5. The German And Japanese Versions Of MW2 Won't Let You Harm Civilians
The Call of Duty series has always courted controversy, from allegations of causing violence in children to accusations of dumbing down the industry. However, it was with the release of Modern Warfare 2 in 2009 that Call of Duty controversy hit its climax. The most notorious section in the Modern Warfare 2 campaign involves the player being in the shoes of an undercover CIA agent, as he infiltrates a Russian terrorist organisation. The level in question, named 'No Russian', allowed players to take part in a massacre of unarmed civilians at an airport. The developers knew the scene would be controversial and, despite the player not actively being required to take part in the shootings, Modern Warfare 2 asks players at the start if they would like to skip the level. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NMnnMRWJ-0 In Russia, the level was completely cut, while in Japan and Germany the mission is restarted if the player kills a civilian. Interestingly, the Japanese version featured a mistranslation, turning "Remember, no Russian" into "Kill them, they are Russians". Considering how central the level was to the game's main plot, this made for a lot of confused Japanese gamers.