History ChekhovsClassroom / VideoGames

* The ''Franchise/{{Persona}}'' series:
** Sort of used in ''VideoGame/Persona3'': [[spoiler: a teacher obsessed with magic explains the significance of the major arcana of the tarot about halfway through the game. This becomes at least marginally important when the Final Boss states that Death, the 13th arcana, represents the end. However, as the teacher explained way back when, Death is merely a change, not the end, and there are another 8 major arcana after Death, which allows the protagonist to use the ''true'' final arcana, The World, to defeat the BigBad.]]
** Used in a similar manner in ''VideoGame/Persona4'', [[spoiler:by the same teacher no less. While on a trip to the high school from ''VideoGame/Persona3'', he tells you the story of Izanagi and Izanami. Which explains the motivation behind the final boss and how you beat her in the end.]]
** In ''VideoGame/Persona5'', class lectures cover topics like the Cognitive Representation concept that serves as the basis for the cognitive projections you encounter throughout the Palaces, Plato's tripartite theory of soul that explains how you're able to [[HeelFaceBrainwashing heel-face brainwash]] the villains, and so on. They are also very conveniently timed. For example, a few days after you recruit Makoto, you'll get a question in class about Pope Joan, her Persona and the figure thought to be depicted on the La Papesse tarot card, her Arcana. Morgana even lampshades the trope in one instance.
---> '''Morgana:''' Subconscious personalities... It's a fascinating topic, and it has a lot to do with us. That teacher's surprisingly smart, huh?
* ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'':
** ''VideoGame/KingdomHearts358DaysOver2'' has a kernel of wisdom, courtesy of Xaldin--he warns that the bridge to the Beast's Castle is the only point of access, so if a powerful enemy were to attack the area it'd come from there. Both foreshadows the appearance of such a boss later in the same game, and is a CallForward to ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII'' where Xaldin engages you on the bridge.
** In ''Birth By Sleep'' Eraqus tells Aqua classified information only Keyblade Masters are allowed to know, but this knowledge isn't revealed to the player [[spoiler:until the Final Episode where a flashback reveals Eraqus told her how to protect the Land of Departure by turning it into Castle Oblivion]].
* It gets glossed over early on in ''VideoGame/LegacyOfKainSoulReaver'' that vampires are vulnerable to certain sound frequencies, but this doesn't serve much purpose except for a sound-based attack spell and a non-canonical deleted ending. Then three games later ''VideoGame/LegacyOfKainDefiance'' pits us against [[spoiler:Turel]], a vampire with SuperSenses who can only be harmed by ringing a series of giant gongs.

* You begin ''VideoGame/SpaceQuestVTheNextMutation'' by passing a test that gives ridiculous answers to questions like "how to best defeat an android bounty hunter" -- [[spoiler:"drop a rock on him"]]. Several of those turn out to be answers to in-game puzzles.
* In ''VisualNovel/DanganronpaTriggerHappyHavoc'', several days end with Monokuma holding a short "Monokuma Theatre" segment. While these can sound quite random (especially as he enjoys reminding everyone that [[BearsAreBadNews he's a bear]]), sometimes they foreshadow future events. One example is his lecture about the difference between "I killed someone" and "I ended up killing someone" — shortly afterwards, somebody is murdered, not out of intention but out of a loss of control on the culprit's part.
* Not a lecture, but there's a wooden educational toy in the classroom from ''VideoGame/{{Riven}}'' that reveals how the D'ni number system works. Playing with it allows you to solve other puzzles elsewhere in the game.
* Early in ''VideoGame/{{Rama}}'', one of the ship's buildings, termed "Bangkok" by the astronauts, contains [[MuseumOfTheStrangeAndUnusual museum exhibits on humans and two alien species]], as well as machines meant to educate visitors on the number systems of all three species. When you find out where these aliens are living on the ship, this comes in useful when getting around their domains.
* ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'': In the Valley of the Four Winds, there's a pandaren martial arts trainer who will teach the player barehanded fighting skills. The training involving breaking bamboo, wood, and eventually stone with their hands, which comes in handy during the following storyline that ends in you punching a giant kunchong to death from the inside.
* ''VideoGame/{{Oxenfree}}'' contains two segments where [[spoiler:the recurring ghost antagonists]] quiz you on minor details of the game's setting and lore. In one instance, you are expected to find "a knot" in the house you just entered - which turns out to be a painting which the protagonist claims "looks kinda like a knot".

* A common occurrence in ''VisualNovel/ZeroEscape''. Characters will sometimes lecture you about something you ran into and will be involved in something more important in the future.
* Subverted in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX'', as Dagger listened to Zidane as he taught Vivi how to resist capture early in the game, and later ends up getting kidnapped by Zorn and Thorn when she realises that she had forgotten most of what he said.
* ''VideoGame/ElroyGoesBugzerk'' has two different museums dedicated to insects. The player must memorize the facts contained therein to solve the AlphabetSoupCans later on.

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'' features an unusually literal example early in the ''Endwalker'' expansion. A friendly Sharlayan official and former teacher of Alphinaud and Alisaie offers to explain the interactions between memory and aether. He then gives them and the Warrior of Light a short lecture about the interactions of memory and aether, in an actual classroom. Essentially, memories are one special form of aether, and can thus be blanked out by a flood of external aether, and he notes that some theorize that memories might return after death, or even be held more strongly, as the soul is slowly washed clean of its previous life. [[spoiler:"Much later, we learn that Emet-Selch, Hythlodaeus, and Hermes were subject to an effect that erased some of their memories, and one of them had exactly this issue, leaving the lost memories burned into his very soul. This caused Hermes' reincarnations to be much darker and crueler than his original gentle, kindly personality, because the erased memories were very unpleasant. The others also regain their memories near the end of the story, when they are temporarily resurrected, much to Emet-Selch's consternation."]]

* In ''[[VideoGame/SpaceQuest Space Quest V]]'' you begin the game by passing a test that gives ridiculous answers to questions like "how to best defeat an android bounty hunter" -- [[spoiler:"drop a rock on him"]]. Several of those turn out to be answers to in-game puzzles.

* ''VideoGame/KingdomHearts358DaysOver2'' has a kernel of wisdom, courtesy of Xaldin--he warns that the bridge to the Beast's Castle is the only point of access, so if a powerful enemy were to attack the area it'd come from there. Both foreshadows the appearance of such a boss later in the same game, and is a CallForward to ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII'' where Xaldin engages you on the bridge.

* ''Video Game/{{Final Fantasy XIV Online}}'' features an unusually literal example early in the ''Endwalker'' expansion. A friendly Sharlayan official and former teacher of Alphinaud and Alisaie offers to explain the interactions between memory and aether. He then gives them and the Warrior of Light a short lecture about the interactions of memory and aether, in an actual classroom. Essentially, memories are one special form of aether, and can thus be blanked out by a flood of external aether, and he notes that some theorize that memories might return after death, or even be held more strongly, as the soul is slowly washed clean of its previous life. [[spoiler:"Much later, we learn that Emet-Selch, Hythlodaeus, and Hermes were subject to an effect that erased some of their memories, and one of them had exactly this issue, leaving the lost memories burned into his very soul. This caused Hermes' reincarnations to be much darker and crueler than his original gentle, kindly personality, because the erased memories were very unpleasant. The others also regain their memories near the end of the story, when they are temporarily resurrected, much to Emet-Selch's consternation."]]

* ''VideoGame/NierAutomata'' has the sidequest "Amnesia", the end of which reveals the existence of Type E androids, [=YoRHa=] units who's purpose is to blend in and take out fugitives, traitors and other undesirables. [[spoiler: At the very end of the game, 2B's true identity is revealed to be 2E, who's purpose is to tag along with 9S and kill him whenever he [[HeKnowsTooMuch gets too close to learning the truth behind the Machine War]].]]

* Subverted in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX'', as Dagger listened to Zidane as he taught Vivi how to resist capture early in the game, and later ends up getting kidnapped by [[ThoseTwoBadGuys Zorn and Thorn]] when she realises that she had forgotten most of what he said.

** Sort of used in ''VideoGame/{{Persona 3}}'': [[spoiler: a teacher obsessed with magic explains the significance of the major arcana of the tarot about halfway through the game. This becomes at least marginally important when the Final Boss states that Death, the 13th arcana, represents the end. However, as the teacher explained way back when, Death is merely a change, not the end, and there are another 8 major arcana after Death, which allows the protagonist to use the ''true'' final arcana, The World, to defeat the BigBad.]]
** Used in a similar manner in ''VideoGame/{{Persona 4}}'', [[spoiler:by the same teacher no less. While on a trip to the high school from ''VideoGame/{{Persona 3}}'', he tells you the story of Izanagi and Izanami. Which explains the motivation behind the final boss and how you beat her in the end.]]
** In ''VideoGame/{{Persona 5}}'', class lectures cover topics like the Cognitive Representation concept that serves as the basis for the cognitive projections you encounter throughout the Palaces, Plato's tripartite theory of soul that explains how you're able to [[HeelFaceBrainwashing heel-face brainwash]] the villains, and so on. They are also very conveniently timed. For example, a few days after you recruit Makoto, you'll get a question in class about Pope Joan, her Persona and the figure thought to be depicted on the La Papesse tarot card, her Arcana. Morgana even lampshades the trope in one instance.
--> '''Morgana''': Subconscious personalities... It's a fascinating topic, and it has a lot to do with us. That teacher's surprisingly smart, huh?

* It gets glossed over early on in ''[[VideoGame/LegacyOfKain Soul Reaver]]'' that vampires are vulnerable to certain sound frequencies, but this doesn't serve much purpose except for a sound-based attack spell and a non-canonical deleted ending. Then three games later ''Defiance'' pits us against [[spoiler:Turel]], a vampire with SuperSenses who can only be harmed by ringing a series of giant gongs.
* Present in the Fate route of [[VisualNovel/FateStayNight Fate/Stay Night]], as [[StealthMentor Archer]] decides to give a few hints about his magic to Shirou, with plenty of [[DeadpanSnarker sarcasm and veiled threats thrown in.]] Our hero later uses all of the information gained [[spoiler: to project Caliburn and defeat Berserker]].
--> '''Shirou:''' ''"It wasn't his usual harassment. Those words held an importance that I need to understand right now. -- No, saying that... [[IdiotHero Weren't all of his words a warning that I shouldn't have ignored?]]''"

* ''Oxenfree'' contains two segments where [[spoiler:the recurring ghost antagonists]] quiz you on minor details of the game's setting and lore. In one instance, you are expected to find "a knot" in the house you just entered - which turns out to be a painting which the protagonist claims "looks kinda like a knot".

* The ''VideoGame/{{Persona}}'' series:

* ''VideoGame/ElroyGoesBugzerk'' has two different museums dedicated to insects. The player must memorize the facts contained therein to solve the AlphabetSoupCans later on.

** In ''VideoGame/{{Persona 5}}'', class lectures cover topics like the Cognitive Representation concept that serves as the basis for the cognitive projections you encounter throughout the Palaces, Plato's tripartite theory of soul that explains how you're able to [[HeelFaceBrainwashing heel-face brainwash]] the villains, and so on. They are also very conveniently timed. For example, a few days after you recruit Makoto, you'll get a question in class about Pope Joan, her Persona and the figure thought to be depicted on the La Papesse tarot card, her Arcana.

* In ''VisualNovel/DanganRonpa'', several days end with Monokuma holding a short "Monokuma Theatre" segment. While these can sound quite random (especially as he enjoys reminding everyone that [[BearsAreBadNews he's a bear]]), sometimes they foreshadow future events. One example is his lecture about the difference between "I killed someone" and "I ended up killing someone" — shortly afterwards, somebody is murdered, not out of intention but out of a loss of control on the culprit's part.

* Subverted in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX'', as Dagger listened to Zidane as he taught Vivi how to resist capture early in the game, and later ends up getting kidnapped by [[ThoseTwoBadGuys Zorn and Thorn]] when she realises that she had forgotten most of what he said.

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* In ''VisualNovel/DanganRonpa: The Academy of Hope and the High School Students of Despair'', several days end with Monokuma holding a short "Monokuma Theatre" segment. While these can sound quite random (especially as he enjoys reminding everyone that [[BearsAreBadNews he's a bear]]), sometimes they foreshadow future events.

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* It gets glossed over early on in ''[[LegacyOfKain Soul Reaver]]'' that vampires are vulnerable to certain sound frequencies, but this doesn't serve much purpose except for a sound-based attack spell and a non-canonical deleted ending. Then three games later ''Defiance'' pits us against [[spoiler:Turel]], a vampire with SuperSenses who can only be harmed by ringing a series of giant gongs.

* Not a lecture, but there's a wooden educational toy in the classroom from ''[[VideoGame/{{Myst}} Riven]]'' that reveals how the D'ni number system works. Playing with it allows you to solve other puzzles elsewhere in the game.

* ''[[VideoGame/MegaManBattleNetwork Mega Man Battle Network 3'', Lan learns about data compression in a class at the beginning of the Bubble Man's chapter, when the boss shows up, it turns out you need a data compression program to shrink down Mega Man to walk across a narrow bridge.

* In the first year of GrimFandango, the janitor demon lectures you that spraying the fire extinguisher on the packing foam causes an explosion. You use this information later on in the fourth year, where [[spoiler: you use it to build a rocket to save Glottis]].
* Used in ''VideoGame/HalfLife2: Episode 2'': At White Forest, a rebel is teaching others about the effectiveness of an AR2 Combine ball against hunters, a while before [[spoiler:the White Forest rocket is attacked by hunters and striders]].
* In ''[[SpaceQuest Space Quest V]]'' you begin the game by passing a test that gives ridiculous answers to questions like "how to best defeat an android bounty hunter" -- [[spoiler:"drop a rock on him"]]. Several of those turn out to be answers to in-game puzzles.

* Not a lecture, but there's a wooden educational toy in the classroom from ''[[{{Myst}} Riven]]'' that reveals how the D'ni number system works. Playing with it allows you to solve other puzzles elsewhere in the game.

* In the first AceAttorney game, [[spoiler:von Karma patronizingly lectures Phoenix about PIN numbers. He even uses his own number as an example. Sure enough, it's needed later. Of course, giving out your PIN number in open court is both incredibly arrogant and entirely in-character.]]

* Used in [[HalfLife Half-Life 2 Episode 2]]: At White Forest, a rebel is teaching others about the effectiveness of an AR2 Combine ball against hunters, a while before [[spoiler:the White Forest rocket is attacked by hunters and striders]].

* In ''VisualNovel/DanganRonpa: The Academy of Hope and the High School Students of Despair'', several days end with Monokuma holding a short "Monokuma Theatre" segment. While these can sound quite random (especially as he enjoys reminding everyone that [[EverythingsWorseWithBears he's a bear]]), sometimes they foreshadow future events.