If you ever played any video game in the Grand Theft Auto series, then you probably spent some time cruising around town and killing innocent civilians just to see if you could run away from the police afterwards. However, the main difference between GTA and Carmageddon is that you actually get rewarded when you exhibit murderous behavior while playing the latter video game. Carmageddon was released in 1997, a time when not too many bloody and controversial video games existed. Because it was so extreme compared to other video games at the time, many countries decided to censor it and actually replaced the human victims with robots and zombies. They also replaced blood with black and green liquid. Despite being under scrutiny at the time, a sequel was released a year later, and another installment was funded through Kickstarter in May 2015.

If a game like this were to be released today, people probably wouldn’t make too big of a fuss over it. However, after its initial release in 1987, it was considered to be one of the most controversial video games ever. Leisure Suit Larry is based on a text adventure known as Softporn Adventure, which also wasn’t well received by some. The main objective in this game is to get the protagonist, Larry, laid. Larry is a middle-aged virgin who makes terrible puns and dresses poorly. In order to successfully complete the game, you have to explore various different settings. Of course, you can also hire a prostitute, but you will get a deadly STD if you don’t have a condom (and it will be hard to get the money for one). Even though there isn’t much sexual content in the game, its story is quite sexist.

Prior to the release of Bully in 2006, many were concerned that this video game would have a terrible effect on teenagers all across the world. Even though it was well received among critics, many still found it to be controversial. This game did not portray the graphic violence Rockstar Games is known for, but some people felt it glorified bullying (although this simply isn’t true), while others had problems with the fact that the protagonist was able to kiss other boys. Because of this, Bully was banned in Brazil. Despite being controversial, Bully still has a large fan base that’s hoping for a sequel to be released one day.

As you probably guessed it, RapeLay is a video game about rape. It was developed and released by a Japanese company named Illusion Soft back in 2006. When you start playing the game, you will gain control of a character named Masaya Kimura, whose main objective is to stalk and rape the Kiryuu family. This family consists of a mother and two daughters. Throughout the game, you will get to select different sexual positions, all while trying to avoid impregnating your victims. After being released, the video game was banned in Japan and several other counties, and was even removed from Amazon.

Manhunt is without a doubt one of the most controversial video game of all time. Even though this survival horror video game features extremely graphic violence, it still managed to be a great commercial success and even spawned a sequel. In Manhunt, you play a death-row inmate that is captured by a man only known as the Director, who takes you to a number of locations where you have to kill various people in order to stay alive. Even though the media didn’t really respond well to the game, it was still selling like hot cakes upon its release. However, after the game was thought to be the contributing factor (it was later proved it wasn’t) to a murder committed by a teenager in the UK, a number of countries instantly banned Manhunt.

No one can deny the impact Doom had on the entire video game industry after it was released. It completely shaped how first person shooters would be made for years to come. Although Doom wasn’t really the first FPS made, it was the first one to be a huge success. If this game was released before your time, then you probably aren’t aware of the backlash it received back in the day. Because the main player had to fight demons, zombies, and other creatures using an array of weaponry, many considered that it portrayed satanic imagery. Church groups were especially vocal about the violent imagery. The game was so controversial at the time that Germany banned it a year after its release, only to lift the ban a few years ago. It is said that Doom also had a negative influence on the teens that were responsible for the Columbine High School Massacre in 1999.

Before talking about the impact Mortal Kombat had on the video game industry, it’s important to note that Street Fighter II is the game responsible for giving birth to the fighting franchise. However, it was Mortal Kombat that helped it become a worldwide sensation. Part of the reason behind this was that none of the fighting games before this one were so violent and bloody. Not to mention that Mortal Kombat has that famous "fatality" move that always attracted players to be as brutal as possible. Due to the excessive use of blood and gore, it is considered to be one of the most controversial video games of all time, and was even banned in Brazil and Germany after its release.

Developers have the freedom to create whatever they want, but it’s a real shame that a game like this actually exists. As you can probably guess from the title, this first person shooter revolves around you shooting and killing different minorities. It was developed by white supremacists, who clearly didn’t mind letting the whole world know just how racist they were. Throughout the game, you kill black and Latino characters in a ghetto and Jews in a subway. For your final boss, you fight against Ariel Sharon, the former Prime Minister of Israel, so you can probably understand why it’s considered to be one of the most controversial video games ever made. Needless to say, numerous anti-Semitism and anti-racism groups weren’t happy with the release of this game. After its release, it received overwhelmingly negative reviews. The release of Ethnic Cleansing was done in very poor taste, considering that it was made available on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in 2002.

Whenever a sequel of Grand Theft Auto is released, it instantly gets in the center of controversy. However, it’s not hard to see why, considering that the main objective of each installment of GTA revolves around the main player’s rise through the ranks of the criminal underworld. Of course, in order for you to successfully complete the game, you have to commit numerous violent crimes. Thousands of articles about the graphic violence featured in the game have been published thus far, which even helped the game series earn the title of the most controversial video game series in history in the Guinness Book of World Records.

It comes as no surprise that Saw is found on this list, considering that it’s based on the movie franchise of the same name. The story of the video game takes place between the first and second films. As the main player, you’re placed in an asylum that’s filled with people trying to kill you. However, you’re also tasked with saving people who’re also trapped there. The video game is just as violent as the movies, so expect to see a lot of blood and gore when playing it. Many critics found that the lack of a moral message in the game makes it even more disturbing. Some describe it simply as a tutorial for sadists to get pleasure from, which is why Saw got labeled as one of the most controversial video games of all time.