Breaking the fourth wall is a fairly common narrative device in fiction. From She-Hulk and Deadpool comics and movies like Enjoying the Adoidado Lifethere is no shortage of examples of how metalanguage is a great resource for playing with the media and taking the story along unexpected paths in a way that no other format would be able to.
And of course video games couldn’t be left out of this. Whether through interaction, technological support or the simple fact of amalgamating characteristics of other media, games are a very fertile ground for the fourth wall not only to be broken, but crumbled in very different and always very surprising ways.
Whether with small jokes in which the characters show that they are aware that they are in a game, or more outlandish solutions that explore the language and particularities of games in depth, there is no shortage of options. For this reason, we selected some demonstrations of how much this metalanguage can enrich our experience.
10. Sonic: The Hedgehog
Almost nobody talked about breaking the fourth wall in videogames in 1991, when the first Sonic: The Hedgehog arrived on the Mega Drive. However, a detail in the blue hedgehog’s debut was so striking that it is remembered by players to this day: when you let go of the controller for a while, the character gets impatient and starts to pressure the player to come back.
It’s something very small, almost like a joke by the developers at the time, but it helped build the personality of the SEGA mascot and introduced an element of metalanguage that many players had never seen before. Not only did it show that the hedgehog was aware of being controlled, but it also scolded anyone who left the game aside for a while.
9. Pokémon Red/Blue/Yellow
Few people remember, but the series pokemon as a whole has a tradition of playing with the fourth wall and playing with the boundaries of fiction and reality. It’s something games have been doing since the first generation, with Red/Blue/Yellow on the Game Boy and which has been replicated with each new release.
In early games, players could visit Game Freak’s studios in Celadon City and talk to some of the developers. This joke started to be repeated with each new generation and, in some games, it is possible to find characters who openly say that they were the ones who programmed and created the protagonist.
In the most recent titles, the programmer and designer Shigeki Morimoto was inserted as a kind of secret boss of the games. When the trainer completes the Pokédex, he can challenge him and face his team of super-powered Pokémon.
8. South Park: The Fractured But Whole Strength
It is obvious that a game in the series South Park he would play with metalanguage when making his mockery humor. In the second game of the franchise, The Fractured But Whole Strengththis happens in its initial moments — but only if the player takes some actions.
The game’s plot is a satire on superhero movies and the opening features Eric Cartman dressed as a raccoon narrating a story à la Batman. And the breaking of the fourth wall happens when you try to skip the cutscene, pissing off the kid. So he asks you to stop interrupting him and goes back to narrating.
The funny thing is, the more the player tries to cut the presentation, the angrier Cartman gets. It escalates to the level that he just gives up playing superhero and the game goes straight to the end credits.
7. Conker’s Bad Fur Day
One of the Nintendo 64 classics, Conker’s Bad Fur Day he used and abused metalanguage to exploit his protagonist’s bad mood and foul mouth. In some moments of the game, the squirrel was so irritated by certain situations that he began to curse those responsible for the game, including writers and programmers.
One of the most iconic moments of the protagonist’s revolt against his own game happens towards the end of the story, when Conker is fighting an alien boss. The battle is so difficult that, at one point, the rodent stops everything to negotiate with the Rare team to ask for help. And of course he does it with all his characteristic subtlety, which means blackmailing and threatening everyone involved.
6. Monkey Island 2: LeChuck’s Revenge
In much the same way, the classic Monkey Island 2: LeChuck’s Revenge it also calls for the developer team to solve some puzzles. At a certain point in the plot, the hero Guybrush Threepwood is lost in a forest and does not know how to get out of there. That’s when he comes across a phone that allows him to call the people at Lucasarts, who will give tips on what to do and even apologize for some somewhat questionable decisions regarding the game.
5. Assassin’s Creed 2
The most impactful moment of the entire franchise Assassin’s Creed happens in the second game, when Ezio finally faces Rodrigo Borgia in the middle of the Sistine Chapel. After the final battle, the hero finds Minerva and discovers the secret involving the race that came before humanity. And, at a certain point in the conversation, she explains that the people of the past were not able to understand the existence of their people and maybe not even Ezio is able to — and that’s when she looks at the camera and starts talking to the player.
the great grace of Assassin’s Creed 2 is that it creates a huge ambiguity at this point. As the events in Rebirth are the result of a virtual reality experienced by Desmond in the present, it is not clear whether Minerva is talking to the character or the player who has the controller in hand and in front of the TV.
In the end, it just explains the story behind the Story, but the fact that he makes it clear that the message is not for Ezio, but for someone who is following the character (meaning us) is one of the reasons that makes this game one of the best in the entire Ubisoft franchise.
4. Deadpool
It’s clear that Deadpool was going to take all of his madness into video games. In fact, the character already did this even in his appearances in marvel vs capcom, in which he used his energy bar to fight the other characters. However, it is in its own game that the madness of metalanguage reaches new levels.
Just like in the comics and in the movies, Mercenário Tagarela makes it very clear that he is aware that he is part of a game and there is even a conversation with the studio responsible for the adaptation. Already in the introduction scene, it is possible to see a list of antihero ideas for his game and he even attacks the producer’s house so that he releases the development.
In addition, there are a whole series of games with the thought bubbles that represent the voices in your head. More than appearing on screen as subtitles, Deadpool himself starts to move and interact with these boxes, in the same way that he responds to each trophy that the player wins. Not to mention, of course, the various conversations he has with whoever he’s playing.
3. Undertale
The whole premise and charm of undertale it’s how much he breaks the fourth wall to subvert the very logic of the video game. At all times, the characters talk to the player about the real need to resort to violence, complain about their status and even make fun of the fact that the player is watching everything they do, like a beautiful voyeur.
And one of the most iconic moments of this metalanguage in this indie masterpiece is the meeting with Asgore, the Lord of the Underworld. As the game breaks the logic of traditional RPGs and features a Mercy button to avoid combat and resolve everything peacefully, the villain enters the scene and literally destroys this option, forcing the player to fight him.
As if that weren’t enough, the way to avoid the opponent’s death is by finding a way to rebuild the function he removed from the game. A very creative solution that shows why undertale It is this wonder that everyone talks about.
2. The Stanley Parable
Another indie game that plays with metalanguage to do something very different is The Stanley Parable. That’s because breaking the fourth wall is the foundation of all gameplay.
In the game, the player accompanies Stanley, an ordinary man who follows his ordinary life. His entire routine is presented by a narrator who describes step by step what he does — and it is up to the player to decide whether or not to follow these instructions.
From there, player and narrator disassociate themselves and enter into a constant dialogue about what or not to do with the poor protagonist. It’s a very creative and unique way of showing how these three instances can exist separately within the narrative while the interactions can branch out and build the story in very particular ways.
1. Metal Gear Solid
The use of metalanguage in metal gear solid it may not be the most original of all, but it was certainly one of the most impactful and surprising for players. Not by chance, it is also one of the most remembered when it comes to breaking the fourth wall in games.
Solid Snake’s confrontation against Psycho Mantis is quite unique in that it’s a player-to-player experience that is almost impossible to replicate outside of the original PlayStation. This is because the villain with psychic powers uses his ability to read minds to seek information not only about the protagonist, but also for the player.
And how did he do it? Searching information from the console’s Memory Card. Mantis starts to read data from other games saved on the device and commented on the player’s preferences, especially highlighting other Konami titles.
In addition, another metalanguage trick was needed to be able to defeat the enemy. As he was able to read Solid Snake’s mind, the villain knew the commands the player gave on the controller. Thus, the way to circumvent this skill was to connect the joystick to the port intended for player 2.
