With releases that include a new Evil Dead franchise, good old-fashioned violence remains at the heart of modern gaming. Fun, over-the-top violence has been a part of some of the most beloved video games for almost as long as they've existed.
Some classic games are great examples of this, with titles like Mortal Kombat still fondly ed for the distinctive styles that they brought with them. Classic video game fans on Ranker voted on which of these gloriously violent classic titles deserve to be considered the very best.
Harvester (1996)
While a point-and-click adventure doesn't seem like a recipe for a lot of violence, Harvester utilized it so compellingly that the game became a cult hit. Its cult status is very appropriate as it also relates to the game's narrative, which has the amnesiac player-character Steve Mason coerced by a mysterious organization into performing tasks that result in increasingly brutal violence.
Harvester revels in bizarre violence as it seeks to examine the relationship between violence in video games and the real-life equivalent. However successful it is in this effort, the game is still a uniquely interesting experience even over 25 years after its initial release.
Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1982)
Based on the 1974 slasher film of the same name, Texas Chainsaw Massacre was developed for the Atari 2600 as one of the very first horror-themed video games. Putting the player in the role of Leatherface, the chainsaw-wielding face of the franchise, they are tasked with chasing down and murdering victims in one of the scariest horror games of the 1980s.
Though it may seem unlikely now as the limitations of the Atari mean the victims dying is a single frame of animation and the player has to use their imagination to see anything resembling gore, the game's violent and horrific nature was the cause of some concern at the time of its release.
Phantasmagoria (1996)
Phantasmagoria was an ambitious title made in a golden age of FMV interactive movie games, with a decently large cast of actors and a professional Hollywood special effects studio involved in the game's production. Like the very best FMV games, Phantasmagoria manages to engross the player with its suspenseful atmosphere.
The game was fully aimed at an adult demographic, drawing some criticism at the time for this, with scenes that demonstrate exactly where the special effects budget went including one in which a character's head gets split open and another where a character's scalp is removed to reveal their brain underneath.
Carmageddon (1997)
After a reboot of the series in the mid-2010s brought fans two more Carmageddon games, now is a good time to revisit the original icon of vehicular violence. The title made no attempt to hide what its appeal was in the form of wrecking other cars and hitting pedestrians with gory results while thumping heavy metal plays in the background.
In fact, killing all the pedestrians in a level was an alternative way to beat each race, meaning the game rewards the player for following their violent urges. This element was so fundamental to the appeal of Carmageddon that when Zombies replaced pedestrians in Carmageddon 64 it resulted in one of the worst N64 games ever.
The Evil Dead (1984)
Though fans are understandably excited about the Evil Dead: The Game, it is unlikely the title will have anywhere near the impact as the horror classic The Evil Dead for 8-bit home computers. The game pits the movie protagonist Ash against the living dead in a horror adventure.
As Ash, the player is required to kill monsters and hold them at bay while constantly looking for new weapons to pick up. Although 8-bit graphics aren't conducive to the most realistic violence in video game history, there is still plenty of enjoyment to be found in destroying some of the living dead in pixel form.
Wolfenstein 3D (1992)
One of the original first-person shooter video games that established what is still one of the biggest genres, Wolfenstein 3D is rightfully considered an icon. The rudimentary 3D graphics may seem archaic now, but there is still plenty of fun to be found in using the various weapons the game provides to lay waste to Nazi guards.
The title is set during World War 2 and featured the first appearance of the series' protagonist William "B.J." Blazkowicz, an Allied spy attempting to escape from the place where he has been imprisoned by the Nazis. With plenty of satisfying blood splats and more, Wolfenstein 3D delivers beautifully on its promise of all-out FPS violence.
Grand Theft Auto III (2001)
In the early 2000s, Grand Theft Auto III gave more power to the player than any title before it in of being free to roam a large open world and cause mayhem and destruction on a mass scale. Its explosive release coming just over a month after the 9/11 attacks became one of the most controversial moments in video game history.
Rockstar Games have always been a company to make the most of any controversy however and, as a result, Grand Theft Auto III became immensely popular and helped make the idea of giving the player the freedom to be as violent as they want mainstream. Although the title is only just over 20 years old, its cultural impact when it comes to fun-loving violence means it has to be considered a classic.
Splatterhouse (1988)
When it comes to classic video game violence, the importance of the 80s arcades can't be ignored. One arcade game that wore its violent nature on its sleeve was the Namco beat 'em up title Splatterhouse. For many arcade-goers of the 1980s, the image of the game's protagonist Rick Taylor, wearing the Terror Mask that resurrected him in a house of deadly horrors, is etched into their memory.
Though the gameplay is classic side-scrolling action, the gore and brutality are all taken up a notch as Rick fights off hordes of monsters while attempting to save his girlfriend who is still trapped in the house. While an attempt to resurrect the franchise in 2010 was unsuccessful, the original remains one of the best of the era.
Doom (1993)
Many classic video games failed to transfer their success to the modern era of gaming, but there was something about Doom's demon-slaying brutality that has an enduring appeal even decades later. Nearly 30 years before the best FPS games of all time, Doom helped establish a genre.
From the adrenaline-inducing gameplay to the epic poster that showed Doomguy surrounded by hordes of demons, everything about Doom was incredible. Its innovative brand of violence forever changed the face of gaming and its impact can't be understated.
Mortal Kombat (1992)
Spawning a fighting game legacy that continues today, Mortal Kombat was revolutionary when it was released to arcades in the early 90s. Using realistic digitized graphics based on real actors to present over-the-top, gore-filled action, Mortal Kombat took the fighting game formula to the next level.
Although it only has a small cast of fighters, their distinctive characterizations mean they have deservedly become icons in the time since. Ultimately though, it is Mortal Kombat's commitment to providing the player with next-level violence that means it secures its place as the most violent classic video game.
