- 7 weeks ago
From shocking realism to extreme gore, these are the 30 most violent video games that pushed limits, sparked controversy, and even got banned in some countries.
Gamers loved them — parents and governments didn’t.
🎮 Brutal gameplay and shocking graphics
💀 Games banned or censored worldwide
⚡ Titles that redefined “too far” in gaming
Watch till the end for the most infamous violent game ever made!
Gamers loved them — parents and governments didn’t.
🎮 Brutal gameplay and shocking graphics
💀 Games banned or censored worldwide
⚡ Titles that redefined “too far” in gaming
Watch till the end for the most infamous violent game ever made!
Category
🎮️
GamingTranscript
00:00I may be a rookie at your little sport, but I'm a fast learner."
00:04Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're looking at the goriest, most blood-soaked video games
00:09and franchises players can subject themselves to.
00:19Number 30, Hotline Miami series.
00:29With its 16-bit pixel art style, Hotline Miami and its sequel may not seem all that violent
00:34at first glance, but then you start to play.
00:37Both games chronicle the events of one man's war against the Russian Mafia.
00:41Across each level, players are tasked with storming different buildings and using whatever
00:45weaponry is at their disposal to annihilate everyone in their path.
00:49Usually, that involves blasting them apart to give environments a nice coat of crimson.
00:54On top of massacring enemies, there's the disturbing subject matter of each story, which goes to
00:59surprisingly dark places.
01:01Number 29, Bulletstorm.
01:09If a game rewards you for how violent you can be, you know it deserves to be included.
01:14Bulletstorm sets you on a futuristic, over-the-top quest for revenge, which, of course, brings
01:19buckets of bullets and blood.
01:21The developers found unique ways of utilizing firearms and wholeheartedly encourage us to
01:26use them.
01:27In fact, the more creative your kills are, the more points you'll earn, therefore earning
01:31better upgrades and keeping yourself well-stocked to keep on slaying.
01:35Whether it be through the awesome features of your weapons or by using the world around
01:39you, you'll want to see how inventive and vicious you can be.
01:46Number 28, Hatred.
01:51Hatred made some big waves when it was revealed.
01:58Following a man fed up with humanity who decides to go on a mass killing spree, it's easy to
02:03see why.
02:05Developer Destructive Creations specifically set out to go against political correctness
02:09in video games.
02:10Due to such violent content and disturbing subject matter, which hits close to home for a lot
02:15of people, it received a rare adults-only rating and is only playable on PC.
02:20Other than the controversy surrounding it, the game failed to leave a mark since its gameplay
02:24grew repetitive.
02:25Still, there's no denying that the violence was definitely there.
02:34Number 27, Sniper Elite Series.
02:50Sniper Elite is one of many FPS franchises that focuses on World War II.
02:54But what sets it apart is its emphasis on stealth and precision over bombastic action.
02:59That and its extreme realism.
03:02This can be seen in how you must take multiple factors into account when lining up your shots,
03:06including wind resistance.
03:08Another example, which is what earns it a spot on this list, is the slow motion effect that
03:13shows the anatomically correct results of what happens to different organs when they're
03:17hit by a sniper round.
03:18For years, fans have been drawn to the satisfaction and gore that comes from pulling off particularly
03:24tense shots.
03:25And that's unlikely to change.
03:27Number 26, Condemned Series.
03:37The Condemned duology follows an FBI agent tracking a series of serial killings, only to be framed
03:43for murder himself.
03:44And as his life quickly descends, he finds he'll have to get his hands dirty.
03:49The developers chose to focus on melee combat from a first-person perspective, putting players
03:54up close and personal with some pretty nasty deeds.
03:57For the visual aesthetic and plot, they were also inspired by some of the more disturbing
04:02crime films seen on the big screen, like Seven and Saw.
04:05This made for a really visceral experience, which was too much for some people.
04:10In fact, both games were banned in Germany for their violent content.
04:17Number 25, Soldier of Fortune Series.
04:25The technology used in the first Soldier of Fortune game was highly impressive for its
04:29time, if not controversial.
04:31It divided bodies of enemies into zones, which could all be targeted and blown off by players
04:36to varying degrees of violence.
04:38This earned it an adult rating in Canada.
04:40And in Germany, it was placed on a list of media harmful to young people.
04:44It isn't as if things got any more pleasant in the sequels, though.
04:48Double Helix featured just as much violence as its predecessor, if not more.
04:52And the third game, Payback, had to undergo significant censorship so that it could be released
04:57in Australia.
05:04Number 24, Outlast Series.
05:15The original Outlast set the indie horror scene on fire when it was released in 2013.
05:21Everyone was itching to be confronted with extreme violence around every corner and to
05:25be chased by its disturbing characters.
05:27Blood-splattered environments, antagonists that made our skin crawl with their twisted
05:31demeanor.
05:32It was a blast.
05:33The series has continued to up the ante with even more gore and new sadistic characters.
05:39With every person looking like they walked straight out of the most brutal nightmare imaginable,
05:43and with many of them wanting nothing more than to rip you and others to shreds, Outlast
05:48is one nasty ride.
05:50Number 23, Silent Hill Series.
06:02Although more known for its horrific creature design, depressing plotlines, and tense gameplay
06:07that makes you feel trapped, there's still plenty of violence to be had in Silent Hill.
06:12After all, if one of the monsters lurking in the shadows catches you, you'll meet one
06:16hell of a messy end.
06:18As the series has progressed, better graphics have only made the gore stand out more, whether
06:22we see it in character deaths or some of the more particularly upsetting enemy designs.
06:27After a lengthy absence, Silent Hill made a terrific comeback in 2024, and its future looks
06:33both bright and bloody.
06:42Number 22, Dead Island 2.
06:56We could've put the whole series here, but Dead Island 2 is such a cut above the rest
07:00in terms of gore that it deserves to be singled out.
07:04It's yet another zombie game, but what makes it so much fun is its focus on dismembering
07:08the undead.
07:09You gain access to a variety of abilities and weapons, both melee and ranged, all designed
07:14to work in tandem for ripping your foes to pieces.
07:17There's almost nowhere you can go where your screen won't be immediately covered in blood
07:21and guts.
07:22And figuring out your favorite ways to splatter zombies, which come in a variety of disgusting
07:26types, is what makes Dead Island 2 such a savage delight.
07:30You still need me.
07:31I kill more zombies than you got you.
07:34Number 21, The Punisher A game about The Punisher should be violent,
07:44but some believe that the Anti-Heroes 2005 outing went a bit overboard.
07:49It follows Frank Castle doing what he does best, laying waste to different criminals.
07:54But as he does, the level of violence reaches extreme heights, particularly during the scenes
07:59of torture.
08:00To avoid an adults-only rating in the US, the developers had to display several of those
08:04scenes in black and white.
08:06In the UK, the camera had to be reworked in multiple scenes to avoid showing violent content.
08:12In Australia, two scenes had to be removed so the game could be released.
08:16And in Germany, it was another game added to the list of media harmful to young people.
08:21Number 20, Phantasmagoria.
08:29Although Sierra Online was primarily known for family-friendly adventure games, Phantasmagoria
08:34stood out as a blood-soaked nightmare.
08:37It utilized the brief FMV fad of the time to follow an author who had recently moved into
08:42a demonic mansion.
08:43By exploring, players would experience twisted visions of the mansion's past while dealing
08:48with the demon tormenting them.
08:50Naturally, seeing such violent content with real actors, including an assault scene, drew
08:55a lot of controversy.
08:57Australia refused to rate it, while some American retailers refused to carry it.
09:01Still, it was a financial success, prompting Sierra to release a sequel in 1996, Phantasmagoria,
09:08Phantasmagoria, A Puzzle of Flesh.
09:10Number 19, No More Heroes Series In this over-the-top anime-infused series, Travis Touchdown uses a bean
09:26katana to slice through foes, resulting in comical geysers of deep red.
09:31Throwing a monkey wrench into the Wii's family-friendly image, the original No More Heroes task players
09:36with murdering their way to the top of the world's greatest assassins.
09:40When not removing limbs from goons, you'd be confronted with consistently more insane
09:44boss fights.
09:45Its sequels have only managed to increase the levels of violent absurdity.
09:49No More Heroes 2 gave Travis an even greater number of assassins to work through while the
09:54third entry put him up against actual super-powered aliens.
09:58No matter the enemy, though, their demise was always brutal.
10:01Number 18, Splatterhouse Series.
10:05Released during the boom of the arcade beat-em-up, Splatterhouse stood out among the rest thanks
10:10to its gruesome content.
10:12In it, players fused with an ancient sacrificial mass to go on a murder rampage against hordes
10:17of disturbing monsters using whatever weapon was at their disposal.
10:20It received two equally violent and unsettling sequels where you could continue raging against
10:26some seriously gross creatures.
10:27However, the blood really got to shine after games went HD.
10:322010's reboot received mixed reviews, but the violent content was in full force.
10:37In addition to classic weapons, players could now rip enemies apart with their bare hands
10:42or even perform varied splatter kills.
10:45Number 17, Killing Floor 2.
10:55Tripwire's Killing Floor 2 is like if you took Call of Duty's Zombies mode and dialed the
10:59gore factor up to 11.
11:01You can join up to five other players to face progressively tougher waves of horrifically
11:06mutated creatures called Zeds.
11:08With a variety of classes and weapons to choose from, there's a lot of fun in testing which
11:13ways you want to execute hordes.
11:15While foes naturally trickle in at first, your screen will soon be filled by waves of crimson
11:20as disgusting squelches and groans ring in your ears.
11:23However, with plenty of special classes among the enemies and some pretty gnarly bosses, you'll
11:29have your slaying work cut out for you.
11:31Number 16, Ninja Gaiden Series.
11:40The original Ninja Gaiden games were brutally tough, though not actually brutal.
11:44But when Team Ninja revitalized the series in 2004, it came with the savagery to match the
11:50challenge.
11:51As long as players could stay alive, Ryu could dispatch foes with his Razor Quicksword slices,
11:57turning them into blood fountains in the process.
11:59Its level of violence, particularly its inclusion of beheadings, caused it and its re-released
12:05Ninja Gaiden Sigma to be censored in certain locations.
12:08Still, the sequel featured a machine that weakened enemies by removing their limbs, and the third
12:14included slow-mo kills so you can bask in all the nasty detail.
12:18Hey, no one said the way of the ninja was peaceful.
12:21Number 15, The Last of Us Series.
12:23Renowned for its storytelling and performances, The Last of Us is one of the most lauded franchises
12:34in gaming history.
12:36It's also one of the most vicious.
12:38It's set 20 years after the fall of humanity when a deadly fungus infected most and turned
12:43them into flesh-eating monsters.
12:45The infected enemies mutate based off of time and environment, leading to seriously sickening
12:50and frightening enemy designs.
12:52As savage as they are, the series shows that humans have also grown exceptionally brutal
12:57during the apocalypse.
12:59Both games confront the player with disturbing acts committed by those trying to survive, protect
13:04the ones they love, or, in the most gut-wrenching moments, seek vengeance.
13:09The original Gears of War became a wonderful Xbox exclusive thanks to satisfying cover-based
13:30combat and buckets upon buckets of blood.
13:33Only natural for a game that lets you tear into enemies with a chainsaw bayonet.
13:37Since then, the series has only improved in ways that you can dismantle opponents and just
13:42how gory it looks.
13:43The series chronicles humanity's fight against the subterranean locust horde, which has committed
13:48some pretty nasty acts throughout the series.
13:51While the story can get pretty dark, gameplay is ferociously fun as you use all kinds of weaponry
13:57to turn your enemies into mush.
13:59Moreover, most of the games include co-op so you and a friend can have a bloody good time.
14:0413.
14:05Wolfenstein Series
14:13When id Software revamped the classic PC action-adventure series, it injected Wolfenstein with groundbreaking
14:19gameplay and thrilling violence.
14:211992's Wolfenstein 3D marked the dawn of the FPS and had players littering Nazis with bullets.
14:28It was quite the bloodbath for the time.
14:30However, future entries wouldn't stand out from other shooters, at least in terms of
14:34violence.
14:35That is, until MachineGames took over.
14:38The New Order introduced new levels of ultraviolence with its alternate history.
14:42Protagonist BJ Blazkowicz, and pretty much everyone else for that matter, showed no mercy
14:47in the manner they treated their enemies.
14:50Sequels have further explored the depravity of its characters, and we eagerly await what the
14:54future holds.
14:5512.
14:56The Darkness Series
15:04In this underrated duology, players quad-wheeled guns and monstrous tendrils gained from an ancient
15:09demon known as the Darkness.
15:12Based on the comic of the same name, it follows Jackie, who learns the Darkness has been with
15:16his family for generations.
15:18With your Don uncle trying to kill you, you can shoot and rip your way through numerous goons
15:23in delightfully grisly fashion.
15:25There's a nice amount of variety to how your demon can attack, from creating a black hole
15:29to summoning imp-like minions.
15:32Not only that, but the Darkness also eats your victim's heart to gain health as well
15:36as improve abilities and, in the case of the sequel, stats.
15:4011.
15:41Resident Evil Series
15:48Since the first game's release in 1996, Resident Evil has grown into a franchise known
15:53for freakish enemy designs, terrifying thrills, and a whole lot of blood, guts, and gore.
15:59While going back to older installments might not be that impressive, modern entries are case
16:04studies in how to make your stomach churn.
16:06Both Seven and Village overflowed with bloody sequences not meant for the squeamish.
16:11Moreover, Capcom has done extremely well with giving those older entries a new coat of red
16:16paint and bringing them into the modern era.
16:18Despite some dips in quality, the series has never shown any signs of slowing down, and
16:23we've probably got plenty of violent years to come.
16:2610.
16:27Harvester
16:32Like Phantasmagoria, DigiFX Interactive's Harvester brought realistic violence to the player
16:39through FMV, and while it wasn't as financially successful, it definitely had enough blood.
16:45In the game, players control the amnesiac Steve and explore the twisted town of Harvest.
16:51While piecing together the mystery, you'll perform tasks for the townspeople that seem
16:55normal at first but become increasingly more violent as time progresses.
16:59It isn't long before the game descends into cult territory, cannibalism, and other barbarous
17:04atrocities.
17:05The game was outright banned in Germany.
17:08When a known psychologist and author compiled a list of the most violent games around Harvester's
17:13police, producer Lee Jacobson argued for its inclusion.
17:17At least he knew what his product was.
17:199.
17:20Mad World
17:25If no more heroes besmirched the Wii's family-friendly image, then Mad World was like a sin on holy
17:33ground.
17:34Immediately bringing to mind Frank Miller's Sin City, the entire game is stylized in black
17:39and white, except whenever you kill an enemy, of which there are plenty.
17:43Set in a city that's been turned into a blood-soaked reality TV series, players must rampage through
17:49groups of goons and ridiculous bosses to make it out alive.
17:52Whether you're using Jack's chainsaw arm or the countless pieces of environment designed
17:56specifically for killing, comical amounts of blood gush from every single encounter.
18:02Some kills even come with motion controls, adding a small touch of interactivity to the
18:06mayhem.
18:118.
18:13Dead Space Series
18:21Horror games don't have to be violent, but in the case of some, it certainly helps.
18:26The original Dead Space took the horror gaming community by storming 2008.
18:30Set inside a once nicely populated mining ship, players navigate dimly-lit corridors where
18:36the vicious necromorphs lurk.
18:38All of them are the stuff of nightmares, and most of them can only be defeated by removing
18:42their limbs.
18:43That means a whole lot of slicing, blasting, and blowing off chunks of them, which of course
18:48results in piles of gore.
18:50Sequels found creative ways of showcasing newfound horrors like Dead Space 2's infamous eye
18:55surgery scene.
18:56And returning to the original was made all the more graphic by the 2023 remake.
19:06Number 7.
19:07The Evil Within Series
19:15Coming from the mind responsible for Resident Evil, it seems Shinji Mikami wanted to top
19:20his work with Capcom and how nauseatingly violent he could make The Evil Within.
19:25The first game puts players in the unfortunate shoes of a detective transported to a world
19:29of wars.
19:30When not running from frightening creatures and murderous psychopaths, you'll have to
19:34avoid deadly traps just waiting to remove all the blood from your body.
19:38The Evil Within 2 naturally enhanced its level of violence as players were forced back into
19:43this twisted hellscape.
19:45Of course, with its tendency to coat any given area in a deep red, it's had to undergo censorship
19:50to release in some places, like Japan.
19:59Number 6.
20:00Manhunt Series
20:08It seems Rockstar Games has to deal with controversy every time it releases a game.
20:12While Grand Theft Auto is usually the one in the news due to violent content, it's got
20:16nothing on Manhunt.
20:17In the first game, you controlled a death row inmate forced to kill to survive in a series
20:22of snuff films.
20:24With an emphasis on stealth, you could perform different levels of savage executions.
20:28The sequel had you play as an escaped mental patient with improvements in graphics and gameplay
20:33making things all the more ferocious.
20:35Both entries drew significant backlash.
20:38Manhunt 2 was even refused classification in certain areas and rated as adults only in
20:42the US until Rockstar significantly censored it.
20:51Number 5.
20:52Chiller
20:57Although its graphics are incredibly simplistic by today's standards, the levels of violence
21:02in Chiller are unmatched by most games.
21:05Released in arcades in 1986, this light gun game had you play as a torturer with the majority
21:10of your targets being human.
21:12The first levels are actually set in torture chambers.
21:15Although shooting the NPCs gains points, using your gun to activate each device results in quicker
21:21deaths and therefore a higher score.
21:23The game wasn't a big seller.
21:25Turns out most arcade owners had the foresight not to purchase something that would likely
21:29piss off their customers.
21:31However, a port made its way onto the NES in 1990, though it was unsurprisingly not officially
21:37licensed by Nintendo.
21:38Number 4.
21:40God of War Series
21:49When God of War debuted in 2005, players were stunned at just how brutal Kratos could be.
21:54Humans, deities, and creatures alike met their messy ends with his Blades of Chaos and other
21:59mythical weaponry.
22:01While the focus on Greek myth made for a unique story, it was the bloodthirsty beatdowns Kratos
22:06offered that really drew players in.
22:09The series peaked, at least in terms of violent content, with God of War 3.
22:13From ripping off Helios' head with his bare hands to crushing an innocent love slave of
22:17Poseidon with a massive crank, Kratos has never been more merciless.
22:21Sure, he's slowed down in his old age, but he still won't hesitate to expertly demolish
22:27any foe he has to.
22:32Number 3.
22:35Doom Series
22:41After releasing Wolfenstein 3D, its software took another monumental step forward with the
22:46FPS in 1993's Doom.
22:49The simple premise placed players as the last line of defense against demons from hell, utilizing
22:54all manner of firepower to blast them to pieces.
22:56It was a major hit, receiving expansions and sequels throughout the 90s.
23:01We love a little retro gore, but the series didn't reach peak brutality until the 2016
23:07reboot opened up the blood gates.
23:09As the Slayer, players could rip, tear, shred, blast, and ignite demons to their hearts content
23:14as disgusting sound design and awesome heavy metal blared alongside them.
23:19It reminded everyone how vitally violent Doom is, making room for additional bloodbaths in
23:242020's Eternal and 2025's The Dark Ages.
23:30Number 2.
23:36Postal Series
23:39If an entire series is named after a term that refers to mass violence, you can bet it's
23:48pretty unsettling.
23:49The original Postal put players in the shoes of a nameless protagonist who believed he was
23:54fighting against people infected by a toxin to make them more aggressive.
23:58In actuality, he snapped and went on a murder spree.
24:01Sequels have brought different mechanics, perspectives, and their own varieties of controversies.
24:05While the extent of violence in some entries is optional depending on the player, some of
24:11the acts possible to perform are more than enough to warrant the franchise's inclusion.
24:15Postal has been criticized for being needlessly violent multiple times over the years.
24:19Yet, despite that and diminishing reviews, it's still kicking.
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24:40Number 1, Mortal Kombat series Honestly, there's no series more deserving
24:52of the crown.
24:53When Mortal Kombat released in arcades, it sent a wave of change throughout gaming.
24:58Players couldn't get enough of the gory moves while parents were stunned by the graphic violence.
25:03It eventually led to the founding of the ESRB and has shown almost no signs of growing any
25:08family-friendlier.
25:09Immense amounts of gore are built into its DNA and the franchise still upholds that legacy
25:14all these years later.
25:16Some entries bring new mechanics, such as special x-ray attacks that show just how painful fighting
25:21in this competition must be.
25:23While the controls are great, it's the fantastical carnage that has made Mortal Kombat a decade's
25:28expanding hit.
25:37Did we leave off a violent game or series that made you feel queasy?
25:40Be sure to let us know which ones traumatized you in the comments.
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