and large to use it as makeshift club in melee, the player character will simply ''punch'' the enemy in melee.

** GunAccessories: No underbarrel attachments or anything too fancy, but otherwise? Suppressors, flashbrakes, compensators, scopes, there are plenty of things to use. As mentioned above, many are clearly based off actual real-life gun parts. [[RareGuns Some of which never actually entered widespread production.]]
* HaveANiceDeath: Leaping off of Vertigo (or quitting a match):

* HealThyself: The Heal Injector Mk.1 tactical gear, which holds 15 'charges' and slowly regenerates them over time. It restores 50 health at the cost of all 15 charges if you use it on yourself, or 100 health at the cost of 3 charges if you use it on allies. Much more team-oriented than it used to be.
* HelmetsAreHardlyHeroic: Played with. Standard characters can't remove their helmets (the closest one can get is by wearing a face-covering goggle getup, with a balaclava over the rest). However, a few of the hero characters have the option to have their helmet removed, and certain heroes, like Duchess, don't come with one.

* HighlyConspicuousUniform: Camouflage would work fine if not for all those [[ColorCodedMultiplayer team-indicating]] neon highlights on your armor. Also, the fact that your name appears over your head.

* InexplicablyAwesome: In-universe, nobody knows who - or ''what'' - Viper is. Flavor text ranges from rumors that he's undead, a mutant, or not even human.

** HRV Cloak Tactical Gear is a backpack that hides its user from HRV. A good way to screw with most players.
** A lesser form is the Infrared Protection Gear, which allows someone to not be seen well with IR scopes.

* LightningBruiser: Gunman Hardsuit (currently only available on [=PS4=] version) trades OneHitKill railgun and anti-personnel minigun on the original Hardsuit for lighter armor, an auto-cannon and freakishly-fast movement speed. Making it a nightmare to fight with in close-quarter combat.
* LuckilyMyShieldWillProtectMe: Like ''[[VideoGame/CallOfDutyBlackOps2 Black Ops 2]]'', you can use and deploy a shield. SIV infectees can also carry them.

%%* MightyGlacier: Hardsuits. Though they have a 'boost' function, they can't move, turn, or fire their weapons for a few moments after using it, and Agents can easily outrun it - allowing someone to plant C4 behind it or strafe circles as they flame out the person inside.
* MiniMecha: The Hardsuits are combat mecha, and come with a [[MoreDakka minigun]] and a [[OneHitKill railgun]]. These things are very dangerous from the front and can even run you down with its boost. They do, however, [[AttackItsWeakPoint have a randomly generated weakpoint]]. Hitting it causes your weapon to deal ''ten times'' it's normal damage.. Also they have slow turning rates, making teammates backup pretty much mandatory, and making them useless in Onslaught, as Order goons with rocket launchers spawn when you do.

** World's End brought some long-overdue (at least as far as many are concerned) nerfs to the Exploding Tomahawk, Machine Pistol, and maximum-damage oriented Bolt Action Rifle builds. The Health Injector got adjusted around the same time, and people aren't quite sure about the results.
* KnifeNut: Two types of combat knives, throwing knives and the machete give players enough variation to become this. You could feasibly carry the lot with enough gear slots, if you were feeling redundant.
* NeverBringAKnifeToAGunFight: Played straight and subverted. Players who charge enemies with only their knives will often be quickly shot dead. However played straight when using the right tactics, as players can kill multiple enemies in short time.

* NoPlotNoProblem: It is supposed to be a sequel to ''Blacklight: Tango Down''. But as of yet, the game still doesn't have much in the way of an official storyline.
** The world seems to be going to hell in a handbasket, with no real governments, and the players are the best of the best picked out by Blacklight to help protect the world. A virus of some description is ravaging the civilian population, with automated broadcasts recommending people stay in their homes as much as possible. See the Fridge page! A popular theory is that the 'game' is basically a virtual reality simulation which Blacklight uses to train their recruits.
** Another popular theory says that after Tango Down, Blacklight failed to maintain peace. Many Blacklight/The Order agents (like you) went rogue, each fighting for their own interest.

* OneBulletClips

* PistolWhipping: Handguns' melee attack.

* RegeneratingHealth: If knocked below half health, you regenerate up to half way - but for a full heal, you want to visit the depot or get a teammate to heal you using the Health Injector.

* RobotGirl: M.A.R.S., the second Hero character, who uses a female voice and is referred to as 'she'.

''Blacklight: Retribution'' is a [[AllegedlyFreeGame free to play]] sequel to ''Blacklight: Tango Down''. Created by folks at ''Zombie Studios'' (and later ''Hardsuit Labs'' when the former went defunct in January 2015) and was published by ''Perfect World Entertainment'', it's a standard FirstPersonShooter powered by the Unreal Engine, though it's got some features to set it apart from the pack:

[[http://store.steampowered.com//app/209870 The game is currently available through Steam platform]]. In 2014, the game also made a transistion to Perfect World's ARC Games platform (where it unfortunately enter a long period of content drought due to dissolution of Zombie Studios and lack of updates), before eventually migrating back to Steam under development and publication of Hardsuit labs and a new server provider in late 2017.

[[http://store.steampowered.com//app/209870 The game is currently available through Steam platform]]. In 2014, the game also made a transistion to Perfect World's ARC Games platform (where it unfortunately enter a long period of content drought due to dissolution of Zombie Studios and lack of updates), before eventually migrating back to Steam under Hardsuit labs and a new server provider in late 2017.

** There was an era when the Assault Rifle would guarantee kill anything it was pointed at regardless of range or how bad its user modded its accuracy.

** There was an era when the Assault Rifle would kill anything it was pointed at.

** Somewhat averted after the PC Parity Update (which made the PC version work like the PS4 version and allowed cross-platform play), all items that were not cosmetic in nature became available to purchase with GP and now doesn't require levels to unlock. ZEN is still required for taunts, weapon tags, player tags, patch patterns, camoflage and special editions of normal armor.

*** Parity Patch adds Tactical Assault Rifle; another heavy hitter that fires even slower than Heavy Assault Rifle, but has better overall accuracy giving the user a fighting chance firing on the move.
** Burst-Fire Rifle. Bullpup config, three-round bursts. Exceptionally accurate.

** Light Machine Gun, for suppressing enemies and MoreDakka. Recoil is high, reducing the effectiveness of short bursts, but decreases during prolonged firing.

''Blacklight: Retribution'' is a [[AllegedlyFreeGame free to play]] sequel to ''Blacklight: Tango Down''. Created by folks at ''Zombie Studios'' (and later ''Hardsuit Labs'' when the former went defunct in January 2015) and published by ''Perfect World Entertainment'', it's a standard FirstPersonShooter powered by the Unreal Engine, though it's got some features to set it apart from the pack:

Blacklight: Retribution is a [[AllegedlyFreeGame free to play]] sequel to ''Blacklight: Tango Down''. Created by folks at ''Zombie Studios'' (and later ''Hardsuit Labs'' when the former went defunct in January 2015) and published by ''Perfect World Entertainment'', it's a standard FirstPersonShooter powered by the Unreal Engine, though it's got some features to set it apart from the pack:

[[http://blacklight.perfectworld.com/ Blacklight: Retribution]] is a [[AllegedlyFreeGame free to play]] sequel to ''Blacklight: Tango Down''. Created by folks at ''Zombie Studios'' (and later ''Hardsuit Labs'' when the former went defunct in January 2015) and published by ''Perfect World Entertainment'', it's a standard FirstPersonShooter powered by the Unreal Engine, though it's got some features to set it apart from the pack:

[[http://store.steampowered.com//app/209870 Now available on Steam!]] It is also made available through Perfectworld's [[http://www.arcgames.com/en/games/blacklight-retribution Arc Games]] platform in 2014.

[[http://store.steampowered.com//app/209870 Now available on Steam!]]

** Now we have the [[VideoGame/{{Half-Life}} Black Mesa Crowbar]] available for purchase in celebration of the Steam launch, for a limited time, and a Headcrab Weapon Tag recently became available for playing prior to a certain date. There were also limited-edition Portal Gun weapon tags.

* ViolationOfCommonSense: Of the ''VideoGame/{{Counter-Strike}}'' kind: equip the pistol or knife to sprint faster.

** The M4 and {{AK47}} are considered this in-universe judging by {{M4X}} and {{AK470}}'s flavor text.

* BrokenFaceplate: Battle-damaged variants of the Hunter and [=R5X=] Ghost were given out as awards somewhat recently - though in this case the damage is purely cosmetic and they have the same stats as the undamaged models. Whether or not they make your Agent look {{Badass}} is up for you to decide.

* AllegedlyFreeGame: You can still play without ZEN (which is obtained using real money or from surveys/offers), you'll just have access to higher-level equipment slower. Even then, some items can only be ''rented'' with GP. And the elemental ammunition can only be rented up to 7 days with GP and can't normally be purchased permanently, even with ZEN. However, some decorative items which have no effect on gameplay (like camouflages or taunts) are available with ZEN only, and weapon parts that are ZEN-only tend to have niche advantages.

** [[MiniMecha Hard]][[MightyGlacier suit]]s. They're good to use against regular enemies, but are slow to maneuver, setting them up wide open for flamethrower or rocket ambushes - and they're completely useless in Onslaught, because the game will begin to spawn Order goons with one-hit kill rocket launchers.

* LightningBruiser: Gunman Hardsuit (currently only available on PS4 version) trades OneHitKill railgun and anti-personnel minigun on the original Hardsuit for lighter armor, an auto-cannon and freakishly-fast movement speed. Making it a nightmare to fight with in close-quarter combat.

[[http://blacklight.perfectworld.com/ Blacklight: Retribution]] is a [[AllegedlyFreeGame free to play]] sequel to ''Blacklight: Tango Down''. Created by folks at Zombie Studios and published by Perfect World Entertainment, it's a standard FirstPersonShooter powered by the Unreal Engine, though it's got some features to set it apart from the pack:

* ForMassiveDamage: If you're skilled/crazy/stupid enough, you can hit the weak points on a Hardsuit for ten times the damage. Especially true if you manage to hit it with the Breach Hammer or Katana. Also, a direct Stinger hit will do around 7500 damage to a Hardsuit (consider it has 15000 health 'new') regardless of where it hits.
** Railgun duels between Hardsuits can be ended this way.

** If you look closely at the HUD when it restarts, you can see your own agent/character name being entered into a login and password bar. These are both carryovers from Tango Down. Also an example of TheDevTeamThinksOfEverything.

* MightyGlacier:
** Hardsuits. Though they have a 'boost' function, they can't move, turn, or fire their weapons for a few moments after using it, and Agents can easily outrun it - allowing someone to plant C4 behind it or strafe circles as they flame out the person inside.
** Max-health character builds tend to count as well - especially if they pack very heavy weapons that reduce their movement speed even more.

* BodyArmorAsHitPoints: Wearing heavier armour pieces increases your health; wearing lighter pieces reduces it. Also see SprintMeter, FragileSpeedster.

* FragileSpeedster: Speed-oriented builds, as you have to sacrifice maximum health for your increased speed. Pure speed builds are uncommon, as most feel they sacrifice too much to gain too little. This is Viper's gimmick - he's ''extremely'' fast, but one good hit from even an SMG will kill him dead.
** This can be mitigated somewhat with the Cloak Backpack. A common tactic for some players combined light armor, "Speed Demon" boots and the Cloak as well as either one of the Combat Knives or the Breach Hammer to do a silent kill from behind.

* LuckilyMyShieldWillProtectMe: Like [[CallOfDutyBlackOps2 Black Ops 2, you can use and deploy a shield.]] SIV infectees can also carry them.