What is it about digitised violence that's just so appealing? Of course there are limits to how visceral and detailed we want it to be - for most of us anyway, but each to their own - and certain titles certainly aim to misbehave, packing in as much controversial imagery and content as possible. However when that becomes a franchise's defining factor it can only go one of two ways - just look at the huge difference in opinion between Mortal Kombat and something like Postal, for example. But, like watching Rambo unleash all manner of hell on a ammo shell-spitting turret, it works best when it's all very much tongue-in-cheek. Some video game theorists have stated that witnessing and engaging with violence in such an interactive manner is just something that we indulge and somewhat crave on a primal level, being that it goes back over hundreds of years, with things like public executions and the like being all the rage in the Victorian times. There's definitely some credence to this even today, as when you look at the success of titles like God of War, Assassin's Creed and Grand Theft Auto it's clear we all love to indulge in escapist thrills of the most macabre variety. Forgoing all that potential seriousness though, when it's been programmed right, set up appropriately or otherwise just damn good gameplay, a splatter of claret can be make for some of the best playable moments in gaming history.
