Rune

Rune is a third-person sword fighting game released in 2000. It is based on Norse mythology, and follows the story of Ragnar after his initiation into Odinsblade when an allied village gets attacked. When sailing out to the village, he is attacked by Conrack, with his boat being destroyed by the power of Loki.

Tropes used in Rune include:

• An Axe to Grind: One of three weapons classes.
• Back From the Dead: Even though you fallen into the underworld, you get revived by Odin.
• Bottomless Pits
• Chained to a Rock: Loki. In this variation, the poison drips onto his chest.
• Convection, Schmonvection
• Difficulty Levels: Stock easy to hard settings. Hard difficulty is more noticable in the first boss fight, where Ulf has much more health than he would have otherwise.
• Drop the Hammer
• Emergency Transformation: Conrack escaped, and he leaves you to die in a pit as monsters keep attacking. The only way to proceed is to transform into one of the Elite Mooks. Loki laughs, saying that Odin would not accept you after you willingly transformed.
• Eternal Engine: The land of the Dwarves.
• Flaming Sword
• Garden of Evil: Those snake-like enemies seen in the first few levels are actually the local plantlife. And the mushrooms release their toxic spores when someone steps on them.
• Heroic Mime
• Horny Vikings
• Lethal Lava Land
• Norse Mythology
• One-Hit Kill: This is what the Dwarven Battle Axe does to your enemies when its Rune Power is activated.
• Smashing Hallway Traps of Doom
• Suspiciously Cracked Wall
• Tin Tyrant: Conrack, the Big Bad of the game.
• To Hell and Back: Performed twice. First was fighting the way out of hell and back to the surface. The second time, Ragnar needs to re-enter hell, although the exit trip is much faster.
• Rise to the Challenge: Performed with lava.
• Underwater Ruins
• You Have Outlived Your Usefulness
• You Killed My Father