History BreakingTheFourthWall / VideoGames

* ''VideoGame/{{Metroid}}'':

** ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime2Echoes''. Upon visiting Agon Wastes for the first time, the player might notice quickly a huge statue of a worm. Scan it and the visor will suggest it's a "potential warning to visitors". [[spoiler: That worm was actually a boss. The game just warned you that you're going to fight a huge-ass worm.]]

** In ''VideoGame/AnimalCrossingNewHorizons'', if you enter the Roost at a certain time, you get to talk with him. He'll have a few rants about things, but [[https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/animalcrossing/images/c/c6/Ah_Mr._Resetti_being_calm.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20220820064225 if he talks about coffee]], '''''EXPECT''''' Mr. Resetti to get mad. Made much worse as he is '''''[[https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/animalcrossing/images/0/09/YIKES%21%21%21.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20220820064527 STARING ANGRILY RIGHT AT YOU]].'''''

** In ''VideoGame/AnimalCrossingNewHorizons'', if you enter the Roost at a certain time, you get to talk with him. He'll have a few rants about things, but [[https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/animalcrossing/images/c/c6/Ah_Mr._Resetti_being_calm.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/180?cb=20220820064225 if he talks about coffee]], '''''EXPECT''''' Mr. Resetti to get mad. Made much worse as he is '''''[[https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/animalcrossing/images/0/09/YIKES%21%21%21.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/180?cb=20220820064527 STARING ANGRILY RIGHT AT YOU]].'''''

** In ''Red Hot Rumble'', when you pause the game, Captain Blue, Sprocket or Rachel will make a remark about the game being paused, such as Sprocket commenting on the fact that you are going to the bathroom, or pausing to answer the phone. But Rachel takes it UpToEleven by telling you you should go to sleep now if you are playing late at night.

* In ''Barbarous: Tavern of Emyr'' after Emyr purchases a LongList of items at Varizz's shop, O'rho states that he has some words for Emyr, but they aren't PG-13.

* In ''Barbarous: Tavern of Emyr'' after Emyr purchases a LongList of items at Varriz's shop, O'rho states that he has some words for Emyr, but they aren't PG-13.

* In the original ''VideoGame/PunchOut'', Mike Tyson says between rounds, "You think the speed of your ''fingers'' can match the strength of my fists?"
* In ''VideoGame/PunchOut'' for Wii, Aran Ryan ''literally'' breaks the fourth wall if you lose to him in contender mode. He attempts to ''literally'' break it again in the ''next round'' cutscene in Title Defense, but the ref stops Aran Ryan.
** Soda also does this in Title Defense, where he pushes a bottle box at the screen, covering it up.

** In ''VideoGame/QuestForGloryII'', you can quite literally break the fourth wall by throwing things (or a flame dart spell) at the tree that looks like a woman (a rather dickish thing to do). It bounces off and breaks your monitor. Since this is a Sierra game, it's fatal.
*** In the same game, if you keep refusing to buy the Saurus, the Saurus salesman will flat-out tell you that the Saurus is [[UnwinnableByDesign required to win the game,]] and gives you once last chance before packing up and leaving. If you ''still'' won't buy it, [[NonStandardGameOver the game immediately kills you for being too thick-headed.]]

* In ''VideoGame/TheWorldEndsWithYou'''s bizarro universe, Another Day, speaking to Joshua in [[spoiler: Udagawa]] results in him practically addressing the player with remarks about why the sprites for the main female protagonist remain the same, despite the fact that [[spoiler: in the main storyline, she's in her friend's body]].

** ''Shangri-La took it to the extreme with his ammo lines:

-->'''Edge:''' I guess it's possible. What's this game rated?

*** This is actually a direct reference to the first game of the series, ''VideoGame/TalesOfPhantasia'' (below) which had the party's mage, Arche Klein, pull acknowledged quick-jumps in certain parts of the game.

** Also in Duodecim, Feral Chaos' EX Burst ends with him delivering a punch with so much force, it appears to turn off your PSP's screen as if it were a television.

--> '''American Infantry:''' ''WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU WANT??!!''

-->* '''Lydia''', the Tap House bartender after completion of the game: "It's the Chosen One! Everybody give it up for the HERO of Fallout 2!"

--->(upon earning an achievement) ''"No otha' class gonna do dat!"''
--->''"Dis map ain't big enough for da two of us!"''

-->'''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?

** Kanji Tatsumi 'notices' the player from the center of the screen(or he walks to the center) and then throws his chair at the screen.

--> '''Vivec''': "When I die in the world of time, then I'm completely asleep. I'm very much aware that all I have to do is choose to wake. And I'm alive again. Many times I have very deliberately tried to wait patiently, a very long, long time before choosing to wake up. And no matter how long it feels like I wait, it always appears, when I wake up, that no time has passed at all."

-->'''Gloria''': No, no. You are not just going to play for a minute and then leave me here.

-->Ummm... why don't you get someone else to do this?
-->How many times are you going to try? I'm not going in there!

-->'''Marty''': Press the jump button to - \\

-->'''Zoohunter''': How many times have I told those sissy boys to tighten up the security around that zoo, but noooooooo, ''they had a budget''! Get in formation men!

* In ''Laruaville 9'' a female ghost comments to Spiritus I that if he's too cruel and vengeful, the One Who Plays will get annoyed and stop playing.

** Yukari Yakumo is sometimes seen doing this in fanarts, mostly because of her power of manipulating ANY kind of boundaries (technically includes the 4th wall). This also does have some basis in canon, as in Immaterial and Missing Power, Scarlet Weather Rhapsody and Hisoutensoku, one of Yukari's spell cards, "Boundary of 2D and 3D", interacts directly with the screen.

* In ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry3'', Dante kind of did this, LITERALLY at that too. At the end of the intro sequence (before the title screen appears) where a woman's voice narrates the legend of Sparda and his two sons, Dante kicks the screen and it cracks.

** There is an achievement/trophy for [[MaleGaze using the camera to look under]] [[DangerouslyShortSkirt Juliet's skirt]]. She covers herself as soon as you try to do it.

** [[spoiler:Flowey]] is aware that you have the ability to save and reset the game, and he will remember and comment on choices you made in alternate timelines. [[spoiler: The worst ending has him note that some cowards would rather watch that ending on Website/YouTube instead of playing through it themselves.]]

---> "You know, studies show that games with monkeys in them [[EverythingsBetterWithMonkeys are 30% more fun]]."

* ''VideoGame/{{Shantae}}'' in the third game Pirates' Curse whenever you have a conversation with Squid Baron and his fear of becoming [[spoiler: a filler boss.]]
* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask'': When you first meet Tatl, Deku Link turns towards the camera and shrugs after she practically forces him to let her come with him. This is possibly the only time in the series where Link acknowledges the player.
** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker'': One of the Tutorial notes in Sturgeons House listed is "Learn all there is to learn in lessons one through nine… And no matter what happens… Do not give up, do not complain, and [[AntiPoopSocking do NOT stay up all night playing!]]"
*** 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 ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime 3D'', Navi suggests taking a break from playing if you've played for a long time without taking a break. She speaks to the player directly by using your chosen ingame name.
--->Hey, Link, are you getting tired? I sure am. Why not take a break and rest for a while? If you do take a break, be sure to press START and save your progress before quitting!
** In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword'', Fi breaks the fourth wall to tell you when your Wii Remote needs new batteries.

* Talking to Jack Frost or Pyro Jack in the ''Franchise/ShinMegamiTensei'' games often leads them to brag about being famous characters in human video games.

* BreathWeapon: The fossa king can let out a concentrated beam of stinky breath from his mouth after eating huge durians delivered to him by his vulture henchmen. A rather gross example indeed.

* In Chapter 5 of ''[[VideoGame/PuyoPuyo Puyo Puyo Tetris 2]]'', Ecolo's attempt to get Ringo to smile makes her uncomfortable and results in this response:

* ''VideoGame/TheSimpsonsGame'' is just layers of this. [[spoiler:At the finale of the game, God asks you for his guide book back, which then zooms out to Ralph Wiggum playing on his TV. Ralph then turns and just STARES at you.]]

*** Snake first notices that something is wrong, when all the guards are gone from a corridor, and the [[LeftTheBackgrounMusicOn Mind Control Music has stopped playing.]]

** In ''VideoGame/ProfessorLaytonVsAceAttorney'',[[spoiler: An in-universe 4th wall is broken in Labyrinthia, where it's all a just a play to stop Espella from constantly believing that she's the Great Witch Bezella and the magic is caused by special effects created by brainwashing.]] Also, the characters in the Special Episodes constantly break the 4th Wall by speaking to the audience, with Maya referring to them as an "Avid Video Game Player." They also discuss things about the game being so popular.

*** Snake first notices that something is wrong, when all the guards are gone from a corridor, and the [[SorryILeftTheBGMOn Mind Control Music has stopped playing.]]

* VideoGame/SCPContainmentBreach uses this in a pants-shittingly terrifying way: When the game is paused, sometimes the game will unpause itself and display the message "Stop Hiding."

** When the WebVideo/GameGrumps did a LetsPlay of the Stanley Parable demo, they received a special custom version that addressed the Grumps by name, made a few references to the Steam Train audience, and even referenced the "God damn it, Ross!" RunningGag.

** In ''VideoGame/{{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.]]

* One of the rewards for collecting all 120 stars in ''Videogame/SuperMario64'' is altered dialogue after the final Bowser battle in which he tells Mario to "keep that Control Stick smokin'" until the next time they meet.

* In ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry 3'', Dante kind of did this, LITERALLY at that too. At the end of the intro sequence (before the title screen appears) where a woman's voice narrates the legend of Sparda and his two sons, Dante kicks the screen and it cracks.

* [[VideoGame/BanjoKazooie "It looks like there's no one here!" "Yes there is. The music just changed."]]

** ''VideoGame/{{Borderlands 2}}'' ups the ante.

*** When you gain access to [[BagOfSharing Claptrap's stash]], he attempts to fumble through an awkward InUniverse explanation of what it does until he just matter-of-factly states "Look, it's for [[{{Twinking}} twinking]] items between your characters".

* Franchise/{{Pokemon}} has tons of examples. For more information, look [[http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Breaking_the_fourth_wall here]].
* ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 2}}'' has LOTS of these. For example:
-->* '''the Parlor Room's bartender:''' "Are you okay, sir? Drinking all that "alcohol-Z" looks like it has had some sort of effect on you. Are you sure you want more?"

* If you fall far enough to hurt yourself, but not far enough to die, ''VideoGame/TheSaboteur'' will shout things. One of them is "[[VideogameCrueltyPotential Stop that]]!"

-->'''Spyro:''' *Just before fighting a mammoth boss* I've beaten bigger baddies than you. [[GenreSavvy All I have to do is run around you a few times while I figure out your ]][[AttackItsWeakPoint weakness.]] Then I just hit you three times and...*Is crushed by the mammoth's foot.*
-->'''Hunter:''' *a short time after the above, after Sparx explains the situation* We have to rescue him before it's too late!

* In ''VideoGame/{{Persona 4}}'' there is an NPC that mentions the ever-so-wonderful Square button that has the power of teleportation.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Persona 4 Arena}}'' this is present in certain characters' final round victories.

** In ''VideoGame/{{Persona 4 Arena Ultimax}}'', Rise Kujikawa is part of this, waving at the screen as a curtain draws down to cover the screen.
* ''VideoGame/{{Persona 5}}'': Atlus published an ad in an actual Japanese newspaper, appearing as a CutAndPasteNote, that proclaimed "The Phantom" would appear at the February 2015 event that revealed new ''Persona 5'' footage. Sure enough, he ended up appearing, "shot out" the lights, and proceeded to reveal the very first gameplay trailer for ''Persona 5''.
* This comes up a lot during the ''VideoGames/SlyCooper'' franchise, with dialogue such as: "Bentley, how do I climb ladders?" "Simple Sly. Just press the circle button."

* VideoGame/KidIcarusUprising is guilty of multiple counts of fourth wall breaking; talking about various story cliches, referencing various other Nintendo titles as well as [[Franchise/{{Metroid}} its sister series]], and a literal case [[spoiler: after Chapter 9, where Hades tears through the fake credits.]]

* ''VideoGame/{{Grand Theft Auto III}}'' has a sign saying "you weren't supposed to be able to get here you know" in a difficult to reach location.
** ''VideoGame/{{Grand Theft Auto Liberty City Stories}}'' plays on this by changing the message to "HELLO AGAIN!" with a comic smiley face and hug arms.

* ''VideoGame/JoJosBizarreAdventureHeritageForTheFuture''

* ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls''