However, what the professor doesn't see fit to mention is that he's only recruiting them out of necessity, or what he sees as necessity, for the ruins are heavily booby-trapped, and his presence there isn't strictly approved by the WHC or SCA. Unwilling to risk waiting for the rest of his team, he brings Ayuto and the rest of the tour group into the fold as unwitting meat shields. And as they venture through the ruins, they find that they may not be the only ones there...
The game was made in RPG Maker Dante 98 II, and won a game-making contest held by the Japanese group ASCII. In 2014, a Fan Translation was released by Memories of Fear
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A remake was announced in 2020.
This Survival Horror RPG contains examples of:
- 11th-Hour Superpower: During the climax, Kyosuke is deemed worthy of succeeding Pharaoh Khufu. This proves handy when he's subsequently able to part the waters long enough for them to run through the riverbed.
- Adventurer Archaeologist: Professor Tsuchida is an older variety, who freely admits he's not as nimble as he used to be. He is also much more unpleasant and unscrupulous than the usual example, being willing to let anyone else get killed in his place while he explores the ruins.
- All Crimes Are Equal: As far as the force behind the ruins is concerned, all crimes are equally worthy of being punished by death.
- All Just a Dream:
- Early on, Ayuto wonders whether he's dreaming some of the surreal events that he's experiencing in the ruins, particularly being strangled by a mummy. He gets a harsh reality check when Rin pushes him down some stairs, noting that "dreams aren't usually this painful."
- This line of thought continues if other members of the tourist group get killed, with Ayuto repeatedly questioning reality and reminding himself that this is not a dream. When Nei Ichikawa's life is on the line, he psyches himself up by asserting that he can't entertain the notion that things aren't real anymore. Tragically, should she die, he backslides as part of his Heroic BSoD.
- Kyosuke also engages in this, especially if Yoko gets killed, asking Ayuto directly to tell him that this is all some kind of nightmare.
- Ambition Is Evil: Professor Tsuchida already has quite the impressive reputation among scholars. The problem is that he's not content with what he already has and is always striving for more. His assistant Dr. Kuroe is noted to have the same problem, losing sight of the bigger picture in his pursuit of personal success.
- Later flipped on its ear with the revelation that Tsuchida really just wants Kuroe to suffer, blaming him for not saving his daughter after she was shot. More specifically, he blames Kuroe's ambition for this — Kuroe, having just finished his medical training but not yet having gotten his medical license, didn't want to risk getting barred from practicing medicine in the future by attempting a risky surgery.
- Anyone Can Die: You start with 11 living members. Fail to tackle the challenges ahead of you properly and you'll see that number get whittled down quite quickly — it can go as low as only two.
- Arbitrary Headcount Limit: Normally, you can only travel with one other party member at a time. (This is justified In-Universe by the Professor refusing to let too many others accompany you.) Before the Final Boss, you can pick up to four others to fight alongside you — assuming, of course, that many have survived that far.
- Asshole Victim: By the time Mizumi's number comes up, the player may be hard-pressed to find much reason to try and save an admitted Serial Rapist.
- Attempted Rape: Mizumi just can't keep it in his pants, and has to immediately try and act upon the Blackmail material he stumbled across. He also attempts this on the figure that appears to judge him, simply because it appears as a woman.
- Bad Boss: Professor Tsuchida gets a man killed trying to make his way into the ruins, and is more concerned about getting his research done before the SCA learns about his discovery. He treats the tour group no better. Eventually it's revealed that he intended to work Kuroe to the bone as punishment for not saving his daughter, but upgraded that to trying to get him judged and killed by Khufu.
- Batter Up!: At Level 7, Kyosuke can start using a Baseball Bat to inflict considerable damage, with a chance of instantly killing his target.
- Beware the Superman: After Kyosuke was blessed as the new Pharaoh, the gang kept the hotel curtains closed in fear of what would happen if he wakes up and gets into a panicked frenzy and ends up using his newfounded supernatural powers.
- Big Bad Ensemble: Professor Tetsuya Tsuchida is the one who dragged the tourist group into exploring the ruins to use them as meat shields so he can discover the tomb's secrets (and also get Koji killed to avenge his daughter whom Koji refused to save), making him partially responsible for the danger that occurs. However, the Final Boss behind the traps and spiritual happenings is the powerful, psychic Pharaoh Khufu, who lives eternally in the tomb and has gone insane from the isolation, now wanting only a successor.
- Bratty Half-Pint: Rin Tsukihara, who's the youngest member of the tourist group at just nine years old, and delights in messing with Ayuto.
- Brought Down to Normal: In the epilogue, Kyosuke observes that the powers he was given appear to have gone away after the destruction of the underground ruins, since the energy used to fuel the power probably only exists inside there.
- But Thou Must!: When Professor Tsuchida asks Ayuto if he'd like to become their official surveyor, you can say "No." He just pretends not to hear you, claiming to have wax in his ears, before repeating the question.
- Came Back Wrong: Any party members you fail to save will reanimate as crazed undead and attack you during your escape from the ruins at the end of the game. Ayuto later theorizes that Kyosuke caused this to happen with his powers because it's the sort of thing you'd expect to happen in an insane horror movie scenario.
- Can't Get Away with Nuthin': Due to the ruins judging any and all crimes harshly, but the big standout here is Yoko, who stole her pendant from a department store back in Japan. Her guilt over this and fear of being judged attracts the attention of Anubis, which can lead to her brutal demise.
- Cellphones Are Useless: Ayuto has a cellphone that's pretty much worthless in the temple...except for one moment when Nei is trapped in one of six sarcophagi and you can call her phone to find her.
- Change the Uncomfortable Subject: Professor Tsuchida tends to do this whenever Dr. Kuroe reminds him that they're not officially sanctioned by the SCA or otherwise questions his Skewed Priorities.
- Children Are Innocent: Discussed; Professor Tsuchida states that according to Egyptian beliefs, children were seen as "tabula rasa", or blank slates free of sin. Ayuto counters that Rin proves otherwise.
- Choice-and-Consequence System: The game doesn't quite offer Multiple Endings, but a wide variety of branches based upon who is and isn't saved along the way.
- Commonality Connection: One of the reasons why Nei is so willing to forgive Rin's bratty behavior is because she also used to be a "little fibber" back when she was her age.
- Crazy Jealous Guy: Kyosuke is rather overprotective of "Yoyo", getting angry whenever Ayuto seems to be getting too close for his liking to her.
- Cruel and Unusual Death: The potential deaths of the teammates.
- One of the most horrifying deaths is the potential fate of Rin Tsukihara, who gets thrust through a wall and crushed against another by a statue, bleeding out before anyone can help.
- Failing to grab Yoko's pendant will result in Anubis viciously mauling them to death, and you're Forced to Watch.
- Cruel to Be Kind: You have the option to steal Saori's photograph. This is necessary to ensure her survival. Just make sure to never give it back until the game forces you to.
- Crutch Character: Zig-Zagged with Kyosuke. While potentially a very useful party member, he cannot help fight against the Final Boss, due to the whole 'being electrocuted by them at the time' thing. However, he automatically joins you for the final escape sequence.
- Crying Wolf: Rin is a little liar that loves pulling nasty pranks. Naturally, she eventually pulls out a Cassandra Truth; if Ayuto doesn't believe her, she ends up dying for it.
- Dark Secret: Several of your fellow explorers have one, which is problematic since they are inside a temple that likes to lay down harsh judgments. For example, Miss Otogi is a drug dealer who uses her tour guide job as a cover, while Mizumi is a Serial Rapist.
- Death by Irony: Some of the skills characters can learn are related to the manner of their potential deaths. For instance, one of your allies can weaponize their farts; naturally, they can end up succumbing to Deadly Gas themselves.
- Death Glare: Saori is good enough at this that she has 'Cold Stare' as a basic move, which uses no AP and can frighten opponents.
- Death of a Child: Rin, the elementary schooler, is not only fully capable of dying, but first on the chopping block.
- Declaration of Protection: Ayuto makes one to Yoko when she expresses her fears of being judged, much to Kyosuke's displeasure.
- Defrosting Ice Queen: Averted by Saori; even if they survive, they never warm up to Ayuto. Most likely because he prevents her suicide by stealing her Tragic Keepsake and keeping it away from her for their entire expedition. She does thank him for an instant before leaving, though.
- Despair Event Horizon: Saori is reduced to a cold and bitter Jerkass after losing her boyfriend, and is the only one to die being Driven to Suicide instead of any of the traps.
- Developer's Foresight: While Ayuto is barred from going back to the atrium while the gang is in front of the temple in preparation of battling Khufu, there are still random enemy encounters inside the temple in case the team is underleveled.
- Didn't See That Coming: Professor Tsuchida's plans unravel — and he completely flips out — when the group finds Pharoah Khufu's throne room. He expects Kuroe to be struck down where he stands for the weight of his sin, and seeing the doctor approach the throne with nothing happening makes him freak out and take matters into his own hands.
- Didn't Think This Through: In an early part of the game, when on a ship, it starts sinking due to the load that all the tourists are putting on it. In order to progress, Ayuto has to push a mummy off board, believing that it will lighten the load... only for Tsuchida to inform him that mummies weigh almost nothing due to them being hollowed out, and the boat is still sinking.
- Disproportionate Retribution: The forces residing within the pyramid aim to judge the intruders, and will judge them harshly, killing off those you aren't able to save. All sins are equal here, so the little girl who lies to get attention is just as vulnerable as the rapist and the murderer.
- Driven to Suicide: One of your fellow tourists will attempt suicide twice. The first time is automatically prevented, but the second will succeed if you don't intervene. At the end, Ayuto theorizes the ruins would have left her alone, and she only died because she killed herself. If you prevent her second attempt by stealing her photo, she'll ask for it back later. Give it back, and she'll make a third suicide attempt while you're escaping the ruins — and this time, she'll succeed.
- Dwindling Party: How much it dwindles hinges upon how good you are at preventing the various judgments from claiming victims.
- Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep": Ayuto and his friends don't know Mizumi and never bother to learn his name, only ever referring to him as "that tall guy".
- Everyone Can See It: Even Ayuto is well aware of Kyosuke's crush on Yoko. However, that's also a factor in his ignorance of her feelings, coupled with Nei advising her to take the subtle approach with him.
- Face Death with Dignity: Crushed by falling pillars because he shot Kuroe in front of Pharoah Khufu, Tsuchida accepts his death as a fair price for vengeance and uses his last breath to advise Ayuto to not end up like himself.
- Failed a Spot Check: Played for Laughs when Sae muses about how she isn't sure whether or not Rin was always part of their tour group, startling Ayuto... after all, the tour guide would normally know these sort of things. Also factors into several of the potential deaths, with Ayuto and others not noticing critical details until it's too late.
- Failure-to-Save Murder:
- Ayuto can fall into this mentality, blaming himself for his inability to prevent some of the other tourists' deaths.
- Dr. Kuroe reacts somewhat similarly, lamenting how his skills as a surgeon don't allow him to defy death. Should Saori die, Professor Tsuchida asks him outright how he feels about his helplessness, describing how the victim must have suffered in their final moments.
- This also comes into play during the climax, when Tsuchida reveals how much he despises Kuroe for failing to save his daughter after she was shot one year earlier. Tsuchida is convinced that Kuroe possessed the medical skills necessary, but refused to use them because he hadn't gotten his license yet.
- Fate Worse than Death: Discussed regarding what happened to Pharoah Khufu, who spent thousands of years kept alive deep within the underground ruins — holding incredible powers, but completely alone. Kyosuke suggests that he wanted to die, and that Ayuto finishing him off was a Mercy Kill.
- Foil:
- Compared to Professor Tsuchida, Dr. Kuroe is much more reasonably concerned about the ethics of getting the tourist group involved with their exploration. That said, he's also more focused upon the prospect of personal profit than the professor, repeatedly remarking upon how much money they could make from the treasures within the ruins. Dr. Kuroe is also more superstitious than his superior, repeatedly expressing concerns about being cursed, something that Tsuchida lords over him... but ironically, Tsuchida is ultimately much more invested in the prospect of the curse.
- Kyosuke is much brasher and blunter than Ayuto, quicker to anger and make threats. Aside from this, however, the two are cut from the same cloth, with both comparing their adventure to video games and various other media. More direct parallels between them are drawn if Yoko and/or Nei perish.
- Nei and Yoko make a Tomboy and Girly Girl pair, with Nei willing to join Ayuto on his explorations right from the start while Yoko is much more reluctant. Yoko also has a harder time voicing her concerns about their trip, while Nei is much more willing to call the professor out directly right from the start.
- Forced to Watch: A couple of deaths occur right in front of Ayuto, with the player having precious little time to react. In the case of poor little Rin, there's nothing the player can do after the trap activates, beyond watching their last gasps of life.
- Foreshadowing:
- Taking Kyosuke along early on prompts him to remark on how the mummy on the boat looks like it could come to life, prompting Ayuto to angrily berate him. This foreshadows many things, including how Kyosuke's belief is unintentionally responsible for bringing anyone who died during the expedition back to life during the escape sequence.
- Early on, talking to the rest of the tourists after Rin starts acting up yields a comment from Mizumi that it's "a shame she's too young." This hints at his predatory nature.
- If Saori dies, Professor Tsuchida takes the opportunity to taunt Kuroe over their reaction, taking special pleasure in twisting the knife. This foreshadows how he blames Kuroe for failing to save Shizumi in the past.
- Glass Cannon: Rin is one of the frailest party members physically, and doesn't have much AP to work with, but has some powerful special moves revolving around her throwing temper tantrums that can confuse the enemy.
- Going for the Big Scoop: Downplayed with Mizumi; while he doesn't rush headlong into danger, he's more than happy to accompany the group despite how perilous the ruins are because it gives him a chance to get some exclusive pictures and potentially be the first to break the story. Ironically, it turns out there's something else that he's even more willing to risk his life for.
- Go Mad from the Isolation: Pharaoh Khufu, as a result of being stuck guarding the ruins with his eternal life, has been reduced to near-catatonic insanity by the time the main characters find him.
- Half the Man He Used to Be:
- If you fail to find Nei after she disappears, an earthquake will occur offscreen, and sometime later during your escape you'll find her body torn in half from the waist down hanging from a collapsing staircase. Said body will then reanimate and attack you.
- A similar fate befalls Sae's corpse, which claws its way towards you during the escape sequence.
- Heroic BSoD: Ayuto doesn't cope well with anyone dying, but is particularly hit hard if Rin, Yoko, or especially Nei bite it.
- Hesitation Equals Dishonesty: Seen several times, with the most notable coming after the potential demise of the unfortunate Yoko. The professor abruptly claims that they're still alive, with Dr. Kuroe stammering a bit before affirming anything.
- Hidden Disdain Reveal: During the climax, Professor Tsuchida reveals that he's despised Dr. Kuroe ever since he failed to save Shizumi one year ago.
- Hoist by His Own Petard:
- Downplayed with Soji Mizumi. If the player saves them, then has them join Ayuto in exploring the ruins, Ayuto reflects upon how his companion is desperate to ensure that nobody else learns what an utter bastard they are. In other words, Mizumi, who blackmails others into having sex with him, finds himself facing the prospect of Ayuto blackmailing him.
- In the end, Tsuchida brings about his own demise when he shoots Kuroe, as he's promptly judged for being a murderer. Making this even more fittingly ironic is that this could have been preventable had they simply not acted when Anubis was about to kill Kuroe for his attempted theft. In other words, Tsuchida wanted to see Kuroe judged for failing to save Shizumi, and could have gotten just what he wanted by not saving Kuroe.
- Hope Spot: Can happen multiple times while you're escaping the ruins.
- If you initially failed to save Miss Otogi, Nei, or Yoko, the game will make you think that they have miraculously survived. They haven't.
- Normally, if you prevented someone's death before the escape sequence, their survival will be assured. Not Saori. If you give her photo back to her after passing the treasure room, she will die during the final sequence.
- Hot Guys Are Bastards: Mizumi shows his stripes when he immediately attempts to Blackmail one of the other explorers into letting him assault her. Just in case that's not slimy enough, he has a whole mini-speech about how this isn't the first time he has blackmailed his way into rape.
- Ignored Epiphany:
- Played With; if you ignore Rin's Cassandra Truth, she briefly wonders if it's because she likes "making up stories" before angrily rejecting that idea, declaring that everybody just hates her for no reason. But she then circles right back around to questioning whether her lying is responsible before the death trap that claims her life activates.
- Played painfully straight with Soji Mizumi if you save them from their judgment. While discussing what happened, they let slip that they pinned down and attempted to assault the sand woman. Following a Beat of shared silence, they then awkwardly ask Ayuto whether or not the sand woman was still naked when she attacked him, leaving him disgusted by their Skewed Priorities and utter lack of shame.
- I Have You Now, My Pretty: Mizumi attempts this on Otogi via Blackmail, gloating about having done so before.
- In-Series Nickname: Kyosuke regularly refers to Yoko as "Yoyo".
- Ironic Echo: During one of Professor Tsuchida's self-important gloating sessions over what they've discovered in the ruins, Dr. Kuroe reminds him that they're still not sanctioned by the SCA and will likely get in serious trouble when their actions are discovered. The professor makes sure to remind him of this after they find an overflowing treasure chamber, clearly taking pleasure in throwing his own words back in his face.
- I Want My Mommy!: Gender inverted; Rin, at some points during the exploration of the dangerous ruins, will say that she wants her daddy to comfort her.
- Jumped at the Call: Ayuto is a Downplayed example; when Professor Tsuchida picks him to head into the ruins first, he's a bit confused, and complains about having nothing but a flashlight on hand... but soon starts to get excited, later telling Nei that he feels a lot like Indiana Jones.
- Karma Houdini: If you save him, Mizumi ends up receiving no onscreen punishment for being a Serial Rapist. While he never gets the big scoop he wanted and is left begging to go back to the ruins, he is never apprehended for his crimes.
- Kill the Cutie: Fully possible. Of particular note is how poor Yoko can have her throat torn out by Anubis.
- Lack of Empathy: Professor Tsuchida generally doesn't bother with any sort of niceties; even when people die, he only offers comforting words when he thinks it will help drive them further forward. What's worse, he finds the various judgments more interesting than anything else.
- Laser-Guided Karma: Provided that Soji Mizumi doesn't get killed by his judgment, he still gets this in the end: he forgot to take any pictures of Pharaoh Khufu, and is left begging Ayuto to join him in another trip to the ruins. Naturally, Ayuto's having none of it.
- Load-Bearing Boss: Defeating the Final Boss, Pharaoh Khufu, causes the Ruins to start caving in, forcing Ayuto and any other survivors to race for the exit. Subverted, however, when it turns out that Kyousuke merely thought Khufu was this — and since he inherited his psychic powers, he nearly sunk the pyramid by thinking that it would sink.
- Love Dodecahedron: Between Ayuto and his friends, with some angles, like Kyosuke's crush on 'Yoyo', more obvious than others. Ayuto is, naturally, unaware of the details at first.
- Magic Music: Nei can use various styles of music to buff the whole party. Hip-Hop boosts Intelligence and Agility; Rock boosts Strength and Intelligence; Classical music outright heals the party and boosts their Intelligence.
- Manipulative Bastard: While Professor Tsuchida rather obviously doesn't care about the safety of his raw recruits, he is fully capable of exploiting the emotions of those around him to point them towards furthering his ends.
- Marry Them All: After observing the Love Dodecahedron in action, Professor Tsuchida teases Ayuto by casually mentioning how the wealthy in Egypt practiced polygyny.
- The Medic: Dr. Kuroe serves this role. While he can't accompany Ayuto as a party member, he can treat everyone's wounds and revive anyone who's fainted (though it's then best to talk to him again so he can restore their HP and AP afterwards). Out of all your potential party members, only Nei can learn a healing move; all other healing comes from First Aid Sprays and Chewing Gum (the latter of which only Ayuto benefits from, and only works outside of battle).
- Men Are the Expendable Gender: Inverted; in the worst possible route, the only two survivors are Ayuto and Kyousuke. None of the girls have Plot Armor.
- Mercy Kill: Kyousuke tells Ayuto that this is what his killing of Pharaoh Khufu boils down to — he had gone insane from the years of isolation, so killing him allowed him to pass on.
- Mistaken for Pedophile: One of Rin's pranks has her asking Ayuto to help her out, then screaming that he's trying to molest her the moment he touches her. Nei falls for it.
- Mister Exposition: Professor Tsuchida offers various explanations about Egyptian history and culture, often related to the potential judgments.
- Modular Epilogue: Upon reaching the end of the game, each of the survivors either comes by to visit Ayuto's hotel room or otherwise pulls him aside for a chat.
- More Hateable Minor Villain: Both members of the Big Bad Ensemble, Professor Tsuchida and Pharaoh Khufu, have sympathetic reasons for their evil acts. Meanwhile, Soji Mizumi's personality and backstory comes across as a "how to make players question their desire to save everyone who can be saved" checklist. He initially seems to be a simple photojournalist who is only concerned with getting a big story from the tourist expedition into the ruins, but is, in fact, a Serial Rapist who tries to blackmail Sae Otogi, the tour guide, into having sex with him by threatening to expose her drug dealing, bragging that he's done so with many women in the past. If he doesn't get himself killed as a direct result of his sexually predatory nature, he is never punished for his crimes.
- More Insulting than Intended: After being tricked by Rin too many times, Ayuto gives her the silent treatment, refusing to acknowledge her existence. Doing this hits a raw nerve for her, as Rin hates being ignored, due to how she feels neglected by her hard-working father.
- Motivational Lie:
- Should poor Yoko get killed, Professor Tsuchida tries to convince the other survivors that they're still alive, discouraging them from checking on the victim by appealing to their sense of propriety and claiming she wouldn't want them gawking at her mauled face. He does this mainly to ensure that Ayuto and the others are willing to keep going.
- Along similar lines, if Nei Ichikawa dies, Tsuchida invokes Never Found the Body to convince the survivors that they might have simply gone ahead and be found deeper in the ruins.
- Motive Rant: Near the climax, Professor Tsuchida reveals that he was deliberately hoping to get Kuroe killed by Khufu's judgment, and explains why he wanted his assistant dead so badly.
- Nepharious Pharaoh: Downplayed with Pharaoh Khufu. He is the Final Boss and one of the main antagonists, being the one who passes the judgements and controls the dangerous traps in the ruins, but only because he lost his sanity as a result of his eternal stay in the ruins.
- Nominal Importance: The miner that Professor Tsuchida and Kuroe hired at the start of the game has no name, and quickly meets a grisly end illustrating the dangers of the ruins.
- Not Quite Saved Enough: Normally, preventing a character's death guarantees that they'll survive the escape from the ruins. In Saori's case, however, giving back her photo too early will cause her to take the first opportunity she gets to kill herself.
- Not Quite the Right Thing:
- When the boat they're taking across the underground river starts sinking, Ayuto responds by trying to reduce weight by shoving the mummy overboard. Afterwards, the professor chides him, pointing out how the item he chucked wasn't heavy enough to make a difference, and that he merely 'invoked the mummy's wrath'. He was right on the mummy's wrath being invoked.
- In order to prevent Saori's suicide, you have to steal the picture she's looking at, then refuse to return it. This can trip up unwary players, especially when she demands it back after the treasure room. Since that occurs after her usual demise, they may wrongly assume that it's safe to give the picture back, only for that to come back to haunt them during the escape sequence.
- While trying to save Sae Otogi, simply attacking the Restrainer won't work. You need to prop up the ceiling first.
- Similarly, Anubis is a Puzzle Boss — fighting it won't let you save Yoko from getting her throat ripped out. You need to have Ayuto take the necklace from her.
- Not-So-Well-Intentioned Extremist: Professor Tsuchida's true motives: punishing Kuroe for failing to save his daughter. Originally, by his own admission, he planned to simply work him to the bone… but sees the ruins as an opportunity to subject him to an even worse fate. The tour group gets roped into his plan purely as Cannon Fodder; he sees their potential deaths as little more than a way to torture Kuroe even further before meeting his fate.
- Oblivious Guilt Slinging: After briefly contemplating whether or not to swipe some treasure, Kyosuke talks himself out of it, reasoning that he doesn't want to look uncool in front of Yoyo. His remarks about the situation unintentionally make her much more uncomfortable, as they remind her of her shoplifting experience.
- Obliviously Superpowered: Near the end of the game, Kyosuke gains the power to shape reality via thoughts, which causes a few additional problems. The character is completely unaware that they even obtained powers in the first place until they're asked to levitate a hat and promptly does so.
- Off with His Head!:
- The fate of the miner whom Professor Tsuchida initially hired to help him get into the ruins, via Razor Wire.
- Several of the monsters you fight in the ruins also lose their heads upon death. Others simply have the light in their eyes go out.
- Only Sane Man: Downplayed; Sae Otogi is simply the most vocal with her complaints and attempts to maintain/regain control of her tour group. Professor Tsuchida treats her harshly for this, acting as if The Complainer Is Always Wrong and getting... very personal in his attacks quite quickly.
- Opportunistic Bastard:
- The very fact that Professor Tsuchida went out and picked up the first group of tourists he could talk into coming along, just so he could use them as meat shields, cements him as one.
- Then there's Mizumi, who takes the time to gloat about how he exploits others' Moments of Weakness to his own ends.
- Outliving One's Offspring:
- It is easily possible to get Rin killed, which means that poor Mr. Tsukihara ends up outliving his daughter.
- Near the end of the game, it's revealed that Tsuchida witnessed his daughter getting shot and was unable to get her help in time, watching her succumb to her injuries before his eyes.
- Peninsula of Power Leveling: The Valley Temple, but only after Nei is either rescued or let killed, which has Geckos that grant 100 EXP on defeat. You'll really need them for the next part ahead, and Dr. Kuroe is just outside to provide free healing, though you might end up using a few First Aid Sprays just to survive the first few battles.
- Permadeath: There will inevitably be situations in which another party member is put in danger and you have to go out of your way to save them. Fail to do so, and they will die, thus being unselectable for the rest of the game.
- Please Wake Up: Ayuto occasionally reacts this way when others are killed, such as with poor little Rin.Ayuto: I'm so sorry. I admit it, I was wrong... Please, open your eyes... Come on, please...
- Plotline Death: No matter how well you play, it's impossible to prevent Tsuchida or Kuroe's deaths. The miner in the prologue is also doomed.
- Purposely Overpowered: Soji Mizumi is perhaps the strongest teammate you can recruit — he has high stats, two skills that inflict helpful status effects, and a third that can potentially One-Hit Kill. The downside is that Mizumi is a massive asshole.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Professor Tsuchida delivers several of these, making no secret of how much he looks down upon those of 'lesser' intellects.
- Remembered Too Late: It's possible for the troop to accidentally leave Mitsuru behind. By the time the others realize this, it's too late to change their fate.
- The Runaway: Rin, a nine-year old girl, lies her way into accompanying a tour group without her parents present, so they are completely unaware of where she is, much less that she's delving into an unexplored ruin filled with deadly traps. And if you aren't careful, she suffers one of the most brutal deaths in the game.
- Sacrificial Lamb: The unnamed miner is the first victim of the Pharaoh's traps while busting into the sealed door, and it doubles as an Establishing Character Moment for the ruins' nature of having unexpected deadly traps.
- Secret Test of Character: Discussed; it's suggested that Pharoah Khufu was trying to see whether any of the explorers was worthy of passing his pyramid-enhanced psychic powers on to, and attempting to viciously eliminate anyone who didn't qualify.
- Seven Deadly Sins: The punishments are triggered by displays of these:
- Envy is covered by Nei Ichikawa, who gets jealous when Yoko freaks out and turns to Ayuto for comfort. Kyosuke gets upset as well, but is able to keep himself under control and thus doesn't trigger Khufu's judgement.
- Greed is shown by Kuroe, who tries to steal some treasure only to be attacked by an Anubis statue... and also Yoko, who stole her pendant from a department store, and is the one who actually gets killed by the Anubis statue.
- Lust is obviously displayed by the Serial Rapist Mizumi, who attempts to force himself onto Sae and a sand monster that took a female form to lure him in and kill him. He also makes a comment in passing early on about how Rin is 'a bit too young'.
- Gluttony is shown by Sae, who deals drugs, short-term pleasure, for the sake of funding her own comfort.
- Pride is one of Professor Tsuchida's most glaring flaws, as he goes on about how great he is and how everyone should respect his work, and is willing to get innocents killed to advance his reputation. However, it is Rin who is killed by this — after repeatedly lying and pranking Ayuto, she actually tells the truth and acts surprised when Ayuto ignores her, instead of apologizing to him and admitting her wrongdoing.
- Wrath proves to be the true downfall of Professor Tsuchida, when he's outraged at how Khufu isn't striking Kuroe down on sight and takes matters into his own hands — earning him a punishment from Khufu himself.
- Sloth is represented by the unmotivated and generally apathetic Mitsuru, who runs the risk of taking a deadly nap when left behind.
- The eighth sin, Despair, comes into play with Saori, who's become self-destructive after losing her lover, and is the only one to kill herself rather than be killed by a trap.
- Shipper with an Agenda: Downplayed with Nei, who encouraged Yoko to "take a more subtle approach" with Ayuto in hopes that his obliviousness to her feelings would eventually spur her to take comfort in Kyosuke.
- Shout-Out:
- Many of the lines Ayuto can randomly yell with the Shout command are references to Visual Kei, like GACKT, Malice Mizer, L'arc-en-Ciel, and La'cryma Christi.
- Ayuto name-drops Indiana Jones while trying to convince Nei that he'll be fine scouting ahead of the others.
- On the boat, after the little kid pretends Ayuto is a pervert after crying for his help, getting him slapped by Nei as a result of it, Ayuto goes to the edge of the boat and vents, "BREAST FIRE!!!!!" This gets him the Shout command.
- Skewed Priorities:
- Mitsuru is incredibly unmotivated and spends a lot of time resting, to the point that several other tourists question why he decided to sign up for the tour in the first place.
- Soji Mizumi cares about sating their own sick desires above all else, to the point that they take Sae aside with the intent of raping her and attempt to assault the mysterious figure they spot in the ruins.
- Smug Snake: Professor Tsuchida and Soji Mizumi. The former recruits a group of tourists as Unwitting Pawns and meat shields, boasting about his various accomplishments; the latter casually brags about being a Serial Rapist, assumes that all women want to sleep with him, and learns absolutely nothing from the whole ordeal.
- Super-Scream: Downplayed, as while not super-powered, Ayuto can Shout random lines or call for help. Yoko can also inflict confusion on enemies by screaming.
- Tagalong Kid: Rin, who has the added level of not being related to any of the other tourists, having lied her way into joining the group.
- Tap on the Head: Ayuto ends up needing to do this to Kyosuke in order to keep his imagination from making his Khufu-granted psychic powers from bringing down the ruins on them during the escape.
- Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: Between Professor Tsuchida and Dr. Kuroe as they proceed deeper into the ruins. Kuroe often fights with Tsuchida because of his willingness to endanger the tourists, while Tsuchida continues endangering them so he can discover the secrets of the tomb and kill Kuroe, whom he's loathed ever since an incident one year before.
- These Hands Have Killed: Causes a Heroic BSoD when Ayuto realizes he can feel Khufu's lukewarm blood on his hands, indicating the Pharoah was a living human and not some sort of undead mummy.
- This Is Reality: Ayuto Lampshades some of the game's tropes, such as noting how he almost expects to hear background music when first entering the ruins and complaining about how Collapsing Lairs are more like something you'd see on the silver screen.
- Token Evil Teammate: Most of the tour group are decent, if flawed people, and even Professor Tsuchida and Dr. Kuroe (the ones responsible for roping them up in this mess to begin with) have their own sympathetic qualities. The same cannot be said for Soji Mizumi, though; he begins the game as a sleazy journalist only in it for the fame of discovering Khufu's tomb, not giving a damn about the safety of his fellow tourists, and eventually reveals his true colors as a vile and unapologetic prolific sexual predator.
- Toxic Friend Influence: Alluded to in passing; Yoko knew that two of her friends had shoplifted before, and was tempted to try it herself. She regrets it.
- Tragic Keepsake: A photograph belonging to Saori, showing her boyfriend Takeshi. Ironically enough, this factors into preventing her death... via Ayuto stealing it from her and refusing to give it back until they're out of the ruins.
- Unwitting Instigator of Doom:
- Ayuto giving Rin the silent treatment spurs her to run off, which can lead to disaster if the player isn't careful.
- Yoko's fears about potentially being judged — and turning to Ayuto for comfort and reassurance — unintentionally put both Nei and herself on the chopping block. Said fears are just as inadvertantly triggered by Kyosuke.
- Unwitting Pawn: The whole tour group, in Professor Tsuchida's eyes, is nothing more than an expendable group of meat shields to get killed by the traps while he passes on safely. He also views Dr. Kuroe this way, manipulating him into his doom.
- Vertical Kidnapping: In order to save Mizumi, you need to figure out the right place to look up after his disappearance. The statues hold the key here.
- Very Loosely Based on a True Story: Downplayed. The game refers to the Luxor Massacre, a Real Life tragedy that unfolded in 1997, one year before the game was created/the story was set. Ten Japanese were among the victims: nine tourists and a tour guide. In Peret em Heru's version of events, Tsuchida was visiting Egypt with several of his students, including his daughter Shizumi and assistant Kuroe, with her ending up as one of the victims. He blames Kuroe for not being able to save her, and gets the tour group involved in his attempt to get Kuroe judged and killed by Pharoah Khufu.
- Video Game Cruelty Potential: You could figure out how to save everybody, but there's nothing actually stopping you from moving right along.
- Video Game Cruelty Punishment: Any deaths you allowed to happen come back to haunt you later on, when you have to fight your way past their reanimated corpses.
- Villainous Breakdown: Professor Tsuchida completely loses his shit when he sees Kuroe standing in front of Pharaoh Khufu without being struck down where he stands.
- Villain Respect: Over the course of the adventure, Professor Tsuchida gradually warms up towards Ayuto, and spends his last moments entreating him to be careful that he doesn't turn out the same as him.
- What the Hell, Hero?:
- Kuroe keeps attempting to call out Professor Tsuchida on his decisions, such as ordering him to hide the miner's dead body or recruiting a group of tourists as 'ideal candidates' for bypassing any further traps. Tsuchida blows him off every time, until he ultimately murders Kuroe outright.
- Similarly, Sae repeatedly questions Professor Tsuchida, chewing him out for putting her group in danger, only for him to keep dismissing her concerns.
- Nei yells at Ayuto when Rin tricks her into thinking he was molesting her, furiously asking if he's really into that sort of thing. Even after the misunderstanding is cleared up, she scolds him again for calling Rin a Bratty Half-Pint and causing her to run off on her own.
- Saori is not happy with Ayuto if he opts to steal her photograph of Takeshi and refuses to give it back until after they've left the ruins.
- Who Wants to Live Forever?: Expressed regarding Pharaoh Khufu, who was trapped inside his tomb for millennia while still alive, until Ayuto finally killed him.
- Would Hurt a Child: No, Professor Tsuchida doesn't care about the fact that Rin, who he's throwing into a tomb full of death traps, is nine years old. And Pharaoh Khufu doesn't care about outright killing her if the opportunity arises.
- You Are Better Than You Think You Are: Should you manage to prevent poor Yoko's demise, they lament the fact that they did something that was judged worthy of punishment, prompting Kyosuke to speak up and reassure them that they're not as horrible as they think they are, and one Moment of Weakness shouldn't equal a death sentence.
- Your Mind Makes It Real: Ayuto theorizes during the climax that this is how Kyosuke's Khufu-granted powers work: whatever scenario he thinks up comes to pass.
