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Enclave

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Enclave (Video Game)
Thousands of years ago, the kingdom of Celenheim was invaded by the Evil Overlord Vatar. Just as The Horde was about to triumph, The Arch Mage Zale arrived to save the day. After killing Vatar, he used his magic to create an abyssal Rift in the ground around Celenheim, turning it into the eponymous enclave surrounded by the darkness-infested Outlands. Over the centuries of peace that followed, the people of Celenheim grew proud and forgot about the evil that lurked beyond the chasm... but when the Rift suddenly began closing up again and the forces of darkness came back, they came back angry.

Also known by its working title Into the Darkness, Enclave is a Dark Fantasy Action-Adventure game released by Starbreeze Studios (who later made the The Chronicles of Riddick video games) for the Xbox and the PC in 2002. Its most notable feature is a complete aversion of No Campaign for the Wicked: the game consists of two full-length campaigns, one where a nameless hero vanquishes evil and saves Celenheim, and the other where a nameless minion leads the Darkness to the triumph they were denied centuries ago. As you progress through either campaign, other fantasy characters join your group, though you can only steer one of them during missions.

A sequel was announced in 2003, but with no news whatsoever since then, it seems to have become an Orphaned Series. The original game was, however, ported onto the Wii in 2010. A remaster by Ziggurat Interactive was announced in 2021 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch.

Tropes found in this game:

  • Alignment-Based Endings: The game features two campaigns, Light and Dark, and accordingly a good and an evil ending.
  • The Arch Mage: Zale.
  • BFG: The two secret characters carry a GIGANTIC rifle/cannon that's done in '50s retro-future style. The rifle launches a missile at enemies for massive damage.
  • Boxed Crook: The Knight and Huntress start off like this, having both been imprisoned for being unable to pay Celenheim's exorbitant taxes. After helping repel an outlander invasion at the start, they're offered their freedom in exchange for their continued martial services.
  • Checkpoint Starvation: There aren't any. Especially frustrating given the overall difficulty, slightly wonky jumping mechanics, and occasional instant death traps (generally located at the very end of the level).
  • Dark Fantasy
  • Dark Is Evil: Quite rightly.
  • The Emperor: Alecto.
  • Evil Overlord: Demon Vatar.
  • Guys Smash, Girls Shoot: Most female playable characters specialize in ranged combat; most melee specialists are male. The axewoman Halfling and the male Wizard are the only exceptions.
  • Golems: Summoned by the Druid.
  • Great Offscreen War: Vatar vs. Celenheim.
  • Hobbits: Hafling.
  • Interface Screw: The Huntress and Assassin are hit hard with this in third person, as the bow's aiming reticule doesn't quite match where they fire. As a result, it's quite easy to completely miss the enemy standing a foot away. First-person averts this but makes it easier to walk off a cliff.
  • Light Is Good: Not the straightest example, since while the player characters of Light are quite heroic, the people upstairs who they are supposed to work for are supremacist, arrogant jerkasses.
  • No Campaign for the Wicked: Averted. The Darkness campaign is just as long (and at times, more interesting) as the one for the Light.
  • Our Monsters Are Different:
  • RPG Elements: You can spend the gold you collect on the mission to purchase better equipment between them.
  • Secret Character: Collect 13000 gold pieces in the Light campaign and you'll unlock a 9320 Battle droid. Doing the same in the dark campaign will give you Feticia.
  • The Undead: Lich and his summons.
  • Vain Sorceress: Mordessa and Zurana. Also, Sorceress and Lich.
  • Weapon Specialization: Each class has its own, almost perfectly mirrored by their evil counterparts:
    • Axes: Halfling/Goblin
    • Crossbows: Knight/Berserker, Huntress/Assassin, Engineer/Bombardier, Halfling/Goblin
    • Daggers: Huntress/Assassin, Druid/Lich, Wizard/Sorceress
    • Longbows: Huntress/Assassin
    • Magic staves: Druid/Lich, Wizard/Sorceress
    • Shields: Knight/Berserker, Engineer/Bombardier, Halfling/Goblin
    • Swords: Knight, Bombardier
    • Thrown explosives: Engineer/Bombardier
    • Warhammers: Engineer, Berserker
  • Summon Magic: The Astral Staff and the Staff of the Damned can summon an Earth Golem and shadowy skeletons respectively.
  • Women Are Wiser: Averted. The Dark side has more notable women in their ranks.

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