10 Controversial Video Game Levels That Were Completely Misunderstood

4. World Of Warcraft - The Art Of Persuasion

While World Of Warcraft might sound like an amazingly violent game (well, it does have War in the name, after all), it's actually pretty mild. The game does feature some gore but it's used sparingly; killed mobs simply crumple into a pile, rather than spray blood everywhere from amputated limbs. When compared to most modern games, World Of Warcraft is surprisingly kid friendly. Still, back in 2008, the game came under-fire for introducing elements of torture into the series with The Wrath Of The Lich King expansion. One quest - The Art Of Persuasion - features the player character using a 'Neural Needler' to inflict pain on a subdued target in the hopes of extracting information. Many people spoke out against the quest, feeling that it was unnecessary, especially when viewed in a role-playing sense where Alliance (the 'good' faction) characters were forced to complete the torture to advance the quest. There is much debate about whether this quest was acceptable or not but in Blizzard's defence, Wrath Of The Lich King saw them involving moral dilemmas a lot more in their storylines. Another storyline features a group called Druids for the Ethical and Humane Treatment of Animals (or D.E.H.T.A) who serve as a virtual version of P.E.T.A; their storyline tasks the player with battling hunters and preventing the decimation of wildlife in Northrend. Blizzard clearly intended to create a more morally confused world in Wrath Of The Lich King by adding quests which forced players to think about their own moral standpoints and whether it should be reflected within their World of Warcraft character; it's notable that abandoning the torture quest doesn't limit the player from any of the game's content. Whether Blizzard were successful is another matter; perhaps the notable outcry has made them question whether introducing mature storylines into their MMO is the right thing to do.