RPGDX > Forums > General Discussion > The fourth-wall in games

Z Gravity · Posted: Sat Feb 22, 2003 10:00 pm Post subject: The fourth-wall in games

Just another random thought on games. A lot of 'em, Rpgs especially, can get kinda fast and loose with the game-reality barrier. Characters in the game will explain to you how to use the menu system, offer to save your game for you, or other things like that. Most of the time I think it's something to be avoided, but then again I wonder if it could be turned into an interesting element of the game. It's been done once or twice (Psycho-Mantis... yeah that goes without saying), but instead of a cool side bit, it could be made into a major point of the game.
Just as examples, a comic called "1/0" (One over Zero) does some interesting things with characters that know that they're just fictional beings. They get into arguments with the author, and generally explore various aspects of the comic strip (one of them tries to explain just what a "comic strip" is to the other characters, and draws a couple of stick men in the dirt, then realizes he's just become an author himself....).
Another example could be the more recent Digimon episodes, where the story is set in the "real world", where there's an actual Digimon show, and collectible cards, and then takes a step back, creating a fictional world in which the original series is already fictional. Kinda hard to explain, really. *shrug*

Anyway, I'm just toying with the concept of a game where all the NPC's know that it's all a game, without it becoming a parody. How would a "real" character react to that kind of situation. Would they take it lightly because it's not real, or would they fight against the system, so to speak? Could be interesting, but I'm not entirely sure what sort of plot you could build around it.
Hmm.

Tenshi · Posted: Sat Feb 22, 2003 11:14 pm Post subject:

- Super Smash Bros: Melee made a REAL good use of the fourth wall (character's slamming up against the TV screen and falling off). Uhhh, I'll post more later *drive by post*.
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Bjorn · Posted: Sat Feb 22, 2003 11:25 pm Post subject:

I guess when a character realises he's living in a fictional world, he's no longer under control by the author? Either way, it might be realistic for him/her to try to find a way out of the fictional world. This would be a hard thing to realize in a game though, obviously the character will never reach this goal. He could if he was fictional inside a fictional world though... hehe.

mini · Posted: Sun Feb 23, 2003 2:16 am Post subject:

does anyone else remember that sega game where there was a comic book author and he got sucked into his comic or something? i only played it like twice, but i remember thinking it was awesome. hell, it was awesome.

also, there's some new game for the playstation 2 that does this too. i can't remember if its .hack (dot hack) or some other game... but i read about it, heh. if you really liked i could find it again
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Ninkazu · Posted: Sun Feb 23, 2003 4:56 am Post subject:

.hack//sign looks like a really good anime, but I don't really want to go and buy it... as for the game, I might go and get it.

Ever want to see something thinking it's totally awesome, but never actually get the chance to? Man... it happens to me too many times.

Guest · Posted: Mon Feb 24, 2003 1:17 am Post subject:

.hack//sign kicks arse

its characters where desinged by the same guy that did evangelion (best of all time)

Guest · Posted: Mon Feb 24, 2003 2:59 am Post subject:

What's that comic game called? Because it's actually wicked.

And what is .hack//sign? And how are you supposed to say it? I don't know about you, but I find "//" kind of difficult to pronounce.

Ninkazu · Posted: Mon Feb 24, 2003 3:30 am Post subject:

heh, .hack//sign is how it's spelled, but it's pronounced "dot hack sign"
sorry I didn't clarify earlier.

Nodtveidt · Posted: Mon Feb 24, 2003 12:17 pm Post subject: :)

Comix Zone

...I think.

-nek
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Terry · Posted: Mon Feb 24, 2003 3:21 pm Post subject:

Heh - I could swear you picked this idea right out of my head :) My current project is about something a little like this.

- Terry Cavanagh
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Z Grav · Guest

I dunno about characters wanting to break into the real world, but I think that they'd be kinda worried about predestination. I mean, the hero always wins eventually. It would be kinda freaky though if the main character starts to remember all the times he's died and the player has reloaded a previous game. Like deja vu kinda. Being a game character could just drive someone insane :)

Nodtveidt · Posted: Mon Feb 24, 2003 8:37 pm Post subject: :)

actually...that would be quite badass...can you imagine if the game changed depending on things like how many times the character died, how hard he got hit in one particular battle, etc.? And sure he knows he's gonna win...but he doesn't know how! :)

-nek
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If you play a Microsoft CD backwards you can hear demonic voices. The scary part is that if you play it forwards it installs Windows. - wallace

js71 · Wandering DJ Joined: 22 Nov 2002 Posts: 815

Damn, someone beat me to it- I own Comix Zone, and basically every other genesis game made O_o (Yup, I'm a fanatic). At the end of the game, there's a cool scene with a half-drawn comic book page in which you fight the boss, and you have to kill him using the engines of a nuke before some chick drowns... It's pretty intense, but I think they made it too difficult- I've only beat him once, and I got the bad ending...