History Main / PressXToNotDie

** The boss fights are knife fights. On Xbox, you fight Buck with the left and right triggers. You fight Hoyt with the face buttons.

** The dogs are coupled with fanatic Japanese soldiers using bayonets instead of biting you in ''Call of Duty: World at War''. They're actually possible to consistently defeat without dying, however. The animation for killing them when you're down is a SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome, and you are invisible to other enemies in the mean time, so sometimes... yeah.

** In the ''VideoGame/CallOfDutyBlackOps'' level "SOG", an NVA soldier will jump on you and you have to tap the "use" button really fast. If you succeed, you [[PineappleSurprise remove the pins from the grenades on his belt and push him away before he explodes]]. Many others too, such as press X (or V in PC) to open parachute, to accelerate the car, etc.

* ''VideoGame/SuperAdventureRockman'' was a [[NoExportForYou Japan-only]] ''VideoGame/MegaManClassic'' 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.
** ''VideoGame/MegaManBattleNetwork 4'', specifically the [[OneGameForThePriceOfTwo Red Sun]] version, had this in the lead-up to the fight against [=SearchMan=]; he was in the Undernet, and when you go there to look for him he snipes at you every few seconds. When he takes aim, a crosshair appears over [=MegaMan=], followed by an arrow determining which direction to press to dodge the shot.
* In a series that's been otherwise free of them, ''[[VideoGame/{{Metroid}} Metroid Prime 3: Corruption]]'' introduces one in the form of "Phazon overload," which you have to burn off by frantic mashing of the firing button. Not doing so fast enough earns you a NonstandardGameOver. The first and last time it happens, it's a Press A To Not Die; in all other instances it takes the form of an ActionCommand. Usually overload works in your favor as it's basically a free Hypermode, but it can be overdone to cruel effect on the hardest difficulty setting.
** In ''Other M'', they adapted this trope for use beyond a specific mechanic like Phazon corruption, instead working it into parts of normal gameplay for the first and, so far, only time in Metroid's history.

** In ''VideoGame/SonicShuffle'', the "Over the Rainbow" mini-game involves Sonic and his friends pressing the right button before time runs out to hop across lily pads. Pressing the wrong button or the right one too late will result in that player sinking.

* Some of ''Creator/Sega'' recent light gun arcades have these such as ''VideoGame/LetsGoJungle'', ''LetsGoIsland'' and ''VideoGame/TransformersHumanAlliance'' which has sections that bring up prompts and you must either hit a button rapidly, hit it when it reaches a certain point or turn your gun in a pointed direction to avoid damage.

** [[spoiler:The fact that you're told to use the '''Middle''' Stick to avoid Joker's gun should tip you off.]]
** [[spoiler:On the PC version, you are asked to 'Tilt the Mouse'.]]

** ''VideoGame/SilentHillHomecoming'' has a few, particularly while fighting Ferals and Needlers. It also has Press X To Shrug Off This Minor Inconvenience with Swarms and Smogs. The most significant doubles as a CutsceneBoss; the sort of BigBad is killed in a cutscene with their own power drill. In the face.

** ''VideoGame/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]]]].

* Both versions of ''VideoGame/SonicUnleashed'' 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-missions, 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, is positively full of the mandatory types. (And the Wii/PS2 version has quite a few mandatory QTE's as well.)
** The portions of the final boss where you control the [[spoiler:[[HumongousMecha Gaia Colossus]]]] against Dark Gaia plays out through these in the [=PS3=]/360 version. Hit the button right, and you slug the monster right in the face. The Wii/[=PS2=] version dispenses with them in that part, allowing you to ''really'' slug the guy in the face, a-la ''VideoGame/PunchOut''.
** Arid Sands Act 2 consists mainly of a series of Quick Time Events, all of them mandatory.
** In ''Sonic and the Black Knight'', you gain followers (who may give you goodies as well) by pressing the right button/button combinations shown on screen before the meter depletes. Rather arbitrary, but mercifully, screwing up won't kill you, making this more of a "Press X To Make Friends" thing.

** ''VideoGame/SonicRush'' has this happen in the zone 7 boss. You need to mash B in order to [[spoiler:push Blaze (or Sonic) off the edge of the platform before they do the same to you]]

* ''FarCry 2'' has a ''literal'' version of this trope. If your health drops below 20%, it will continue to fall until you die, unless you push the "restore health" button, which results in the character patching up a serious wound to bring you back to 40% health. If you don't push the button, or you're continually interrupted while trying to heal, then you die.

* ''NinjaBlade'' has a few 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 you actually die in one of these sequences, it rewinds the sequence a bit and gives you an opportunity to retry from there rather than giving you a GameOver.

* The Early Access Steam game Press X To Not Die, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voF-p-jEzuw as demonstrated by MegaGWolf]], is basically a modern day VideoGame/DragonsLair when it comes to how much it adheres to this trope. It's the freaking title for crying out loud.

* ''NintendoLand'' in its Zelda attraction. The archer receives quick-time event prompts for any enemy that can't be resonably disposed of before they can get an attack off ({{Giant Mook}}s and archers, basically). This is necessary because you have absolutely no control over your movement, and without it avoiding damage (and thus mastering the level) would be impossible. [[NintendoHard Depending on who you ask, it might be impossible anyway]].

* ''VideoGame/DynamiteDeka'' might be one of the earliest games to do this. Failure meant extra enemies to fight, or taking a bit of damage. Occasionally the target is knocked out of the next fight too, if it involves you in physical-contact range with a mook.

* ''VideoGame/DieHardArcade'' might be one of the earliest games to do this. Failure meant extra enemies to fight, or taking a bit of damage. Occasionally the target is knocked out of the next fight too, if it involves you in physical-contact range with a mook.

* ''VisualNovel/FleuretBlanc'' sometimes features these in cutscenes, though they're never vital. You're usually given multiple retries if you fail, and even if you completely screw up, all you'll get is some slightly changed dialogue afterwards. This is mainly practice for bouts, where they ''do'' matter -- you have to perform a quicktime event after every regular action for a chance at favor points. Techniques all have their own unique quicktime events, and you need to succeed at them for techniques to work at ''all''.

** ''VideoGame/TombRaider2013'' included a few, mostly consisting of getting grabbed by enemies hanging over ledges or heading into incoming danger which can mean death if you're not fast enough to move Lara out of the way quickly. The most traditional examples were escaping the Scavenger Cave, a fight against a wolf that was performed entirely via a [=QTE=], and the controversial sequence where Lara must fend off an attempted sexual assault/rape early in the game. [[spoiler: The final confrontation with Mathias is also a [=QTE=].]]

->''"Meanwhile, you go back to Resident Evil 4, 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!"''

Not to be confused with Main/ForInconveniencePressOne. In games where this isn't a core mechanic, having failure lead to a game over is also a NonstandardGameOver.

* ''[[VideoGame/JustCause Just Cause 2]]''. In the PC version, you have to press numbers from 1 to 4 to hijack vehicles, hack computers and generally do anything mission-relevant. It's particularly annoying when you're trying to jack a helicopter, because the sequence takes time, and all the while the cops are shooting at you and damaging the chopper.

Largely originating with ''VideoGame/DragonsLair'' (though pre-dated by the obscure ''The Driver''), the gameplay of which consisted entirely of these; It was pretty much a cartoon where you had to press buttons at the right time for the story to continue. (''Exactly'' the right time, [[TrialAndErrorGameplay often without any sort of prompt.]]) ''[[Franchise/DieHard Die Hard Arcade]]'' and the UsefulNotes/SegaDreamcast game ''VideoGame/{{Shenmue}}'' as well as ''VideoGame/SwordOfTheBerserkGutsRage'' on the same console introduced them to the action genre.

* ''VideoGame/UntilDawn'' has a lot of [=QTEs=], and other such button prompts. Failing them usually results in something bad happening, but as the game itself tells you, [[PressXToDie sometimes the best course of action is to not do anything]]; deliberately letting the time run out during some button prompts may result in a better alternative than actually performing the prompt.

** In ''Other M'', they adapted this trope for use beyond a specific mechanic like Phazon corruption, instead working it into parts of normal gameplay for the first and, so far, only time in Metroid's history. In other words, being GenreSavvy won't save you if you fail to mash the control pad when the action slows down.

** The portions of the final boss where you control the [[spoiler:[[HumongousMecha Gaia Colossus]]]] against Dark Gaia plays out through these in the [=PS3=]/360 version. Hit the button right, and you slug the monster right in the face. The Wii/[=PS2=] version dispenses with them in that part, allowing you to ''really'' slug the guy in the face, a-la ''PunchOut''.

* Even ''{{MUGEN}}'' has this, of all games. The_None's [[VideoGame/EarthBound Giygas]] possesses two MindRape attacks. One imprisons the opponent in a box and requires to rapidly tap left and right. Failure to do so results in [[OneHitKill electrocution and explosion in a shower of gore]]. The second has the opponent falling down a pit and requires to press the right buttons to escape - failure will result in [[OneHitKill being shredded by a massive buzzsaw]].

* ''{{Madworld}}'' does a similar version to the above, but cooler (and more forgiving).

* ''MarvelUltimateAlliance'' uses these a lot for giant bosses, and it gets rather annoying as you will often have to use them repeatedly to kill them. And they never change. And the cutscene is exactly the same each time. Vicarious Visons removed them entirely for the sequel, at least on Xbox and [=PS3=].

* The Wii version of ''VideoGame/PiratesOfTheCaribbean'', being a [[TheProblemWithLicensedGames licensed game]], is fairly awful, and includes a lot of these. The required ones, fortunately, just start again if you miss a button (or Wiimote waggle), but lots of sidequest ones become LostForever if failed.

It is also a prime example of a [[GrammarNazi split infinitive]].