History Main / MenuTimeLockout

* Half averted in ''VideoGame/HarvestMoonGrandBazaar'' where the storage room and menu do not pause the clock but the cooking menu and [[TalkingIsAFreeAction dialogue windows]] do.

* Half averted in ''[[VideoGame/HarvestMoon Harvest Moon: Grand Bazaar]]'' where the storage room and menu do not pause the clock but the cooking menu and [[TalkingIsAFreeAction dialogue windows]] do.

* ''VideoGame/FableIII'' This game takes this trope to ridiculous levels. There is no menu, you canonically teleport back to your secret hideout while your enemy is swinging his sword and peruse your collection of weapons and armor, equipping them at your leisure, and then teleport back into battle. Your enemy is still mid swing.

* All the ''Franchise/StarOcean'' and ''VideoGame/TalesSeries'' games let you open menus in battle; some of them even let you re-equip your character's weapon this way, instantly.

* ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'' takes this trope to an almost absurd level. Bringing up the menu essentially freezes the game world. It is useful in a fight, allowing you to change armor, change clothing items, ready spells or enchantments, and drink/eat any potions or food you want. The only thing you can't do is change your weapon mid-swing. Prior to ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim Skyrim]]'', this also held true when engaged in conversation with a NPC. [[TalkingIsAFreeAction Talking completely freezes time]] around you and the NPC in question, allowing you to potentially carry on a conversation for eternity. Any other [=NPCs=] behind the one you are addressing will visibly stop dead in their tracks and wait until you have concluded your conversation, even if they are ''attacking you''. Finally, the lock picking mini-game also pauses the game starting with ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion Oblivion]]'', removing any need to try to do it quickly or stealthily. This trope within the series is even parodied in a series of web comics and videos, typiccally showing a character saying "Wait" when he's about to get attacked, drinking several potions to heal himself, switching out equipment, readying up a magic spell, then saying "And I'm set" before incinerating his opponent before they can even finish an attack.

* Averted in ''InfiniteUndiscovery''. The menu does ''not'' pause the game, so you better hope you don't need to use items or adjust any options in battle. This is made worse by the fact that your NPC party members -- who [[TheComputerIsACheatingBastard can use items freely and instantly]] -- can't use {{Mana}} restoratives for some reason.

* In the ''Franchise/MetalGear'' series, all the protagonists apparently stop time when considering their inventory, changing weapons or using items like Rations. Holding a shoulder button down to pause the game is a good way to take stock of the situation in an emergency. In the GameBoyColor game, weapons and items can only be equipped after first pausing the game.

* In ''VideoGame/BlasterMaster'', similar to ''VideoGame/MegaMan'', Jason's grenade launcher continues to deal damage when the game is paused during an explosion, which was useful in quickly taking down many of bosses, [[ContractualBossImmunity except for the]] GiantEnemyCrab [[ThatOneBoss in Area 5]].

* The first two ''VideoGame/MegaMan'' games had this as an actual offensive/defensive (respectively) tool. In the first, if you paused and unpaused rapidly, large attacks like the Elec Beam would register several hits instead of one (this makes the Yellow Devil, an otherwise long and difficult boss, a total joke). In the second, Mega Man's weird little transformation blip animation would allow certain small projectile attacks to pass right through him; again, almost mandatory for a certain late-game boss.

* Half averted in ''[[HarvestMoon Harvest Moon: Grand Bazaar]]'' where the storage room and menu do not pause the clock but the cooking menu and [[TalkingIsAFreeAction dialogue windows]] do.

* All the ''Franchise/StarOcean'' and ''Franchise/TalesSeries'' games let you open menus in battle; some of them even let you re-equip your character's weapon this way, instantly.

* Multiplayer sessions usually does not have MenuTimeLockout since it would be quite annoying for everyone you play with, but the game may have it in Single Player. In ''SaintsRowTheThird'', you may check your cell phone while you fight 10-or-so enemies which pauses the game, but if a friend then joins you suddenly the game unpauses, but you're still on your phone. The result will be bloody.

* In earlier ''Franchise/ResidentEvil'' games, this trope being played straight was a gameplay mechanic on its own - the rarest thing one would see up until ''4'' came out was a manual reload, an action that is completely useless compared to the in-menu instant reload, which can be done even while the gun still has ammo in it. ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil5'' and ''Outbreak'' avert this, though: time passes freely while the inventory is open.

* ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion Oblivion]]'' takes this trope to an almost absurd level. Talking to [=NPCs=] [[TalkingIsAFreeAction completely freezes time]] around you and the NPC in question, allowing you to potentially carry on a conversation for eternity. The worst part is, any other [=NPCs=] behind the one you may be addressing will visibly stop dead in their tracks and wait until you have concluded your business, even if they are ''attacking you''. Lockingpicking also pauses the game, removing any need to try to do it quickly or stealthily.
** Then again though, this is actually part of ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'' in general. ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind Morrowind]]'' would freeze time whenever you spoke to someone, and would allow you to change your gear when you had the game paused. (But would stop you from changing a weapon mid-attack, for obvious reasons.) ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim Skyrim]]'' doesn't freeze time when people talk to you (making for the occasional FunnyBackgroundEvent) but you could still change your weapons and gear mid-battle. It's a highly recommended tactic in ''all three'' games to pause and then chug potions (or eat a bunch of healing food) before the enemies even attack.
** This is actually parodied in a video, where a character says "Wait" when he's about to get attacked, drinks several potions to heal himself, switches out rings, readies up a magic, then says "And I'm set" and incinerates his opponent before they can even finish an attack.

* The first two ''VideoGame/MegaMan'' games had this as an actual offensive/defensive (respectively) tool. In the first, if you paused and unpaused rapidly, large attacks like the Elec Beam would register several hits instead of one (this being the only real way to beat the Yellow Devil). In the second, Mega Man's weird little transformation blip animation would allow certain small projectile attacks to pass right through him; again, almost mandatory for a certain late-game boss.

* ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}'' and ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'' had this as well, which was important if you needed to pause the Death claw reaching for your face in order to pop some Stimpacks or Buffouts. Or change out of PowerArmor, repair something, then change back. Impressive.
** This is, sadly, a carryover from the first two games, which while they assessed a small penalty for accessing the inventory, allowed free reign once you had it open.
** Plus you can freeze time to pick your shots in VATS.
** It's for this reason that Hardcore mode in ''New Vegas'' has Stimpaks recover health over 5 seconds after you leave the menu instead of all at once. Otherwise enough Stimpaks let you go from almost zero to full health without any in-game time. In ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 4}}'', Stimpaks ''always'' work this way.
* The first two ''VideoGame/MegaMan'' games had this as an actual offensive/defensive (respectively) tool. In the first, if you paused and unpaused rapidly, large attacks like the Elec Beam would register several hits instead of one (this being the only real way to beat the NintendoHard Yellow Demon). In the second, Mega Man's weird little transformation blip animation would allow certain small projectile attacks to pass right through him; again, almost mandatory for a certain late-game boss.

* The first ''BaldursGate'' averted this; Accessing the inventory screen un-pauses a paused game. The workaround was to play a "multiplayer" game with one character, which did have it. Because many players considered this a nuisance, the second game did not do this, but wouldn't allow you to change armor while in a battle.
** ''PlanescapeTorment'' did the same thing.

* Normal mode in ''DirgeOfCerberus: Final Fantasy VII''.
* All the ''StarOcean'' and ''TalesSeries'' games let you open menus in battle; some of them even let you re-equip your character's weapon this way, instantly.

* The ''KingdomHearts'' series averts this to a degree. You still equip items, accessories, weapons, and abilities in the pause menu, but the game will give you a normal pause screen rather than the menu if you are in the middle of a fight.

* In ''Franchise/{{Castlevania}}'' games starting with ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaSymphonyOfTheNight'', you can pause and view the menu at any time to change equipment and whatnot, even if Dracula is in front of you, preparing to kill you. In ''SOTN'' itself, however, healing items had to be 'equipped' on your hands and then be used by using the 'attack' button, while the enemy could continue moving and attacking you: potions take several seconds to restore your health when used and food items are thrown on the floor, where you need to pick them up again to be healed.
** This was clumsily inverted in ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaLamentOfInnocence'', where the right stick is used to scroll though your healing items and equipment, even though they're readily accesssible from the main menu and pressing a button to use one there just causes the game to pop up a notice saying "please use the realtime menu to manage your items". Thankfully it was removed in the sequel and not present in any of the newer games.

* ''{{Franchise/Ys}}'' series: recent entries such as Oath in Felghana and Origin allow you to do this when fighting mooks in dungeons (playing this trope straight), but disallow this in boss battles (averting the trope).

* A few of the ''RatchetAndClank'' titles have the option to deactivate this when you're on the quick weapon selection menu.
** The original one didn't even have an option to pause on the quick select in the first place, which was mighty inconvenient.

* The ''VideoGame/LegendOfZelda'' series even does this when you use specific items (mostly using potions and other bottle-contents). Or play an instrument, open a chest, etc.

* The two ShiningSoul-games for the GBA also averted this, due to them essentially being like Diablo-clones. You had to retreat to a safe corner if you wanted to use healing items or change equipment during dungeon-crawling, since the enemies were happy to attack you while you look at your stats or inventory.
* The ''Zelda'' series even does this when you use specific items (mostly using potions and other bottle-contents). Or play an instrument, open a chest, etc.

* The cell phone menu from ''SilentHillShatteredMemories'' averted this. This makes trying to access the map while running away from the enemies ([[ActualPacifist you cannot fight them]]) rather frightening, especially since the lead character slows down whenever he's using his phone.

* ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}'' and ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'' had this as well, which was important if you needed to pause the Deathclaw reaching for your face in order to pop some Stimpacks or Buffouts. Or change out of PowerArmor, repair something, then change back. Impressive.

** It's for this reason that Hardcore mode in ''New Vegas'' has Stimpaks recover health over 5 seconds after you leave the menu instead of all at once. Otherwise enough Stimpaks let you go from almost zero to full health without any in-game time.

* Subverted in ''RuneFactory3''. During the normal game using the Quick Menu feature makes time stand still giving you as much time as you need to pick items, change weapons and any other equipment. However during the BrutalBonusLevel you don't have such luxury having to carefully sort you recovery items or else you WILL NOT have enough time to eat them before the enemies or simply the boss pummel you to death which most of times is brutal and fast enough and oh, you don't get the full pause menu there so don't even think about trying it.

* Present in the first ''AnimalCrossing''; averted in the DS and Wii games. For example, in the latter, bees are harder to catch in a net.

* ''VideoGame/TheMatrixPathOfNeo'' for X-Box, PS2, PC and GameCube. Pausing reality is expected in the Matrix. Plus, walls are now see-thru. There's a bad guy!

** The later GameCube[=/=]PS2[=/=]XBox game ''James Bond 007: VideoGame/EverythingOrNothing'' gives this a justification. In the game it's called "Bond Sense", and it not only slows down time and gives you the option of selecting a new gun, but it also gives you a set of handy targets indicating certain actions. The best example is in the final level. If you pan up while in Bond Sense right when you're being marauded by a bunch of {{Mooks}}, you'll see a target on a button high on the ceiling. Lock-on to and hit the target and you'll get to drop an enormous armored crate onto your enemies. Flatten a few enemies to achieve a Bond Moment.

* ''VagrantStory''.