As Millennials, we used to hear constant complaints about the negative impact of gaming on our development…And everything else. Bad marks? Headache? Terrible weather outside? It’s games’ fault! Parents, relatives, teachers – nagging was coming from everywhere.  

But as Mark Twain once said, “there is a charm about the forbidden that makes it unspeakably desirable.” 

That extensively explains why our generation has fallen in love with video games – and, surprisingly, it didn’t turn us into serial killers…just gamers. 

Disappointingly for boomers,  even the most violent video games can actually boost reaction time, multitasking ability, or decision-making. And on top of that, they’re perfect for releasing all the negativity and frustration after a too long, too hard day. 

Let’s delve into games that let us wreak some havoc, mayhem, or destruction - you name it!

What is Video Game Violence

Obviously, video game history brings some extremely and, sometimes, unnecessarily violent titles. This controversial feature generally appears in the form of decapitation, severed limbs, and blood, MUCH BLOOD.

Here, we won’t be necessarily talking about the bloodiest video games, as some games don’t present that absurd over-the-top violence but just that moment that will never leave our hearts. So watch out for attacks, shots, or blades, as we are going to the most violent video games list.

Mortal Kombat

• Release Date: April 23, 2019 (MK XI)
• Developer: NetherRealm Studios  
• Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch
• Metascore: 82 (PS4 and PC), 86 (Xone) 

To begin, instead of naming just a game, we could discuss the Mortal Kombat series as a whole. And considering Mortal Kombat, the first arcade release from 1992, comes to mind for many older players. But we could use the last release, Mortal Kombat XI, that went into the spotlight in 2019. Personally, Mortal Kombat Shaolin Monks, from the old PlayStation 2 days, is special. It doesn’t matter which you choose; you will find violent scenes, death, destruction, and lots of gory moments. 

The goriest thing in Mortal Kombat is the fatalities and their variations, like Mutuality and Brutality, depending on the game. Generally, a character uses his power not only to take lives but to destroy the bodies of its victims. Far more than just killing, sometimes it seems like they have never existed. Mortal Kombat was so violent that it started the congressional hearing that led to ESRB creation, so other titles could be categorized.

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Key Features

• Wide variety of characters to fight with.
• A great number of combos, different attacks, fatalities, and other movements.
• Many different scenarios for each fight and special interactions between characters.

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2

• Release Date: November 10, 2009 
• Developer: Infinity Ward
• Platforms: PS3, Xbox 360, PC 
• Metascore: 94 (PS3 and Xbox), 86 (PC)

Even though the whole franchise is violent, this is the game that receives a place on the list because of one moment, of one mission. Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 is one of the best entries in the CoD story. The game is close to perfection in many aspects, and one of them is the main campaign featuring one specific mission called “No Russian.”

Here, you are an undercover CIA agent infiltrated by the forces of a Russian terrorist called Makarov. You end up part of the team that launches an attack on a Russian airport. As a part of Makarov’s efforts to start a world war with Russia and the USA, you enter the airport heavily armed and start slaughtering innocent bystanders with no mercy. You will kill innocent surrendered people begging for their lives. The mission is so tense and gruesome that the game gives you the chance to jump it if you prefer.

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Key Features

• Exciting campaign with incredibly tense missions.
• Plenty of weapons and excellent gunfights.
• Great character development on both sides (good and evil).

Grand Theft Auto III

• Release Date:
• Developer: DMA Design 
• Platforms: PS2, Xbox, and PC
• Metascore: 97 (PS2), 92 (PC)

Another example of a franchise known for being violent is Rockstar Games’ GTA. Even though you will find your share of violence in GTA IV and V, Grand Theft Auto III was the most shocking. In that installment, the franchise abandoned the top-down view to use a third-person shooter view, making violence much more plastic and sensitive.

Besides that, all the possibilities in terms of violence called people's attention. You could fight or kill any NPC you wanted, policemen, women, other bandits, etc. You begin the game as a criminal looking for revenge against your girlfriend, but you can make a fortune as a bandit. 

Things like stealing cars, beating hookers, and enjoying the freedom to make new victims by any means your imagination allows are normal. Today, you can enjoy all of it in far better shape with the most recent titles. In GTA V, there’s even a gruesome torture scene.

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Key Features

• Freedom to explore the map the way you want.
• Lots of missions and side quests.
• Lots of weapons and features for both ranged and melee combat.

Hotline Miami

• Release Date: October 23, 2012
• Developer: Dennation Games
• Platforms: PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PC, Switch
• Metascore: 87 (PS3, 85 (PC)

Now we get to a video game that has no reason for being violent, it just is, period. You are a silent protagonist who starts receiving orders to go after and start killing the Russian mafia. Even though it has a top-down view and retro graphics that resemble the 80’s arcades, it is one of the most violent video games you will find. 

You will have lots of fun as you play mixing top-down stealth with a shooter and very gory gameplay, where you gain extra points based on how violent and bloody you were. You can be creative and change from ranged to melee attacks as well.

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Key Features

• Story development divided into chapters.
• Different masks that give various abilities and weapons.
• An interactive environment with special key items and weapons to take.

The Darkness II

• Release Date: February 7, 2012
• Developer: Digital Extremes
• Platforms: PC, PS3, Xbox 360
• Metascore: 80 (Xbox), 79 (PS3), 77 (PC)

Following the gory video games list, we get to The Darkness II. This is a brutal and gore game with an interesting narrative. You are a member of the mafia who discovers special powers called darkness, giving you demon arms and abilities beyond human limits.

Your objective is to save your girlfriend’s soul, which ends up being in hell. At the same time, you must face a group of fanatics who want your power for them. To advance in the game, the player can kill like a normal soldier with guns or use their arms to brutally tear enemies. 

You can perform assassinations, take off body parts, including enemies' spines, cut them in half, and many other things. Just use your brain to find new ways to kill. The game also allows you to eat human parts to regenerate your health.

Key Features

• Skill tree and lots of possibilities with demon arms.
• Lots of weapons, including assault rifles, submachines, and shotguns.
• An interactive environment with collectible and destroyable things.

God of War 3

• Release Date: March 16, 2010
• Developer: Santa Monica Studio
• Platforms: PS3 and PS4
• Metascore: 92 (PS3), 81 (PS4)

Now, we come to one of the most traditional video games, not only for those who enjoy blood, gore, death, and brutal scenes, as it’s also full of amazing adventures. God of War 3 brings the last installment of Kratos into the Greek World. You can expect an intense campaign as he makes his final move against the gods of Olympus and Zeus himself.

You will see a world about to collapse as you advance on the mission to murder gods, titans, and monsters. The game is full of quick-time events to beat and bring death to your adversaries. Demons, men, and gods – no one stays safe from Kratos’ vengeance and bloody thirst.

All the God of War fans were praised with an epic return of Kratos in God of War 4, which doesn’t stay behind its prequel.

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Key Features

• Exciting fluid combat with amazing plastic boss fights.
• A great mix of action-adventure and solving puzzles moments.
• Incredible story development and amazing ending for Kratos's first trilogy.

Manhunt

• Release Date: November 2003
• Developer: Rockstar Games
• Platforms: PC, PS2, and Xbox
• Metascore: 76 (PS2), 75 (PC), 74 (Xbox)

Another game full of violence and gore for you to try. In Manhunt, you are an evil death row inmate. If you thought GTA games are violent, you have never seen this one. The violence levels are so high that it caused controversy inside Rockstar itself. 

As James Earl Cash, you see yourself fighting for your life as you are pushed inside a real-life TV movie of a madman. Now you are forced to murder every single gang member in front of you to stay alive.  The game gives you different weapons and plenty of ways, rewarding you based on how violent you can be.

Until today, the game is considered extremely nocive to children, and it is linked to a real assassination that happened in 2004. Media and Governments started a debate about the game, causing it to be banned in many countries. Thus, many adults kept their children away from the title. If Rockstar’s idea was a controversial game, they were successful.

Key Features

• Plenty of weapons to kill with the highest violence level.
• The reward point system increases your bonus based on how brutal you are.
• Interesting urban horror and stealth game development.

Splatterhouse

• Release Date: November 23, 2010 
• Developer: Bandai Namco Games
• Platforms: PS3 and Xbox 360
• Metascore: 62 (Xbox), 59 (PS3)

Another game where there is no lack of blood, violence, and gore moments. Splatterhouse is 2010 beat ‘em up, hack and slash game. There, you assume the place of Rick Taylor, who, after being mortally wounded and seeing his girlfriend being kidnapped, puts on a terror mask to try and save her.

This decision turns him into a monster creature that gets stronger by absorbing blood. Now, you go killing creature after creature in the most visceral way possible to try to rescue Rick’s girlfriend. You can use body parts as weapons, hit them empty-handed, or with improvised weapons. Besides that, you can lose and regenerate limbs and go ripping all the creatures apart, bit by bit. There are also special and even gorier finish movements and the possibility to unlock new attacks from the absorbed blood. 

Key Features

• Praised graphics, acting, and soundtrack.
• Plenty of gore movements and attacks to perform.
• Blood absorption makes you stronger and even more dangerous.