Favorite fourth wall breaking moment in video games

[LaughingAtlas]

Yesterday, I met the Black Knight in Two Worlds 2.
Knight: "None shall pass."
Protagonist: "What?"
K: "None shall pass."
P: "I have no quarrel with you good sir knight, but I must go through."
(Me: Isn't this...?)
K: "Then. You. Shall. Die."
P: "Gods, I hope this doesn't mean a lawsuit."

It was as it seemed. Funny as it was, I liked the end of Path of Neo.

EDIT: Just remembered, the Riddler in Arkham Asylum eventually says "How are you doing this? Are you cheating? Looking it up on the internet? Tell me!" if you solve enough "riddles."

 

[Catchy Slogan]

Get out of my head.

But, but It's comfy in here. I've already got my room all sorted out and everything!

 

[mrvenom]

Ratchet and Clank 4, when you encounter the plumber for the first time since part 3. He's like "Well hello i didn't recognize ya there.."

Part 4 was the first RaC game with HD graphics, being on the PS3 and all..

Or the moment when the plumber says "I'll see you again soon, probably in about 2 years"..

 

[rmb1983]

Get out of my head.

But, but It's comfy in here. I've already got my room all sorted out and everything!

I'd retort, but the random bits of insanity may change your tune.

 

[Schadrach]

Like most threads involving something good in a game, this one needs mention of Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem.

In this case, specifically the "and then your console reboots" and the "sequel" sanity effects.

 

[bulldogftw]

Batman: Arkham Asylum, The bit where it looks like your game has crashed but it was only Scarecrow fucking with Batman.

 

[Korten12]

Yesterday, I met the Black Knight in Two Worlds 2.
Knight: "None shall pass."
Protagonist: "What?"
K: "None shall pass."
P: "I have no quarrel with you good sir knight, but I must go through."
(Me: Isn't this...?)
K: "Then. You. Shall. Die."
P: "Gods, I hope this doesn't mean a lawsuit."

I am about 10 hours in - when does this happen. Also is it a side-quest? Because I wish to see this.

OT: In Sacred 2 if you played as the Shadow Warrior, if you put down the controller for a bit. He comments about how he can't move until you pick back up the controller.

 

[The Droog]

This far in and no mention of Eternal Darkness on Gamecube and its sanity loss moments? Well, Eternal Darkness on Gamecube and its sanity loss moments then. The best ones are probably the TV seemingly turn off and the "DELETING SAVED GAMES" message although the fake sudden deaths scared me a few times

Only the first game. It was too much the first game, and the other entries in the series just started taking the piss, (Or however you Brits say that).

Take a bow, you used it perfectly. (And no, I'm honestly NOT taking the piss)

 

[Ranorak]

Eternal Darkness.

Right at the end of a chapter, the main character closes the book she is reading and a screen is showing telling you to wait for the sequel Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Redemption.
Then the main character grabs her head and shouts "This isn't REALLY HAPPENING!"

Nice ninja

 

[Kursura]

Starcraft 2: the Thor driver

"I am here, click me!"

 

[SillyNilly]

The Paper Mario series has plenty of these.. if only I could remember them!

Hold on. *Checks Google*

-Goombella references the Mario games as a 'series' in one of her tattles, then proceeds to say "Oh, gosh. I just broke through the fourth wall there, didn't I? Sorry. Just forget it.".

-The series makes mention of the 'Player in front of the TV' multiple times.

-Tutorials for new moves are lampshaded with references to the player's controls, then the host tells Mario a being 'from another dimension' will do it for him because he doesn't understand.

Paper Mario's fourth wall breakage drives me to giggle! *giggle*

 

[SammiYin]

I'm gonna vent some fanboism and suggest Conkers bad fur day.

Spoiler

The end cutscene has the game freeze and a bewildered conker starts having a conversation with a programmer. It's pretty awesome.

I distinctly remember a game where the character will knock on your screen if you leave him long enough.
On reflection I think it was Hugo 2. So much for repressing traumatising things.

 

[Saltyk]

One of the Jack and Daxter games. I think it was 3.

"This isn't a game", prompting Jack and Daxter to look at the player.

I think there was a better moment in 3.

Jak and Daxter meet up with some of their allies to discuss their next battle plan. I can't remember all the details, but I do remember Daxter saying something along the lines of "Let me guess. It's all up to Jak and me." To which they respond no, they're gonna have someone else take care of this.

Suddenly, Daxter explodes with how he has a contract and this is going to ruin his shoe deal. Which made me laugh. Not just because it was fourth wall breaking, but Daxter was complaining about NOT doing a mission.

 

[Moonlight Butterfly]

I'm gonna vent some fanboism and suggest Conkers bad fur day.

Spoiler

The end cutscene has the game freeze and a bewildered conker starts having a conversation with a programmer. It's pretty awesome.

I distinctly remember a game where the character will knock on your screen if you leave him long enough.
On reflection I think it was Hugo 2. So much for repressing traumatising things.

I think Rincewind did that in the Discworld game. I remember when it first happened wondering what the hell it was.

 

[Tallim]

I would say any Disgaea game would have several. Sometimes I don't even think they have a 4th wall. Or if they do it's very shoddily built and full of cracks.

 

[danintexas]

Yesterday, I met the Black Knight in Two Worlds 2.
Knight: "None shall pass."
Protagonist: "What?"
K: "None shall pass."
P: "I have no quarrel with you good sir knight, but I must go through."
(Me: Isn't this...?)
K: "Then. You. Shall. Die."
P: "Gods, I hope this doesn't mean a lawsuit."

I am about 10 hours in - when does this happen. Also is it a side-quest? Because I wish to see this.

OT: In Sacred 2 if you played as the Shadow Warrior, if you put down the controller for a bit. He comments about how he can't move until you pick back up the controller.

Sacred 2 has a bunch of great ones. The Angel character when she is left alone - She talks about being at the mercy of even the easiest goblin and how she is going to start selling her gear. Another is when you are killing just random human enemies. Every once in awhile when one dies they give one last gasp and say - I KNEW IT! I WAS ONLY AN EXTRA! LOVE that game

 

[Mauso88]

Conker's Bad Fur Day on the N64.
When you leave him stood idle for a while he says, ''What are you doing? Don't do that, your gonna go blind!''
I still get nervous whenever a squirrel looks at me.

 

[funguy2121]

Okay what are your favorite moments in all of video games that break the fourth wall. I will add one stipulation. No Metal Gear Solid Moments. Metal Gear Solid breaks the fourth wall multiple times a game.

That being said my favorite is in Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines When you talk to Rosa and have here read your fortune. One of the lines of dialogue is "whether or not you win the game matters not... it's if you bought it" Nice way to subtly chastise pirates.

This may not technically be considered fourth wall, but it's definitely meta, and it's definitely fucking with the gamer. I'll let the video speak for itself. This is from No More Heroes for the Wii (also ported to the XBox, I believe).


The fun starts around 1:35.

 

[funguy2121]

Looks like some of the posters aren't differentiating between metafiction and fourth-wall-breaking, which is more specific. I mentioned No More Heroes because, even though the protagonist rarely looks directly at the audience and addresses them, there are several moments where they aren't simply acknowledging that they're characters in a work of fiction but actually fucking with the gamer while you play.

Metafiction is simply a character acknowledging that they're a character. It's used a helluvah lot on the show Community, especially in episodes that focus on Abed. Breaking the fourth wall is more specific and involves directly addressing the audience (see: Bloodpool).