Video games are an inherently violent art form. Many of the most popular games involve killing hundreds of enemies without so much as a second thought. Call of Duty, the most popular video game ever made, is based on fighting a war and shooting what seems like an endless number of enemies. It seems like more and more games come out with an “M” rating, and it seems like it is less of a big deal. That is great news, because I love a nice first person shooter, or an action adventure game filled with violence. However, all these violent video games do cause one problem.

The problem is that it is hard to pick out my favorite. Almost every game is violent in its own way, so finding the games that truly push the gore and violence beyond what is typical is a challenge. These days, a game has to try hard for me to take notice of its extraordinary violence. The games on this list do just that. They take violence to another level, and I love them for it.

Smash TV

This top down shooter was way ahead of its time for bringing blood and guts to video games. Most shooting games at this time involved outer space or colorful blocks. Not Smash TV though, they thrust players into a game show for wonderful prizes where they had to kill as many people in as many gruesome ways as possible. For its time, Smash TV was a beautiful display of violence that I could not have enjoyed any more.

God of War (Series)

I could not pick one God of War game out of the bunch, so they all make it. Kratos is a certified bad ass, and he makes it his business to kill as many people, gods and creatures as possible, and he does it in some of the most gruesome and brutal ways you could imagine. Each time out, the developers find a way to make Kratos into more of a sick, twisted killing machine, and I loved every second of it. If you want to see a man-god kill things with blades attached to chains, God of War is your game.

Mortal Kombat (series)

Do you want to fight people to the death? When you get to the end of the fight, do you want to do a crazy button combination to see your character execute some gruesome act on his or her opponent? You do? Well so do I. Mortal Kombat brought violence in video games to a new level, and to this day, they continue to push the envelope. All I need to say is….Finish Him!

Mad World

Imagine a world with no color. Then imagine that world where the only color is red. Now tell me, what comes in violent games and happens to be red? Mad World is a highly stylized black and white game where the only thing that is colored is blood. Fortunately, there is plenty of blood, so color is never in short supply.

Mad World features some of the most creative killing I have ever seen. The most shocking part about the way Mad World pushed the limits is that it was on the Nintendo Wii, a system primarily known for family friendly games.

Grand Theft Auto (Series)

Grand Theft Auto caused more controversy than any video game I can remember. Even back in the day when it was simply a top down game with abysmal graphics, there was still something to be said for the blood splatter when you ran over a pedestrian. Once they made the switch to 3D, it was another world. Rockstar was willing and able to put things in a video game that most developers would never even consider. Not only that, they did it in a way that was fun, and made Grand Theft Auto not only ultra violent, but also ultra awesome.

Manhunt

Manhunt, while not nearly as good as Grand Theft Auto in terms of game play, was pure violence. It was like every Saw movie crammed into a video game. You were trapped, and the only way to escape was to brutally kill anyone that stood in your way. Manhunt pushed the limit of what a violent video game could do, and I do not think another game has been able to reach their level yet. I love violent video games, but Manhunt even pushed my limits. The game features an incredible breadth of ways to dispatch your enemies, and while it is not the best game in the world, it’s worth checking out if you want some all out blood and gore.

Conclusion

Violence will always be a part of video games, but these violent video games take it to another level… and I love them for it. Obviously, you should keep young children away from these games, not because they will make them violent or anything, but they will probably scare the crap out of them. However, for adults looking to play games that will shock and offend them, they need not look any further than these games.

What are some of the most violent and gory games you have experienced? Do you think violent games are good or bad? Let us know in the comments!