Critical Status Buff: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

 

Not only do [[Video Games]] tend to neglect the hindering effect of non-lethal injuries during combat, sometimes the character's [[Heroic Resolve]] effectively creates an automatic [[Status Buff]] as they approach [[Critical Existence Failure]]. This gives the player one last chance to dramatically turn the battle around, at the obvious risk of losing the battle entirely should they continue to take hits.

 

 

If the benefits of this status are powerful enough, they can be the key to many a [[Self-Imposed Challenge]], especially the [[Low-Level Run]]. In low-level games (and similar challenges) in many RPGs, monsters in [[The Very Definitely Final Dungeon]] are often powerful enough to KO a party member in one or two hits anyway, so if the player is already relying more on "Revive" than "Heal" spells, there's little practical difference between whether said character is at full health or not, and a [[Genre Savvy]] player may as well [[Invoked Trope|exploit this status]] while they can. Also note that maintaining critical status for prolonged time can be difficult if the game refills the player's HP at regular intervals (such as [[After Combat Recovery|after every fight]]).

 

[[Super-Trope]] to the [[Limit Break]] and [[Desperation Attack]], which are active skills and attacks. Compare [[Comeback Mechanic]], which applies specifically to multiplayer.

 

* In one [[Fighting Game]] adaptation of ''[[Beast Wars]]'' ("Beast Wars Transmetals"), the amount of time required to charge a character's [[Limit Break]] decreases as they take damage, allowing an injured character to unleash them more frequently than a healthy opponent.

* ''[[Dragon Quest IX]]'': A handful of abilities work like this, notably a Minstrel buff that "raises evasiveness in a pinch".

* ''[[Final Fantasy]]'' has several examples:

** In a few games, some equipment can activate Protect, Shell, or Haste buffs automatically when the user's HP drops to critical levels.

** The Mystic Knight job in ''[[Final Fantasy V]]'' has the Barrier passive ability which causes the character to automatically cast Shell on himself when put into critical health.

** ''[[Final Fantasy X]]'' contains "SOS" equipment that can grant powerful status boosts while your character is below half of their maximum HP. Since some characters have odd-numbered hit point totals and a Phoenix Down revives your character at half health (rounding down), a clever player of the game's more brutal [[Self-Imposed Challenge|Self Imposed Challenges]] can double a character's speed almost all the time.

*** The [[Updated Rerelease]] made the accessory also add the Berserk status in order to counteract the [[Game Breaker]] aspect.

** ''[[Final Fantasy Tactics]]'' has abilities to grant a character things like Regen, Reraise, or Haste when their HP is critical.

* ''[[Kingdom Hearts]]'':

** "Defender" increases defense at critical HP, "Berserker/Striker" increases attack power, "Damage Control" halves damage taken, and "Grand Slam" boosts critical hit rate.

* In ''[[The Legend of Dragoon]]'', Haschel's [[Infinity+1 Sword|most powerful weapon]] (the "Violent Mace") deals more damage the lower his HP is.

* In ''Legaia 2: Duel Saga'', certain equipment contains abilities that link a character's atack and/or defense powers to their current HP (directly or inversely). "Reverse-HP" and "Reverse-HP Defense", for example, provide greater effects at low HP. Each character also posesses a secret "Mystic Art" technique that can only be performed at less than half HP.

* ''[[Metal Gear Solid]]'': Main characters gain a slight defense boost at critical HP. They can also [[Regenerating Health|regenerate health]] by crouching and resting, but only as long as their HP is critical.

* ''[[Paper Mario]]'': Quite a few badges give these kinds of abilities, such as attack, defense, and evasiveness boosts. The "[[Fan Nickname|Danger Mario]]" setup milks this for all its worth by piling on as many such badges as possible and then deliberately keeping Mario down to 1 HP as long as possible.

** Inverted in B/W by the ability Defeatist, which lowers your stats when HP is less than half.

* One skill in ''[[Soul Calibur]] IV'' is "Will power", a passive ability that boosts a character's attack power when low on HP.

* ''[[Super Robot Wars]]'' has the pilot skill "Prevail", which increases accuracy, defense and evasion stats as hit points for their respective unit decrease. Every game has it, and so does every pilot (including bosses).

** The Equalizer, an alternate melee weapon (a pickaxe) for the Soldier, boosts its attack power (and the Soldier's speed) at low HP.

** One of the Sniper's unlockable melee weapons, the Shahanshah, inflicts double damage if the sniper's HP is below half.

* ''[[World of Warcraft]]'': Affliction warlocks get a healing bonus to their [[Life Drain]] when at 25% health or lower; subtlety rogues have Cheat Death, which gives them a [[Last Chance Hit Point]] and massively reduces damage taken for three seconds.

** Blood Fury, one of the Orc racial abilities, used to grant more power the lower your health when you used it.

* In ''[[Bastion]]'', the Werewhiskey tonic raises critical chance to 100% whenever the Kid drops below 33% health. Might as well make the most of it, right?

 

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[[Category:Video Game Tropes]]