Most Controversial Video Games That Have Ever Been Released

 

Although the Call of Duty franchise has never been afraid to shy away from portraying controversial themes, the “No Russian” mission from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 might have overstepped the line. The level had players acting as an undercover CIA agent who has to participate in a terrorist attack in a Russian airport, opening fire on dozens of civilians.

The issue proved to be contentious as soon as it became public knowledge. In order to avoid censure in both Japan and Germany, the developers altered the mission so that shooting the civilians would fail the mission. For Russian releases, the scene was removed completely. For the rest of the world, players are given the option to skip a “disturbing or offensive” mission, meaning you can still play as a terrorist and shoot up innocents in a CoD game as a US soldier.

 

Created by the same team behind the Grand Theft Auto series, Manhunt is arguably the most controversial of all the Rockstar franchises. The main problem with the game is the sadistic and graphic ways in which the player has to kill his opponents. Many felt that these violent acts would encourage copycats, and some even blamed the game for a murder in the UK. Despite protests by politicians around the world, the developer even went on to create a sequel that was just as controversial.

 

 

It would be reasonable to expect that if gamers were going to get upset over Duke Nukem Forever, it would be because of its decade-long development cycle, rather than the content. That was not the case, though. Many users were put off by the striking sexism present in the game.

Not only are women treated as nothing more than sex objects, but one game mode seemed to promote violence against them. The “Capture the Babe” mode has players carry females to their base. It also gave players the option of slapping them on the bottom if they freaked out. Despite the series always having a somewhat immature attitude towards women, some critics felt this went too far.

 

 

The sequel to the equally controversial Postal, the sequel released in 2003 across a range of PC platforms. The first-person shooter attracted criticism from the media and charities due to its inclusion of hyper violence. It allows players to murder hundreds of civilians. Outrage also stemmed from the apparent racist, sexist, and homophobic themes present in the title.

Several countries have banned the sale of Postal 2 and New Zealand has even made it an offense to be in possession of the game. The Office of Film and Literature Classification said, “The game is designed, and has the capacity, to allow the player to test how much violence and humiliation he or she can inflict on human beings.” Anyone caught with the game faces a fine of up to $1,400.

 

When Mortal Kombat first became available in 1993, it instantly became known for its ultraviolent finishing moves. Players are able to commit a series of horrific and brutal killings, such as ripping out a competitor’s heart, at the end of matches. A lack of a rating system meant that children would be able to buy and play the game, creating a huge uproar from politicians and parent groups. The outrage caused the gaming industry to create the self-regulated Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) just five months later.

 

 

Not only does Mass Effect 3 contain one of the most contentious endings of all time, it also allows players to explore a wide range of relationship options. Many organizations, such as the Florida Family Association and the Family Research Council, protested against the inclusion of gay relationships in the game. EA received thousands of letters of complaint and the topic was debated on national television. The publisher flatly refused to censor any of the content and continued its efforts of attempting to bring equality in the workplace for LGBT people.

 

 

When Doom released in 1993, it essentially brought the first-person genre to the attention of gamers for the very first time. Despite bringing a new type of game to the forefront, id Software still faced criticism from those who felt that the “realistic violence” contained within the game was too offensive. The combination of having a huge arsenal of weapons available to kill enemies and the satanic imagery of demons meant that it became a lightning rod for outrage. None of this stopped it from becoming one of the most popular games of all time.

 

 

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Death Race is based on the equally outrageous movie of the same name. Players drive their cars around to kill gremlins. The problem? Many felt that the gremlins were actually humans. This largely came down to the fact that the gremlins rendered in the game were just simplistic humanoid-shaped stick figures. Images of the grim reaper and skeletons throughout the game and arcade cabinet reinforced this idea.

Death Race was subsequently the subject of much debate. It was featured on 60 Minutes and on national newspapers about the violence contained within the game. When it became clear that the developers had originally intended to call it Pedestrian rather than Death Race, it just made matters worse. Fortunately for the company behind the game, the media outcry led to sales of the game more than doubling.

 

 

Video games generally attract criticism for their violent content or sexual themes. However, Resident Evil 5 was labeled as a potentially racist game almost immediately after the first trailer went public. Critics argued that the imagery used to portray African natives was offensive. The tribal imagery and the general appearance of the characters could be seen as portraying all Africans as savages. The backlash from the media surprised Capcom, but the company claimed it changed nothing.

 

 

The Witcher series has been praised for its open-world setting and innovative role-playing elements. Yet the second game in the franchise drew media attention before release as some people felt that a particular quest rewarded the player with sex. Although all of the games in the series have featured consensual relationships, it was the prize-like way it was presented in The Witcher 2 that caused controversy. Eventually, the developer had to change the ending to the mission so that the protagonist would automatically reject the offer of sex in order to see an Australian release.