On Reddit, under the r/gaming sub-reddit, u/GeraldOfRivia08 asked fellow gamers to name the “best one-liners in video games“. One-liners are self-explanatory; short sentences, phrases or quotes that are memorable, whether that be for emotional or comedic value. Over the years, there have been some unforgettable ones. Some originated from award-winning franchises, whereas others are underdogs that became popular through internet memes.
Almost eight thousand comments later, gamers chimed in with their picks. From Mortal Kombat to Grand Theft Auto, the choices are interesting, to say the least. Receiving over seven thousand up-votes, the clear favorite comes from Fallout: New Vegas. In the opening scene, the player meets Benny, the secondary antagonist, who utters the famous quote: “Truth is, the game was rigged from the start.”
In another comment, u/Finger-Guns mentions Mortal Kombat‘s Scorpion, claiming that his battle cry, “Get over here!” is the most iconic one-liner there is. In Mortal Kombat fight sequences, Scorpion can unleash a special attack that involves him throwing a harpoon to impale his opponent in the chest and yanking them closer, stunning them and earning a free hit.
u/KOKKI535 hit the nail on the head, clearly understanding the assignment perfectly. They proposed the Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 one-liner, “Mission failed, well get ’em next time.”
As the old saying goes, “you can’t beat the classics”, and Super Mario deserves to be mentioned. Unfortunately, the Reddit account was deleted, but the original user offered up “It’s a me, Mario!” Whenever that voice is heard, it transports the listener back to a childhood of fulfillment and happiness through a strong sense of nostalgia. Hilariously, some comments compared the quote to Assassins Creed 2, in which the same line is uttered in a different context.
Another strong contender, u/AME7706 commented “Revenge is a luxury we can’t afford,” from Dutch van der Linde of Rockstar’s Red Dead Redemption 2. One of the common themes in Red Dead Redemption is revenge; several characters mention it (i.e. “Revenge is a fool’s game”)and the player’s honor level depends on it. If John Marston or Arthur Morgan choose to murder those who are undeserving or tread the path of vengeance, their honor falls.
For any gamers that experienced Detroit Become Human, the quote “Twenty eight stab wounds” might ring some bells. As with many video game moments, the quote made its rounds on the internet. In the scene, the main character Connor interrogates a fellow android accused of murdering its owner. In an attempt to threaten and intimidate the suspect, Connor raises his voice when starting the sentence, thus shouting: “Twenty eight stab wounds!”
Surprisingly, even though the GIF was used in the original post, no one explicitly mentioned the “Ah sh*t, here we go again” from the Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas video game. The line is delivered by Carl Johnson, the game’s protagonist. When Johnson finds himself in a crime-ridden neighborhood, he utters the distressed quote. From there, the internet meme was born.
There are so many more quotes to choose from, but these are a handful of the most famous ones. As more video games come and go over the years, these quotes may be overtaken, but for now, they remain forever immortalized.
