10 Genuine WTF Moments in Video Games

By Radu Alexander /

8. Eternal Darkness Breaking The Fourth Wall

Eternal Darkness came out in 2002 for the Nintendo Gamecube. It was a survival horror game and it didn€™t do too well in terms of sales so many might not be familiar with the methods it used to confuse and scare the player. The in-game character had something called a €œsanity meter€ €“ a device which measured how strong his grip on reality was. Given all of the horrors he saw and endured, it would be completely understandable in the real world that such a character would become a little unhinged. Eternal Darkness not only tried to recreate this sensation for its protagonist, but it also brought the gamer along for the ride. Breaking the fourth wall is not something that happens often in a game, but it is also not unheard of. Eternal Darkness made full use of this strategy in order to make the gamer question his own sanity at times and by far, the truly outstanding moment involved the game coming to a sudden black screen and then experiencing the dreaded Blue Screen of Death. Younger gamers might be unfortunate enough not to remember exactly how it felt to see that screen. The rest of us know that sensation well and the fact that Eternal Darkness exploited our own personal fear made it an instant WTF moment.