History Main / PressXtoNotDie

* ''VideoGame/GHOSTSquad'' has Hand-to-Hand Combat scenes in which you must line up your aiming cursor with targets on your opponent and hit the Action button to block his attacks. Completing a scene will show a cutscene of your character [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome beating the crap out of his opponent]], while failing a scene (from taking too long to hit targets) will, in addition to taking off health, will show your character getting his ass kicked instead.

*** One particularly memorable event requires FBI Agent Norman Jaden to hold a very dangerous suspect at gun point while also suffering from drug-related problems. The QTE starts off normally, but quickly ends up requiring four of the shoulder buttons and ''three'' of the face buttons, in addition to moving the control sticks. The incredible difficulty reflects the trouble Jaden is having, and despite the circumstances, failure does not equal death and is, in fact, expected.

It has origins in the UsefulNotes/LaserDisc arcade game ''VideoGame/DragonsLair'' (though appearing earlier in the UsefulNotes/{{Arcade Game}}s ''VideoGame/WildGunman'' and ''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.]]) The following year, ''VideoGame/NinjaHayate'' improved on this formula by introducing on-screen button prompts. The Creator/{{Sega}} arcade game ''[[Franchise/DieHard Die Hard Arcade]]'' and the UsefulNotes/SegaDreamcast games ''VideoGame/{{Shenmue}}'' and ''VideoGame/SwordOfTheBerserkGutsRage'' introduced them to the action and action-adventure genres.

* Believe it or not, this trope can appear in [[SportsGame Sports Games]] as well! Take the UsefulNotes/{{Wii}} version of the LicensedGame for the 2010 [[UsefulNotes/TheWorldCup FIFA World Cup]] tournament in UsefulNotes/SouthAfrica, for example, where you can sometimes call this trope "Press X to not allow a goal." When the ball is punted, corner-kicked or launched towards the goal from a free kick or penalty shot, it will go into SlowMotion and glow partway during its trajectory as one of your players catches a glimpse at it, meaning that this is a critical point of time when he has the opportunity to seize the ball. Right at this moment, you need to shake the Wii Remote to take the ball or save the shot, and you can't be a tad too early or late. If you don't, he will miss the ball, resulting in the opponent taking the ball or scoring a goal, depending on the situation.

It has origins in the UsefulNotes/LaserDisc arcade game ''VideoGame/DragonsLair'' (though appearing earlier in the UsefulNotes/{{ArcadeGame}}s ''VideoGame/WildGunman'' and ''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.]]) The following year, ''VideoGame/NinjaHayate'' improved on this formula by introducing on-screen button prompts. The Creator/{{Sega}} arcade game ''[[Franchise/DieHard Die Hard Arcade]]'' and the UsefulNotes/SegaDreamcast games ''VideoGame/{{Shenmue}}'' and ''VideoGame/SwordOfTheBerserkGutsRage'' introduced them to the action and action-adventure genres.

* ''VideoGame/MortalKombatX'':
** If you fail in the QTE with the Krypt monster, he'll take some koins from you.
** [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] in the story mode, failures are inconsequential but pulling them off will show very satisfying results.

** ''VideoGame/BeyondTwoSouls'' replaces most of the standard button
prompts with slow motion sequences where the player is required to watch the direction Jodie is moving in and push the controller stick in the same direction. Very few, if any, of the game's QTE segments will actually kill her off if played poorly, but other characters may die as a result.

** ''VideoGame/BeyondTwoSouls'' replaces most of the standard button prompts with slow motion sequences where the player is required to watch the direction Jodie is moving in and push the controller stick in the same direction. Very few, if any, of the game's QTE segments will actually kill her off if played poorly, but other characters may die as a result.

* This trope is referenced word for word in Website/GameFAQs' [[http://www.gamefaqs.com/poll/index.html?poll=4605 Poll of the Day for January 21, 2012]]

* ''VideoGame/NeedForSpeed: The Run'' peppers in moments like this during the main storyline to spice things up. In fact, if you're playing on the Xbox 360, or on PC with a 360 or Xbox One controller, the very first button prompt in the game's first QuickTimeEvent will require the mashing of the X button.

* The grand majority of ''VideoGame/WarioWare'' microgames consist in essence of a single [=QTE=].

* ''VideoGame/BeautyAndTheBeastABoardGameAdventure'': In the "Beast's Battle" mini-game, Beast has to quickly press the right direction on the D-pad to dodge the [[SavageWolves wolves]] as they try to attack him, jumping over the low ones, ducking under the high ones, and punching the ones that come from either the left or right sides.

** In ''[[VideoGame/SonicStorybookSeries 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.

* ''Webcomic/CinemaSnobReviewsFrozen'' (a fan comic where ''WebVideo/TheCinemaSnob'' reviews ''WesternAnimation/Frozen2013'') compares part of the climax of ''Frozen'' to a quick time event. When Kristoff and Sven are dodging the tilting ship, Snob shouts out button presses.

--> ''"Tap A quickly to not die as fast!"''

** The "Last Man Standing" events, where if Max is downed but has painkillers on hand, he gets one last chance to take out the enemy and recover. Subverted in that it's not always possible to win these because of CameraScrew.

** But nowhere is this more important than with the ''MiniBoss'' of the level the Shamans appear in, DeathBlade. Failing his prompt results in ''instant death''. And despite what it says on the screen, doing the prompt right as it appears also counts as a failure. You have to use very specific timing.

* Even ''{{VideoGame/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]].

* ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog'':

Similar to but distinct from ActionCommands (these happen during cutscenes, while those occur during gameplay), and third cousin once removed to ButThouMust.

Whether they add tension that improves gameplay or just interrupt the game at inappropriate times to look cool, they certainly encouraged players to pay more attention to cutscenes, now that they are actually a bit interactive. Thanks to overuse and misuse this may become a DiscreditedTrope (although it's probably already an UndeadHorseTrope). Contrast PressXToDie. Compare CoupDeGraceCutscene, where no input is needed. SmashingSurvival is a mix between this and ButtonMashing.

* This trope is the ''basis'' of impromptu survival in the first three ''VideoGame/ClockTower'' games.

* The ''VideoGame/{{Yakuza}}'' series is best known for using these, especially during fights. However, they will also show during revelations.

** ''VideoGame/KirbysReturnToDreamLand'': At the end of [[spoiler:Magolor]]'s boss fight, the player needs to shake the Wii Remote to break the boss's BareHandedBladeBlock and deal the final blow with the [[{{BFS}} Ultra Sword]].
** ''VideoGame/KirbyTripleDeluxe'': In the final battle against [[spoiler:Queen Sectonia's flower form]], you have to do this to inhale her WaveMotionGun [[spoiler:with the Hypernova ability]] and send it back to her.
** ''VideoGame/KirbyPlanetRobobot'': One of the mini-bosses, Gigavolt, is defeated by rotating the joystick around to unscrew its head from its body. [[spoiler:At the end of the game, Kirby does the same thing to [[DeusEstMachina Star Dream]].]]

* [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] in ''VideoGame/MortalKombatX's'' story mode, failures were inconsequential but pulling them off will show very satisfying results.

* ''VideoGame/{{Battlefield 3}}'''s single-player campaign has tons of them, and in many cases are often in a series which requires you to press different buttons, and very often in unexpected places. You will soon learn to get ready to press something after opening a door. Unfortunately, they're almost all a literal case of "Press <whatever> To Not Die," but succeeding frequently results in your player character returning the favor, especially if it's the end of the level:

[[caption-width-right:320:[-Rock falls, you die...unless [[IndyEscape you act fast enough]].-] ]]

* ''VideoGame/HeavenlySword'', what with being ''VideoGame/GodOfWar'' [[RecycledINSPACE in ancient Asia.]]

* ''Franchise/{{Metroid}}'':
** ''VideoGame/MetroidOtherM'' often ends cutscenes with a monster charging towards Samus, which she must dodge with the sense move to avoid taking extra damage before the fight proper.
** ''VideoGame/MetroidDread'':

* 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 ''VideoGame/MetroidOtherM'', 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.

* ''VideoGame/OtterIsland: After collecting the handgun in one pathway, when confronted by the creature you must complete a quick-time event, pressing the keys specified on the screen to fire the gun. Failing results in instant death and returns you to your last save point.