Blood as an art form

Mortal Kombat usually makes headlines for its violent content and copious amounts of gore. Here are 5 games that can go toe-to-toe with Mortal Kombat in a blood-off (it’s like a dance-off with more red liquids involved).

1. Postal 2

It’s like watching a melon explode

Back in 2003, when there were controversies regarding Grand Theft Auto III and its effects on kids, Running With Scissors Inc. decided to release Postal 2. The gist of the game was that you were given tasks to do on a daily basis, but beyond those tasks, you could do whatever you want. This also includes peeing on or dismembering people through very creative means.

The gore in this game was just as memorable as the awful stereotypes of the people you’d be killing. As pictured above, your victims could have their heads explode into lovely blossom of brains and bits. If you used the chainsaw, appendages and blood would be flying everywhere as you sawed through the town’s populace. The game was banned in some countries for its graphic content but was later release online for free.

Speaking of chainsaws though...

2. Gears of War

This game got so bloody you sometimes couldn’t see what was happening

Gears of War was probably one of my favorite shooters, just because the entire game’s premise was to hop from cover to cover, put enough bullets into someone so they get into a down position, then execute them. If you didn’t feel like doing all of that, revving up your chainsaw bayonet and charging at people was a pretty good alternative.

Any of these options would lead to a satisfying explosion of gore. In fact, the only one that didn’t lead to enough blood to recolor your entire house was after using someone as a meatshield. In those situations, players were given a satisfying neck snap.  
 

3. Dead Space

This game really didn’t pull any punches when it came to blood

Dead Space follows Isaac, a futuristic engineer, as he struggles through a ship infested with undead monsters known as necromorphs and his own personal nightmares. As he claws for every inch of his dwindling sanity, the player is ambushed by hordes of necromorphs from every dark corner the ship has to offer.

This game was a dark exploration into the desperate struggles of a man trying to cope with depression. But the amount of gore players were subjected to was entertaining to say the least.    

4. God of War

Get ready for the spray in 3...2...1...

God of War was an interesting game for me. When I first played it, I thought it would just be another one of the many platformers that plagued the era like Rygar, Jack and Daxter, or Ratchet and Clank. But that thought changed the moment Kratos stepped out of his cabin, grabbed the nearest enemy and ripped him in half with his bare hands. That was the exact moment I realized, this game wasn’t going to be anything like those other games.

Sony carved a masterpiece out of the bones and blood of their enemies. The violence served to show just how angry Kratos was at his lot in life and how violent this take on Greek Mythology is.  

5. Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine

There’s nothing quite like turning Orks into red giblets

Space Marine was one of the most satisfying games on the market when it came to how it used blood and gore. In the game, you play as a superhuman space marine, endowed with super strength, speed and durability. The game would get beautifully bloody once you got your hands on the thunderhammer. From that point on, enemies explode into a puff of gore from the slightest touch; it was like walking through a water balloon gallery with a katana.

It’s Everywhere!

Blood and gore is extremely prevalent in games these days. I find that it’s difficult to find games that sell well without showering viewers in a carnival of body parts and extraneous fluids. But I’ve recently started to love games that either use blood in creative ways that add a lot to the game, or don’t use blood at all. It’s the latter point that makes Splatoon have such a novel feel to it.  

Have there been any games that you've played that have used gore in a creative way, or to emphasize an artistic point? Comment below with your answer.