Blood, Gore, Vulgarity in the Current Gen

[scotland171]

[QUOTE=Josh]See, I would love to play something like this but the blood, gore, and vulgarity turn me way off. I mean, could they not make a game with this sort of intense gameplay without all that crap? It seems these days you only have a choice between Super Mario/Kirby and something like Bayonetta. There's nothing in between. I guess that's why I have almost totally fallen out of interest with the current gen. There's nothing for me.[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=Vexer] S.T.A.L.K.E.R.   Alan Wake   Batman Arkham series  Dark Void  Lost Planet series  007 Blood Stone   Need For Speed series  Burnout series  Red Faction Guerilla   Tomb Raider Legend Anniversary and Underworld  [/QUOTE]

There is a discussion going on in the WiiU: Bayonetta 2 review discussion, but I thought the tangeant was best in a new thread if the mods are okay with that. 

Batman caught my eye.   There are lots of versions of Batman, but the Batman of Arkham series seems definitely on the darker end of the spectrum.  The visuals all seem dark.  The gameinformer review has it as darker themes, has foul language as high and ubiquitous, and violence and gore as high, although there is little blood or actual killing.  Very little sex outside of revealing costumes, and no drugs.  Game quality is very high and a good value.   Yet if recommends Marvel Ultimate Alliance for something lighter.  Personally, the Harley Quinn of Arkham seems so different from the Harley Quinn of Batman: The Animated Series that it seems just a juvenile quest for titillation.   Are the visuals just throwing me? 

So what do you think? Is there a Gore Gap in the current generation, or is there a full spectrum of quality games for every taste, both subtle and gross.

[JustLikeHeaven1]

Glad this was broken off into it's own topic as it's actually quite interesting to think about.  As the consoles have been able to get closer and closer to realistic graphics...well games have been getting more and more 'mature'.  Back in the day you played a game like Ikari Warriors or Contra and yeah you were killing things non stop, but it was in a very non violent way (no blood or guts).  Also, since development costs were MUCH lower back then you had a wider variety of games/genres to choose from.  To get the strange and offbeat stuff now you need to head to STEAM or the download only section of your console's online store.

Here are a few examples of games that I think Josh might be looking for...though I'm not entirely sure.

3D Dot Game Heroes - I will continue to champion this game to anyone and everyone that owns a PS3.  Do you have $20 you can spare?  Go to Amazon.com (remember to use The Critic's links!!! lol) and buy this game.  It's a perfect parody/homage of classic top down Legend of Zelda games.  It's amazing.  One of my favorite games on the PS3.

Earth Defense Force 2017 - If you got an Xbox 360, then this crazy shooter is worth tracking down for sure.  It's not very violent from what I can remember....you're killing ants, bugs and other giant creatures by the hundreds...but it's in a Japanese comical way. The latest game in the series, 2025, is rated M for some reason. 2017 is T...so you should be good!

Puppeteer - Not sure if this falls into the 'too kiddy' category. This interesting 2D platformer is whimsical and weird....like a early Tim Burton film.  Worth checking out for sure. This is a PS3 game.

LittleBigPlanet - Again, not sure if this is too kiddy or if you don't like 2D platformers...but these games are so much fun!  They're really well made and they always put a smile on my face when I play them. 

Rayman Origins/Legends - Again...might be too childish, but I really think these are for all ages.  The recent 2D Rayman games are the best platformers outside of something developed by Nintendo.  They look great and sound even better.  I challenge you not to grin/laugh or smile while playing these games!

Folklore - This is a strange, semi hard to find PS3 Exclusive.  It's an action RPG that features surprisingly good motion controls.  The setting is like a dark fairy tale and the storyline is bizarre..but it's a very good game.

Valkyria Chronicles - Another PS3 exclusive.  If you dig strategy RPGs then you owe it to yourself to buy this one.  Very cool 'hand drawn' art style that keeps things from getting to mature/dark.  I love this game.

Okami - I think you can find this on the Wii.  If you hate motion controls I think it was a downloadable game on the PS3 network.  Very 'Zelda' like in it's structure...most people claim it is one of the best games no one plays.  Or something like that.

Prince of Persia - Besides one game in the series  (Warrior Within) these games are like PG-13 action adventures.  Very fun to play and explore through.  They have an HD remake of the PS2 games as well as a new game that was released in 2010 for the PS3/360.

Ratchet and Clank - I think these games are for everyone and not just youngins.  Playing these games for the zany weaponry alone is worth it!


Those are the ones I can think of off the top of my head.  Not easy to think of a bunch of these...

[Oltobaz1]

Last gen, you could fire your Wii and jump on mushrooms, fire your PS3/360 and enjoy gore movie type of violence in Splatterhouse, shoot people in COD no matter the platform, open a window and slay monsters in WOW... Wow! Oh, wait, you could also impersonate Hannah Montana and giggle at every opportunity, play retro stuff on the Virtual Console/PSN/XBLA, humiliate total noobs online at Tekken 6/Street Fighter4 etc... drive a car even if you're not 16 and do whatever you have to do in Bloom Box on Wii (haven't played it, heard it was good).
Bottom line, there's something for every taste, whether good or not, but that's another subject entirely..

[ptdebate1]

I just wanted to weigh in with my opinion on part of the discussion spawned by the other thread.

A lot of the complaints about the overabundance of violence and mature themes in games restricted themselves to action games. If we take a broader view, we realize that graphic depictions of violence and aggressiveness are so prevalent in these games because they fit the genre. I am of the opinion that all games which involve the physical or emotional harm of another animal can be described as "violent," whether it's an anthropomorphic turtle or a nazi soldier. That designation takes with it 99% of action games. So if you buy an game that fits this description, you're supporting virtual violence (which I, of course, in no way disapprove).

If you look outside of action (read: violent) games, you'll have no trouble finding any number of calming, subtle, and peaceful experiences that cater to an adult's mind while not dragging down the message with unnecessarily conformance to some expectation of violence or "dark" aesthetics. Gone Home, Never Alone, and Proteus are just the tip of the iceberg.

[JustLikeHeaven1]

So decapitating someone with a shotgun in a FPS is the same as Mario jumping on a koopa troopa?

I get what you're trying to say though...I think. You stomp on a goomba's head and it gets flattened into a cheerful poof of smoke.  You shoot a zombie in the head and it's face explodes with blood.  Killing is killing regardless.  I don't believe that was what Josh was talking about though.  Perhaps I'm wrong.  

I thought the issue was that they don't make fun action or shooter games anymore that aren't dripping in sex and violence.  For instance they don't have a game that plays similarly to God of War, but lacks the uber violence, boobies and adult tone.  You want that AAA game experience and gameplay...just not the mature stuff that comes with it most of the time.  Please correct me if I'm wrong though lol.

[HardcoreSadism1]

Halo isn't immensely violent, especially with Halo 4 (lol). Compared to other First Person Shooters, the violence is a lot more subtle. Flood gore and gruesome death twitches are the most violent thing about the series. In other words it only has the violence of as mythological universe, but in Sci-Fi like Star Wars.

Yes there is a lot of violence in this generation but so far Grand Theft Auto has been doing it right. Gears of War is still an amazing series and at least the theme fits the extensive violence.

Also people on this forum had likely grown up trying to sneak a taste of Mortal Kombat when their parents weren't around.

[Vexer1]

Personally I have no issues with violence, sexuality or foul language in games whatsoever(the more the better I say)

I think there are plenty of violent and fun shooters(Bulletstorm anyone? i'm also having a ton of fun with Far Cry 4)

If you want God of War without all the violence and sex, then there's the similarly themed Heavenly Sword.

 

I believe there is definitely more then enough variety in recent game generations to cater to anyone's tastes.

 

[Segatarious1]

It is the worst thing about the game industry and really just about any medium present day.

Trying to use 'shock' to cover complacency, sameness,  and flaws in games. It is laziness.  Nothing annoys me more than being cursed at constantly by a game, book or movie.

And with games, who wants some of this in their house? It is really an antisocial medium as a result.

[velcrozombie1]

The short answer is: I care more about how fun a game is to play than anything else (and I realize just how subjective a term "fun" is in this instance). Everything is secondary to that, including the presence (or lack thereof) of graphic violence, lewdness, profanity, etc. I'll just as readily play Kirby's Dream Land as I will Manhunt, because there both well-designed games that are rewarding to play. I feel the same for other types of media, too: I'd have no problem watching a double bill of Duck Soup and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre because both are well-made films that have stood the test of time.

Having said that, I won't deny that at times I have an attraction to more sensational material. Sometimes my reptilian brain wants what it wants, and that occasionally involves me murdering a whole bunch of pixels; this might worry me if I was an aggressive or depressed person, but I have greater piece-of-mind now than at any other point in my life. Also, I definitely have a certain respect for disreputable art that gets by on quality, rather than by looking presentable while being mediocre: I'm as happy with the critical acclaim that Bayonetta 2 is getting as I am with the fact that Slayer's Reign in Blood is routinely considered one of the best albums of the 80s, or by the way film critics praise Evil Dead 2 as a masterpiece. There's something fun about watching the little guy with the blood-stained shirt win sometimes.

EDIT: I meant "peace of mind". Now THAT was a Freudian slip!

[Vexer1]

Segatorious- No it is not, not every single form of medium having violence and sex automatically means that it's intended to "shock", many times it's done in order to make a point(I.E. Saving Private Ryan and other war movies are violent in order to show how ugly war can be).

I had cursing from my parents long before I ever watched an R rated movie/played an M rated game/watched a cable show/listened to a CD with a Parental Advisory warning, so it does not annoy me one bit, quite the contrary it can be hilarious if done right(Pulp Fiction practically made swearing into an art form).

It is not "laziness" at all.

There is nothing "antisocial" about violent games, quite the contrary, games like COD thrive on social experiences with how popular multiplayer is.