Violence isn’t a new concept in gaming. Since video games first hit the arcade, players have always engaged in violence, whether shooting down alien spaceships or dodging speeding barrels thrown by an angry gorilla. Still, the levels of violence and realism in games have reached astronomical heights since those humble beginnings.
Despite pushback from parents and even politicians over the years, video games are even more violent today than ever. Some games have pushed the envelope of violence to new extremes in the path forged by Space Invaders, Doom, and Grand Theft Auto. While many video games revolve around action and combat, a select few have helped redefine violence in gaming.
Updated December 28, 2023, by Anthony Jeanetta. With upcoming releases like Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown and Tekken 8, violent video games continue to dominate the art form. This list is updated to reflect CBR’s most recent style guidelines.
15 The Witcher's Variety Of Enemies Makes Combat As Awe-Inspiring As It Is Satisfying
No. of Games in Series | 15 |
|---|---|
Developers | CD Projekt, Breakpoint, Can Explode Games, Fuero Games, Spokko |
Platforms | PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360, OS X, Linux, Nintendo Switch, Android, iOS |
Though the video game adaptations of The Witcher series have now secured their place in the pantheon of the best RPGs ever – thanks in particular to The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – their original reputation was one of brutal and unrelenting combat with both beasts and men.
The Witcher’s violent reputation is primarily thanks to the visceral descriptions of author Andrzej Sapkowski, whose novels the games adapted were uniquely suitable for turning into video games. As genuinely brilliant as they are gory, The Witcher remains an easy series to recommend to the uninitiated.
14 Outlast Puts Players In A Grisly And Terrifying Setting
No. of Games in Series | 3 |
|---|---|
Developers | Red Barrels |
Platforms | PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Linux, OS X, Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S |
Although it may be stretching the definition of series to the limit, the second Outlast game and its indie sequel The Outlast Trials, with rumors of more on the way, are enough to secure Outlast’s position on this list. The first game features horrendously gruesome “medical” experiments and violence between inmates at a notorious asylum, all rendered on handheld cameras.
The second Outlast game took this spirit and ran with it, taking the story to an equally terrifying woodland, where a religious cult behaves similarly to the doctors from the first. Both Outlast games punctuate the tremendous tension they build through the hyperviolence that often accompanies their conclusions.
13 BioShock Combines Quality Storytelling With Visceral Violence
No. of Games in Series | 10 |
|---|---|
Developer | 2K Boston, 2K Australia, Irrational Games, 2K Marin |
Platforms | Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Mac OS X, iOS, Xbox One, OS X, Linux, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch |
Though BioShock may not be the first game that springs to mind, thanks to the series consistently delivering amazing narrative-driven gameplay experiences, it has never been afraid to launch into the gnarly. The first two games in the series didn’t skimp on the gory action, which it used to frighten players as much as excite them.
Still, the series doubled down on its brutality in 2013's BioShock Infinite. In this game, the third of the series, at one point or another, players can explode and remove heads, watch flesh melt away from limbs, and even use Infinite's intuitive skyhook fast-travel mechanic to remove an enemy's facial features that players find displeasing.
12 Sniper Elite Spotlights Slow-Motion Gore Galore
No. of Games in Series | 10 |
|---|---|
Developer | Rebellion Developments |
Platforms | Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, Meta Quest, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Wii, Wii U, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox Series X/S |
Sniper Elite is considerably sillier in its delivery of violence than many of the other games on this list. Still, it doesn't stop this brutal rendition of wartime combat from being more visceral. The game has become famous for its slow-motion X-ray kill cams, which track the path of the player's bullets and depict where the hit occurred (with added points depending on how accurate the shot was).
These moments in Sniper Elite allow the player to see anything from punctured lungs to exploded hearts, and it's quite shocking the first time around. Plus, it's possible to explode Hitler's private parts in multiple games in the series, and if that's not enough worth recommending, then it's difficult to know what is.
11 Resident Evil Is One Of The Most Influential Games Ever
No. of Games in Series | 30 |
|---|---|
Developers | Capcom, Tose, Capcom Production Studio 4, Namco, Nextech, SIMS Co., Ltd., M4, Capcom Production Studio 3, Cavia, Capcom Production Studio 1 |
Platforms | PlayStation, Microsoft Windows, Sega Saturn, Nintendo DS, GameCube, Wii, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, macOS, iOS, PlayStation 5 |
REVIEW: Resident Evil 4 Remake Effectively Reinvents the Franchise's Greatest Game
The Resident Evil 4 remake is finally here, reimagining the survival horror classic and breathing new life into a beloved title. Here's CBR's review.The Resident Evil franchise may be the most significant influence on the entire survival horror genre. By placing players in a zombie-infested world with limited ammunition and weapons, Resident Evil made every zombie encounter feel as life-or-death as it would in real life.
While some of Resident Evil’s early games haven’t aged well in terms of the type of action and horror they deliver, a steady stream of remakes has revitalized the franchise and highlighted what makes the series great for modern audiences. With halls full of death, blood, and gore, Resident Evil made fear in games a reality.
10 Dishonored Offers Inventive And Close-Quarters Combat
No. of Games in Series | 4 |
|---|---|
Developers | Arkane Studios |
Platforms | PlayStation 3, Windows, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S |
Dishonored is slightly different from many other games on this list, thanks to its decision to eschew full-blown realism in favor of cel-shaded goodness. Despite this difference in animation style, Dishonored and its sequels deserve a place on this list.
In Dishonored, developed by Arkane Studios, players control Corvo Attano, the Royal Protector tasked with securing the safety and future of Princess Emily and her throne. The combat features assassination-style gameplay that doesn't shy away from getting a player's hands dirty. This up-close-and-personal combat offers a window into the brutal realities of the world of Dishonored.
9 Dead Space Is An Ideal Blend Of Gruesome Action And Horror
No. of Games in Series | 7 |
|---|---|
Developers | EA Redwood Shores, Visceral Games, IronMonkey Studios, Motive Studio |
Platforms | PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows, Wii, iOS, Android, Blackberry PlayBook, BlackBerry 10, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S |
Dead Space is one of the best horror game titles ever. The game's protagonist, Isaac, is trapped in a space station crawling with an army of undead alien zombies, and players must battle these aliens while attempting to uncover what happened on the space station.
Resident Evil undeniably influenced Dead Space in terms of its action-horror gameplay and concept, yet its story is almost entirely unique. As a space miner, Isaac lacks access to the weapons one would hope to use against a horde of space zombies. Instead, he must use whatever tools he has at hand to savagely dispose of any threat in his path.
8 Splatterhouse Is A Bloody Beat 'Em Up Adventure
No. of Games in Series | 2 |
|---|---|
Developers | Namco |
Platforms | Arcade, TurboGrafx-16, FM Towns Marty, Windows, Windows Mobile, iOS, BlackBerry |
The aptly named Splatterhouse is about as gory a game series as possible. The first Splatterhouse was a 2D side-scrolling arcade game filled with terrifying demons and tons of bloody action. Its 2010 remake included the same level of violence but took it up a notch with next-gen 3D graphics and even more gore than before.
In Splatterhouse, players take control of Rick, a student who must rescue his girlfriend after demonic monsters abduct her. Luckily, or perhaps unfortunately, for Rick, the Terror Mask – an ancient object that turns its wearer into a monster with superhuman strength – possesses him. Using his newfound power, Rick rips, tears, and shoots through hordes of otherworldly horrors.
7 God Of War Is An Emotionally Affecting Action Romp
No. of Games in Series | 16 |
|---|---|
Developers | Santa Monica Studios, Ready at Dawn, Javaground/SOE-LA, Bluepoint Games, Sanzaru Games, Wholesale Algorithms, Jetpack Interactive |
Platforms | PlayStation 2, Java ME, PSP, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows |
Apropos of its title, Kratos, the main protagonist in God of War, is no stranger to violence, as he's on a seemingly never-ending quest to get revenge on the Gods. God of War follows Kratos, the son of Zeus, as he decimates anyone on his path to destroying Olympus.
God of War's latest entry, Ragnarök, essentially swept the 2022 Game Awards thanks to its fantastic action and genuinely affecting narrative. Despite this awesome storyline, the franchise's internal blueprint of intense violence has never receded, with plenty of dismemberment and decapitation to go around.
6 Grand Theft Auto Allows Players The Freedom To Commit Almost Any Act Of Violence
No. of Games in Series | 8 |
|---|---|
Developers | Rockstar North, Digital Eclipse, Rockstar Leeds, Rockstar Canada |
Platforms | Android, Dreamcast, Fire OS, Game Boy Advance, Game Boy Color, iOS, macOS, MS-DOS, Nintendo DS, Nintendo Switch, Quest 2, PlayStation, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PSP, Windows, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S |
Grand Theft Auto has experienced a lot of controversies over the years. The series has faced many lawsuits and legal battles throughout the decades, and a game as vulgar and violent as GTA is bound to face more in the future.
While the first two GTA games were already quite violent, GTA III completely changed gaming forever with its anything-goes philosophy. Despite the strife this has caused Rockstar Games, the studio has stuck to its guns, literally and metaphorically. As a result, GTA V has become the second-highest-selling game of all time – beaten only by Minecraft.
5 Gears Of War's Visceral Brutality Has A Long-Lasting Impact
No. of Games in Series | 9 |
|---|---|
Developers | Epic Games, The Coalition, People Can Fly, Splash Damage, Madiatonic |
Platforms | Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, iOS, Xbox Series X/S |
Since the first game in the franchise, Gears of War has differentiated itself from other third-person shooters with its realistic combat and brutal hand-to-hand kills. Marcus Fenix will do whatever it takes to bring down his enemies, including utilizing his trusty chainsaw bayonet to tear them apart from close range.
Despite its violence, or maybe due to it, Gears of War’s impact has reached far beyond the surface-level game community. Celebrity figures such as Terry Crews and Dave Batista have expressed interest in portraying some of the game’s iconic characters in possible film or TV adaptations.
4 Doom Remains An Iconic First-Person Shooter
No. of Games in Series | 22 |
|---|---|
Developers | id Software, Midway Studios San Diego, Nightdive Studio, Alpha Dog Studios, Nerve Software, Fountainhead Entertainment |
Platforms | MS-DOS, Nintendo 64, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox One, Xbox, Linux, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Android, iOS |
The first-person shooter genre has violence in its name, but few shooters can do violence to the excessive degree of the Doom franchise. Similarly, few first-person shooters have left their mark on gaming in the same manner as Doom, and its violence is just part of this legacy.
Doom’s primary protagonist, Doomguy, isn’t contented with simply shooting his enemies like other, more civilized shooting game characters. Instead, he prefers to slice into his opponents with a chainsaw or even beat them with his bare fists. The series’ most recent release, Doom Eternal, added to the carnage and mayhem even more with the inclusion of its Glory Kill mechanic.
3 Postal Is A Deeply Disturbing Shooter
No. of Games in Series | 14 |
|---|---|
Developers | Running With Scissors, Trashmasters, Avalon Style Entertainment, HeroCraft, Ministry of Fun, Hyperstrange, CreativeForge Games, RWS C Team |
Platforms | Mac OS, Windows, Linux, Android, Dreamcast, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, J2ME |
In terms of senseless gaming violence, Postal takes the cake. Players take control of a nameless character who has embarked on a murderous rampage due to a government conspiracy theory. Postal’s simple premise doesn’t hide its overall message, as the main character is convinced of wild theories and taunted by voices in his head.
Still, if examined deeper, Postal explores the psychological condition of an active shooter as the player experiences what it’s like to be one directly. On the surface, though, Postal is just an isometric shooting game about committing random, senseless acts of violence.
2 Manhunt Is One Of The Most Grisly Series Ever
No. of Games in Series | 2 |
|---|---|
Developers | Rockstar North, Rockstar London |
Platforms | PlayStation 2, Windows, Xbox, PSP, Wii |
Manhunt is a dark, third-person, stealth action game. In Manhunt, players control James Earl Cash, a prisoner on death row, forced to star in a variety of snuff films to win his freedom. The franchise's gameplay largely consists of Cash sneaking up on and violently murdering gang members using several household items for weapons, including baseball bats and plastic bags.
Manhunt's brand of violence was so extreme upon its release several countries banned it. Likewise, its sequel, Manhunt 2, was initially so brutal that the ESRB initially gave the game an Adults Only rating in the U.S. Developer Rockstar Games had to censor it during some of its more sadistic parts to get the game a Mature rating.
1 Mortal Kombat's Brutal Kills Revolutionized Fighting Games
No. of Games in Series | 29 |
|---|---|
Developers | Midway Games, Avalanche Studios, Eurocom, Just Games Interactive, Midway Studios Los Angeles, Other Ocean Interactive, Point of View, NetherRealm Studios |
Platforms | Arcade, PlayStation, Nintendo 64, Dreamcast, Game Body Advance, PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, PSP, Nintendo DS, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows, Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S |
REVIEW: The Incredibly Impressive Mortal Kombat 1 is a Grisly Great Time
With a deep wealth of single-player options and an impressive combat system, Mortal Kombat 1 is a must-buy for fighting game fans.Mortal Kombat deserves a special place in history for its influence on the violent games after it and is easily one of the most violent video games ever. Famously, the controversy surrounding Mortal Kombat's gruesome kills led to the creation of the ESRB rating system.
Mortal Kombat pushed the boundaries of violence in the game upon its initial release, and each game in the series continues this sacred tradition, upping the blood and brutality of its infamous fatalities to new heights. Still, its influence is about more than just violence; Mortal Kombat is the highest-selling fighting game franchise ever. With 2023's Mortal Kombat 1, the franchise's reign of gore and violence promises to continue well into the future.
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