To Kill Or Not To Kill...
Violence in video games has always been of great controversy. Ever since the first Mortal Kombat game, the world has been in awe (and disgust) at the depth of realism when it comes to violence in video games. But no matter how much the world tries to refuse it, video games have become an integral part of today's modern society.
Contrary to popular belief, recent researches have shown that violent video games tend to decrease or suppress violent behaviors in subjects. Video games have been proven to be an effective stress reductant and thus killing in video games isn’t as sadistic as it may actually be. Here are the best games that perform great when it comes to killing, from assassinations to mass murder. The presentation, execution of gameplay mechanics and features that make the “killing ” so good in games will be taken into consideration.
GTA 5
Being an outlaw has never been more fun.
Rockstar’s recent entry to the infamous world of GTA is nothing short of bloody, thrilling and action packed. The story is centered around three cons coming together to pull off a series of Heists that could set them up for life.
What makes GTA V great is that you can kill anyone with anything. Pick up the baseball and beat up random people and they’ll respond as they would in real life. Cops would pull up, you’ll be standing there with weapon in hand and a second later, the carnage begins. Anything can be a weapon and it’s all up to you.
Mafia 3
Take control of your home, one blood splatter at a time.
You play Lincoln Clay in his journey to take control of the fictional city of New Bourdeaux. The gameplay is quite familiar, borrowing from the likes of GTA V. But unlike GTA, Mafia 3 is not so merciful when it comes to player health as you can be taken down easily by two well-placed shotgun rounds. This forces you to be strategic and careful and can even provide some really intense moments. Also, you can only carry two weapons at a time, sometimes encouraging you to pick up those of fallen combatants.
Mafia 3 isn’t about mindless slaughter. Every mission you undertake contributes to your overall mission. It’s all about capturing territories and managing them while at the same time taking down your enemies.
Sleeping Dogs
Flesh meeting flesh in such a fashion has never been more satisfying.
Sleeping Dogs is the open world, kung fu game we never knew we wanted. If you love Hong Kong cinema and Hong Kong, then this is for you. You are an undercover cop trying to bring down some of the most dangerous criminal organizations in the world, the Triads.
The combat is one of the highest points of the game. Every alley, railing, stair and wall becomes your weapon. Picking up a knife or pipe adds to your success. The combat is to the likes of the Batman: Arkham series, but a bit slow and a tad realistic. From seriously intense gun fights to bloody and brutal fights, the killing is varied. Activating combos in a fist fight will let you finish off your enemies in a violent spectacle. Sleeping Dogs proves that fists are more satisfying for killing than guns.
The vehicular combat is also fun, including its driving mechanics. Sleeping Dogs brings together an amazing and complicated story, providing a realistic look into the struggles of an undercover cop but with a bit more flare and action.
Hatred
Take down hordes of innocent people in a foul fell swoop.
Hatred is a top down shoot 'em up video game developed and published by Destructive Creations. You are the villain, and you hate humanity and you just really want to end it. Wander the outskirts of New York City, through seven free-roam levels killing people and fighting law enforcement. The gameplay and story are not exactly top notch but they are acceptable.
The gameplay generally consists of killing a certain amount of people and surviving. You are not invincible and that requires you to question your every move. There are situations where you have to fall back to regroup or lose pursuers. You can only heal through performing executions, which can be difficult as you can only perform executions on the wounded and that can be a little tough.
Hatred might be a repetitive and simple game, but it does serve its title as a killing game. Sometimes simple and plain is what you might need. Who knows?
Prototype
Rules are for superheroes while fun is all that matters to us.
Prototype is a single player, open-world action game in the style of Crackdown or The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction. it is a superhero game in everything but its title.
You are Alex Mercer, a man with shapeshifting and other superhuman abilities. This is not a typical superhero game, there are no moral choices. You have vowed to destroy the person who did this to you and nothing shall stand in your way.
Killing is actually encouraged in Prototype. In fact, absorbing people is the only way you can gain certain powers or replenish your health. The combat is punishing, meaning you are going to have to kill innocents in large numbers to survive. You can even absorb a person's likeness and morph into them when things get too heated up. Prototype is built around destruction, mayhem, and over-the-top action and is definitely worthy of you attention.
Postal 2
Postal can get very twisted and needlessly bloodied.
Postal is every twisted minds fantasy. It’s plain and simple. The game spans across five days, every day consisting of tasks needing to be completed in order to advance to the next. These tasks can be completed in a civil manner or can descend into mindless violence and chaos.
This dated game is highly controversial in its depiction of mindless violence and stereotyping. From rocket launchers to anthrax-filled cow heads, the weapons at your disposal are endless and twisted, to say the least. Postal is one of those games where you play just to let off some steam. Some really hot and dark steam.
Manhunt 2
Violence and sanity are two sides of the same coin, find out how that works in Manhunt 2.
Manhunt is a game about executions. Not really, but it does have great execution and kills. The story starts off in an asylum and goes into varied and unique levels. You are an amnesiac, your search for answers takes you on a journey of blood and pain. At certain points, you even start doubting your sanity as your intentions and senses start to make no sense.
Stealth forms a big part of the game as you are not an indestructible tank. Timing your kills and routes is fundamental for survival. Killing can be done in three ways, from hasty kills if you don’t want to wait and violent or gruesome kills if you have the time. Your kills are not limited to your weapons, Your environment can open up many other opportunities. Set them on fire or crush them using manhole covers, or even jump on them from above and crush their skulls. Your kills are your own, and it’s totally up tp you.
Lucius
Children are sweet... Unless they are the spawn of Satan.
Ever wanted to be the Antichrist?No? Well, you can in Lucius. Lucius is the son of Satan and he has been give orders by father to see if he is a worthy successor to the throne of Hell. In the end, the game is about seeing if you are psychopathic enough to deemed the Antichrist.
The game is made of 9 chapters. Each chapter presents you with a target, given to you by Satan himself. The Dante Manor is enormous and it is up to you to analyze and put together clues so that you can manipulate your target into being where you want him/her to be and what you want them to do. Though the gameplay is pretty linear, the ending or assassination of your targets is a treat by themselves. Each kill is unique, creative and unpredictable. Making people walk face first into a burning stove has never been more evil than in Lucius.
At the end of each chapter, you are treated to new powers and upgrades by Satan. Lucius is a game that can make you feel like a criminal mastermind, as you manipulate and influence people to their demise.
Metal Gear Solid 5 The Phantom Pain
Unlike in fallout, war always changes in the world of MGSV
MGSV is the most complete action game to have been released as of yet. MGSV is a tactical espionage simulation, or as close as it can get. The Afghan countryside is filled with missions and other treats that are guaranteed to make your experience worthwhile. The freedom and scope of the game are overwhelming but will end up giving you a vast number of opportunities and paths to take.
The stealth and the combat of the game are perfectly balanced and the player will not be punished in any way for choosing one over the other. Hiding in plain sight or opening heavy fire on your enemies are equally fun and challenging but can open and close certain opportunities depending on your choice. Killing your enemies should be done with a tactical approach as you can recruit soldiers that you have captured for your mother base. Reconnaissance and intelligence play a vital role, from analyzing weather patterns to figuring out enemy patrol routes. MGSV does not only reward you for taking out your enemies but sparing them as well.
The Darkness 2
The Darkness 2 allows you to shoot and play Yo-yo at the same time.
Darkness 2 puts you in the shoes of a man possessing demonic powers. As it is with demonic entities, you are the bad guy and you are your quest to avenge your dead wife. A clichéd plot, but the gameplay and the experience based level system outshines this. You possess four arms, two demonic and two human ones. The demonic limbs provide a varied and exciting gameplay that does not get old at all. Dual wielding pistols while at the same time slashing and tossing your enemies away with your demonic ones can fun to watch and especially to do.
Moreover, the experience based leveling system forces you to change up your combat in order to earn more experience points. Gaining experience also unlocks new powers providing even variation to your combat. The Darkness 2 allows you to be creative with your kills and rewards you for it. Experimentation and the comic book style violence is what sets The Darkness 2 apart from other FPSs.
Dead by Daylight
Risk your life, or let your friend be sacrificed to an ancient demonic entity. No pressure.
This game has a simple premise, You are trapped in an area with a killer. You have to start up five generators which open the gate through which you will escape. But if the killer catches you, you will be sacrificed to his pagan god. Playing with your friends is where the treat really lies.
If you play as a survivor, the experience is nothing short of intense and nerve rattling. You only have a torch and a six sense that warns you of danger in the form of your heartbeat going for you. Starting up generators can long and painful forcing others to indulge in diversionary tactics and obstacles to slow the killer down.
If you play as the killer, the experience is less of horror and more of slashing. You are invincible and have paranormal senses that allow you to hunt your prey effectively. Though if you catch a survivor, you will not be killing him/her outright. Instead, you will sacrifice them in a short ritual. Following scratch marks and footprints can be used to track your prey and end them painfully.
Friday the 13th
Are you ready for some eye-popping action this Friday???
Friday the 13th is a game much like Dead by Daylight with small modifications. The game takes place in a semi-open world of Camp Crystal lake from the films and will feature playable character archetypes with various perks like “the girl next door” and the “the jock” and the infamous Jason Vorhees as the playable antagonist.
As campers, you have the option of arming yourself and banding up with other campers for survival. You can create traps or call the police if you find a phone box, or maybe try to start up a car to escape. The options are promised to be many and varied.
As Jason, you are tasked with hunting down every single camper and put them down using your axe or the environment. You can use doors, tractors, tree stumps, anything to perform gory and beautiful executions. If you thought that classic horror villains and victims were stupid and that you could do better, here is your chance.
The Culling
See that? That’s what this game is all about. Smash their heads with what you can find and make.
This early access FPS is a battle royale game for survival enthusiasts. The game puts you and sixteen other players in an arena containing trees, hills, and buildings. You are given 25 minutes to scour the area, craft weapons and kill every other player as a cloud of poison slowly encircles and creeps at you.
The character customization is pretty limited, and you can also choose certain perks before you enter the arena including what weapons you would like to have airdropped to you in the arena.
What makes this game so special is the satisfaction. You don’t win by picking up already placed weapons and fighting. You make the weapons, you make the traps, every kill has to be planned and worked for.
H1z1 King of the Kill
Just like The Culling, but with real weapons.
H1z1 King of the Kill is a competitive MMO battle royale where single or teams of players fight for survival. Being very much survival to The Culling, but instead of crafting weapons, you can only scavenge them for use. Another addition would be vehicles, something that The Culling does not have.
Though still in early access the game does show a little promise. H1z1 King of the Kill
Is not just about survival, you have to also make sure your neighbors don’t survive. The thing about battle royale is that making to the top of the scoreboard is everything. This means that no one can be trusted, not even your friends.
Rust
An MMO that teaches you how to survive the world, just like our ancestors did.
Rust is almost a social experiment instead of a survival video game. Similar in certain aspects to DayZ, Rust sets itself apart by being almost entirely reliant on crafting. The possibility of you meeting another player is incredibly high, but you could never know if he is a foe or a friendly.
Sometimes blind trust can be rewarding and punishing, but you cannot hope to survive alone. Everything from shelter to food and weapons has to be scavenged or crafted. The frequent visit from the attack helicopter that hunts and kills any player within in sight can provide for some intense, chilling moments. Rust is about survival in an anarchic world through cooperation. But that doesn’t mean that there’s not going to be any bloodshed. Far from it.
Miscreated
Miscreated doesn’t have zombie, only something more terrifying. Killer Mutants
Miscreated is promising to dethrone the likes of DayZ and Rust. Though still in the early alpha stages, the vision seems to be ambitious but if done right, it could make wonders. The modern civilization has been destroyed by a nuclear war and the world you have to brave is unforgiving and bleak.
Unlike DayZ, weapons are incredibly hard to find, including supplies. You would only be able to survive by the day. Currently, the only threatening fauna is wolves, but more animals have been promised in future updates. Mutants roam the wasteland, not zombies, but intelligent yet twisted beings that are not to be trifled with. The landscape can be dangerous too, with poisonous and irradiated areas that could kill you instantly.
For Honor
Polish your swords, katanas and axes, for there’s killing to do in For Honor.
Ubisoft's venture into competitive melee combat genre has been much anticipated worldwide. For Honor takes melee combat to a whole new level of detail in their new Art of battle system. The game takes place in a fictional setting, where the world has almost been destroyed and the remaining resources and land are being fought for by histories most dangerous factions, The Vikings, The Knights and The Samurai.
When meeting another enemy player, you’ll be prompted to enter the guard mode. The guard presents dials that allow you to block attacks from three directions: Top, left and right, while also allowing you to attack in the same way. Along with dodging and guard breaking options, the combat becomes varies and these attacks can be used to activate cool combination attacks like the pommel strike. For Honor is a game that we can’t seem to wait for. Along with the excellent combat, the story also promises to be a treat.
Chivalry Medieval Warfare
Lopping off heads haven’t been more realistic than in Chivalry: MW.
From medieval combat simulation to medieval life simulation, Chivalry Medieval Warfare is exactly that. The world is entirely dynamic and is not centered on you, the player. Life in Chivalry Medieval warfare carries on regardless of your actions, meaning that your actions and choices will carry a realistic sense of meaning and depth.
What outshines from the myriad of other amazing features is the combat. While most of the attacks and jabs are tied to the left mouse button and blocks to the right, feints and special combos are accessed through the keyboard. This simple configuration allows players to mix up their combat and be unpredictable with relative ease.
Gods Will Be Watching
Gods Will Be Watching puts you in the shoes of the very villains we despise and force us to empathize.
Gods Will Be Watching brings new meaning to the word intense. This point and click action game can be incredibly difficult, yet also rewarding. In the first level, four rebels break into a science lab to steal a bio-weapon. One guards the door, another hacks the servers, the third defends against counter hacks and you are responsible for the hostages. With multiple things going on at once, you never know what could happen next. If you guard has a nervous breakdown, the hostages escape; if the hostages start to panic they run; if they don’t feel threatened they fight back; if you don’t pay enough attention, the hack might fail; things could go wrong at any minute.
The game does not force you to be psychopathic, instead, it makes you realize that sometimes things go wrong and people get hurt or killed. It puts you in intense situations like the one above or one where you have to torture a few soldiers. Begging the question, How far are you really willing to go?
Mortal Kombat X
A bloody welcome to the franchise that started it all.
MKX feels new, yet familiar at the same time. Bringing to you a roster of 24 playable characters, a third of them new. In addition, each character has three version to choose from, allowing players a variety of options in terms of powers and combos.
The list of attacks and combo chains can be overwhelming at the beginning, but easily mastered once given enough time.
With the return of x-rays, moves that actually cost you and the ability to cancel an attack allow players to be more strategic than previous games. With fatalities, brutalities, and wonderful gory animations, MKX is one of the best ways of beating people up bloody in a virtual reality.
Sniper Elite 3
Fight behind enemies lines, taking down the enemy one by one.
Sniper Elite 3 is much more open-ended compared to previous games. As Karl, you are tasked with dismantling the Afrika Korps almost single-handedly. As with sniper games, the sniping can be tremendously satisfying. From holding your breath into level your aim and to watch your shot hit its mark through an x-ray vision never gets old.
The AI can also be extremely alert, forcing you to adopt stealth through most of the game while also providing a tense atmosphere. The major draw, in the end, is the violence and carnage your bullets bring. The bloody kill animations are a reward that never looses its shine and is the peak of the experience.
God of War
From Human to God. Follow Kratos’s brutal quest for revenge.
God of War just has to be on this list. Why not? Kratos’s revenge spree sees him taking on huge and powerful beings from the greek mythology, and bashing their brains in brutally. The combat is amazing as it gets, with massive combos and seamless control over you attacks from being responsive to canceling out of any maneuvers.
The game also gives a variety of weapons that are special in their own right. The QTE moments can be a real eye-pleaser and extremely rewarding if you get them right. God of War is as brutal and bloody as it can get. Though the story may be cliched, the execution of the story makes it worthwhile.
Ryse: Son of Rome
Become a part of the legendary centurions in theit battle against the barbarians.
Ryse tells the story of Marius Titus, who after witnessing the brutal murder of his family at the hands of the barbarians, takes to the battlefield to get his revenge. The gameplay consists of the standard hack and slashes combat with special gameplay sections like manning crossbow turrets in between.
During combat, execution can be performed on weakened opponents in the style of QTE (quick time events). In addition to brutal executions, you are also given command of a squad that you can give certain orders to execute. All in all Ryse: Son of Rome is an average game with really basic but satisfying combat, not to mention the stunning visuals and animation.
Shadow Warrior 2
Fight hordes of demons in Shadow Warrior 2’s unique setting that is Japan.
Shadow Warrior 2 is an absolute blast to play. The fast paced action and combat are often accompanied with potty-mouthed dialogues that give the came an almost comic feeling.
Your arsenal is diverse with both physical and spiritual weapons. You can blast enemies with chi based attacks or turn invisible to stealthily get past a few enemies and explode in rage and butcher everyone.
The melee can be quite satisfying as you attacks fall accurately, meaning you can lop off people's arms and heads with precise strikes from your katana. Plus you also get to use amazing Doom- like weapons that can cause some serious damage. Shadow Warrior 2 encourages you to jump into hordes of demons and wreak havoc, and a really bloody one at that.
Wolfenstein: The New Order
Take down entire Nazi squads using new and advance weaponry.
Welcome back to the alternate reality where Germany won WWII. As Blazcowicz, a soldier of the resistance, you are armed with the typical array of weapons found in any generic FPS plus a few future Nazi tech. Does nothing much to separate itself from other generic shooters other than its unique setting. The world of Wolfenstein does give the feels and atmosphere of a Nazi conquered world.
The combat is exciting and fluid but the fun lies in the stealth. Sneaking around and silencing enemies with your knife or a silenced pistol can be satisfying and can potentially open up other opportunities. Taking out certain enemies beforehand can prevent complications in the future. Wolfenstein's vision of such an alternate reality actually makes killing fun, considering the fact that Nazis actually deserve it.
Warhammer 40K: Space Marine
This is not over top strategy any more. Its up close-and personal.
Warhammer 40k puts you in the metal boots of Captain Titus and give you everything you need to turn hordes of orcs into ketchup. The game constantly provides you with different kinds of weapons and encourages players to adapt their play style when faced with a varied number of enemies. The combat is a combination of shooting and melee. Somehow switching from rifle to hammer is immensely satisfying and seamless.
Armories are placed at every level so that players can switch up their formula and try out different tactics. The beauty of the game is brought out in the graphics, setting and of course, the brutal kill and execution animations. Warhammer 40k actually forces you to perform executions as that’s the only way to replenish your health. Overall the games are exciting, fun and let you be creative and fans of violence will be more than satisfied with Warhammer 40k.
Video games come under heavy scrutiny for displaying mindless violence and bloody content. But what these have to understand is that this criticism is unfair. Movies and TV shows display brutal and even more realistic violence than video games and just like them video games are strictly regulated and rated based on the age of players. Video games are an outlet, it’s where you release your negative emotions and experience positive ones.
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