Line #43 VideoGame/CursedTrilogy


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/cursed_1_game_header.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:]]
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4	Created by Disaster Squad Productions, ''[[https://store.steampowered.com/app/1896750/Cursed/ Cursed]]'', ''[[https://store.steampowered.com/app/1960630/Cursed_2/ Cursed 2]]'', and ''[[https://store.steampowered.com/app/2110460/Cursed_3/ Cursed 3]]'' is a trilogy of PointAndClickAdventure / Action / Horror hybrid games inspired by works such as ''VideoGame/{{Uninvited}}''. The first game was originally released in 2009, the second released in 2019, and the third was released in 2022, with the series also being ported to Platform/{{Steam}} in 2022. The trilogy focuses on a cult of the demon god Malus, the warriors of the goddess Luna that fight against them, and the girl named Jennifer whose sacrifice is central to it all.
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6	In January 2023, a remake of the original ''Cursed'' was announced [[https://twitter.com/SquadDisaster/status/1620240877250838528 via the developer's Twitter]].
7
8	This trilogy has no connection to the SimilarlyNamedWorks ''Series/Cursed2020'', ''Film/Cursed2005'', or the ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'' [[Fanfic/CursedTheLastMockingbird9 fanfiction]].
9	----
10	!!Tropes Across the Series:
11	* AllLovingHeroine: Death notes that the goddess Luna is this when [[spoiler:she chooses to remove her and Malus from history so humanity can fight for themselves,]] stating that "[she] will do what [she] believes is the best thing for everyone."
12	* AnimeHair: Randall's hair is ''quite'' spiky.
13	* AntiFrustrationFeature: A few presented in ''Cursed 3''.
14	** There is a spirit that Disaster Squad intended for beginning players that constricts the player's noise generation so they don't have to fight as often. In addition, upgrading that spirit with a void energy orb (which can be found near by) can render the player invisible in hiding places as long as enemies don't see them entering it. Recommended for those who struggle with the midnight raid segments.
15	** At the start of ''Chapter 2'', where the player is stuck in the garage, if the midnight raid occurs but the door has not been unlocked yet, the player will not be in danger during this segment.
16	** Death provides an hour-glass item early on, allowing the player to quick save at any time with a cool-down in between. This is useful to reload a save whenever you perish, and it only goes away when you quit the game.
17	** Disaster Squad productions has seen a few Let's Plays, and decided to increase the strength of the boards.
18	* AwesomeButImpractical: The Chainsaw in ''Cursed 2''. Regardless of any players' skill, it's amazing. However, fuel is limited, so use it wisely!
19	* BoringButPractical: The Hammer in ''Cursed 2''. While it is the weakest weapon to have, it takes up very little inventory space, on top of it being the easiest weapon to wield. Power and Speed upgrades can make this considerably less boring to use. [[spoiler:It appears again as Randall's default weapon during the StylisticCallback segment of ''Cursed 3'', with him also having a shotgun that hits harder but takes time to reload.]]
20	* CellPhonesAreUseless: Zig-zagged in ''Cursed 3''. Jennifer's cell phone gets wrecked early game, resulting in a puzzle where she has to repair the landline. However, Randall mentions that he is able to find her general location because her cell phone was able to make one last ping to social media.
21	* BossInMookClothing: The Brute from ''Cursed 1'', who served as a boss, makes a comeback in ''Cursed 3'' as a common enemy in a later chapter. They are as brutal as they were in the first game, but even worse thanks to them jumping between the ground and the ceiling, and their attack hitting so fast, they can quickly send Jennifer into a panic.
22	* ChainsawGood: The Chainsaw in ''Cursed 2'' can make mince meat out of anything in the game. Fuel is extremely limited.
23	* ChildOfTwoWorlds: [[spoiler:Jennifer's mother is the current leader of the Cult of Malus, while her father somehow had access to the Lunar Tower key, and her curiosity about the latter leads to ''Cursed 3'''s events and learning just how far that half of the family tree is connected to Luna.]]
24	* CoinsForTheDead: You can help Death deal with the bodies of the undead by throwing a coin onto downed undead, which will summon Death to take them away for good. [[spoiler:To get the good ending in the second game, you must do this on every undead enemy, then use the boon he gives you for doing so to resurrect Jennifer.]]
25	* CreepyDoll: In ''Cursed 2'', you can find a doll and a set of batteries. If you put the batteries ''in'' the doll, [[PressXToDie it immediately kills you. The game doesn't tell you THAT]].
26	* CruelTwistEnding: The ending of ''Cursed'' initially appears to be a SurprisinglyHappyEnding, showing Jennifer being [[UnexplainedRecovery unexpectedly alive]] after [[spoiler:you killed her earlier in the game]]. At the very last second, [[spoiler:Jennifer pulls a knife on you, actually being possessed by Malus all along, and proceeds to cause ''Cursed 2'''s DownerBeginning]].
27	* DamnYouMuscleMemory: Green has been associated with Health in the first two ''Cursed'' games, including healing spells and potions. The green potions in ''Cursed 3'' restore Jennifer's stamina instead, since that meter is '''green''' while her health is '''red'''. Although the ''green'' healing magic still heals.
28	* DamselOutOfDistress: In the first two games, Jennifer is the victim of a HumanSacrifice that needs to be resuscitated and rescued. In ''Cursed 3'', Jennifer decides to take charge of her own destiny and is PromotedToPlayable as its main protagonist.
29	* DarknessEqualsDeath: Try to enter and wander areas where everything is pitch black [[SchmuckBait without a light source.]]
30	* DemonicPossession:
31	** In ''Cursed'', [[spoiler:it turns out in the ending that the Jennifer you rescued has actually been possessed by Malus]].
32	** In ''Cursed 2'', [[spoiler:Jennifer is still possessed, but it's possible to free her soul and resurrect her, with her EvilMatriarch then using her own body to give Malus a physical form]].
33	* TheDeterminator: In ''Cursed 2'', [[spoiler:The Knight defied his Goddess' wishes by making sure not another human gets through him, [[JerkassHasAPoint noting that the last time he let one passed, they caused a lot of problems for the town above.]] Even when defeated, he still makes sure that you cannot past him. Unfortunately he also tells you he's undead, the very thing Death wants to remove.]]
34	* DevelopersForesight:
35	** There's an alternate bad ending where [[spoiler:you kill Jennifer after reviving her]]. This changes the first half of the transcript.
36	** You can take off your diving suit in the lake in "Cursed 2". Doing so will cause you to slowly drown.
37	** Suppose you approach the knight in Cursed 2 with any weapon ''but'' the sword and shield. He won't challenge you because it is not honorable. He destroys your inventory icon in the fight, too. This is to prevent the player from blowing him up with a shotgun or just spamming the hammer.
38	* DontFearTheReaper: Charon the god of death, who takes the familiar form of a robed, scythe-wielding reaper of souls, is encountered as an ally throughout the series due to the protagonists fighting against the demon-aligned undead that defy him.
39	* EasterEgg:
40	** Two in ''Cursed 2'':
41	*** Giving a white rag to Death will cause him to wear it, turn uncharacteristically goofy, and cause the game to play a musical sample of [[https://youtu.be/zrFC87n_hIs?t=710 YTP - Michael's Memory Lane Movie Making]]. The game is locked in this state and can only be exited out by closing the game through external means.
42	*** Sometimes, the game over screen will play the famous ''[[https://youtu.be/IsS_VMzY10I Game Over Yeah]]'' tune.
43	** Two more in ''Cursed 3'':
44	*** Using the phone to call the phone number from one of the emails lead to a call with the [[spoiler:[[https://youtu.be/kq97QAYDDoI Freak Phone]]]].
45	*** The game over-screen at the very final segment will sometimes misspell the ''Load'' button. ''[[spoiler:LOAF]]''
46	* EarlyBirdCameo: In the opening for the first game, there are four characters that the player talks to, two of which don't say anything to you. Obviously two of these are Jennifer's parents, another is a tavern employee who doesn't say anything. But there's another person with red hair. In ''Cursed 2'', this is revealed to be Randall.
47	* EvilMatriarch: ''Cursed 2'' reveals that [[spoiler:Jennifer's mother is actually the current head of the Cult of Malus, and encouraged her daughter to take the steps that led to her sacrifice]].
48	* ExactWords: In ''Cursed 2'', choosing to be Immortal will have Death clarify that he cannot prevent you from death. However, he can make it to where you cannot take damage during combat. [[PressXToDie It's true, you can provoke him to check it for yourself. Many of the game's instant-kills also don't rely on doing damage.]]
49	* ExplainingYourPowersToTheEnemy: [[spoiler:The Knight]] in the second game [[spoiler:refuses to let you pass after you defeat him, stating that he's undead and thus cannot be defeated. Of course, you're carrying a coin that summons Death to claim the undead...]]
50	* FetusTerrible: [[spoiler:Pippy]] in the third game.
51	* {{Foreshadowing}}: In the third game, when Jennifer points out she's never used magic before, Death seems oddly sure she'd be able. [[spoiler:He knows she can use magic because she's a goddess incarnate.]]
52	* FriendlyFireproof: In ''Cursed 2'', when you are pursuing a boss with [[spoiler:a resurrected Jennifer driving for you in a car chase, the trope is [[AvertedTrope averted]] with your Staff of the Moon's projectiles able to hit and even kill her if you aim too poorly or deliberately try to do so. If she dies, there's no one driving and the truck is destroyed when it crashes.]]
53	* GameOfNim: In the second game, Randall plays a version of the game with a cloaked figure. There is a set of marbles on the table, either player can take up to four at a time, you choose who goes first, and if the figure takes the last marble you die. [[spoiler:The solution is to let them have the first turn, then when he makes his move, you subtract that number by five and take that amount.]]
54	* GameOverMan: Death takes this role in ''Cursed 3'' with a snark related to your death should you lose the game.
55	* GodInHumanForm: Luna, [[BigGood the benevolent goddess of the series]], turns out to be [[spoiler:Jennifer, due to Luna's soul reincarnating as her.]]
56	* GodOfEvil: Malus, a horned demon whose forces are the main threat throughout the series.
57	* GodOfGood: Luna, a purple-skinned female goddess [[GodOfTheMoon associated with the moon]], is benevolent towards humanity and her blessed weapons are used to fight back against Malus' demonic forces.
58	* GridInventory: Starting from ''Cursed 2'', your inventory is limited in this matter, and made a little more blatant in ''Cursed 3''. Thankfully, there are usually other places to put important stuff you want to save for later; in the second game, Randall has a metal box in the back of his truck for exactly this purpose. Jennifer can leave her items just anywhere, and the game will remember where they were.
59	** Zig-zagged in ''Cursed 3'', where items can actually share space on the grid, provided that they don't overlap. This mechanic is made unclear by the grid square still appearing red, but most easily observable using the lighter, which can be placed in many places that seem occupied.
60	* GunsAreUseless: Zig-zagged. On one hand, guns are indeed useful since both ''Cursed 2'' and ''Cursed 3'' hand out ammunition like candy. On the other, if one does not increase their skill in guns (Especially reloading) then they can leave you a sitting duck in a fight.
61	* GuysSmashGirlsShoot: Spencer in ''Cursed 1'', and Randal in ''Cursed 2'' primarily use melee weapons, with the latter having options for magic and firearms. Jennifer in ''Cursed 3'' has a far greater emphasis on guns and magic, notably lacking any melee options besides blocking. [[spoiler:Zig-zagged in the ending when she gains access to swords and shields]].
62	* HarderThanHard: The second game received an update that adds this mode. Not only are the enemies much stronger, you have less chances to heal yourself (and have the [[ArtifactOfDeath ruby ring]] forever in your inventory that will slowly lower your health to boot). Completing this mode will unlock [[spoiler:one of the biggest JokeEnding examples since [[Franchise/SilentHill the [=UFO=] Endings of the Silent Hill series]]]].
63	* HeroicSacrifice: In the climax of the third game, [[spoiler:Spencer gives his life to fuel a spell that will allow the protagonists to defeat Malus once and for all, and Randall gives his life (and even his unlife, when Death allows him to keep fighting as a skeleton) to protect the crystal that gives Luna her power]]. This also applies to the "Break the Curse" ending, where [[spoiler:Jennifer (as Luna) takes Randall's dead body and plunges into the Lake of the Gods, breaking Malus's covenant with humanity at the cost of her life]].
64	* InterfaceScrew: ''Cursed 2'' has one boss fight where [[spoiler:the Knight ''destroys'' your inventory icon just to make sure you cannot cheese this fight by healing or abusing the shotgun]].
65	* InventoryManagementPuzzle: Recurs throughout the series. In the second game, there's a hacksaw for the sole purpose of sawing off your shotgun ''just to free up space''. The third game uses a GridInventory just to make this simpler.
66	* JumpScare: A good amount of instant deaths in the series involve this with plenty of the undead and monsters from time to time.
67	* LivingLava: Malus' normal form in ''Cursed 1'' and ''Cursed 3'' resembles a horned demonic variant of this. ''Cursed 2'' is an exception since [[spoiler:his cult provides a giant flesh body for him.]]
68	* LuckilyMyShieldWillProtectMe: ''Cursed 1'' starts you off with one paired with a sword, allowing you to block any damage coming to you. This returns in ''Cursed 2'' with a few twists, such as a cool down from blocking an attack. ''Cursed 3'' has the pot lid early on that serves the same purpose.
69	* TheMagicGoesAway: [[spoiler:The ending of ''Cursed 3'' has the gods, mainly Luna and Malus, RetGone from history, being replaced with a more mundane development of civilization free of divine intervention and magic, akin to real life history.]]
70	* TheMaze: A staple in all three games. Some have OneHitKill threats as well.
71	* MiniBoss: The Undead in ''Cursed 2'' serve this role, being considerably tougher to fight due to their large health pool, hard hitting attacks, and being able to block. Plus the only way to truly kill one is to summon Death upon defeating them, but that doesn't really count in the fight.
72	* MultipleEndings:
73	** ''Cursed 2'' has a Bad Ending, in which the FinalBoss is fought as soon as possible and [[spoiler:Jennifer dies]], and a [[GoldenEnding True Ending]], in which Randall accomplishing all of the sidequests leads to [[spoiler:saving Jennifer's soul, resurrecting her, banishing Malus, and then driving away from the ruined remains of town with Jennifer at his side]].
74	** ''Cursed 3'' has a similar set of endings. ''Delay the Curse'' [[spoiler:by destroying the crystal, leading to Jennifer eventually escaping from the house]], and ''End the Curse'' [[spoiler:by completing chapter 5 and defeating Malus]]. Then, [[spoiler:a true ending, ''Prevent the Curse'', is hinted at by completing a puzzle in the Realm of Torment and unlocking chapter 6 onward]].
75	* NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished: In ''Cursed 2'', [[spoiler:by showing him the truth about his daughter's DemonicPossession, Jennifer's father, Tim, will trust Randall with the key to a tower dedicated to Luna, which leads to returning to the mine from the first game and obtaining the Staff of the Moon. Upon freeing Jennifer with the staff, Tim is killed by his wife for betraying the Cult of Malus]].
76	* NoNameGiven: Some of the characters had went unnamed until subsequent sequels addressed it. The protagonist of the first game had always been referred to as ''The Human'' in ''Cursed 2'', for instance.
77	* NostalgiaLevel: Completing the Lunar Tower in ''Cursed 2'' [[spoiler:is required to unlock the path to the underground mines from the first game, complete with enemies and the battle themes making a return.]]
78	* NothingIsScarier: This game ''thrives'' on this trope - many rooms are (seemingly) empty, silent, and abandoned. This is what makes some monster(s) coming out of nowhere scary.
79	* NotSoStoic: In the climax of ''Cursed 3'', [[spoiler:after Jennifer-turned-Luna learns from Death that Randall has died for her, she decides to completely RetGone herself and Malus instead of just winning the war against the demons and hugs the reaper farewell. Death, a self-admitted curmudgeon, slowly returns the embrace]].
80	* PerversePuppet: One of the enemies you can fight in ''Cursed 2''.
81	* PressXToDie: There are quite a few blatantly bad decisions you can make throughout the series, ranging from literally asking Charon to kill you (or provoking him, otherwise you aren't in the way of his business) to murdering the person driving your truck while it's under attack.
82	* PreviousPlayerCharacterCameo: ''Cursed 3'' has Jennifer call Randall, her boyfriend and the protagonist of the previous game, for support during key events. [[spoiler:A surprisingly alive Spencer Carrington, the protagonist of the first game who was stated to have been sacrificed during the second, shows up in the endgame to help defeat Malus, but only if you free him from his FaceMonsterTurn]].
83	* RealismInducedHorror: The segment of the second game where your truck gets a flat and you have to replace the tire. In the dark - with [[NothingIsScarier nothing but silence around you, except for the occasional rustling of bushes]]. It's considered to be one of the scariest parts of the game simply because of how ''relatable'' it is to a lot of people. Make too much noise and you'll get a game over.
84	* RecycledSoundtrack: The trilogy uses music from other video games, such as ''VideoGame/JustShapesAndBeats'' and ''VideoGame/{{Doom}}'', which is the primary reason why they are FreewareGames.
85	* ReforgedIntoAMinion: While some of the monsters in ''Cursed 2'' are just implied to be former townsfolk, ''Cursed 3'' explicitly has most of its bosses be members of a family, [[spoiler:the Carringtons]], that were transformed into monsters as a result of demonic influence.
86	* {{Reincarnation}}: The third game's climax reveals that [[spoiler:Jennifer is a reincarnation of the moon goddess Luna, leading to her gaining PastLifeMemories and Luna's form]].
87	* RetGone: The third game [[spoiler:ends with Luna wiping herself and Malus from history in order to avoid humanity dying from their wars, believing that humanity should fight for their own causes. However, the final scene shows Tim encouraging a young Jennifer to befriend young Randall]].
88	* SawedOffShotgun: In the second game, using a hacksaw on the shotgun will saw off much of the barrel, making it take a lot less space. Randall keeps it for his reappearance in the third game.
89	* SchmuckBait:
90	** In the second game, you find some AA batteries and then a doll in Jennifer's home that has a battery slot in the back. Giving the doll the batteries results in it [[YetAnotherStupidDeath killing you instantly]].
91	** Try installing a fuse into a fusebox with the power on. [[SarcasmMode What could possibly go wrong? Even Death makes it obvious if you do it!]]
92	** Walk into pitch-black areas with no light source.
93	** Nothing will stop you from trying to attack Death. [[BlatantLies Nothing will go wrong. For him.]]
94	* SchrodingersGun: If you go to Malus's throne room early; [[spoiler: Randall is revealed to have been killed by him.]] Don't go and finish the other plot first, and he turns out to be fine.
95	* SequentialBoss: [[spoiler:The Knight]] in the second game. [[spoiler:First he fights with a sword and shield, destroying your inventory icon so you can only use the same. Once you defeat this form, he refuses to let you pass and breaks out twin spiked flails. Even then, he'll stay in your way until you use Death's coin to remove him.]]
96	* SetRightWhatOnceWentWrong: The third game [[spoiler:ends with Luna going back in time in order to RetGone herself and Malus, with the credits showing the scenes of their wars being erased and replaced with more mundane scenes of humanity's progress over the millennia]].
97	* SolarAndLunar: The Staff of the Moon, a powerful weapon throughout the series, [[spoiler:which uses a piece of Luna's power crystal, can be transformed into the Staff of the Sun, which controls time instead of life force, by replacing the power source with the essence of Luna's opposite, [[LightIsNotGood Malus]], the BigBad himself.]]
98	* StylisticCallback: The initial battle with Malus in ''Cursed 3'' involves [[spoiler:all of the main protagonists in the trilogy. Not only do the protagonists of the previous two games, Spencer and Randall, get to fight Malus, but they fight him with the same combat system from their respective games, which are all different from the combat system that Jennifer uses.]]
99	* SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome:
100	** Guns are indeed powerful weapons - but because these enemies take a lot of abuse before going down, reloading them can make the player a sitting duck since they don't have anything to duck behind to buy time to reload.
101	** The [[ChainsawGood Chainsaw]] is hands down one of the most powerful weapons in the game - but it's ''highly'' limited in its utility because it takes fuel and there's little to begin with.
102	* TwoPartTrilogy: The first ''Cursed'' game makes much less reference(s) to the lore and the metaplot of the series. This is somewhat justified in that the second game did not release until ''ten years later''. Presumably, the announced remake of the first game will bring it into line with its sequels.
103	* UndeadChild: [[spoiler:Justin Carrington]] in ''Cursed 3''. Granted, he won't be a menace until [[spoiler:Jennifer collects and reassembles his body parts]]. Afterwards, he'll be a OneHitKill-inflicting terror until he is finally dead.
104	* UnintentionallyUnwinnable: In ''Cursed 2'', if you managed to save [[spoiler:Jennifer's soul]] but failed to request the proper wish from Death, the game softlocks.
105	* WhamLine: In the first game, Jennifer talks about how she doesn't remember anything in the mine... until that is, she mentions that you "Cut my [[PrecisionFStrike f***g]] head off."
106	* VideoGameCrueltyPotential:
107	** Some characters you can interact with in ''Curse 2'' can be attacked and killed. Only one comes with no consequences.
108	** The Good ending of ''Cursed 2'' requires you to [[spoiler:revive Jennifer, but you can immediately kill her with a weapon right after.]] Doing this will get you the bad ending immediately, with added dialogue added to [[WhatTheHellPlayer note your spontaneous and terrible decision.]]
109	* VoidBetweenTheWorlds: ''Cursed 2'' introduces the Void Generator, which is used [[spoiler:to banish Malus to in the Good ending. However, Malus is able to survive in the void and in fact cannot be meaningfully harmed when within it.]]
110	** In ''Cursed 3'', [[spoiler:Jennifer-as-Luna can travel to the different realms of the void via a transporter deep inside the temple ruins.]]
111	* WhenTheClockStrikesTwelve: The third game has an in-game timer. Each time it hits midnight, an army of monsters will emerge and go on a rampage. If you're outside when this happens, you will die on the spot; if you're inside, you'll be endlessly attacked unless you secure yourself in a room, either by boarding it up or with a certain spell that seals doors until you open them again.
112	* YetAnotherStupidDeath:
113	** You can go in pitch-black areas without any light, which will certainly kill you if you stray in there for too long.

Context VideoGame / CursedTrilogy