Top 10 Politically Incorrect Games
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VOICE OVER: Daniel Paradis
WRITTEN BY: George Pacheco
Script written by George Pacheco
Easily offended? Actually even if you aren't you should probably turn away right now as these games certainly go out of their way to be insensitive and offensive. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we're counting down our picks for the Top 10 Politically Incorrect Games.
To have your ideas turned into a WatchMojo or MojoPlays video, head over to http://WatchMojo.comsuggest and get to it!
Easily offended? Actually even if you aren't you should probably turn away right now as these games certainly go out of their way to be insensitive and offensive. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we're counting down our picks for the Top 10 Politically Incorrect Games.
To have your ideas turned into a WatchMojo or MojoPlays video, head over to http://WatchMojo.comsuggest and get to it!
These titles are NOT for the easily offended. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we're counting down our picks for the Top 10 Politically Incorrect Games. For this list, we'll be ranking the most culturally insensitive or offensive video games of all time. We realize that not everyone's sensibilities are offended by the same things, and that some games were a product of their time, but these are definitely remembered for being just a wee bit stronger than your average Pac-Man.
He may look cute and fuzzy, but there was nothing family friendly about this lewd little squirrel. "Conker's Bad Fur Day" could've easily been mistaken for a "Sonic the Hedgehog" knock off, or any other number of harmless platform games. Instead, this game for the N64 was developed by the Rare company as a sort of antithesis to this idea: a violent yet imminently playable game with a unique sense of lowbrow humor. Conker drank, he cursed, and did just about everything to stand out from his adorable animal peers, and it’s partly thanks to this un-PC stance that he's still remembered today.
There were a bevy of controversial accusations laid at the feet of "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2" when it was released by Infinity Ward and Activision back in 2009. Perhaps one of the most troubling, however, was with regards to the game's fourth level, "No Russian." Here, the player is tasked with taking part in a terrorist shooting at a Russian airport, while playing the part of a deep cover CIA agent. Fans and critics alike took issue with this mission, as well as other aspects of the game and its online presence, including alleged homophobia and Islam-o-phobia.
The "Duke Nukem" series has been kicking ass and taking names since the early nineties, but its success has not been without controversy, thanks to its inherently un-PC nature. Of particular note was "Duke Nukem 3D," which was released for numerous platforms back in 1996. Although the game was rated "Mature," there was nevertheless a major pushback from some fans and members of the press, as a result of the game's unrepentant violence and depictions of sexuality. The Women's Media Center specifically called out the game as sexist and "harmful to young women," leading to some countries censoring its content, while some, like Brazil, even banned the game.
"Bully" marks the first appearance of Rockstar Games on this list, but trust us...it won't be the last. The developers released "Bully" to the public in the Fall of 2006, and almost immediately faced negative feedback thanks to the often politically incorrect nature of its game play. Critics claimed that "Bully," well, glorified bullying, or at least trivialized it to the point of making it fun. Some folks also complained about the game's level of violence and anti-social behavior, although this didn't stop "Bully" from winning numerous year end awards from places like IGN and GameSpot.
We're heading back to the 80s for the next series of games on our list, a dirty yet fondly remembered franchise from the era of point and click. The "Leisure Suit Larry" games were raunchy, lighthearted games which teased lots of nudity and sexual situations, but usually provided embarrassment and bad jokes for its main protagonist, Larry Laffer. Still, this didn't stop some sections of the video game buying public from objecting to Laffer's sleazy, lounge lizard shenanigans, which usually consisted of ogling women and making as many sexist comments as possible. Not everyone finds the same racy jokes funny, and the "Leisure Suit Larry" series was definitely geared towards a very "specific" fan.
Rockstar Games appears once again on this list with our next title, 2002's "State of Emergency." The game places the player in opposition to a paramilitary police state run by "The Corporation," a set up which eventually leads to a crazy amount of death, destruction, and rampant violence. Although "State of Emergency" had plenty of fans, it was released not long after both the September 11th terror attacks, as well as the 1999 World Trade Organization riots. As a result, much was made of the game's alleged insensitivity to these events, a stigma which perhaps makes "State of Emergency" one of Rockstar's less remembered games from its roster.
Some of the games on this list were unintentional in their depiction of politically incorrect behavior, but "Hatred" lives on the opposite end of the spectrum: it CELEBRATES its un-PC nature. The game was developed and published by Destructive Creations in 2015 and made no attempts to hide its existence as one of the most violent and mean-spirited games of all time. Needless to say, any game for which genocide and mass murder is the primary motive is going to ruffle feathers anywhere it goes, and "Hatred" was justifiably criticized by many for its irredeemable nature and single-minded intent to offend.
Hey, whaddaya know? It's Rockstar Games again! Welcome back, guys. It's been...well, not that long, actually. There have been two games in the "Manhunt" series thus far, and both use the setup of an escaped mental patient stalking and graphically killing his tormentors, one by one, in agonizing detail. Rockstar was almost immediately criticized and taken to task about the games' content, from concerned politicians and ratings boards to parental groups. The games were banned or censored in countries around the world, with "Manhunt 2" being slapped with an AO or "adults only rating" by the ESRB.
Speaking of banned video games, the next title on our list was outlawed in both New Zealand and Australia shortly after its release, both countries claiming that it contained "abhorrent content." The game was "Postal 2," and it took no prisoners with its sense of grim and violent humor. Although one of the game's taglines was "it's only as violent as you are," the protagonist of "Postal 2" is consistently antagonized and encouraged to complete the game's tasks with as much destruction and debauchery as possible. The game's critics also cried foul against its alleged enabling of animal cruelty, specifically referencing a section where the player can use a cat, yes a cat, as a silencer for his gun.
Said quite simply: "Grand Theft Auto" is the gold standard when it comes to political incorrectness in video gaming. Rockstar Games takes top honors on our list for this franchise which has been going strong since 1997, and shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. What's perhaps the most telling aspects of the GTA series is how each game has managed to up the ante in terms of its often violent, depraved psycho-sexual antics. Whether its "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas" and its infamous "hot coffee" sex mod, "Vice City's" glamorization of a "Scarface" esque mob lifestyle or GTA five's penchant for prostitution, there are seemingly no taboos this game series isn't willing to touch.
#10: "Conker's Bad Fur Day" (2001)
He may look cute and fuzzy, but there was nothing family friendly about this lewd little squirrel. "Conker's Bad Fur Day" could've easily been mistaken for a "Sonic the Hedgehog" knock off, or any other number of harmless platform games. Instead, this game for the N64 was developed by the Rare company as a sort of antithesis to this idea: a violent yet imminently playable game with a unique sense of lowbrow humor. Conker drank, he cursed, and did just about everything to stand out from his adorable animal peers, and it’s partly thanks to this un-PC stance that he's still remembered today.
#9: "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2" (2009)
There were a bevy of controversial accusations laid at the feet of "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2" when it was released by Infinity Ward and Activision back in 2009. Perhaps one of the most troubling, however, was with regards to the game's fourth level, "No Russian." Here, the player is tasked with taking part in a terrorist shooting at a Russian airport, while playing the part of a deep cover CIA agent. Fans and critics alike took issue with this mission, as well as other aspects of the game and its online presence, including alleged homophobia and Islam-o-phobia.
#8: "Duke Nukem" series (1991-)
The "Duke Nukem" series has been kicking ass and taking names since the early nineties, but its success has not been without controversy, thanks to its inherently un-PC nature. Of particular note was "Duke Nukem 3D," which was released for numerous platforms back in 1996. Although the game was rated "Mature," there was nevertheless a major pushback from some fans and members of the press, as a result of the game's unrepentant violence and depictions of sexuality. The Women's Media Center specifically called out the game as sexist and "harmful to young women," leading to some countries censoring its content, while some, like Brazil, even banned the game.
#7: "Bully" (2006)
"Bully" marks the first appearance of Rockstar Games on this list, but trust us...it won't be the last. The developers released "Bully" to the public in the Fall of 2006, and almost immediately faced negative feedback thanks to the often politically incorrect nature of its game play. Critics claimed that "Bully," well, glorified bullying, or at least trivialized it to the point of making it fun. Some folks also complained about the game's level of violence and anti-social behavior, although this didn't stop "Bully" from winning numerous year end awards from places like IGN and GameSpot.
#6: "Leisure Suit Larry" series (1987-)
We're heading back to the 80s for the next series of games on our list, a dirty yet fondly remembered franchise from the era of point and click. The "Leisure Suit Larry" games were raunchy, lighthearted games which teased lots of nudity and sexual situations, but usually provided embarrassment and bad jokes for its main protagonist, Larry Laffer. Still, this didn't stop some sections of the video game buying public from objecting to Laffer's sleazy, lounge lizard shenanigans, which usually consisted of ogling women and making as many sexist comments as possible. Not everyone finds the same racy jokes funny, and the "Leisure Suit Larry" series was definitely geared towards a very "specific" fan.
#5: "State of Emergency" (2002)
Rockstar Games appears once again on this list with our next title, 2002's "State of Emergency." The game places the player in opposition to a paramilitary police state run by "The Corporation," a set up which eventually leads to a crazy amount of death, destruction, and rampant violence. Although "State of Emergency" had plenty of fans, it was released not long after both the September 11th terror attacks, as well as the 1999 World Trade Organization riots. As a result, much was made of the game's alleged insensitivity to these events, a stigma which perhaps makes "State of Emergency" one of Rockstar's less remembered games from its roster.
#4: "Hatred" (2015)
Some of the games on this list were unintentional in their depiction of politically incorrect behavior, but "Hatred" lives on the opposite end of the spectrum: it CELEBRATES its un-PC nature. The game was developed and published by Destructive Creations in 2015 and made no attempts to hide its existence as one of the most violent and mean-spirited games of all time. Needless to say, any game for which genocide and mass murder is the primary motive is going to ruffle feathers anywhere it goes, and "Hatred" was justifiably criticized by many for its irredeemable nature and single-minded intent to offend.
#3: "Manhunt" series (2003-07)
Hey, whaddaya know? It's Rockstar Games again! Welcome back, guys. It's been...well, not that long, actually. There have been two games in the "Manhunt" series thus far, and both use the setup of an escaped mental patient stalking and graphically killing his tormentors, one by one, in agonizing detail. Rockstar was almost immediately criticized and taken to task about the games' content, from concerned politicians and ratings boards to parental groups. The games were banned or censored in countries around the world, with "Manhunt 2" being slapped with an AO or "adults only rating" by the ESRB.
#2: "Postal 2" (2003)
Speaking of banned video games, the next title on our list was outlawed in both New Zealand and Australia shortly after its release, both countries claiming that it contained "abhorrent content." The game was "Postal 2," and it took no prisoners with its sense of grim and violent humor. Although one of the game's taglines was "it's only as violent as you are," the protagonist of "Postal 2" is consistently antagonized and encouraged to complete the game's tasks with as much destruction and debauchery as possible. The game's critics also cried foul against its alleged enabling of animal cruelty, specifically referencing a section where the player can use a cat, yes a cat, as a silencer for his gun.
#1: "Grand Theft Auto" series (1997-)
Said quite simply: "Grand Theft Auto" is the gold standard when it comes to political incorrectness in video gaming. Rockstar Games takes top honors on our list for this franchise which has been going strong since 1997, and shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. What's perhaps the most telling aspects of the GTA series is how each game has managed to up the ante in terms of its often violent, depraved psycho-sexual antics. Whether its "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas" and its infamous "hot coffee" sex mod, "Vice City's" glamorization of a "Scarface" esque mob lifestyle or GTA five's penchant for prostitution, there are seemingly no taboos this game series isn't willing to touch.
