History Main / PressXToNotDie

[[quoteright:211:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/pressx_6230.jpg]]

* [[{{Kingdom Hearts}} Kingdom Hearts 2]] is full of these, called "Reaction Commands". There's not much point to them as it's very forgiving and always makes you press triangle.
** Technically speaking, [=KH2=] has action commands rather than quicktime events (as the tropes are defined). Though some boss battles and their action commands (especially Xemnas) are rather cutscene-ish of nature, thus blurring the boundaries between the two tropes.
** The last stage of the final boss fight in ''KingdomHearts II'' consists of running two of these... at the same time, repeatedly, and messing up either one of them results in taking massive damage. It can take you by surprise, since all ''other'' Reactions only use triangle, so having to mash triangle AND X might not be immediately clear.
** Major exception: BonusBoss Sephiroth. The battle starts and you have about half a second to hit triangle ''or you are dead.'' He will also use the same move every so often during the fight. Hopefully you're not mid-air when he starts it, because then you ''can't'' block it.
*** [[{{Gamebreaker}} Reflega]]. If he's close enough behind you when he finishes the move, he'll also take some nasty damage.
** Another exception: In the first fight against Xemnas there are times where he teleports to the top of a tower and a cutscene is initiated where Sora starts running up the side of the tower. When Sora gets close to Xemnas, a reaction command becomes available. The ideal way to handle the cutscene is to ignore that reaction command... and the one after it. Waiting for the ''third'' reaction command will deal damage to Xemnas and stun him.
** In the first KingdomHearts, there's an attack called "Strike Raid." When active, a press-this-button icon labelled "Strike" will appear when locked on to a target at a distance. If you use it, Sora will throw his Keyblade at his target, then it will reappear in his hand. Then the icon will change to "Raid." You can throw the Keyblade up to three more times, then it will change again to "Judgement," which will cause Sora to switch to a two-handed grip and throw the Keyblade ForMassiveDamage. The thing is, though, you have to have really good timing to get past "Strike," because the icons disappear after about half a second each and you can't use the attack without them.

Thanks to overuse, misuse, and [[PetPeeveTrope generally being disliked by most players]], this may become a DiscreditedTrope. Contrast PressXToDie. Compare CoupDeGraceCutscene, where no input is needed. SmashingSurvival is a mix between this and ButtonMashing.

** An even more forgiving version appears in ''Spider-Man: Web of Shadows'', where they're only used at the very end of boss battles (so you know when to expect them), keep the same sequences, and if you fail, you just restart the button sequence.

Not to be confused with PressAToJump, which has nothing to do with quicktime events.

[=QTEs=] are, among other places, a source of endless scorn and sarcasm in the TropeNamer, ''ZeroPunctuation'' (even more than most things). Yahtzee often changed it to fit the setting, such as "[[DantesInferno Press X To Not Be Damned To The Stygian Pit, Yea.]]"

* ''Super Adventure Rockman'' was a [[NoExportForYou Japan-only]] ''MegaMan'' game released in the mid-nineties. It was an animated adventure that gave the player ChooseYourOwnAdventure style choices that would guide the cutscenes. Every once in a while, in the middle of a cutscene, arrows would flash on the screen and you'd have one second to choose a direction, hit the D-Pad, and dodge a surprise attack.

*** God of War II also has (at least?) two QTEs that you [[HopelessBossFight you can't win]]: In Rhodes, when [[spoiler:Zeus fights you while you're half dead, it eventually prompts an O-mash minigame. Whether you lose or "win" it, you still get stabbed.]] Then in the start of the end of the last battle, you will [[spoiler:stop and pretend to surrender when faced with Zeus' lightning... cage... thing, no matter how furiously you press the O button.]]

Thanks to overuse, misuse, and [[PetPeeveTrope generally being disliked by most players]], this may become a DiscreditedTrope. Contrast PressXToDie. Compare CoupDeGraceCutscene where no input is needed. SmashingSurvival is a mix between this a ButtonMashing.

[=QTEs=] are, among other places, a source of endless scorn and sarcasm in the TropeNamer, ''ZeroPunctuation'' (even more than most things). Yahtzee often changed to fit the setting such as "[[DantesInferno Press X To Not Be Damned To The Stygian Pit, Yea.]]"

* The defining characteristic of ''GodOfWar''. Although in this game's case, it's usually more "Press X to Make ''Them'' Die"
** And ''GodOfWar 2'' where [[spoiler:rapid shoulder button mashing is required to keep Atlas from literally squashing Kratos between his fingers long enough for [[StrangeBedfellows Two Angry Bald Men to realize they both hate Zeus and want to kick his ass]]]].

* The very first ''SoulSeries'' game, ''Soul Edge'' (or ''Soul Blade'') had these for endings: if you didn't do...something at a certain point, you'd almost always get a bad ending. The later games didn't do this.

** [=RE4=] may be the {{trope codifier}}, as the game's success led to an explosion in QTE's among other games. While many previous games used this trope, [=RE4=] arguably had the most memorable and cinematic uses up to that point in time.
** [=RE4=] also included an entire boss fight that consisted of nothing but QTE's. It also doubles as an informative cutscene. Luckily for people who dislike QTE's, you get to fight the enemy in question later on in a more conventional way.
** [[QuickTimeEvent Quick Time Events]] return in full style for [[ResidentEvil Resident Evil 5]] where failing a button prompt during a cutscene results in instant death and failing a button prompt during a boss fight results in significant damage on Veteran and [[HarderThanHard Professional]].

** Fans of the original ''Tomb Raider'' were ''not'' [[AntiClimaxBoss pleased that every BOSS]] in ''Anniversary'' was turned into a QTE

* Both versions of ''[[SonicTheHedgehog Sonic Unleashed]]'' have a few of these as well. In the earlier daytime stages, missing a prompt will cause you to take a less efficient path (or in the harder side-mission could result in your untimely demise). Mandatory nighttime [=QTEs=] are limited to two bosses, the Dark Gaia Phoenix and the Egg Dragoon. Otherwise, it simply helped to gain extra points. Eggmanland in the PS3/360 version, on the other hand, are positively full of the mandatory types.

** You think that's bad? [[spoiler: The final boss fight ''is'' a quick time event]].

Thanks to overuse, misuse, and [[PetPeeveTrope generally being disliked by most players]], this may become a DiscreditedTrope. Contrast PressXToDie. Compare CoupDeGraceCutscene where no input is needed.

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<<|VideoGameTropes|>>

** A lot of players don't realise that B is the only one you can press, you can press all four of the coloured buttons (Y, X, B, A).

** This is parodied in the Flash game ''[[http://www.heavy.com/post/press-x-to-jason-the-game-4539 Press X to Jason]]''.

* {{Metro2033}} has these frequently, to the detriment of what is otherwise a pretty good game.

-->''Meanwhile, you go back to ResidentEvil4, it's like, BITCH, THIS AIN'T A CUTSCENE! PRESS A! PRESS A! YOU DON'T GOT TIME TO SMOKE A BOWL! YOU STILL PLAYIN! JUMP, GYPSY! C'MON, JUMP!''

* In the original {{Uncharted}} game (which, incidentally, is the half-TropeNamer; [[ZeroPunctuation Yahtzee]] used the phrase in his review of the game), about once or twice a short cutscene would have a platform collapse underneath you and require you to press X to jump to the next platform, which is very difficult to do the first time around since it is so random. The sequel offers much more swallowable quicktime events in that they are only used when you attempt to melee a miniboss and are exactly the same buttons as meleeing any other enemy.
* This trope is the ''basis'' of impromptu survival in the first three {{Game/Clock Tower}} games.
* CookingMama has a few of these, in the unlikely event you lose grip of an ingredient, you got to catch it. This is extra infuriating in World Kitchen

* In the AVP demo, hammering the block command lets you break free from an execution. Sometimes.
** Not an example. The execution will be broken regardless of button presses if you are at or very close to full health. Otherwise it will work no matter what.

** No penalties? Did you flunk only on the bits where it's impossible to get electrocuted, shot, knocked out, stabbed, crushed, incinerated or choked to death?

* [[LampshadedTrope Lampshaded]] in a [[{{Champions}} Champions Online]] update that introduced a parrying power in a mini quicktime event. The title of the update? "Press Shift to Not Die".
* {{Okami}} had several sequences where the player had to perform certain actions at certain times to help a certain character. The only reason few people noticed it was this trope was because it's done with brushstrokes instead of buttons.
* Played semi-straight in [[IWannaBeTheGuy I Wanna Be The Guy]], as in one dialogue, [[spoiler: Dracula, the upcoming boss, tries to kill you with a projectile. * During* the dialogue. Jump or die.]]
* Some bosses in [=~Eat Lead: The Return Of Matt Hazard~=] are fought like this. A button or other controller action is shown and you have a moment to do and get Matt to beat up his foe in the cutscene. Repeat until bad guy falls. Missing them will make him lose the fight and die. The game plays with this at points. One such 'fight' is a single suckerpunch that you can't lose, and another is repeatedly smashing the other guy's face into his car.

* While I don't know what happens if you fail, Mario And Luigi, Bowser's Inside Story has two [=QTEs=] as well. First is when you fight [[spoiler: the Dark Star]] in Bowser's body, defeating it causes it to do a [[TakingYouWithMe Taking You With Me]] in which you have to Mash A and B so Mario and Luigi escape, [[spoiler: the aforementioned trope is averted because the Dark Star survives as well]]. Second, as your chasing [[spoiler: Dark Bowser up Peach's Castle]], he pauses to get into a psudeo Beam War with Bowser, using their fire breath. The player has to Mash X to (assumingly) Not Die. Also happens again at the very end just before the final boss fight proper, although that one doesn't require the player's input as it is a stylized entrance to the battle.

* ''Ninja Blade'' has a [[strike:few]] lot of these; a mini-boss as early as the second mission pulled out a cutscene that involved one of these about once a minute. In a surprisingly obvious move to reduce frustration, when the consequence of getting the press wrong is, in fact, death, rather than a standard GameOver, it rewinds the sequence a bit and gives you an opportunity to retry from there.

** Actually, overload just makes your Hypermode last longer, and your Hypermode [[CastFromHitPoints drains your health.]] It's in no way free.
*** Only if you willingly activated Hyper Mode. If one of the Space Pirates throws a bomb on you and forces you into it, you don't lose the health (according to Nintendo anyway).
*** It's not a free hypermode, but it allows you to get more out of the one you're in. Entering hypermode voluntarily trades an energy tank for a full Phazon bar; when you overload the Phazon bar starts filling up, and this does not drain additional energy. This, and the fact that you don't take damage while in hypermode, makes effective use of overloads absolutely required to complete the hypermode difficulty, and you'll be grateful for every Phazon grenade that hits you (they do indeed drain no health).

* ''{{Bayonetta}}'' has a [[strike:few]] ''lot'' of these, sometimes during cutscenes, sometimes during bosses. Some of them have very unforgiving reaction time, too. Fortunately, after the first time you'll know when they're coming, and they thankfully don't randomize the buttons.

* [=SkiFree=], as shown [[http://xkcd.com/667/ here]].

** Similarly, the "Throw back grenade" button, which although '''great''' if you get it right, it was very common to get it wrong and lob the grenade into the nearest wall, whereupon it bounced back at you, eliciting a cry of "[[CurseCutShort Oh Sh-]]"

* Occurs in the final battle with the [=DomZ=] priest in ''BeyondGoodAndEvil'' (failure causes you to take damage and forces you to redo the sequence from the start); then once again [[InterfaceScrew with the controls reversed]].

** RE4 may be the {{trope codifier}}, as the game's success led to an explosion in QTE's among other games. While many previous games used this trope, RE4 arguably had the most memorable and cinematic uses up to that point in time.
** RE4 also included an entire boss fight that consisted of nothing but QTE's. It also doubles as an informative cutscene. Luckily for people who dislike QTE's, you get to fight the enemy in question later on in a more conventional way.

* [[{{Kingdom Hearts}} KH2]] is full of these, called "Reaction Commands". There's not much point to them as it's very forgiving and always makes you press triangle.
** Technically speaking, KH2 has action commands rather than quicktime events (as the tropes are defined). Though some boss battles and their action commands (especially Xemnas) are rather cutscene-ish of nature, thus blurring the boundaries between the two tropes.

*** The animation for killing them when you're down is a CrowningMomentOfAwesome, and you are invisible to other enemies in the mean time, so sometimes...{{yeah}}

** ''Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker'', meanwhile, has quite a few, with only one not rewinding to earlier in the cutscene if a cue is missed. [[spoiler:That one being at the end of the (quite lengthy) "Infiltrate the Underground Base" mission, with the reward for success being a keycard for use in the next mission, and the reward for failure being an immediate cut to Snake getting surrounded by the armed guards he's fighting off (which will happen anyways, at the end of the day).
** ''Metal Gear Solid'', ''Metal Gear Solid 2'' and ''Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker'' also have these [[IncrediblyLamePun done horribly wrong]]; as in, [[ButtonMashing Mash]] X Until Your Fingers Fall Off To Not Die. At least MGS1 gave an opt-out [[spoiler:leading to an [[MultipleEndings alternate ending]]]].

* While I don't know what happens if you fail, Mario And Luigi, Bowser's Inside Story has two QTEs as well. First is when you fight [[spoiler: the Dark Star]] in Bowser's body, defeating it causes it to do a [[TakingYouWithMe Taking You With Me]] in which you have to Mash A and B so Mario and Luigi escape, [[spoiler: the aforementioned trope is averted because the Dark Star survives as well]]. Second, as your chasing [[spoiler: Dark Bowser up Peach's Castle]], he pauses to get into a psudeo Beam War with Bowser, using their fire breath. The player has to Mash X to (assumingly) Not Die. Also happens again at the very end just before the final boss fight proper, although that one doesn't require the player's input as it is a stylized entrance to the battle.

* Occurs in the final battle with the [=DomZ=] priest in ''BeyondGoodAndEvil''; then once again [[InterfaceScrew with the controls reversed]].

** ''Metal Gear Solid'' and ''Metal Gear Solid 2'' also have these [[IncrediblyLamePun done horribly wrong]]; as in, [[ButtonMashing mash]] X until your fingers fall off not to die. At least MGS gave an opt-out [[spoiler:leading to an [[MultipleEndings alternate ending]]]].