10 Video Game Fourth Wall Breaks That Came Out Of NOWHERE

Metal Gear Solid’s fourth wall break is one of the most well-known examples of how a game can use immersion-breaking to mess with the player.

By now pretty much every video game enthusiast knows the name Psycho Mantis, but it is exactly for this reason that it would feel criminal not to include his excellent scene on this list.

For the uninitiated, one of the boss fights in Metal Gear Solid is with Psycho Mantis—a psychic member of FOXHOUND who can use his telepathic abilities to read people’s minds.

Before the fight, he brags about his powers by giving you a small taste of their potential. Now, normally, this would mean saying something about your character, but since this wouldn’t be all too impressive to the player, Kojima and his team thought of a different approach—having him read the player’s memory card!

There is a whole range of data points that Psycho Mantis can read off your card, and each comes with a unique comment. He can tell how many games you’ve played, what your preferred genre is, and even if you play Konami games specifically.

It’s a brilliant subversion of expectations that manages to show the psychic as an actually dangerous opponent.