17 Most Violent Video Game Moments Of The Decade (So Far)

With great graphical power comes great disgust-ability.

By Scott Tailford /

Rebellion/Crystal Dynamics/Sony/NetherRealm

At some point the world's probably going to call 'stop' on insane video game violence. Once a parent-scaring nightmare that arose alongside the dawn of pixellated viscera, now we've literally got photo-realistic portrayals - controllable ones at that - of everything from stabbings to decapitations and everything in between.

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Granted there's always going to be that quintessential disconnect between virtual and reality, but you need only play something like GTA V's very impactful first-person mode, to get a feel for how 'weird' it's starting to feel. Virtual reality too, will only offer new ways to blast anything in your way into a thousand tinier chunks, and whilst I'm not advocating one school of thought over another, you've gotta admit we're approaching a tipping point in terms of immersion and risqué content - one that will lead to some very interesting discussions going forward.

To take stock of where we are with video game violence in 2016, here's a rundown of the most violent moments and scenes since 2010. Let me know your own in the comments below, and hold on tight, because it's about to get messy...

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17. Kung Lao & Noob Saibot's Fatalities - Mortal Kombat X

NetherRealm

It's hard narrowing down Mortal Kombat's fatalities from across its ninth and tenth instalment, but I'm backtracking to a couple from MK9, just for sheer "Holy F&%K!!!" reactions.

Both Noob Saibot's 'groin-rip' (named Make a Wish) and Kung Lao's Razor's Edge (where he tears his foe in half and holds aloft two half-corpses) are brilliantly vile, and outstandingly gruesome.

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Nothing in MK X even came close - save perhaps for Ermac telepathically removing his opponent's intestines through their mouth - so I'm crowning these two the most violent finishers of the last few yeas. Leave your own suggestions in the comments below...