"The fourth wall" is an expression stemming from the world of theater. In most modern theater design, a room will consist of three physical walls, as well as a an imaginary fourth that serves to separate the world of the characters from that of the audience.
In
fiction, "breaking the fourth wall" often means having a character become aware of their fictional nature. This can range from your character advising you to "
Press X" in a tutorial all the way to Psycho
Mantis reading your memory card and mentioning the other games you'
ve been playing. However, the most direct violation of the fourth wall would be a character openly acknowledging they are in a video game or even directly speaking to you, the
player, instead of to your character.
(Jak 3:)
Monk: This isn't a game!
-Jak and Daxter look toward the
player with confused expressions-
(Dragon Age 2:)
Ghyslain (when a quest from him is available:) Does no one see this exclamation mark above my head?
(Other:)
Man: Have you ever wondered why everything we do is controlled by-
Dog: Stop! Breaking the fourth wall is a bad idea!
