History VideoGame / RatchetDeadlocked

* MerchandiseDriven: ''[=DreadZone=]'' is largely about selling toys. On that note, see MisaimedMarketing.

* MisaimedMarketing: In-universe. ''[=DreadZone=]'' is a high-stakes gladiatorial arena with death filmed live and uncensored. The target audience for the merchandise is the 8-12 demographic.

** Some feel this happened to Clank, who was turned to an NPC in accordance with the change of gameplay style for this game. The reverse is true for Al, as this game features his biggest role yet.

* TakeThat: Given Vox News' dishonesty and tendencies toward slandering people they don't personally like, the person running the channel (and ''[=DreadZone=]'') being completely detestable, their utter lack of awareness of what audiences want, and its name sounding similar to ''[[Creator/FoxNewsChannel Fox]]'' News, it's safe to say somebody on the writing team had a lot to say about the channel.

* BloodKnight: Ace Hardlight.

An HD version of the game was released on the PSN in 2013; it was free as an apology to those who waited for the Vita version of ''VideoGame/RatchetAndClankFullFrontalAssault'' to be released. It was released in May in North America, and Europe and Australia finally got the game after four months, in September.

* KillEmAll: [[spoiler:Vox loses it and tries to blow up the station in the endgame.]]

* BalefulPolymorph: In this game the Morph ability is a mod that can be attached to ''any'' weapon.

* BloodSport: The Dreadzone hosts a variety of GladiatorGames, DeathCourses, and no shortage of carnage. And Ratchet's forced to fight or die.

* UpToEleven:
** In ''Going Commando'', weapons could be upgraded 3 times: to the upgraded default, then buying Mega Versions in Challenge Mode, which could then be upgraded to Ultra Versions. ''Up Your Arsenal'' had weapons that could be upgraded to level 5, then buying the Mega Version to get to level 6, then being used more to max out at level 8. This game has a first-game max level of 10 for the weapons, and Mega Versions go all the way up to '''99'''!
** In the original game, you started with 4 [[HitPoints Nanotech points]] that could be upgraded to 8, in ''Going Commando'' it was 4/80, in ''UYA'' it was 10/100 and 200 in Challenge mode, but here you can upgrade your nanotech from 10 to 100 and then, in Challenge mode, to ''999''. Talk about SerialEscalation.

* PantyShot: An implied example which is PlayedForLaughs occurs when Dallas and Juanita have a video call with Shellshock in the pre-Kronos cutscene. Shellshock gets in close to the camera and asks Juanita if she's wearing Ace Hardlight underwear, which causes her to promptly end the call there and segue into other news.

* TakingYouWithMe: [[spoiler:Vox attempts to do this to Ratchet in the ending by detonating the [=DreadZone=] station. Thanks to a timely arrival from Clank and the other escapees, he doesn't succeed.]]

* SetAMookToKillAMook: Hitting enemies with the {{Brainwash|ed mod causes them to turn against their allies.

* StickyBomb: The Time Bomb mod makes explosive projectiles stick on to enemies for a few seconds and inverts the entire screen negative when it explodes.

* WeaponizedCar: The Puma is a giant truck-like vehicle with small machine-gun blasters and a large cannon on it.

** ''[[VideoGame/RatchetAndClankIntoTheNexus Into The Nexus]]'' answers what happened to [=DreadZone=] after Vox’s defeat. [[spoiler:The show following its cancellation was replaced with a continuous loop of the ''same specific episode'' of Lance and Janice.]]

After succeeding in [[VideoGame/RatchetAndClankUpYourArsenal foiling Dr. Nefarious' plot to destroy organic life]], Ratchet continues his work onboard the Starship Phoenix alongside Clank and Big Al. However, the trio is soon kidnapped by Gleeman Vox, a sinister TV executive who wants Ratchet to be a contestant on his ''Film/TheRunningMan''-esque gladiatorial combat show "[[ImmoralRealityShow Dreadzone]]". What's worse, it's an offer Ratchet and friends can't refuse, as they've been fitted with explosive collars that'll blow their heads off if they decline to participate... or if they're just not up to snuff compared to the other competitors. With no other options, Ratchet must fight to earn their freedom, all while getting constantly slandered by Vox. Unfortunately, Clank is relegated to mission control and can't ride around on Ratchet's back while they're all in this mess (hence why his name isn't in the title this time), but he's still not alone in the field; two combat robots named Merc and Green become his backup, helping him destroy enemies, hack objects, and get around. That's good, because Ratchet will need to rely on whatever help he can get to escape this place where heroes are forced to kill each other.

Befitting of the nature of Dreadzone, ''Deadlocked'' greatly reduces the platforming sections of the series, turning many of them into health-reducing hazards rather than perilous one chance challenges, and instead focuses on straight combat with bigger and badder weapons and enemies.

* AbsurdlyHighLevelCap: Well, not level ''per se'', but since Ratchet's HP upgrades by gaining experience, it counts. While getting 100 during first gameplay is possible, try getting ''999'' during subsequent playthroughs.

* AmbiguousSyntax: From the Venus skin:

* AmmoUsingMeleeWeapon: The Scorpion Flail.

** Players who are used to the controls of the previous games have the option of switching to the classic control style instead of using Deadlocked's default Lock-Strafe controls.
** Bolt Cranks stay locked after being completed, keeping players from having to waste time completing the whole level all over again after dying.

** Most vehicle levels provide a starting pod where you can repair all damage arbitrary number of times.
* AnnouncerChatter: Throughout the whole game. Containing many SugarWiki/FunnyMoments.

* BeamSpam: Quasar Turrets. A plenty of enemies such as Leviathans are guilty of this too.

* BlackComedy: Most of the humor in game is based around how dangerous Dreadzone is and how cruel the people staffing it are, as per the DarkerAndEdgier direction taken by developers.

** Lampshaded in an early cutscene, where Dallas refers to one as "The Pit of Endless Falling and Eventual Dying". Strangely absent for most of the game though, as it focused more on combat than platforming.

-->'''Dallas:''' Ratchet has this game on ice, ladies and gentlemen! The juice is cold, and the generic brand x gelatin is definitely jiggling!

** Another one: the 'Leaderboard' that shows contestant rankings, and their status as 'active' or 'deceased', is updated throughout the game. By the end, Kid Nova and Hydrogirl are the only two, besides Ratchet, that are still listed as alive. [[spoiler:Both of them get voiced dialogue in the final cutscene, thanking you for shutting down Dreadzone and freeing them.]] The only other survivor listed is Agent Zero, but perhaps he is not seen as he is a ShoutOut to [[VideoGame/Spyro2RiptosRage an earlier Insomniac project]].

* CallBack: If you look closely, you'll notice that the weapon Captain Starshield uses in the opening movie is the (unupgraded) Lancer from Going Commando.

** Theres a couple nods to [[VideoGame/RatchetAndClank2002 the original game.]] The first Dreadzone commercial has a Tyhrranoid turning into a Psytopus enemy from Pokitaru. Orxon also reappears as a Dreadzone course.
** ''[[VideoGame/RatchetAndClankGoingCommando Going Commando]]'' gets a few nods too. Vox uses a payload of Megacorp Blade Balls as mooks for you to fight. The Miniturret Launcher is mentioned to be plagiarized from the Miniturret Glove. Both Al and Captain Sharshield are shown having an unupgraded Lancer in their possession.

** The Freeze Mod also qualifies due to being available as early as Kronos and for its sheer game breaking nature when combined with crowd control weapons (i.e. the Scorpion Flail) or powerful weapons like the Fusion Rifle (which is also available alongside it on Kronos). Even the dreaded Executioners and Laserbacks don't stand a chance against you with the latter combo.
** Speaking of which, the Fusion Rifle itself counts, with or without the Freeze Mod. While a tad pricey, it deals jaw dropping damage out of the gate and becomes one of the strongest weapons in the game with upgrades, [[NoScope works just as well as a normal weapon as a long range weapon]] due to its accuracy, and it can one-shot pretty much any foe outside of an Executioner, and even those guys can be mowed down in one or two hits. Its only real handicap is its low ammo capacity and slow rate of fire.
* DontTryThisAtHome: "Go to a friend's house!"

** Additionally, and unrelatedly, the name of one of the Combat Bot skins unlocked in challenge mode.

** There are at least two challenges ("Whack a Swarmer" on Shaar and "Endzone" on the Dreadzone station) that make it ridiculously easy to grind for upgrades, especially when you buy a Jackpot and XP alpha mod.
** One of skillpoints on Torval requires you to beat any mission on Exterminator difficulty. It also has a mission which consists of following on hoverbike and shooting down twelve drones. They don't attack you at all, so the only danger comes from explosive barrels that are easy enough to avoid or shoot down, making it a cinch even on hardest difficulty.
** Skillpoints in general, besides the three that require you to play at Exterminator difficulty, can be done on any difficulty level. Needless to say the lowest one makes any of them much easier.

* FallenHero: Ace Hardlight.
* GameBreakingBug: In the [=PS2=] version, there is a nasty show stopping glitch that can randomly occur either when you start or finish a challenge, which slows the game to an unbelievable crawl (as in, 1 frame every minute or two slow). Trying to exit out of the game without letting it go through this and return to normal (which can take at minimum a ''half hour'') will mess up your save file--the story campaign remains unchanged, but you lose all of your Dread Points that you've gotten up to that point (and the opening cutscene and early expositionary dialogue still play as if you're on the first level), making the game impossible to finish and forcing you to start a new save file. It is strongly recommended you keep at least two separate save files in preparation for this. And to add insult to injury, this was ''not'' fixed in the HD collection.
* GangstaStyle: The second cheat you unlock lets you do this with the Dual Vipers/Raptors.
* GetBackHereBoss: On Kronos, Shellshock keeps running away before you can finish him off. Over the course of the planet, you end up fighting him at least 6 times.

* HarderThanHard: Exterminator Difficulty. Lets just say that there's a very good reason you have to beat the game at least once to unlock it, because it does not let up on you if you aren't beefed up on all the weapon upgrades and mods. Making matters worse is that beating every challenge in this mode is mandatory for 100% completion.
* HardLight: Ace, um, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Hardlight]] is capable of creating holographic clones that fit this trope during the battle with him.

* HeroWithBadPublicity: Dreadzone News goes to ridiculous lengths to slander Ratchet as a bloodthirsty psychopath ([[HypocriticalHumor funny, considering the kind of program they're reporting on...]]) [[BlatantLies Vox later insists he was only doing it to build up Ratchet's "bad-boy image".]] This seems to be an [[AvertedTrope aversion]] as the public fully adores Ratchet, even preferring him over the "hero" Ace Hardlight who they 100% loathed.

* MerchandiseDriven: "Dreadzone" is largely about selling toys. On that note, see MisaimedMarketing.

* MisaimedMarketing: In-universe. "Dreadzone" is a high-stakes gladiatorial arena with death filmed live and uncensored. The target audience for the merchandise is the 8-12 demographic.
* MoodWhiplash: In the prologue, Ratchet [[WakingUpElsewhere wakes up at Dreadzone station]] stuck in an uncomfortable suit of armor, is told that [[ExplosiveLeash the collar he's wearing]] [[YourHeadASplode will blow his head off if he doesn't cooperate]]... and then, almost immediately starts fantasizing about the "money and babes" that the gladiators get and has to be brought down to reality by Clank, followed by a scene where Big Al [[ShakingTheRump *ahem* dances]] to the tune of [[VillainSong "Death to Squishies"]] from the [[VideoGame/RatchetAndClankUpYourArsenal previous game]]. Needless to say, it's pretty jarring.

* PinballProjectile: Once the Dual Vipers fully upgrades into Dual Raptors, its bullets will be bouncing of enemies and walls.

* SetAMookToKillAMook: Hitting enemies with the [[{{Brainwashed}} Brainwash]] mod causes them to turn against their allies.

* {{Spoonerism}}: Courtesy of Dallas:
-->'''Dallas:''' Team Darkstar is making their mark in [=DreadZone=]! Team Markstar is making their dark in [=RedZone=]! Oh, dear, I've gone cross-eyed...

* StoppedNumberingSequels: In Europe, at least, since the last 2 games lost their subtitles and gained a number. More noticeable in the trophy list on [=PS3=], which simply calls the second game ''Ratchet & Clank 2'' (even if you're in the US) and adds a 3 to ''Up Your Arsenal''.
* SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome: Ace Hardlight is pretty much [[HatedByAll loathed by everyone in universe,]] even by fans of Dreadzone. So it isn't much of a surprise that His sales in merchandise are pathetically low at best. (Despite Vox's best efforts [[CreatorsPet to push him in the spotlight]].)
* SweepingAshes: Some weapons can reduce enemies it kills into ashes when fully upgraded.
* TakingYouWithMe: [[spoiler:Vox attempts to do this to Ratchet in the ending. He doesn't succeed.]]
* TakeThat: Given Vox News' dishonesty and tendencies toward slandering people they don't personally like, the person running the channel (and [=DreadZone=]) being completely detestable, their utter lack of awareness of what audiences want, and its name sounding similar to ''[[Creator/FoxNewsChannel Fox]]'' News, it's safe to say somebody on the writing team had a lot to say about the channel.

** Dallas says he will tell his kids to stop watching this show, as soon as he has kids.
** Dallas says that parents with impressionable kids should turn this show off. Juanita says kids with impressionable parents should just pretend they're watching "[[Series/ReadingRainbow Reading Robot]]".

* VillainWithGoodPublicity: Ace Hardlight, the star "hero" on Dreadzone, who is one of the game's primary villains -- but in an aversion of this trope, he ''lacks'' the publicity that the show's producers desperately want, with most of the audience cheering for Ratchet instead.
* WeaponizedCar: Puma. It has tank cannon even.

* WeWillNotUsePhotoshopInTheFuture: PlayedForLaughs. As part of Dreadzone's [[BlatantLies increasingly transparent]] [[MaliciousSlander smear campaign against him]], newscasters Dallas and Juanita blatantly doctor photos to make it look like Ratchet is taking part in various misdeeds, such as being a gangster or using banned performance enhancing drugs to cheat in their tournaments. In one of their photos, you can clearly see the tape attaching the cutout of Ratchet's head onto it, and one is just a picture of Clank with devil horns and a goatee scribbled onto it.

** ''[[VideoGame/RatchetAndClankIntoTheNexus Into The Nexus]]'' answers what happened to Dreadzone after Vox’s defeat. [[spoiler:The show following its cancellation was replaced with a continuous loop of the ''same specific episode'' of Lance and Janice.]]
* WhoWritesThisCrap

* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: Oddly averted - Vox sticks by Ace and keeps trying to push Ace Hardlight merchandise even after it's become apparent that his popularity is tanking and Ratchet's is skyrocketing. He even tries to sabotage Ratchet's image by having Vox News run a ([[BlatantLies poorly-done]]) smear campaign against him. Literally the only time Vox ever even ''considers'' making Ratchet the new face of Dreadzone is when [[spoiler:Ace ''dies''.]]

* SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome: Ace Hardlight is pretty much [[HatedByAll loathed by everyone in universe.]] even by fans of Dreadzone. So it isn't much of a surprise that His sales in merchandise are pathetically low at best. (Despite Vox's best efforts [[CreatorsPet to push him in the spotlight]].)

** Another one: the 'Leaderboard' that shows contestant rankings, and their status as 'active' or 'deceased', is updated throughout the game. By the end, Kid Nova and Hydrogirl are the only two, besides Ratchet, that are still listed as alive. [[spoiler:Both of them get voiced dialogue in the final cutscene, thanking you for shutting down Dreadzone and freeing them.]] The only other survivor listed is Agent Zero, but perhaps he is not seen as he is a ShoutOut [[VideoGame/Spyro2RiptosRage to an earlier Insomniac project]].

* NotSoDifferent: Hints of this regarding Ratchet and Ace Hardlight come up in ''Deadlocked'', although Ratchet eventually manages to avert this.

* HeroWithBadPublicity: Dreadzone News goes to ridiculous lengths to slander Ratchet as a bloodthirsty psychopath ([[HypocriticalHumor funny, considering the kind of program they're reporting on...]]) [[BlatantLies Vox later insists he was only doing it to build up Ratchet's "bad-boy image".]]