Content Table:
Violent Games: The Top 5
5. Mortal Kombat
The game that started it all. While it may seem pixelated and dated now, it was undoubtedly the most violent video game of its time. Mortal Kombat spawned a huge fanbase, a movie, and a plethora of sequels. Most of us have probably played Mortal Kombat in at least one form or another.
Who can forget pulling in a victim with Scorpion’s snapping beak; “Get over here!” while following it up with a gruesome uppercut? The game used real-life actors and mapped their faces onto sprites, creating a strange yet realistic effect. This made it all the more awesome when Sub Zero ripped someone’s head off, leaving their spine dangling below. Fatality!
4. Carmageddon
Originally released in 1997, this oldie but goldie is still thoroughly enjoyable and was a breakthrough in its time with video scenes from inside the car and real-world physics. Think Mad Max on steroids, and you’ll start to get a feel for Carmageddon, set in a post-apocalyptic world where the car rules.
The idea is to race against modified death cars through various levels, including deserts, industrial areas, and populated cities, all to the tune of Fear Factory’s Demanufacture album. However, if you don’t feel like racing, you can hunt down and destroy your enemies one by one until you’re the only survivor.
Among all this, you can run over pedestrians, and you’re actively encouraged to do so, gaining extra time and credits for combo bonuses and “artist impressions.” Carmageddon caused a media scandal when it first launched, leading to a ‘safe’ version with zombies, robots, or aliens instead of people in several countries. Despite this, it remains a classic and the first go-anywhere 3D driving game, spawning two successful sequels.
3. Thrill Kill
Originally called S & M (Slaughter and Mutilation), Thrill Kill for PlayStation was never released; it was axed two weeks before its scheduled launch. EA claimed they didn’t want to “publish such a senselessly violent game,” deeming it too offensive. Fortunately, former EA employees released it online, and it’s still available today.
Thrill Kill consisted of a single room where up to four opponents fight to the death. Instead of a life bar, it featured a kill meter that grows as you damage your opponents, allowing for “Thrill Kills” that are brutally graphic. Moves include dismemberment, mutilation, and crushing skulls. Each character, having led devious lives, battles for survival in a modern-day hell set up by Marukka, the God of Secrets, who promises rebirth to the last one standing.
2. Postal 2
One standout feature in Postal 2 is the ability to pick up cats as an inventory item. When used, the player shoves the barrel of a gun into the cat’s anus as a ‘silencer.’ The cat meows in apparent agony, and the gunshot is muffled. After several shots, the cat dies and flies from the weapon.
Any game where you can use a cat as a silencer deserves mention. Both Postal and Postal 2 faced protests from activist groups, but the creators argued that the level of violence depends on player choice. The game unfolds from Monday to Friday, with tasks like “Cash Paycheck” and “Get Milk,” allowing players to choose between peaceful or violent routes, each with unique gameplay changes.
Violent features include decapitating people with shovels and setting fire to them with various incendiaries. The game is not only violent but also quite disgusting, allowing players to urinate on people, causing them to vomit. It features various characters, including ATF agents and religious cults, and has earned a notorious reputation, being banned in several countries.
1. Manhunt
Possibly the most violent game on this list, Manhunt revolves around James Earl Cash, sentenced to death by lethal injection. His execution is replaced with a sedative, and he is abducted by a wealthy Hollywood director with a penchant for snuff films. The director uses Cash as his latest star, orchestrating brutal murders for his twisted audience.
Players communicate with the director via an earpiece, and security cameras record each gruesome act. To score points, players must execute increasingly horrific kills, from suffocation with plastic bags to decapitation. Manhunt was banned in several countries upon release, and its association with real-life violence intensified scrutiny.
Despite the controversies surrounding violent games, they remain a significant part of gaming history, each contributing to the evolution of interactive entertainment.