A 2016 Dystopia machinima made using a very heavily modded version of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. The first episode can be viewed here
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At some point during the late 20th century, the world abruptly ends. The cause and the exact nature of the cataclysm have been long lost to time, but what is clear is that a few landmasses from all over the world were inexplicably transported into what appears to be a different dimension. Here, these landmasses are separated from each other by a large body of water. To get a better idea of how this works, just imagine Fallen London if it is in another dimension, not underground. Overtime, civilization was rebuilt and independent city states were formed. Life carried on with some semblance of normalcy, until one day, every city state was annexed by a Utopian City known simply as "the Capital". The Capital turned the conquered Cities into economic colonies, taxing them heavily in both resources and workforce, but at the same time allowing them relative autonomy to the extent that they can wage war among each other. Every Colony has a quota that they must fulfill to the Capital, failure to do so would see the City becoming more dystopian as the Capital employs drastic measures to make the citizens productive. The story follows a trio of rebels from one such oppressed city as they escape to another city with a possible MacGuffin that could end the Capital once and for all.
Unfortunately, due to hardware failure, the author has lost progress on all future episodes and will not be continuing. The series thus ends with only one released episode.
Tropes found in this Machinima
- The Ace: Miller. He is the most capable member of the rebels and a respected leader, earning the admiration of just about everyone. Too bad Anyone Can Die is in full effect.
- Action Girl: Jen. She is a far more capable fighter than Lynch.
- Action Survivor: Unlike Miller and Jen, Lynch is not a battle-hardened resistance fighter and has never held a gun prior to a week before the main event. Doesn't stop him from holding his ground against a trained riot officer and later helping Jen take out 2 armed police officers with a pistol. Jen notes that he isn't doing so bad for a college boy.
- After the End: Downplayed. The world has ended, but a select few places in the world is transferred to a different dimension to live out their life.
- Anyone Can Die: Despite his importance as the most experienced and level-headed member of the group, Miller is ultimately killed when a Patrol is alerted to the group's presence, demonstrating the capability of the police.
- Cluster F-Bomb: Jen has a very colorful way of talking.
- Combat Pragmatist:
- Miller has no qualm beating enemies to death while they are lying on the ground.
- After losing a squad to the group, the Riot Police gets wiser and kills Miller by running him over with an APC instead of facing him head on. They also posts a sniper on a vantage point in case the remaining two manage to escape.
- Crapsack World: To start with, the world is already gone, people are living in a different dimension with radically different laws. Much of the remaining civilization is ruled with an iron-fist by the imperialistic Capital City, with failure to meet their demand causes them to make everyone's life a living hell.
- Crippling Overspecialization: The Riot Police are meant to deal with curfew breakers and petty criminals in melee combat, not seasoned rebel fighters using guns. While they can cause troubles to even the most capable member of the group in a close-ranged fight, even the least experienced member of the group can defeat them in a firefight.
- Curb-Stomp Battle: The vast majority of the Cities are still at realistic 20th century technology level. The Capital, with their advanced post-modern technology, utterly wrecks everyone else with barely a scratch on their hide.
- Elite Mooks: Mentioned in passing by a group of Officers and will be making appearances in future episodes.
- Establishing Character Moment:
- Miller is shown leading the other two members of the group, establishing him as The Leader and the team dad.
- Jen loses her temper when the atrocity of the Capital is brought up, establishing her as being Hot-Blooded.
- Lynch is the most quiet member of the group, showing him to be the Naïve Newcomer.
- Decoy Protagonist: Most of the first episode is shown from the perspective of Miller. He didn't make it to the end and the focus is shifted into Lynch instead.
- Fascists' Bed Time: Strictly enforced, as two hapless homeless men found out the hard way. Anyone caught breaking the curfew will be brutally executed by the Night Patrols.
- Grey-and-Gray Morality: The rebels have the best intention in mind: ending the rule of the dictatorial Capital City. However, they are forced to go up against the Riot Police, who lack any visible sign of being corrupted or even supportive of the Capital beyond just getting their paychecks. One of the police reveals that his fallen comrades have family, indicating that they are just ordinary people doing their job. Not to mention that the group is fully intending on destroying the Capital, a Mega City with millions of innocent civilians within.
- Heroic Sacrifice: As the police are closing in on the rebel cell, Doug and a few other rebels volunteer to draw their attention elsewhere by starting a shootout with the police far away. They mostly succeed and get slaughtered to a man by the Elite Mooks as a result.
- Hot-Blooded: Jen. The mere mention of the Capital is enough to send her into a fit.
- La Résistance: The main characters are The Remnant of one. The Capital has crushed all resistance at their Doomed Hometown, and the last hope they have of victory is to unleash the MacGuffin.
- Les Collaborateurs: The Capital rarely deploys their own forces to maintain order in the Cities. Instead, they utilize local police forces that recruit exclusively from a City's native citizens. Situations that demand the Capital to use their own troops often means Hell's about to break loose.
- Not in This for Your Revolution: Jack Travers is a former Capital loyalist soldier who is only helping the rebels to pay back the favor he owes them, not particularly interested in taking down the Capital.
- Malevolent Masked Men: Downplayed. While the Riot Police are brutal in enforcing the curfew, many of them are Punch-Clock Villains who are only trying to make a living.
- MacGuffin: The suitcase carried by Miller. It is believed by the rebels that what is contained within can wipe out or at least cripple the Capital. The Capital, for their part, is all too happy to confirm that by hastily deploying their special force to recover it, something that only happen in the most dire of situation.
- Mook Chivalry: Subverted by both sides. The Riot cops gang up on Miller the moment they realize that he is the biggest threat, and manages to quite successfully hampering him. Meanwhile, another cop is facing the other two rebels alone and they waste no time fighting him two to one.
- Mysterious Protector: When a sniper is about to kill Lynch and Jen, an unknown individual saves them by pushing the sniper off the roof.
- Police State: Played Straight for Vice City, which is recovering from a failed rebellion. Downplayed for other Cities, the Capital allows the them to enforce the laws however they like, only stepping in once a rebellion occurs.
- Punch-Clock Villains: Many Riot Police Officers are simply normal people trying to make an honest living by serving their government, the more brutal bits of the job are simply a part of their duty. One group of officers can be seen expressing concerns about their survival in a potential upcoming conflict.
- Rank Scales with Asskicking: Miller is addressed to as captain by Jen, and he proves worthy of it. While Lynch and Jen together struggle to take down a single officer, Miller manages to take out two of them at the same time.
- Repressive, but Efficient: The Capital is draconian and oppressive towards its client states, but not a single person denies their competency and capability. If a rebellion appears to be successful, it is because the Capital is merely testing the effectiveness of their local forces. Once they deem it necessary to intervene, it is always a Curb Storm Battle in their favor.
