5. Resident Evil
Why Its Controversial: Back when Gaming was still considered by many to be a childrens activity, the original Resident Evil sparked the usual controversy by being one of the most terrifyingly realistic and gory games on the market at the time. Sure, you might look back and laugh now at the cheesy performances, the heavily pixelated graphics and the farcical over-abundance of blood, but when it was released, Resident Evil caused a modest public outcry. It was one of the few games out there at the time that was given a BBFC rating in the UK of 15, meaning there was much debate around the issue of will you let your child play it. Thankfully, my parents didnt seem to give too much of a crap, and I was one of the few out of my friends whod been allowed to get involved, paving the way for some of my happiest gaming moments.
Why It Influenced Gaming for the Better: Survival Horror is a thing now - its a genre of its own - and there have been many titles between now and then that have emulated or evolved the original formula (Silent Hill, Dead Space, Parasite Eve, ObsCure; just a few examples). But, when the original Resi Evil was released, it had simply never been done before. It was a brand new concept, and though it borrowed heavily from other games shooters, point-and-click adventures and third-person actioners it used everything so innovatively that it left an entire genre in its wake.