Summary
- Soldier Of Fortune’s detailed character models and extreme violence sparked controversy.
- Carmageddon’s brutal theme of running over pedestrians and animals upset many players.
- Duke Nukem 3D’s obscene content and violence made it controversial but iconic.
The PC has endured as one of the best platforms for players to check out their favorite video games. Players love the idea of playing both new and old games on a malleable platform that has stuck with them through thick and thin.
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Some games on this platform have attracted their fair share of controversy for everything from the level of violence to the disturbing content that was present in these titles. The sheer amount of negative buzz generated by these titles was puzzling, barring a few instances where the outrage was justified.
Games will be ranked based on the degree of controversy generated by their release.
8
Soldier Of Fortune
The Game’s Extreme Violence Was Highlighted By Many
Soldier of Fortune
On the face of it, Soldier of Fortune looks like a run-of-the-mill FPS where players can enjoy some classic shooting action. It wasn’t until players experienced the gameplay for themselves that they realized just how detailed the character models were, for better or for worse.
Individual parts could be blown off with fatal shots and players could riddle a body with bullets to turn it into an unrecognizable ball of flesh. While this damage model was impressive, it also caused its fair share of controversy around a time when people found this level of extreme violence in games disturbing.
7
Carmageddon
Running Over People And Animals Didn’t Sit Right With Some People
Carmageddon
A legendary vehicular combat game that players remember fondly to this day, it’s easy to see why Carmageddon was the source of much controversy. The idea of running over pedestrians and animals in the most brutal manner possible didn’t sit right with many.
As a result, the game was censored for certain markets, replacing real people with aliens who had green blood. It’s an interesting way to censor a violent title that is pretty tame by modern standards.
6
Duke Nukem 3D
The Violence And Mature Themes Coupled With Duke’s Crass Attitude Made It An Easy Target
Duke Nukem 3D looked like a Doom clone but boasted enough character for fans to fall in love with the game’s crass action. The protagonist himself was a foul-mouthed bastion of masculinity who could become a parody of himself at times.
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However, some people felt that the level of violence coupled with the game’s obscene content made it an inappropriate title. Parents objected to their kids being exposed to this low-brow content, but his controversial nature is what turned Duke Nukem into one of the most iconic video game heroes of all time.
5
Daikatana
The Controversial Marketing Campaign Coupled With The Game’s Poor Quality Alienated Many Fans
Daikatana
- Released
-
May 23, 2000
- Developer(s)
-
Ion Storm
After the hit success of Doom, John Romero became one of the most popular video game developers of all time. After splitting with id Software, Romero spearheaded the development of Daikatana, which was accompanied by one of the most controversial video game marketing campaigns of all time.
If Daikatana was a fun game, then the crass messaging of these advertisements could be justified. However, Daikatana was so uninteresting and broken when it came out that it single-handedly tanked Romero’s reputation and turned this game into the butt of many jokes in the video game industry.
4
Grand Theft Auto 3
A Massive Succes For Rockstar That Generated A Ton Of Controversy
- Released
-
October 23, 2001
There’s no denying that Grand Theft Auto 3 is one of the most important video games ever made, catapulting Rockstar Games to the heights of superstardom. However, this success came with its fair share of controversy.
The many adult activities that players could partake in coupled with a healthy dose of violence turned Grand Theft Auto 3 into the gaming industry’s punching bag for the media. Rockstar reveled in this controversy and didn’t shy away from antagonizing the media with future titles in the series, cementing their reputation as one of the most iconic video game developers of all time.
3
Manhunt
The Sadistic Violence Of The Game Coupled With Rockstar’s Past Controversies Made It A Source Of Much Discourse
- Released
-
November 18, 2003
- Developer(s)
-
Rockstar North
Manhunt is one of the most interesting stealth-horror video games players can check out. The title features some scintillating and nail-biting gameplay where players will genuinely be on the edge of their seats as they control James Earl Cash in a twisted killing game.
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The game’s executions could be quite disturbing, with players unlocking more gratuitous killing moves based on the player’s input. This, coupled with the title’s unnerving atmosphere, turned Manhunt into Rockstar’s most controversial video game. It was banned in numerous countries for its graphic content.
2
Postal 2
The Sheer Amount Of Depraved Things Players Could Do In The Game World Was Despicable
The uproar that Postal 2 caused at launch is well-known to many gaming fans. The controversial parodies of real-life issues coupled with a focus on gratuitous violence turned this title into one of the most controversial video games ever made.
Players were encouraged to go Postal and kill everything in sight, with the use of drugs and cats as silencers being encouraged. This, coupled with a heinous act that players could enact at will, made Postal 2 a horrifying product for players unfamiliar with video games.
1
Doom
A Violent FPS That Became More Notorious After A Horrible Real-Life Massacre
Not only is Doom one of the most important video games ever made, but it’s also incredibly controversial. People were appalled by the depiction of hellish monsters and a gameplay loop where players used guns to eviscerate their opponents.
The biggest controversy Doom was pulled into was the Columbine High School massacre by a country mile. The fact that the shooters were huge fans of this game and made custom levels became widespread news, with players scouring the internet to find these levels that have become sought-after for all the wrong reasons.
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