The 100 Best Video Game Quotes (2023)

With the evolution of video games into a more impressive visual medium, the writing that goes behind the creative process has become increasingly prevalent. Along with this great writing are some great quotes. I present to you:

The Top 100 Video Game Quotes of All Time

1. “I’m Commander Shepard, and this is my favorite store on the Citadel!” – Mass Effect 2

This classic quote comes from the second Mass Effect, in which you can endorse a store on the Citadel for a discount. The player can quickly discover that you can do this for nearly every store on the space station, creating a humorous chorus of the above quote booming out all over the citadel.

2. “It’s time to kick ass and chew bubble gum…and I’m all outta gum.” – Duke Nukem

Duke Nukem is the crazy, macho protagonist of the titular game series of FPS games involving crazy aliens, explosions, and more. Duke utters this while blowing aliens away and it just adds to the action, humor, and fast-paced gaming.

3. “What is a man? A Miserable little pile of secrets!” – Castlevania: Symphony of the Night

Uttered by the infamous Dracula, this quote comes as a melodramatic, somewhat corny, and overblown exclamation before Richter fights Dracula in the prologue of this Castlevania title.

4. “We’re not tools of the government or anyone else. Fighting was the only thing I was good at, but at least I always fought for what I believed in.”– Metal Gear Solid

Gray Fox was the intimidating cyborg ninja that becomes Solid Snake’s ally throughout the game. A masochistic warrior, Gray Fox is constantly looking for his match when it comes to the battlefield.

5. “They were all dead. The final gunshot was an exclamation mark to everything that had led to this point. I released my finger from the trigger. And then it was over.” – Max Payne

The neo-noir masterpiece Max Payne is filled with beautiful, dreary quotes. The game opens with this heavy hitter and quickly sets the scene for the dark odyssey the player will go on.

6. “You were almost a Jill sandwich!” – Resident Evil

This infamous quote was said by fellow S.T.A.R.S. member, Barry to Jill after she is nearly crushed in a trap within the mansion. It is safe to say that it broke a lot of tension from the terrifying presence of the mansion.

7. “It’s a-me, Mario!” – Assassin’s Creed II

This in-joke for video gamers is said by Ezio’s uncle Mario after meeting on the road. It quickly became one of the more iconic quotes within the game for its reference to our favorite Italian plumber.

8. “The sun went down with practiced bravado. Twilight crawled across the sky, laden with foreboding. I didn’t like the way the show started. But they had given me the best seat in the house. Front row center.” – Max Payne

This dark quote appears right before the murder of Max’s wife and baby, setting off the crazy course of events that define Max’s journey and motives for years to come.

9. “The right man in the wrong place can make all the difference in the world.” – Half-Life 2

The mysterious G-man says this at the beginning of Gordon Freeman’s second adventure. Gordon ends up fulfilling this saying throughout the storyline.

10. “FINISH HIM!” – Mortal Kombat

A classic quote yelled at the player after they have beaten the opponent. This allowed the player to perform a bloody fatality or simply smack their opponent to conclude the fight.

11. “Would you kindly…” – Bioshock

Without giving anything away, this infamous quote turns into the biggest plot point of the first Bioshock game.

12. “The healthy human mind doesn’t wake up in the morning thinking this is its last day on Earth. But I think that’s a luxury, not a curse. To know you’re close to the end is a kind of freedom. Good time to take… inventory.” – Call of Duty: Modern Warfare

13. “Some trees flourish, others die. Some cattle grow strong, others are taken by wolves. Some men are born rich enough and dumb enough to enjoy their lives. Ain’t nothing fair.” – Red Dead Redemption

14. “You can’t break a man the way you break a dog or a horse. The harder you beat a man, the taller he stands.” – Far Cry 2

15. “War…war never changes” – Fallout

16. “The world fears the inevitable plummet into the abyss. Watch for that moment and when it comes, do not hesitate to leap. It is only when you fall that you learn whether you can fly.” – Dragon Age: Origins

17. “Most test subjects do experience some cognitive deterioration after a few months in suspension. Now you’ve been under for… quite a lot longer, and it’s not out of the question that you might have a very minor case of serious brain damage. But don’t be alarmed, alright? Although, if you do feel alarmed, try to hold onto that feeling because that is the proper reaction to being told you have brain damage.” – Portal 2

18. “Nothing is true, everything is permitted.” – Assassin’s Creed franchise

19. “It’s dangerous to go alone, take this!” – The Legend of Zelda

20. “I raised you, and loved you, I’ve given you weapons, taught you techniques, endowed you with knowledge. There’s nothing more for me to give you. All that’s left for you to take in my life.” – Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater

This emotional quote comes at the showdown between Snake and the Boss. Everything has led to this, as the quote exhibits, and it’s an extremely powerful scene.

21. “Boss… you were right. It’s not about changing the world. It’s about doing our best to leave the world… the way it is. It’s about respecting the will of others and believing in your own.” – Metal Gear Solid IV: Guns of the Patriots

22. “Endure and survive.” – The Last of Us

23. “Praise the sun!” – Dark Souls

This is Solaire the knight of the sun’s motto, which quickly became a favorite quote online amongst Dark Souls gamers.

24. “Do you like hurting other people?” – Hotline Miami

25. “I’ve struggled a long time with survivin’, but no matter what you have to find something to fight for.” – The Last of Us

After the death of his daughter, Joel has to keep scraping to survive after 20 years of a plague-infested America.

26. “Tell me Bats. What are you scared of? Failing to save this cesspool of a city? Not finding the Commissioner in time? Me, in a thong?” – Batman: Arkham Asylum

Just one of the humorous classic lines challenging Batman, the Joker steals the show in all of his appearances.

27. Federico: “It is a good life we lead, brother.” Ezio: “The best. May it never change.” Federico: “And may it never change us.” – Assassin’s Creed II

Ezio and his brother have this touching exchange at the beginning of the second game, shortly before tumultuous events throws everything into chaos.

28. “War is where the young and stupid are tricked by the old and bitter into killing each other.” – Grand Theft Auto IV

Niko gives us some philosophic wisdom here when discussing the ways of war and conflict.

29. “Hope is what makes us strong. It is why we are here. It is what we fight with when all else is lost.” – God of War 3

30. “Stop right there, criminal scum!” – The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

Nefarious players will be hearing this more than others, but this classic line is delivered with such gusto and passion that it borders on parody.

31. “Hey! Look! Listen! – The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Infamous words by Na’vi, Link’s fairy companion has become known by all gamers.

32. “I used to be an adventurer like you until I took an arrow to the knee.” – The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Uttered by passing guards, this quote quickly became a fast-spreading meme on the internet, where people would repeat it and add their new flavor to it.

33. “Do a barrel roll!” – Star Fox 64

Another famous quote that became a meme, Peppy Hare instructs Fox to do a barrel roll during the tutorial of the game.

34. “So, I guess I’d become what they wanted me to be, a killer. Some rent-a-clown with a gun who puts holes in other bad guys. Well, that’s what they had paid for, so in the end, that’s what they got. Say what you want about Americans, but we understand capitalism. You buy yourself a product and you get what you pay for, and these chumps had paid for some angry gringo without the sensibilities to know right from wrong. Here I was about to execute this poor bastard like some dime store angel of death, and I realized they were correct, I wouldn’t know right from wrong if one of them was helping the poor and the other was banging my sister…” – Max Payne 3

35. “A man chooses; a slave obeys.” – Bioshock

The maniacal Andrew Ryan emphasizes this philosophical line near the end of the game when the player finally meets him in person.

36. “Snake? Snake? SNAKE!” – Metal Gear Solid

When Snake dies in-game, the colonel will emphatically scream this through the codec, along with some dramatic musical score.

37. “Grass grows, birds fly, the sun shines, and brother, I hurt people.” – Team Fortress 2

38. “You gave them the one thing that was stolen from them. A chance. A chance to learn. To find love. To live. And in the end what was your reward? You never said. But I think I know: a family.” – Bioshock

Dr Tenenbaum speaks directly to the player during the game’s good ending, speaking these kind words regarding the Little Sisters.

39. “Stay awhile and listen!” – Diablo 2

40. “Thank you, Mario! But our Princess is in another castle!” – Super Mario

41. “Good men mean well. We just don’t always end up doing well.” – Dead Space 3

42. “Why walk when you can ride?” – The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind

The fast traveling stilt striders say this to the player character in an iconic gravelly voice.

43. “You have died of dysentery.” – Oregon Trail

44. “You mustn’t allow yourself to be chained to fate, to be ruled by your genes. Human beings can choose the kind of life that they want to live. What’s important is that you choose life… and then live.” – Metal Gear Solid

45. “Men are but flesh and blood. They know their doom, but not the hour.” – The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion

46. “Dreams have a nasty habit of going bad when you’re not looking.” – Max Payne

47. “Time passes, people move. Like a river’s flow, it never ends. A childish mind will turn to noble ambition.” – The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

48. “Right and wrong are not what separate us and our enemies. It’s our different standpoints, our perspectives that separate us. Both sides blame one another. There’s no good or bad side. Just two sides holding different views.” – Final Fantasy VIII

49. “At the end of the day, as long as there are two people left on the planet, someone is gonna want someone dead.” – Team Fortress 2

50. “Don’t make a girl a promise if you know you can’t keep it.” – Halo 3

51. “My past is not a memory. It’s a force at my back. It pushes and steers. I may not always like where it leads me, but like any story, the past needs resolution. What’s past is prologue.” – Metroid: The Other M

52. “Our world, with its rules of causality, has trained us to be miserly with forgiveness. By forgiving too readily, we can be badly hurt. But if we’ve learned from a mistake and become better for it, shouldn’t we be rewarded for the learning, rather than punished for the mistake?” – Braid

53. “The thing about happiness is that you only know you had it when it’s gone. I mean, you may think to yourself that you’re happy. But you don’t believe it. You focus on the petty bull ****, or the next job, or whatever. It’s only looking back by comparison with what comes after that you understand, that’s what happiness felt like.” – Fallout 4

54. “All men dream – but not equally. Those who dream by night, in the dusty recesses of their minds, wake in the day to find that it was vanity… But the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dream with open eyes, to make it possible. This I did.” From T. E. Lawrence’s Seven Pillars of Wisdom – Uncharted 3

55. “You can’t hide from the Grim Reaper. Especially when he’s got a gun.” – Grim Fandango

56. “Reliance upon others is a weakness for the strong but strength for the weak. Wisdom and balance lie in knowing your nature over time.” – Thief II

The slick thief Garrett is a master of quotes as well as pickpocketing and lockpicking.

57. “I like shorts! They’re comfy and easy to wear!” – Pokémon

This funny quote is from a youngster you battle in the wilderness. What do shorts have to do with Pokémon? Your guess is as good as mine.

58. “What is a drop of rain, compared to the storm? What is a thought, compared to the mind?” – System Shock 2

59. “I never asked for this” – Deus Ex: Human Revolution

Adam Jensen’s signature quip, he’s very irritated that he’s been turned into a cyborg. Wouldn’t we all?

60. “Only a mind free of impediments is capable of grasping the chaotic beauty of the world.” – Assassin’s Creed

61. “We are all our own worst enemy. But also, our best teacher.” – Super Street Fighter IV

62. “What is a man but the sum of his memories? We are the stories we live, the tales we tell ourselves.” – Assassin’s Creed: Revelations

63. “No matter how dark the night, the morning always comes.” – Final Fantasy X

The enigmatic Lulu gives these encouraging words to our heroes as they face overwhelming odds against Sin.

64. “The only thing that can defeat power, is more power.” – Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles

65. “A famous explorer once said that the extraordinary is in what we do, not who we are.” – Tomb Raider

66. “What is bravery, without a dash of recklessness?” – Dark Souls

67. “Someday you’re bound to lose everything. Everybody around you will be gone.” – Final Fantasy VIII

68. “Good! Now we can fight as warriors. Hand-to-hand, it is the basis of all combat. Only a fool trusts his life to a weapon.” – Metal Gear Solid

Another Gray Fox quote. He’s filled with rage, but ready to accept a worthy challenger who can match his zeal.

69. “Are you a bad enough dude to rescue the president?” – Bad Dudes

An iconic line at the beginning of this cheesy action game that swept the internet years after its release.

70. “You’ve met with a terrible fate, haven’t you?” – The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask

71. “The truth, Walker, is that you’re here because you wanted to feel like something you’re not: A hero.” – Spec Ops: The Line

72. Batman: “You want to know something funny? Even after everything you’ve done, I would have saved you.”
The Joker: [laughs, coughs] “that is pretty funny.” – Batman: Arkham City

73. “Stand in the ashes of a trillion dead souls and ask the ghosts if honor matters. Their silence is your answer.” – Mass Effect 3

74. “Life isn’t just about passing on your genes. We can leave behind much more than just DNA. Through speech, music, literature, and movies… what we’ve seen, heard, felt… anger, joy, and sorrow… these are the things I will pass on. That’s what I live for. We need to pass the torch, and let our children read our messy and sad history by its light. We have all the magic of the digital age to do that with. The human race will probably come to an end sometime, and new species may rule over this planet. Earth may not be forever, but we still have the responsibility to leave what traces of life we can. Building the future and keeping the past alive are one and the same thing.” – Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty

75. “Did I ever tell you the definition of insanity?” – Far Cry 3

Our antagonist, Vaas confronts the player and well… tells them about insanity. Very appropriate coming from him.

76. “Force answers force, war breeds war, and death only brings death. To break this vicious circle, one must do more than just act without any thought or doubt.” – Metro 2033

77. “I got caught up in the money, the power…I don’t give a s**t, oh f**k man…I had no choice, I had to do it…I only see the opportunity. But when I’m gone, everyone’s gonna remember my name: Big Smoke!” – Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

78. “Shadow and light are two sides of the same coin. One cannot exist without the other.” – The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

79. “A hero need not speak. When he is gone, the world will speak for him” – Halo

80. “DEATH IS A PREFERABLE ALTERNATIVE TO COMMUNISM” – Fallout 3

The finished robot, Liberty Prime, accompanies the player to defeat the enclave, all while spurting hilarious anti-communist propaganda.

81. “…it is merely an observation on the nature of reality. To say that nothing is true is to realize that the foundations of society are fragile and that we must be the shepherds of our civilization. To say that everything is permitted is to understand that we are the architects of our actions and that we must live with our consequences, whether glorious or tragic.” – Assassin’s Creed: Revelations

Ezio explains to his companion about the nature of the famous creed of the Assassin Order.

82. “It ain’t no secret I didn’t get these scars falling over in church.” – Red Dead Redemption

83. “What is better – to be born good, or to overcome your evil nature through great effort?” – The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Spoken by the reformed dragon Paarthurnax, he extolls on the virtue of changing your ways.

84. “I am Andrew Ryan, and I’m here to ask you a question. Is a man not entitled to the sweat of his brow? ‘No!’ says the man in Washington, ‘It belongs to the poor.’ ‘No!’ says the man in the Vatican, ‘It belongs to God.’ ‘No!’ says the man in Moscow, ‘It belongs to everyone.’ I rejected those answers; instead, I chose something different. I chose the impossible. I chose… Rapture, a city where the artist would not fear the censor, where the scientist would not be bound by petty morality, Where the great would not be constrained by the small! And with the sweat of your brow, Rapture can become your city as well.” – Bioshock

This is Andrew Ryan’s pitch for Rapture using his Randian philosophy of objectivism.

85. “No Russian.” – Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

This controversial quote opened up the level in which you were tasked with massacring the population of an airport to maintain cover within a terrorist’s good graces.

86. “Love is just a chemical. We give it meaning by choice.” – Bioshock 2

87. “War has changed” – Metal Gear Solid IV

This quote goes against Fallout’s signature quote, as Solid Snake describes the futuristic advancements in war and conflict throughout the world.

88. “If our lives are already written, it would take a courageous man to change the script.” – Alan Wake

89. “There are two ways of arguing with a woman, and neither one works” – Red Dead Redemption

90. “Had to be me… Someone else might have got it wrong.” – Mass Effect 3

91. “Waka Waka Waka” – Pacman

The iconic sounds of Pacman gobbling down those dots can be heard if you think about it enough!

92. “[silence]” – The Legend of Zelda

Link’s famous ‘lines’, in which he doesn’t speak, even when spoken to, has become an integral part of the franchise as a whole.

93. “Now is the time to choose! Die and be free of pain, or live and fight your sorrow. Now is the time to shape your stories! Your fate is in your hands” – Final Fantasy X

94. “NOTHING IS MORE BADASS THAN TREATING A WOMAN WITH RESPECT!” – Borderlands 2

95. “I don’t need a weapon; my friends are my power!” – Kingdom Hearts

96. “The cake is a lie” – Portal

97. “You require more vespene gas” and “Not Enough Minerals” – StarCraft

Players will immediately recognize these snippets of dialogue when they eventually run out of resources.

98. “Frostmourne hungers” – WarCraft III

99. “You Have Died” – Dark Souls

The infamous screen in which many players will become intimately acquainted with, the ‘you have died’ screen is the bane of my existence!

100. “Kept you waiting, huh?” — Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes

Big Boss looks directly at the camera and the player while he adds this cheeky line of dialogue at the beginning of GZ.