If you've got the stomach for it there's nothing like a good horror film or blood-soaked video game thrill-ride to get pulses pounding and fists clenched with tension. But have you ever had one of 'those moments' where you attempt to explain to a non-gamer or someone who's new to the genre just exactly what the appeal is in taking a scythe to a enemy's face? The times are definitely a'changing as you read this - just look at the furore surrounding the #GamerGate scandal and how even though the movement itself is supposed to be about tackling the ethics involved in developer-journalist relations, it's repeatedly lambasted for being an all-out insult-fest towards any who attempt to have a discussion around something like the portrayal of women in video games. In addition it's always only so long before violence comes back around the bend and we all have to have that discussion around 'How much is too much?' again; a conversation we're betting will rear it's axe-embedded head right around the time of Mortal Kombat X's release next year. Until then though it's always fun to look back over the titles of yesteryear and remark on whether we were more lax because of the times, the state of gaming as a constantly-maturing medium, or if there's just nothing wrong with a well-executed and clearly-labelled splatter-fest - see what you think.
