Plots that escalated quickly

[uchytjes]

So I recently found out about an anime by the name of Sword Art Online. Needless to say based on the thread's title, the plot escalates pretty quickly.

Spoiler: trailer

Spoiler: synopsis of first episode(only one i've watched thus far)

Its the near future and video gaming has evolved to the point of pure virtual reality. A new MMORPG has emerged by the name of Sword Art Online and is being created by the same person who made virtual reality possible. The story follows one of 10,000 players who were "lucky" enough to purchase this game on launch. As soon as the game goes live, almost everyone gets on at once. Once he is done playing for the day, our hero's friend goes to log out only to find that he can't. All of the players are then teleported to the main city and are told by the game's master that they are all trapped in the game and should they be disconnected from the virtual reality device they will die both in-game and in reality. The only way to escape is to complete the 100 level dungeon and defeat the final boss. But they are warned that should their HP reach zero, they will die in the real world as well.

All this happened withing the first episode. mind=blown.

So yeah, it escalated quickly. What other stories have done the same where they seem to go extremely fast and move into the plot without giving the viewer even a chance to breathe.

 

[Pfheonix]

Obligatory Anchorman reference...

Done.

How is that escalating quickly? It makes sense, considering that will be the premise. They'd want to get that set up in about half an hour. Not too shocking.

 

[hazabaza1]

Probably Persona 4. Near the end though.

Spoiler

It's all like, hey, you found the killer or was it? Maybe, maybe not.
NOW FIGHT THE GODDESS OF DEATH YOU ******

 

[thesilentman]

I dunno; Arkham City was pretty quick about this. It goes "hey, it's Hugo Strange!", then "hey, it's Two Face!", then "hey, it's Joker!" and then "Shit."

 

[Canis Fidelis]

I dunno; Arkham City was pretty quick about this. It goes "hey, it's Hugo Strange!", then"hey, it's Two Face!", then "hey, it's Joker!" and then "Shit."

I though Arkham City was fairly reasonably paced in game, but the whole premise of Arkham getting destroyed leading to creating what essentially amounts to an "Escape from Gotham" situation seems a wee bit rapid.

Personally I gotta go with the Modern Warfare series ,I mean the Airport massacre would have been a massive incident, but to go from "Possible CIA attack on Russian civilian airport" to "All out invasion of the United States and the entire European Union simultaneously" seems to be missing a step or two, then again levels involving diplomats shouting and apologizing to each other at the UN would be considered boring by most.

 

[XMark]

The short-lived TV series FlashForward probably only lasted one season because the very nature of the premise meant that they had to escalate things to the max right in the opening minutes of the first episode.

 

[Rose and Thorn]

I am watching an anime called "My Little Monster". It is a romance/comedy. The romance plot between the two main charatcers escalates very quickly within the first few episodes, it is a very strange anime and I really enjoy it.

 

[KingsGambit_v1legacy]

I tried (and failed) reading The Deed of Paksennarion. Within the first handful of pages, she's out the door and enlisted. No backstory, no character building, no setting the scene, nothing. Pages man, pages!

 

[SckizoBoy]

I am watching an anime called "My Little Monster". It is a romance/comedy. The romance plot between the two main charatcers escalates very quickly within the first few episodes, it is a very strange anime and I really enjoy it.

Is that Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun? If so... weird first couple of episodes...

OT: On an anime note Girls und Panzer ([user]ZehMadScientist[/user], where are you?! XD )...

Transfer, find tanks, practice match, bam - national tournament time... in the space of four episodes.

 

[Strazdas]

90% of movies.
any plot that manages to be over in less than 10 hours is quickly escalating.

 

[xplosive59]

The second season of Code Geass has a major plot twist every episode, it doesn't help that the plots speed is already lightning fast as it is! Still a great show though.

 

[Soviet Heavy]

Spec Ops: The Line?

Spoiler

Original mission: survey the city for survivors, then report back
What happens: refugees open fire thinking the team is 33rd troopers, CIA agents planning to cover up war crimes, martial law, and the obliteration of Dubai's water supply, before an entire Army regiment is wiped out by three men lead by a psychopath.

 

[PhiMed]

The short-lived TV series FlashForward probably only lasted one season because the very nature of the premise meant that they had to escalate things to the max right in the opening minutes of the first episode.

Yeah. I was really intrigued by the commercials for that show, so I tuned in because I was really curious where they were going to go with. Apparently, they didn't know where they were going to go with it, either, because it went nowhere.

 

[prophecy2514]

Legend of korra. Wow. Plot just went from calm to shit hits the fan in the space of a couple of eps.

 

[Fluffythepoo]

Looking for Group comic.. first page: in the first 2 panes a handsome elf is talking joyously with the creatures of the forest, by the 9th pane a zombie is burning a bunny alive, by page 2 a man is killed in front of his child by the elf, and by page 3 the elf has been incinerated by the zombie.

 

[fix-the-spade]

The plot of BF3 springs to mind.

The first two levels, you are part of a squad of Marines, just normal Marines, not even special forces. You track down a missing group of your comrades and get into a battle with insurgents, then an earthquake hits, leaving you trapped behind lines and the entire US operation in Iraq paralyzed.

So far, so good.

Then a full scale war with Iran kicks off, the Russians get involved, nuclear bombs appear with mad bond-villain in tow, one goes off in Paris and suddenly it's World War 3! What was wrong with six men trapped behind lines?

 

[IndomitableSam]

So I recently found out about an anime by the name of Sword Art Online. Needless to say based on the thread's title, the plot escalates pretty quickly.

Spoiler: trailer

Spoiler: synopsis of first episode(only one i've watched thus far)

Its the near future and video gaming has evolved to the point of pure virtual reality. A new MMORPG has emerged by the name of Sword Art Online and is being created by the same person who made virtual reality possible. The story follows one of 10,000 players who were "lucky" enough to purchase this game on launch. As soon as the game goes live, almost everyone gets on at once. Once he is done playing for the day, our hero's friend goes to log out only to find that he can't. All of the players are then teleported to the main city and are told by the game's master that they are all trapped in the game and should they be disconnected from the virtual reality device they will die both in-game and in reality. The only way to escape is to complete the 100 level dungeon and defeat the final boss. But they are warned that should their HP reach zero, they will die in the real world as well.

All this happened withing the first episode. mind=blown.

So yeah, it escalated quickly. What other stories have done the same where they seem to go extremely fast and move into the plot without giving the viewer even a chance to breathe.

Just thought I'd say I've been bored lately so am giving the SAO a try. Not bad so far. A bit emo and generic, but the concept is interesting. Will keep watching.

 

[NecroNinja]

As far as TV goes; I'd say The Shield. Episode 1 plays out like en edgy, blackly comic cop thriller, then at the end of the episode, something shocking happens that hangs over the entirety of the show. The pace of the show evens out after that, but for uber-fast escalation, that's a definite contender. Well worth your time if you haven't seen it.

As for games, I'll have to agree with an earlier post with Spec Ops: The Line. Things immediately go from peaceful, to very bad, to atrocious very quickly. And tragically, all seemed avoidable. I feel these are particularly good because not only do they escalate quickly, but they are very well written and you actually care about what happens to the characters, as opposed to things like Flashforward, which had pacing but just felt empty and forced.