History Main / ExpositoryGameplayLimitation

* The ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'' endgame is a longer version of this than most. [[spoiler:Shepard's movements are reduced to a slow stagger and all abilities are disabled, courtesy of a near miss from ''Harbinger's'' main gun. His/her armor is burned to a crisp and s/he is severely injured.]]

* ''VideoGame/LordOfTheRingsOnline'' will often fear-stun (sometimes just stun) the characters while exposition or dialogue is delivered.

[[folder: Action ]]

[[folder: Action-Adventure]]

* In various parts of ''VideoGame/TheFall Part 2: Unbound'', ARID, the AI you control, needs to inhabit the shell of another AI, which in turn makes her susceptible to complying with the original host's programming. If she tries to force them to deviate from their protocols, a dangerous computer virus starts to flare up, and the host AI will forcibly direct the shell away from deviation so as to avoid infection. Furthermore, the first shell you meet is a robotic butler whose AI can also inhabit nearby faculties within his environment, wherein ARID can fully direct the shell around, but she's limited by the range of the shell's networking capabilities.

[[folder: First-Person Shooter ]]

[[folder: MMORPG ]]

[[folder: Puzzle ]]

* At the end of ''VideoGame/{{Portal 2}}'', after Chell [[spoiler:falls for Wheatley's trap]], she ends up immobilized while [[spoiler:Wheatley]] takes the opportunity to monologue. The player can still aim and fire the Portal Gun, however, and [[spoiler:if Chell shoots ''the moon,'' Wheatley will end up sucked into the vacuum of space. Once the shot is fired, the player can no longer look away, so that they know it worked and won't miss the ensuing scene]].

[[folder: RPG ]]

[[folder: Simulation Game ]]

[[folder: Stealth-Based Game ]]

** In the first ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid'', Liquid Snake has Gray Fox pinned under the leg of Metal Gear. Liquid is, at this moment, unprotected, and Snake is in a position to take him out with a Stinger missile - but would kill Gray Fox in the process. Should the player try to fire, Snake mutters, "I can't do it!"
*** Averted if Snake has no missiles left, in which case he instead utters, "I'm out of missiles!"
** In ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid4'', briefing scenes will often give you control of the MKII, a little robot that can only roam around looking for a few pick ups and bump into people for face camos.

[[folder: Survival Horror ]]

[[folder: Third-Person Shooter ]]

* In ''VideoGame/Hades'', the first time you enter [[spoiler:Greece]], Zagreus is unable to run or dash, instead being restricted to a slow walk, to ensure the player properly takes in the atmosphere. On subsequent visits, he can move as normal.

* In ''VideoGame/MetalGearRisingRevengeance'', whenever Raiden is making an in-gameplay Codec call, he can walk around, but can't run or attack. However, since they also double as mid-level loading screens, you can skip through them once all the data has been loaded.

* ''VideoGame/SpiderManMilesMorales'' combines this trope with a bit of creative GameAndStoryIntegration, unlocking the ability to FastTravel with an early-game story mission in which Miles does a really big favour for his uncle Aaron, who works in some unspecified capacity at the local subway station and rewards Spider-Man for his help with an unlimited travel pass.

* During Estelle's dream sequence in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsInTheSky'', your Orbments, equipment menu, and even options are disabled on your pause screen. this occasionally also features in the rare, very brief sections where Estelle splits off from the party due to the plot.

This trope takes a middle course: not taking control away from the player, but temporarily limiting the actions the player character is able to carry out so as to better focus the player's attention on the exposition. For example, supposing that in normal gameplay the PlayerCharacter can run, fire his or her weapon, jump, toss grenades and crouch. In this trope, the player remains in control of the player character, but during story scenes can do little more than walk around or crouch, such that the player will ideally be concentrating on the plot and characters rather than gameplay. (Forcing the player character to walk slowly can also double as DynamicLoading.)

* ''VideoGame/GodOfWar: Ghost of Sparta'', when in Sparta [[spoiler:or in his flashback sequence]], Kratos is unable to run or even use his weapon.