It's not uncommon for M-rated games to attract controversy due to their content. One of the first titles to be awarded this label was Fatewhich of course could never escape the bad rap that comes with exterminating demons in forceful, bloody fashion. It's the kind of game that sticks in the memory, to put it lightly.
In fact, these infamous games only received a rare adult rating from the ESRB
Gory, irreverent, or downright disgusting AO games are a rare breed that's all but extinct these days.
However, some M-rated games over the years aren't nearly as infamous. In fact, you may never even have heard of them. Whether they're forgotten relics from the early days of the ESRB or more recent titles, these curiosities have missed many adult gamers. Let's take a look at it.
7
Double blades
Bloody Game Boy Advance Fighter
The Game Boy Advance is probably one of the last systems you'd expect to play an M-rated game on. It wasn't entirely without them, as this gun-based fighting game shows. IN double blades, each strike from the character's weapons caused a dramatic spurt of blood, while other maneuvers such as projectile hits or punches usually did not. In the final defeat of a match (not just rounds), opponents can bleed profusely or even be split in half before falling, making victory quotes like “Sorry if I hurt you miss” laughable.
Stylistically, it is not a dramatic departure from similar ones Street Fighter, though quirky character designs like a mystical warrior with a levitating staff mix things up somewhat. There have been some odd guest characters in fighting games, but the regular cast here is fascinating enough. The format is also little different with arcade mode, versus mode and so on. Still, torso-slicing finishers were brave ground to tread on the Game Boy Advance.
6
MadWorld
What an enchanted world
When it comes to M-rated games, there are often complaints that all the violence is gratuitous. Not so in this case MadWorldalthough. In this world of bloodshed, brutality is in the name of a good cause: Getting higher scores. As a contestant on a game show in space Insectcreative kills are the key.
There was nothing like it on the Wii. There really hasn't been a game like this since. It's so stylized and its monochrome scheme contrasts beautifully with the bold, bright blood that will pour from the enemies. The idea of focusing on improvisation through the use of various stage risks also works in its favour, helping to prevent the action from becoming too repetitive too quickly. It's not a game you'll invest hundreds of hours into, but it's great for quick bursts of arcade brawls.
5
Creatures of nightmares
Not quite Resident Evil
19th century London is such a great setting for a horror movie. It conjures up images of smoky streets, shady alleys and Jack the Ripper. A largely forgotten survival horror adventure game from 1997 Creatures of nightmares he chose this very setting, and needless to say, it is a world of nightmares created by the machinations of the Brotherhood of Hecate. As a warrior trying to restore some semblance of safety to the city, the protagonist decides to stop them on a quest that takes them to places ranging from the sewers under the River Thames to the London Zoo.
7 sequel to the horror video game that went in a completely different direction
These sequels to horror games took unexpected paths, sometimes even going so far as to completely change genres and atmospheres.
There are a few unfortunate instances of “early 3D” issues with the game (the flying enemies can be very annoying and the combat is a bit jittery), but it was an atmospheric and very creepy horror title for its time. It even warranted a sequel, though the cancellation of the third game meant it's largely forgotten today.
4
Bio FREAKS
Another brutal brawler
You might think that when it comes to fighting games with bad finishing moves, Mortal Kombat the series has the market tied up. However, other titles have ventured into this territory to also earn an M rating, and another example is Bio FREAKS from 1998. The title, an acronym for Biological Flying Robotic Enhanced Armored Killing Synthoids, refers to the biological creations of various factions in the United States that were created to fight for ultimate control after the nation was nearly destroyed by war.
As with Dual Blades, this deck features the usual generic set of game modes, set apart by the Mutilation move options. Characters inherently have weapons on their bodies such as blades and saws and can use them to remove various body parts from their enemies to achieve the ultimate victory. Not as elaborate as Mortal KombatFamiliar fates, but definitely pretty gruesome. The character design has to be seen to be believed and the creativity deserves praise.
3
999: Nine hours, nine people, nine doors
A deadly and interesting game
IN he saw in the films, Jigsaw's victims and his henchmen are forced to play brutal “games” in the hope of survival. They are meant to test the will to survive, to determine how far people will go to save their own lives. From low-budget beginnings, the series has become one of the biggest names in horror, thanks in part to its creative and gripping storytelling. 999: Nine hours, nine people, nine doors is a very rare example of a Nintendo DS game with an adult rating, and it achieved this by using a similar story.
In this title, a group trapped on a ship must work together in teams to get through various numbered doors (the numbers of which correspond to the digits on their wristbands). This is a so-called Nonary Game, and each participant has a planted explosive on them, which ensures that the game will proceed as intended by its originator. 999: Nine hours, nine people, nine doors boasts excellent characterization, dialogue and mystery and Phoenix Wright or Professor Layton game (and the Nintendo DS certainly has its share of great puzzles), with a unique premise and shockingly violent scenes that make it rated M with a capital M.
2
Geist
Unlike anything else you'll see on the GameCube
Nintendo's GameCube was a popular system with a wide catalog of great games, but third-party support was somewhat lackluster (as Nintendo systems have been in the past) and there were certain genres that were reluctant to really explore much. One of them was FPS. Many have forgotten Geistan M-rated shooter for the system – an exclusive no less – and a gritty game from developer n-Space.
The concept behind Geist is that CR-2 scientist John Raimi is one of the few survivors of an attempted raid on the nefarious Volks Corporation. In this futuristic world, technology is available to create “ghosts” by extracting souls. Raimi is subjected to this treatment by a corporation that is exploring the potential of creating essentially immortal warriors in this horrific way. Herein lies the core mechanic that sets Geist apart: Instead of relying solely on a conventional system of finding and upgrading an arsenal of weapons, the ghostly Raimi has the ability to possess the bodies of various targets. Rats, for example, are ideal for infiltration because there aren't many gaps they can't slip through. Geist was perhaps a bit too ambitious for the GameCube, and its performance (and thus its reputation) suffered accordingly. However, this is a colorful and inventive FPS that pulls off its better ideas well and deserves more accolades than it tends to get.
1
Suffering
Discover who the torque really is
Suffering is a shooting game set in a prison in Maryland, Abbot State Penitentiary. The 2004 release for PC, Xbox and PlayStation 2 has all the ingredients needed for an adult rating. It tells the harrowing story of Torque, who was imprisoned for the death of his family. It's a brutal and bloody shooter where Torque and the other inmates are plagued by insidious creatures that could be right out Resident Evil. There is also a constant stream of expletives. It could have been a fairly one-dimensional horror shooter, but Surreal Software lent the experience some narrative depth in the form of player choice.
Torque, through trying to help or hinder NPCs, can progress down a good or evil path. This isn't just a token addition, but one that can actually affect the experience in ways like changing the effectiveness of HP restoring items. It also ties in perfectly with the central focus of the narrative: Torque is haunted by the death of his family and can't remember. Whether he was actually responsible for the tragedy changes drastically in terms of possible endings for which there are good, bad, or something in between. Suffering was innovative in that it explored some of the scariest and most challenging concepts beyond simply using a “creepy dark prison” setting as a backdrop for a gratuitous shooter. There are some very interesting concepts that were further explored in the following year's sequel, Suffering: The Ties That Bind.
Great games where your decision really matters
The following games excel at forcing the player to make tough decisions that can drastically change the story.
