It’s all fun and games until someone gets deeply offended.
Video games are no stranger to controversy. They’ve raised the ire of concerned parents and conservatives for decades. Games have been lambasted for a variety of reasons, from their depictions of violence to their supposedly time-wasting nature. Additionally, they’re the stuff of urban legends; tabloids and less-than-objective reporting have accused games of everything from inspiring occultism to outright, government-funded brainwashing. But every now and then, a game comes along that lives up to the hype by being so offensive that it makes people sit back and re-evaluate the medium as an artform.
We all know about the most famous of these offenders. Mortal Kombat, Hotline Miami, Manhunt, Grand Theft Auto, the more recent Hatred, the original Doom, to name but a few. The purpose of this list, however, is to examine games that either truly pushed the boundaries of tastelessness beyond any hope of redemption, or which were so offensive that they had a lasting legacy on the industry. Without further ado, let’s go!
