Iconic Enemy NPC Voice Lines That Get Stuck In Players' Heads
Every video game fan has at least one enemy voice line permanently etched into their memory. The line could stick due to near infinite resets on a hard boss fight, or an unforgettably bizarre encounter in game. Whether it is from something like Castlevania or Metal Gear Solid, one could easily find a game series to pick an unforgettable dubbed moment from.
NPC lines in particular can haunt brains extremely well. Repeated dialogue can be the key to having a memorable experience with a random guard or enemy. All it takes is one special moment for a piece of dialogue to be etched into video game history.
Here are just a few of the most iconic lines that were thrust into the video game history books due to their quotability and popularity.
Although Castlevania is a series rife with iconic zingers, one unintentionally goofy monologue from Dracula is burned into the memories of all who play Symphony of the Night. After a short crawl to the top of Dracula’s castle, intrepid adventurer Richter Belmont comes face to face with the ultimate evil - Dracula. After a short exchange on religion and soul stealing, the emotional anime villain Dracula shouts his iconic line: “What is a man? A miserable little pile of secrets. But enough talk… Have at you!” One dramatic wine glass crash later, players are fighting an immortal vampire and wondering what that even means.
Anyone who’s been caught committing a crime in The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion has run into the pinnacle of video game guard dialogue. All it takes is one misclick on an innocent piece of cheese, and guards are breaking down the gates. Once the law (any member of the law) begins their diatribe, there are three choices; pay the fine, go to jail, or “pay with your blood!” Option three leads to even greater retorts from Elder Scrolls' Roman-inspired Imperials, so make a quicksave and learn about how ”this is the part where you fall down and bleed to death!”
Sometimes simplicity is key. Give a man a bucket, and he’ll show you a bucket. Hopefully it’s a nice bucket.
While guards in other franchises manage to be menacing, Metal Gear Solid guards can be (sometimes accidentally) hilarious. Utterly incompetent at best, the soldiers at Shadow Moses have questionable levels of awareness. These fine fellows will follow footsteps in the snow forever, no matter how many times they run in circles. Once they break out of the infinite loop, these defenders of the facility will fall for the simple act of a knock against a wall. A possible remake of Metal Gear Solid could give a new generation even more ways to mess with these hapless special forces members, or worse; make them competent.
Hallowed gaming franchises everywhere have their own memes they make from quotable lines. Ask any Castlevania or Metal Gear Solid fan; they'll be sure to quote a few (or many) of their favorites. Making friends is as easy as saying "You're... pretty good."