Summary
- Open-world games can be more memorable with fourth-wall-breaking elements that directly appeal to players.
- The Simpsons: Hit & Run, Borderlands 2, and Halo Infinite include amusing fourth-wall-breaking dialogue and interactions.
- The Sims 3, Pathologic, The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind, and GTA: San Andreas feature characters and interactions that break the fourth wall.
Immersion has always been something that many players prioritize in their video games, and open-world titles are no exception here. However, that shouldn't stop developers from trying different things with their titles, such as breaking the fourth wall.
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If done correctly, some open-world games become all the more memorable when they address the player directly or acknowledge their existence as a video game. The best ones of the lot are excellent video games in their own right, with some interesting fourth-wall-breaking shenanigans.
8 The Simpsons: Hit & Run
An Open-World Game With A Focus On Comedy Has Several Fourth-Wall-Breaking Zingers
The Simpsons: Hit & Run
- Released
- September 16, 2003
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- 3+
- Genre(s)
- Action-Adventure, Sandbox
Fourth-wall breaks would feel right at home in a Simpsons video game, and Hit & Run is no exception. Players control the members of this eponymous family who have several hilarious zingers, including ones that acknowledge the fact that they're in a video game.
Marge pretty much alludes to this when choosing missions, pedestrians will comment on their sad nature as a generic character if they're run over, and Kang & Kodos sit through the credits to comment on them. These are just a few of the many zingers that make this nostalgic GTA clone such a blast to play through.
7 Borderlands 2
The Characters And Enemies Have Amusing Dialogue That Breaks The Fourth Wall
Borderlands 2
- Released
- September 18, 2012
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language, Sexual Themes, Use of Alcohol
- Genre(s)
- Shooter
Borderlands 2 was when the humor of the series' writing was at its peak. This made the fourth-wall breaks all the more notable, especially when it comes to the idling dialogue of characters like Zer0 and Gaige.
Claptrap makes a hilarious comment about certain items being for the player characters if his stash is uncovered, and Gaige becomes more and more unhinged as she gains more Anarchy. Finally, the iconic psychos also have fourth-wall-breaking dialogue that adds to the charm of this shooter.
6 Halo Infinite
The Grunts Have Amusing Dialogue
Halo Infinite
- Released
- December 8, 2021
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Blood, Mild Language, Violence
- Genre(s)
- First-Person Shooter
By pursuing an open-world structure, Halo Infinite gave enemies in the game more character than ever before. A notable example includes the grunts, who will go so far as to break the fourth wall at times.
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They'll whistle the Halo tune before commenting on how they hate the song and make jokes about the series' convoluted numbered and spinoff releases. Sometimes, they'll even talk about how Master Chief is psychic and how they must plug the controller as Player 2 to defeat them, which is an obvious nod to Psycho Mantis from Metal Gear Solid.
5 Pathologic
The Game's Perfect Ending Sees The Developer Directly Addressing The Player
Pathologic
- Released
- June 9, 2005
WHERE TO PLAY
Pathologic is one of the best and most bizarre horror games that any fan of unique open-world titles should check out. Players control one of many protagonists in a town that is slowly wasting away courtesy of a mysterious plague.
The game boasts several unique endings, including the perfect ending that goes super meta. Players finally ascend a mysterious structure they've seen in the sky, only to find the models of children serving as proxies for the developers who address the player directly in one of the weirdest video game endings of all time, which is perfectly on brand for a game like Pathologic.
4 Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza In Hawaii
Majima Tells The Player To Take A Bathroom Break While Recapping Chapter 1
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii
- Released
- February 21, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
Goro Majima is one of the most beloved and unhinged characters in the Yakuza series, which is why it's only fitting that he would break the fourth wall in his spinoff title. Fans know that every Yakuza game features a recap at the end of every chapter, and Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is no exception.
While recapping the events of Chapter 1, Majima surprises players by telling them to go for a bathroom break before the story continues. It's completely out of left field and illustrates yet again why fans love this Yakuza character to bits.
3 The Sims 3
Like Other Games In The Series, Sims Will Get Mad And Start Signalling The Player When Their Needs Are Low
The Sims 3
- Released
- June 2, 2009
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen due to Crude Humor, Sexual Themes, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Simulation
The Sims 3 is one of the greatest video games ever made, implementing an open world for the first time in the series that was sorely missed in the sequel. Players will love controlling a virtual family and helping their chosen characters find happiness.
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However, there are times when some Sims are so low on needs that they'll directly complain to the player and wave their hands. It's one of the many quirky things in The Sims franchise that illustrate why fans go crazy over this life simulation series.
2 The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind
Characters Like M'aiq The Liar & Vivec Break The Fourth Wall
The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
- Released
- May 1, 2002
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen due to Blood, Violence
- Genre(s)
- RPG
The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind is one of the best and most important video games ever made, setting the foundation that future Bethesda titles would build upon. It also introduced a character named M'aiq the Liar, who serves as a stand-in for the developers and references the franchise's past while also mixing in his fair share of half-truths and outright lies.
Another interesting way Morrowind breaks the fourth wall is with Vivec, with the implication being that this character attained godhood by realizing that he was in a video game. Other dialogue alludes to everything from the save-load mechanic to the developer console and everything in between.
1 Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Gant Bridge Has Some Amusing Meta Quotes
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
- Released
- October 26, 2004
WHERE TO PLAY
The Grand Theft Auto games have never shied away from breaking the fourth wall with their easter eggs, and San Andreas is no exception. If players reach the top of Gant Bridge on a jetpack, then they'll find a message saying that there are no easter eggs to be found here.
Along with this, there's a board near the bridge with meta details about the polygons of the bridge, the disc space it takes, and other development details. While the remasters of these games were criticized to kingdom come, the developer still made it a point to update this information and make it relevant for this version of San Andreas.
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