History Main / BrokenBridge

* In ''VideoGame/EscapeFromMonkeyIsland'', Guybrush is framed for a crime and stuck on Lucre Island because they give him a cursed Voodoo anklet. It would become ''very'' uncomfortable if he tried to leave.

*** The first time you come to Lumiose City, you'll find workers telling you there's a power cut, preventing you from exploring entire parts of the city. Though this one, at least, is justified by an event that's discovered later in the story. There are really egregious cases.
** A girl blocks your path to Cyliage city just because she dropped some fossils.
** Some hipsters stand talking in front of the gate between Lumiose and Route 15, refusing to let you past because you're not cool enough to know about route 15.
** The return of Snorlax sleeping on a bridge.
** Or just some guy telling you you should talk to the local Champion.

*** The first time you come to Lumiose City, you'll find workers telling you there's a power cut, preventing you from exploring entire parts of the city. That's that bad.
**** Though that one, at least, is justified by an event that's discovered later in the story. But there are really egregious cases, like a girl blocking your path just because she dropped some fossils, tourists talking in front of an exit, or just some guy telling you you should talk to the local Champion.

** Though that one, at least, is justified by an event that's discovered later in the story. But there are really egregious cases, like a girl blocking your path just because she dropped some fossils, tourists talking in front of an exit, or just some guy telling you you should talk to the local Champion.

*** The first time you come to Lumiose City, you'll find workers telling you there's a power cut, preventing you from exploring entire parts of the city. That's that bad.

*** The first time you come to Lumiose City, there's a man at the end of the southern street telling you there's a power cut, preventing you from exploring the northern part of the city. That's that bad.

** Averted in the upcoming ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoV'', the entire map will be open from the start.

* ''VideoGame/FireEmblemJugdral'' has this and NPCRoadBlock. You can't across a few areas without capturing castles in the order because of the closed gates or water tiles. Sometime, you can't proceed to a new area without witnessing [[PlayerPunch your NPC allies getting slaughtered by the enemies first.]]

*** If you try to enter Kanto from New Bark Town before getting the , your mother suddenly runs out of the house to stop you and remind you to see Professor Elm first. Try it again and she runs out again to say "Didn't you hear what I said?". [[RuleOfThree Try it again]] and she just yells "I'm getting upset!" [[CrowningMomentOfFunny without even leaving the house.]]

* In ''{{Riven}}'', there is a raised drawbridge you encounter early on with an apparent trigger button on the near side... which doesn't work until you figure out a way to turn on the steam power to the island, and by then you've managed to get to the other side by another path.

* A variety of obstacles exist in ''Movie/CabinInTheWoods'' to keep the victims from escaping, from a collapsing tunnel to force fields. [[spoiler: This is because the horror movie scenario is a setup by an organization sacrificing the youths to save the world. They build all of the horror movie tropes to appease the Ancient Ones and use the Broken Bridges to keep them from leaving.]]

* A variety of obstacles exist in '"CabinInTheWoods'' to keep the victims from escaping, from a collapsing tunnel to force fields. [[spoiler: This is because the horror movie scenario is a setup by an organization sacrificing the youths to save the world. They build all of the horror movie tropes to appease the Ancient Ones and use the Broken Bridges to keep them from leaving.]]

* In the Exeunt Omnes level of ''{{FEAR}}'' a pair of Bouncing Betty landmines blocks your path. Shooting them will only take out the fuse box and block the way again with electrical discharges, so you have use a nearby AirVentPassageway instead and deactivate the electricity from the other side. At other times, your immediate path is blocked by security shutters, immovable furniture, [[InsurmountableWaistHeightFence insurmountable fences]], jammed doors, etc.

* ''VideoGame/RedDeadRedemption'' has literal broken bridges that prevent you from accessing areas of the game (Mexico, West Elizabeth) before you've completed missions that unlock those areas.

** ''Need For Speed Underground 2, Most Wanted'', and ''Carbon'' do it by blatantly plopping a "holo-barrier" with glowing padlocks in the roads that connect the boroughs [[hottip:*:(explained in ''Underground 2'' as [[BlatantLies "construction"]])]]. Once you clear one of the campaign tiers, you get a message that simply says the next borough is open. Sort of makes sense, since the game also uses holo-barriers to define the corners at road intersections.

* In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'' you cannot enter the imperial palace because [[BeefGate a massive robot bars your way]]. If you're foolish enough to fight it, you'll find you can do no damage, and your death is assured unless you run away. Justified in that the Emperor is a military dictator of a police state, and doesn't want riffraff bothering him in his home[[hottip:*:The use of InvincibleMinorMinion is also justified: the Guardian robot is only invincible as long as its legs and chassis are standing still]].

* In ''[[VideoGame/TalesOfDestiny Tales Of Destiny 2]]'' [[hottip:*:originally ''VideoGame/TalesOfEternia'']], there's an area about two feet away from the starting town. When you visit it, the main character remarks that he has no reason to be here and just immediately leaves. You visit it later as a reasonably high-leveled dungeon, but the character never shies away from random places at any other time in the game. [[JustifiedTrope Justified]] since that dungeon is the sight of some serious trauma for the game's main characters. I doubt Reid and Faraha would want to visit the place that led to [[spoiler:the destruction of their town, the death of their parents, and the release of the Goddess Nereid, the driving force behind the plot.]]

* In the [[GameMaker OHRRPGCE]] [[hottip:*:Official Hamster Republic Role Playing Game Creation Engine]] game ''WanderingHamster'', there are rocks blocking the path out of town until you talk to James. These are explicitly referred to as "Plot Boulders." If you look at them before you talk to James, there will be a message saying you must do so. If you then talk to James, he denies they ever existed. Yeah, it's that kind of game.

** ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoViceCity'' also prevents you from reaching the west island by issuing a storm warning, causing every bridge to be closed. Once you finish the required missions, the storm warning is mysteriously repealed. [[hottip:*:Again, numerous tricks are known to get over nonetheless. This time it's very useful.]]
** ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoSanAndreas'' has a series of broken (or closed) bridges that block you from the rest of the state, initially from an earthquake warning. It is possible to cross over by swimming, but your wanted meter immediately shoots up to four stars, and won't go down until you're dead. Or, alternatively, get back to territory you can legitimately access, and lower your wanted rating normally; getting out is just as hard as getting in. [[hottip:*:Inverted later in the game; there's a period of time where you are basically banished from Los Santos and receive a wanted level for trying to return.]]

* Adorable little kid asks for your help with some random task, like saving his lost brother or finding medicine for his mom. One or more of the members of your party (usually TheChick) will feel pity for him and, since they can't resist random chivalry, demand that you stop and help. If you try to leave anyway, they'll whine and [[ButThouMust stop you]].
* You've been declared an outlaw in a particular place, and can't return there until you've cleared your name.

* All over most ''ClueFinders'' games. Especially when you consider that it's good material for AlphabetSoupCans.

An obstacle, frequently a broken [[TakeItToTheBridge bridge]], that prevents you from progressing to the next [[AdventureTowns Adventure Town]] and advancing the plot further. Once this plot advancement has occurred, the bridge is fixed.

* Several skirmish maps feature literal destroyed bridges, which can be renovated by engineers, sappers and pioneers. This process is somewhat lengthy and potentially expensive, but oftentimes the strategical advantages gained by this process can grant the player a more direct route to victory, so it's essential to start work on one side of the bridge before the enemy.