10 Video Games We'll Be Ashamed To Tell Our Kids About

7. Duke Nukem Forever

From a overly-cutesy portrayal of a female in games to the most annoyingly outdated, misogynistic meathead there's ever been: Duke Nukem. Born out of the 90's action hero stereotype we all know and love (thanks to a heady dose of nostalgia), when he made a return in 2011 and was still trying to get across the whole 'guns n babes' aesthetic without a hint of self-awareness, it was enough to make you cringe into a small paper aeroplane.

The objectification of women in games has been a continual talking point ever since Princess Peach was the damsel in distress reward for a successful romp through a series of castles, but here, Duke took it to another level.

Throughout the pre-release and especially after the public got their hands on it, one of the most talked about inclusions was a mode called 'Capture the Babe'. Y'know, like a spin on a more traditional 'capture the flag', but with a woman. Because to Duke and his developers, both flags and women are objects that can easily be carried and placed.

I say "developers", because the game was passed amongst many teams across its lengthy 15 year creation, and it seems not one of them ever took their heads out the sand to realise how incredibly offensive the portrayal of women in the game was going to be in a post-90s world.

All the same, Duke plays an important part in the evolution of games as a medium, and with his standing as one of the most recognisable early game heroes he acts as a perfect bookend to when the vast majority of these sorts of characters were put to bed.