GunZ: The Duel



GunZ: The Duel is a freeware Third Person Shooter developed by Maiet, and was designed to play like Hong Kong gun-fu scenes. The basic idea was that every character was a Badass action movie hero that shunned the law of physics and carried an arsenal that could put any armory to shame, wall-jumping and wall-running and diving to the side while unleashing it all on the opposition who dared to defile you.

On the surface, the game appears to be a standard multiplayer online shooter and that is what the developers initially intended. However, as soon as the players started finding exploits in the system, people promptly started developing these into a metagame, and others started discerning techniques of how to counter these glitches. These techniques developed into "styles", and there are three that are most commonly recognized by the players:
 * Korean Style or "K-Style": Arguably the most popular style of play, K-Style involves using a sword's block cancel bug to form numerous techniques, with the "Butterfly" technique being the basis of many others and one of the simplest (though the simplest technique overall being the "Wall Climb" technique.)
 * European Style or "E-Style": The most simple style. Users of E-Style reject the overly-complex key combos that K-Style requires and opt to use guerrilla tactics and strategy while fighting at a long range. Generally considered to be the kind of tactics one would use in most other shooters.
 * Dagger Style or "D-Style": Similar to K-Style, but instead of a sword, users of this style rely on a different set of advanced techniques by exploiting bugs with the dagger. Those that use it often feel that it is easier to learn than K-Style, but with the same benefits.

In addition to the varying modes of deathmatch, there is the cooperative Quest Mode which has up to four players against increasing waves of enemy monsters in small parts of existing multiplayer maps.

Gunz: The Duel 2 was announced in 2008 and is set for Korean release in winter 2011.

This game exhibits the following tropes:

 * Allegedly Free Game: Although you can play and stay competitive relatively easy for free, you can get premium items for real life money that can and will give you a strong advantage. Humorously, there was a time where Ijji offered free "G Coins", the currency bought with real life money, for completing surveys provided by one of Ijji's business partners. It was so easy to get free coins that many players were able to buy full sets of permanent premium items simply by doing these surveys. Ijji since greatly reduced the amount of coins received and increased the difficulty of qualifying for the surveys.
 * Ascended Glitch / Game Breaking Bug: The introduction/development of K-Style.
 * Attack of the 50 Foot Whatever / Colossus Climb: One boss of GunZ 2 will be a 25-meter battletank. He is the entire arena. You are expected to wall-run and jump along him like any other arena.
 * Awesome but Impractical: Despite it being against the terms of use, the hacked "Shower Room" map which was simply a very small part of the "Prison" map(s). It was considered to be one of the most fun things one could do in the game due to the hilariously high level of chaos involved, but, as it is against the terms of use to play on as it is a hacked map, many players found themselves banned for playing in "Shower Room" games.
 * Badass Longcoat: You can have your character wear one as early as level 20 (or earlier if you like using premium items).
 * Completely Missing the Point: Not so much the game itself, but take a look at the player designed premium sets. Every single one looks like something out of an anime and not a single one matches the "Hong Kong action movie" art style of the game.
 * Dodge the Bullet: Anyone using a sword can block any shot heading for the top of his/her body.
 * Hyperspace Arsenal: No matter how much or little your character is wearing, they can pull machine guns and rocket launchers easily right out of nowhere. At least the women have an excuse.
 * Gangsta Style: When you dual-wield guns, one will usually be held in this position.
 * Genre Shift: GunZ 1 is set in a sort of western-industrial-steampunk setting. GunZ 2 seems to have merged it with more than a little anime-esque cyberpunk.
 * Guns Akimbo: SMGs, pistols and revolvers come in two forms, single and "x2," with x2 being a dual-wielding option. It is far more popular to dual-wield these weapons than not to.
 * Guns VS Swords: A major gameplay mechanic; it's not uncommon to see a sword-wielder going against a gun-wielder.
 * Katanas Are Just Better: The katana is by far the most popular of the three available melee weapons, half due to its use in K-Styling and half because...well, it's just so damn stylish.
 * King Mook: All Quest bosses fit this trope.
 * Lag Cancel: How K-Style (and other styles derived from it) tends to function.
 * The Musketeer: Unless your character decides to forgo a melee weapon (not suggested), every character is this by default.
 * Player Preferred Pattern: K-Style.
 * Revolvers Are Just Better: Revolvers are not only incredibly accurate (third most accurate weapon in the game), but are also excellent armor piercers and pack quite a punch. Some players swear by them.
 * Some Dexterity Required: K-Style is not friendly on the hands. This K-Style by a factor of 0.5
 * Sword and Gun: Most of the artwork in the game depicts characters holding a gun in one hand and a sword in the other. You cannot actually do this in game.
 * Unnecessary Combat Roll: One of the main methods of getting around. When holding out a gun, players could double-tap a direction to tumble in that direction for a boost of speed.
 * Wall Jump: A staple combat maneuver, along with the wall-run.