Breaking the Fourth Wall/Video Games: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

* In ''[[Batman: Arkham Asylum]]'', the audience participates in "Scarecrow" sequences in which Scarecrow injects Batman with terror gas that makes him see things. In one of these sequences, the audience is confronted with the screen that appears upon an in-game death, only to find out that it is part of the Scarecrow sequence.

* "[[Professor Layton and the Curious Village]]": Layton tells you how to move and save the game as if he knows you're there.

** "If you want to move, just tap on the shoe."

** Also, if you manage to land 1000 strikes on Orca during a duel, he will lose count (since the highest the game can keep track of is 999), call you Master, and ask if your fingers hurt, referencing the "Hold" option for L-Targeting.

** In Skyward Sword Fi breaks the forth wall to tell you when your wii remote needs new batteries.

* In all three ''[[Animal Crossing]]'' games, if you turn the system off without saving, Mr. Resetti will appear every time you restart and give you increasingly longer lectures about how resetting the game is cheating. ''City Folk'' pulls a fake-out the first time you save - Resetti shows up, gives a (relatively) short lecture on the need for saving, then says you saved correctly this time if he showed up.

* Weirdly/brilliantly deconstructed in ''[[The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind]]'' - it's heavily implied through the in-game literature that {{spoiler|Vivec}} attained godhood by realizing that he was in a video game and using that knowledge to edit the situation around him through a process he calls CHIM. The books he wrote directly reference the player (The ruling king who only he can address as an equal), glitches in past games, saving and reloading, etc. It's all covered up in symbols and the dense writing style he uses, though, so it can be incredibly easy to miss.

** In ''[[Mother 3]]'', some characters attempt to cheesily describe how to perform a certain command (i.e. looking at the map or dashing), and then simply describe it in terms of the game's controls. Sparrows, on the other hand, will simply cut to the point. Then there's the Save Frogs, who talk about preserving one's own memories, which they call "saving." Finally, when you pray at the sanctuary for the first time, {{spoiler|you, the player, are addressed directly and are asked to input your name.}}

*** Not to mention {{spoiler|the player enters the world of Mother 3 at the end of the game. Yes, the player. YOU.}} And this is before the credits sequence even starts, when the game is supposedly over.

* In ''[[Phantasy Star IV]]'', one of your party members leaves for a bit and flat out tells you not to go after the big bad while he's gone because at this stage of the game, you aren't powerful enough to beat him. Of course, Chaz doesn't listen.

* The entire ''[[Metal Gear]]'' series is rife with instances of breaking the fourth wall. One classic wall-breaking moment in ''[[Metal Gear Solid]]'' is the advice to contact Meryl by codec by looking up her codec frequency on the back of the game case. In ''[[Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty]]'', after uploading Emma's virus, the Colonel Campbell construct begins to go haywire and criticizes the player for playing too long and then demands that the player turn off the game. ''[[Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots]]'' features a fourth-wall breaking moment that advises against the strategy used to beat Psycho Mantis in ''Metal Gear Solid''.

** The colonel telling the player to switch off his console is a reference to the original game, where Big Boss did the same near the end.

** Psycho Mantis. During his boss fight you actually have to UNPLUG YOUR CONTROLLER AND PLUG IT INTO THE SECOND CONTROLLER PORT! And, as if this isn't bad enough, until you figure it out, he constantly makes fun of you, comments about the games you've played by reading your memory card and even tells you that he's deleted your memory!

** The camera viewpoint moves across the interior of the shaman's hut as he chants to summon a juju spirit. When the camera is on his face, he opens his eyes and screams at the sight of the player looking at him.

** "''You are so strange! Your clothes. That powerstick you hold in your hand. I have ''never'' seen a juju like you before. What is this magic box you watch me on?'' [Presses his hands to the screen so you can see his fingers flatten themselves on the screen.] ''It is clearly the most important thing in your hut! You do me great honor to watch me on it....''"

* [[Spyro the Dragon]] does this a lot in ''A Hero's Tail'', often [[Aside Glance|turning to the camera]] and making a remark. One that springs to mind...

{{quote|'''Spyro:''' ''After meeting [[Surfer Dude|Otto]] [[Totally Radical|The Otter]], and looking at the camera''* ...[[Drugs Are Bad|Just Say No]].}}

* On the last level, [[Bubsy]] asks, "are you still playing this thing?".

* In the space action sim ''Tachyon: The Fringe'', when entering a console cheat code, the main character will start taunting the player for his lack of skill.

** Also, unlike the 3DS release manual, Kirby, as he is explaining the items, tells the people who are reading the manual [http://www.kirbysrainbowresort.net/games/dreamland/instruction/dl1314.jpg about himself,] [http://www.kirbysrainbowresort.net/games/dreamland/instruction/dl1516.jpg and about the items. Kirby then explains the stages in the next page.]

* If you play ''[[Rogue Galaxy]]'' for too long, Kisala will make a commentary on how long you have been playing the game.

* ''[[Team Fortress 2]]'' has a few lines that [[Break the Fourth Wall]]:

''"Dis map ain't big enough for da two of us!"'' }}

* At the beginning of ''[[The Reconstruction]]'', Fell talks to the player directly. Justified in that she ''is'' some sort of demigod.

* When you have selected or modified your multiplayer character's weapon in ''[[Call of Duty: Black Ops|Call of Duty Black Ops]]'', he will examine it briefly, then nod appreciatively at the player.

* The cast of ''Zenonia'' often break the fourth wall, such as when the Chief of Hades tells Regret that "People in this game are rude." and to have an open mind.

** Reika also mentions the game ''Time Gal'', then asking the players.

{{quote|'''Reika:''' No arrows show up on the screen, so I don't know which way to go. Hey, don't you guys playing the game think so too?}}

* In ''[[Destroy All Humans!]]'', at the opening choice options screen on the mothership, if you fail to make a decision and leave the screen idle, Pox will sometimes say a random thing to you relating to the situation (i.e., "Well, it's your electric bill. You could have thought to turn the console off. Haven't you ever heard of global warming?" or "May I remind you that the name of this game is "Destroy All Humans", not SCREW AROUND IN THE MOTHERSHIP!").

* In ''[[Persona 4]]'' there is an NPC that mentions the ever-so-wonderful Square button that has the power of teleportation.

{{quote|'''Housewife:''' With just a press of the Square button, you can come and go as you please... Ah, the wonderful Square Button.}}

* This comes up a lot during the ''Sly Cooper'' franchise, with dialogue such as: "Bentley, how do I climb ladders?" "Simple Sly. Just press the circle button."