8 Times Video Game Violence Went Too Far This Generation

Despite its overhead, cartoon presentation, the original Hotline Miami prided itself on being as bloody and as gory as humanly possible. When it came time to craft a sequel then, it was accepted that the developers would try to shock players even more than they did the first time around.

Creating an opening scene that cast you as a deranged killer about to murder a room full of goons, initially the beginning of the second game seemed like business as usual. The title played its hand at the end of the level though, making the player press the action button to begin sexually assaulting a female character they'd just wounded.

It's quickly revealed that what you're actually playing is part of a movie production rather than happening in real life, but it doesn't make the moment any less impactful. If anything it makes it worse, as it becomes clear that sexual assault is only being used as a cheap way to shock the audience.

Fake or not, making the player live out a rape scene in the game's opening soured Hotline Miami 2 for many before it had a chance to properly get going.