History VideoGame / UmurangiGeneration

* DeconstructorFleet: Of tropes related to giant mecha/kaiju anime. The military force building and deploying the giant mecha is hated and distrusted by the populace, the people in charge don't seem to care about their own soldiers or the citizens those soldiers protect, and rather than being the last hope of humanity, the mecha pilots [[spoiler:are at best delaying the inevitable, or at worse simply being fed into the grinder to justify the existence of the military occupation.]]

** [[spoiler: The ending is one huge one to ''Anime/TheEndOfEvangelion'', complete with red sky/sea, and the souls of humanity fluttering up to the sky under the watch of a giant alien creature.]]

''[[https://store.steampowered.com/app/1223500/Umurangi_Generation/ Umurangi Generation]]'' is a cyberpunk FirstPersonSnapshooter EnvironmentalNarrativeGame developed by Māori programmer Naphtali Faulkner (under ORIGAME DIGITAL) with a soundtrack by ''[[https://thorhighheels.bandcamp.com/ ThorHighHeels]]'', and published by ''Active Gaming Media'' (in the Anglosphere) and ''Playism'' (in Asia). The game is inspired by [[https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-06-26-umurangi-generations-approach-to-modernizing-cyberpunk Faulkner's personal gripes]] with the 2019-20 Australian bush fires and COVID-19 pandemic, as well as governmental ignorance towards climate change at large.

The game was released on {{UsefulNotes/Steam}} on 19th May 2020, and on the UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch on 5th June 2021. A DownloadableContent pack called ''Umurangi Generation Macro'' was released on 7th November 2020, adding four new levels revolving around what's happening within the UN, new camera equipment, spray paint, and roller skates for faster traversal.

** Also in the DLC, the low-resolution camera lens is based on the [[UsefulNotes/GameBoy Game Boy Camera]].

* AttackOfThe50FootWhatever: [[spoiler:"{{Kaiju}}" aliens attacking humanity. In response, the United Nations diverts ''massive'' amount of resources into a series of [[Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion Eva-esque]] giant Peace Sentinel mecha (complete with depressed young pilots) that turned out to be ineffective]].

* DownerEnding: [[spoiler:The gradually worsening situation and The Final Delivery all but imply that humanity is wiped out by the aliens/kaiju in the end]].

* PropagandaMachine: The United Nation proclaims on various posters and television channels that [[spoiler:humanity is winning the war against the aliens]]. In truth, [[spoiler:it's an utter CurbStompBattle in alien's favor. The military outpost you re-visit ended up stuck fighting Kaiju with only a handful of foot-soldiers and no reinforcements, eventually being forced to retreat, and the giant Peace Sentinel units are implied to be largely created as part of a token effort to show that the UN did ''something'', without regards to how ineffective the mechas are against the alien threat or how many civilians they end up killing in the collateral. All the while, some of the UN higher-ups drink themselves senseless and party inside Gamer Palace]].

** In ''Macro'' DLC, the laptops in UN Hangar level that hints at the existence of the Yellow Keycard Room are displaying a menu screen with a cartoon bespectacled scientist on it, which is very similar to the console Solid Snake has to upload photos on during the Tanker Chapter of ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid2SonsOfLiberty''.
** In the same level, one of the other laptops will display a message "[[https://nirvana.bar/ N1RV Ann-A]] awaits." [=N1RV Ann-A=] being then in-development sequel to an indie visual novel game ''VisualNovel/Va11HallA''.

* ArmiesAreEvil: Played with. The UN foot soldiers are humanized and treated as kids out of their depth, which is fitting since near the end of the game you [[spoiler: become a war reporter embedded with a squad and so the game wants you to sympathize with them]]. However, the generals and command staff who actually run things are portrayed as incompetent, out of touch, hedonistic, and corrupt.
* AttackOfThe50FootWhatever: [[spoiler:"{{Kaiju}}" aliens attacking humanity. In response, the United Nations diverts ''massive'' amount of resource into a series of [[Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion Eva-esque]] giant Peace Sentinel mecha (complete with depressed young pilots) that turned out to be ineffective]].

* {{Escapism}}: In face of the regime's incompetence and knowing [[spoiler:the inevitable end at the hands of alien invaders]], many people choose to spend the time by holding dance parties out on the streets or lose themselves in VR at Gamer Palace.
* FlingALightIntoTheFuture: There are posters talking about recruitment programs for Japanese offworld colonies, as Japan, fittingly, is apparently GenreSavvy to know the Kaiju are going to win. Because of the phrasing used, it is left ambiguous if any of these colonies are actually up and running or if anyone has even left for them yet.

* HumongousMecha: [[spoiler:Peace Sentinel units created by United Nations, which looks eerily similar to Eva Units from ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' complete with depressed young pilots as seen in UN Hangar level]]. The project turned out to be an utter failure.
* IHaveYourWife: Disobedience and insubordination among Peace Sentinels is apparently punished by detaining their family until they obey.

* PropagandaMachine: The United Nation proclaims on various posters and television channels that [[spoiler:humanity is winning the war against the aliens]]. In truth, [[spoiler:it's utter CurbStompBattle in alien's favor. The military outpost you re-visit ended up stuck fighting Kaiju with only a handful of foot-soldiers and no reinforcements, eventually forced into evacuation. Giant Peacekeeper unit is implied to be largely created just to keep up a facade that UN did something, without regards to how ineffective the mechas are against the alien threat. All the while, some of the UN higher-ups drink themselves senseless and partying inside Gamer Palace]].

** In ''Macro'' DLC, the laptops in UN Hangar level that hints at the existence of Yellow Keycard Room are displaying a menu screen with a cartoon bespectacled scientist on it, which is very similar to the console Solid Snake has to upload photos on during the Tanker Chapter of ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid2SonsOfLiberty''.

** Also in the DLC, the low-resolution camera lens is based on the UsefulNotes/GameBoyAdvance camera accessory.