Line #66 VideoGame/BattleChasersNightwar


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/battlechasersnightwar.png]]
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3	''Battle Chasers: Nightwar'' is a WesternRPG {{Sequel}} to ''ComicBook/BattleChasers'', the brain-child of artist Joe Madureira. Originally campaigned on Website/{{Kickstarter}} for $500,000 and funded for more than $850,000, the game is developed by Airship Syndicate, a studio co-founded by Madureira and ex-Vigil Games employees, the makers behind the ''VideoGame/{{Darksiders}}'' series, and published by Creator/THQNordic. The game was released on October 3, 2017 for the Platform/PlayStation4, Platform/XboxOne and PC platforms and on the Platform/NintendoSwitch[[note]]The Switch port took a bit of technical wizardry from the developers, coupled with its status as a Kickstarter stretch goal, leading to a six-month delay[[/note]] in May 2018.
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5	Set sometime after the original comic run, ''Battle Chasers: Nightwar'' continues to follow Gully, Garrison, Knolan, Calibretto and Red Monika as they crash-land on the Crescent Isles after their airship is attacked by pirates. Heavily inspired by game-play from {{Eastern RPG}}s and TurnBasedCombat systems, ''Nightwar'' takes cues from Japanese-developed video games such as ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'' and ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'', while adding in western-influenced mechanics, like RandomlyGeneratedLevels and equipment loot.
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7	Mechanically speaking, one of the main focuses of the combat in the game is on [[StatusBuff buffs]] and [[StatusEffects debuffs]]. Almost every move in the game from both heroes and enemies inflicts one or more of these effects, and it's managing them efficiently that makes up much of the combat strategy.
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9	!Tropes for ''Battle Chasers: Nightwar'' include:
10	* ActionBomb: Enemy Lycelot Bombers have a chance that, when struck, will ignite the bombs on its backpack, exploding and damaging the party and surviving enemies. Simultaneously, these Bombers might take the initiative to turn themselves into one if they take enough damage without their {{Hit Point}}s reaching zero, damaging only the party.
11	* AfterCombatRecovery: Depending on the perks selected for characters or effects from accessories, armor or weapons equipped, the active party can regain {{Hit Point}}s post-battle.
12	* AllInARow: On the overworld map, the current party will be shown as this; in dungeons and exploration maps, only the lead character is shown and [[PartyInMyPocket the rest are not]].
13	* AlwaysCheckBehindTheChair: Treasure chests in dungeons might be hidden behind breakable walls - one of Gully's dungeon-clearing manuveurs involve smashing these walls apart to reveal paths leading to these chests. Likewise, some enemies may hide in the darkness, but are sensitive to light sources; snuffing out torches, for example, might reveal them.
14	* AnAdventurerIsYou: Each of the characters fulfill very specific roles.
15	** CombatMedic: Calibretto, [[WhiteMage who has the most health restoration abilities in the party]], but can still hold its own.
16	** FragileSpeedster: Red Monika, thanks to her actions increasing evasion for herself, which she can take advantage of if enemy attacks miss. She can be specced to draw enemy fire like Gully, making her a viable, if risky dodgetank.
17	** GlassCannon: Garrison; his abilities are geared towards dealing as much damage as possible, yet inevitably has the poorest physical and magic defense.
18	** JackOfAllStats: Alumon is workable as a Tank, Healer, or Damage dealer, although not as well as a specialist.
19	** RedMage: Knolan, due to abilities tailored to all areas of defensive, healing, offensive and support magic spells.
20	** StoneWall: Gully, as her actions rely on constantly defending herself and ensuring enemies single her out as their primary target.
21	* AntiFrustrationFeatures: Shortly before every boss battle is a "boss crystal," which heals the party and refills their mana. If you lose the battle, the party respawn at the boss crystal; with the choice of either trying again, or leaving and training up a bit.
22	* AntiGrinding: {{Enforced}} - to prevent the party from becoming too overpowered, members at higher {{Character Level}}s than enemies will not receive any {{Experience Point}}s.
23	* ArbitraryHeadcountLimit: Played with - players can have upwards to three party members; likewise, the same applies to enemies, [[ActuallyFourMooks but there can be more fought if the battle is one with additional waves of them]].
24	* ColorCodedItemTiers: All items in the game (accessories[[note]]necklaces, rings and trinkets[[/note]], armor, consumables and weapons) are tiered using colors - white (common), green (uncommon), blue (rare), purple (epic) and orange (legendary).
25	* CombatantCooldownSystem: Combat is mostly turn based. When it is a character's turn, you have the choice of either Actions, which are usually less powerful but happen immediately and generate mana, or Abilities, which are usually more powerful, but cost mana and push the character down the VisualInitiativeQueue. Note that the wait is for the Ability to trigger, not for you to act again after it triggers.
26	* ContinuingIsPainful: Getting knocked out in dungeons at the highest difficulty resets the entire dungeon.
27	* DeathIsASlapOnTheWrist: Characters who reach zero HP are officially unconscious, and can be revived with items during combat. If one or two of them are down at the end of the battle, then they revive on low HP. If all of the party fall, then they respawn back at Harm's Way, minus some gold. The amount of gold is equal to two or three nights in the TraumaInn, and is described as being dropped in your rush to escape.
28	* DefendCommand: Every party member has at least one action that's defensive in nature, blocking the next enemy attack that will lower damage dealt; additional effects, such as gaining Overcharge, might be applied defending on that character's defend-based action.
29	* DevourTheDragon: [[spoiler:C'drall does this to the Dark Lady near the end, forcibly turning her into his host.]]
30	* DolledUpInstallment: In an interview included in the Gameumentary documentary video funded by the Kickstarter, Joe Madueira admits that ''Nightwar'' started life as an original project. However, early on in the project, he decided that the ''Battle Chasers'' characters and setting were similar enough to the ideas and concepts he wanted to use to be worth including in the game. Nevertheless, the game's setting, the Crescent Isles, are mostly isolated from the original setting and events from the comic book.
31	* DoorToBefore: If you win a boss battle, the boss crystal can teleport you out of the dungeon.
32	* ExperienceBooster: Not only does one effect of fountains grant this temporarily for the next three battles, but good performance in combat rewards players with extra {{Experience Point}}s, such as "[[SurplusDamageBonus Overkill]]", [[OneHitKO defeating two or more enemies using one action/ability/Burst]], finishing battles as quickly as possible and taking no damage at all.
33	* FightWoosh: Of the shattering glass type.
34	* FishingMinigame: Fishing spots appear in every dungeon, and there are a few non-dungeon areas in the world where the player can fish as well. Fishing usually grants the player with meat that can be traded for [[GlobalCurrencyException Shadow Coins]], which can be spent for unique rewards.
35	* {{Gamebook}}: You can find a magic one in the Deadheart dungeon. It has a small choice of routes for confronting an evil sorceress, and your choices determine your loot. You can only play it once per attempt on the dungeon.
36	* GuideDangIt: Finding the special parts for ultimate weapons. Here's Red Monika as an example. Step one: complete a maze within a demanding time limit, to get the first map in a chain which leads to one part. Step two: go fishing in a unique spot and catch a special fish, which drops the other part. This isn't even the worst one: some characters' weapons require parts from random drops.
37	* HardModePerks: Tackling dungeons and completing them at the highest difficulty will reward players with better items and loot.
38	* HubCity: The town of "[[{{Pun}} Harm's Way]]"; not only is it the FirstTown in the game, but it's the ''{{only\|ShopInTown}}'' town; justified since ''Nightwar'' takes place on the entirety of a large island.
39	* ItemCrafting: Like most [=RPGs=], a certain number of materials are necessary to craft equipment and items. However, its success is based on a percentage of materials used; it's entirely possible to craft something at low percentages by not using the mandatory number of materials required. Simulataneously, using more materials than needed will raise the crafting success beyond 100%, upwards to ''300%''. Doing so will turn the equipment or item into an epic-tier.
40	* JigglePhysics: Varies depending on Red Monika's model and outfit.
41	** She doesn't jiggle during battles when wearing her default outfit. However, she has a much more detailed model for special attacks, and in the animation for "Assassinate" her breasts sway from side to side in her bikini top.
42	** Her unlockable "Dark Lady" outfit shows {{underboobs}}, and she jiggles very noticeably in that. Oddly, there is less movement during the special animations.
43	* LazyBackup: You can only have three heroes in the active party. You can change the party when you enter a dungeon for the first time, which implies that all six are out together, but the other three disappear until you either restart the dungeon or go back to base.
44	* LeakedExperience: Characters who join the party join at a similar level to existing characters, but only the active party gain XP, so if you want to keep all characters at the same level, you'll have to do a lot of grinding.
45	* LimitBreak: The "Burst" gauge can reach up to three levels; it can be increased by the party performing actions and abilities, with each character having a specific Burst technique at level one, two and three.
46	* LuckyCharmsTitle: Styled as ''[[AC:Battle Chasers Nigh†war]]'' (with a dagger) on the cover art.
47	* MirrorMatch: The party meet Shadow versions of themselves as the final boss of The Manarifts.
48	* MonsterCompendium: Defeating enough enemies of one type will unlock their respective abilities, item/loot drops and stats in the bestiary. There is also a separate "Fishiary" for fish caught in the FishingMiniGame.
49	* MsFanservice: Red Monika. She goes into battle in an outfit that leaves very little to the imagination.
50	* NewGamePlus: Characters lose all of their gear, but keep learned abilities and perk points. The characters who are found over the course of the first run are available as soon as you reach the inn in Harm's Way. The general difficulty level is higher, and there is a new "Mythic" difficulty for dungeons.
51	* NoStatAtrophy: Averted; it's possible to achieve stats below zero into negative values by equipping accessories, armor and weapons that decrease them.
52	* NoticeThis: Barrels and crates in exploration areas will sparkle, denoting that players can search them for gold, loot and/or materials. This also applies to books and parchment scattered in the environment regarding lore entries.
53	* OverlyLongFightingAnimation: Each of the Burst animations; they cannot be skipped at all. Thankfully, they don't last more than a few seconds each.
54	* PintsizedPowerhouse: Gully's gauntlets give her the ability to beat the hell out of enemies well over twice her size.
55	* PreexistingEncounters: Enemies appear on the overworld map, situated at designated locations; players can either engage them or not as they see fit. Meanwhile, enemies in dungeons will move around and directly confront the party if detected.
56	* ResourcesManagementGameplay: {{Zigzagged}} with "Overcharge" - party members earn Overcharge by performing actions, which increases the {{Mana}} gauge beyond its maximum threshold. The more powerful "abilities", on the other hand, consume Overcharge first before using the character's mana. However, Overcharge does not carry over into subsequent battles (unless the current battle involves more than a wave of enemies), thus players are encouraged to use abilities as much as they can when they have enough Overcharge. Complicating this is that a few characters have abilities that allow a portion of Overcharge to persist between combats, or provide bonuses for using it instead of standard mana.
57	** Additionally, the standard version of this trope is in effect. Calibretto is the only character who can heal outside of combat with no strings attached, while Alumon can heal a bit if he hits an enemy with one of his dungeon abilities. Other than that, the party must rely on healing items to remove debuffs and heal HP while in a dungeon.
58	* SaveGameLimits: There is only one save file per playthrough.
59	* SequelHook: [[spoiler:When the game ends C'drall has been defeated, but Verus is still at large, and the party acknowledge that he must be defeated next. Roll credits!]]
60	* ShoutOut
61	** Completing battle with Garrison in the party and he might say "[[Film/ReturnOfTheJedi You were unwise to lower your defenses]]".
62	** Fighting the bandit messenger early in the game as he recites dialogue from ''Film/ANewHope'' where the disfigured cantina patron threatens Luke.
63	** Pre-combat dialogue for Lycelots might include "We shall rend and tear", a reference to the {{memetic\|mutation}} CatchPhrase "[[ComicBook/{{Doom}} rip and tear]]".
64	** A caged bandit in the Path of Fangs offers to open a chest in exchange for freeing him, stating "Lycelots hate it when you do this one simple trick," a reference to the "Trainers Hate Him" meme of the 2010's, as well as [[ClickbaitGag click bait]] in general.
65	** Before fighting the Sludge Mound under the Harm's Way inn, it will taunt the party by saying "What impudence! Humans, you shall face your trial by the gods!", a better-translated version of one of Gal Agiese's taunts from ''VideoGame/MagicianLord''.
66	* SkillScoresAndPerks: Party members have access to two individual skill trees where players can spend points to unlock perks providing passive stat bonuses or give actions and abilities additional effects. Spending enough points on one tree will unlock "masteries", granting that character more bonuses. Additionally, perks can be unselected on skill trees, allowing players to mix-and-match however they please without the need to "[[SkillPointReset respec]]" perk points.
67	* StatusEffects:
68	** [[DamageIncreasingDebuff Arcane Sickness]]: Target takes more magic damage.
69	** Bleed: Affected target loses {{Hit Point}}s at the beginning (or sometimes end) of its turn; additional Bleed can stack for more damage.
70	** Chill: Lower target's Haste rating; can stack for additional effects.
71	** Curse: Affected target is dealt damage at the start of its turn; can stack for additional damage. Occasionally has additional effects such as massive damage at the end of a set number of turns.
72	** Ignite: Affected target is dealt fire damage at the start of its turn; can stack for additional damage.
73	** [[UniversalPoison Poison]]: Affected target is dealt poison damage at the start of its turn; can stack for additional damage.
74	** Stun: Target loses their next spot on the turn order; [[ObviousRulePatch they cannot be stunned for three more turns]].
75	** [[DrawAggro Taunt]]: Forces a certain number of attacks to focus on the caster.
76	** [[DamageIncreasingDebuff Sunder]]: Lowers physical defense.
77	* StatusBuff:
78	** Attack Up: Has a bonus to damage.
79	** Counter: The next attack (from a limited choice pool) has a huge bonus to damage.
80	** Evade: Increases the Evade (miss) chance of attacks.
81	** Haste: Increases how often a character gets their turn.
82	** Shield: Negates a certain amount of damage to the character.
83	** Stealth: Cannot be targeted by single-target attacks while in stealth.
84	* SuckinessIsPainful: The ultimate LimitBreak of the skeleton [[CulturedBadass W.K. Killington]] is to launch into a long, long, and wandering speech about the nature of violence. All of the player characters start CatchingSomeZs while repeatedly suffering heavy damage while the boss is talking. An unprepared party or player can experience a TotalPartyKill before the speech is finished.
85	* TurnBasedCombat: Unlike the majority of {{Role Playing Game}}s, ''Nightwar'' displays the turn order of the next party member or enemy, allowing players to plan ahead on what to do next.
86	* YouDoNOTWantToKnow: When the party find Knolan:
87	--> '''Gully:''' Knolan! You're safe, but you were in a barrel! Do we want to know?
88	--> '''Knolan:''' Nope. You don't.

Context VideoGame / BattleChasersNightwar