The Last of Us Part 2 is a brutal story filled with unfair turns accompanied by visceral violence. The narrative truly breaks new ground in the medium. However, it certainly is not the first game to create a pit in players' stomachs and make them wince. The following games below create similar levels of discomfort to varying results.
A couple of these proved controversial, with many gamers arguing that they were more exploitative than innovative. While the execution may sometimes be off, these titles are at least commendable for trying to push the medium's boundaries and prove games are more than just a good time.
Updated on October 12, 2021, by Jason Wojnar: The Last of Us Part 2 has been out for more than a year and is still looked back on fondly. Many see it as one of the best games of the generation.
With the release of the PS5, it received a patch letting it run on the console at 60 frames per second. It was also released on PS Now, letting subscribers to the service either stream or download it to the console. With these updates, we thought it appropriate to revisit this list with more games equally or even more disturbing than The Last of Us Part 2.
13 Manhunt
Even by the standards of Rockstar games, Manhunt is a disturbing title. Players are forced to go hunt these NPCs for the satisfaction of a director making snuff films.
The technology powering Manhunt is now quaint, so it does not look as brutal as it did back in 2003. Back in the day, however, the game proved just as controversial as Grand Theft Auto. There was a sequel a few years later which was similarly violent.
12 12 Minutes
The newest game on the list, 12 Minutesturned off a lot of players by the brutality it forces them to inflict upon other NPCs and the ridiculous plot twists.
It would not be so bad if the game controlled better or if the time loop didn't force players to repeat actions constantly. Maybe players would be better-served judging 12 Minutes for themselves, but anyone going into it should know the game tackles some taboo subjects.
11 Hatred
This game caused controversy upon its announcement simply because of the concept. A nihilistic protagonist just goes around and annihilates everyone in his path.
It is far from the first game to let players kill innocent people, but the fact that it is the main goal raised some red flags. Reviews were not particularly kind to it, either, so most agree the discomfort of the game's objectives is not worth it.
10 Hotline Miami
The two games making up this franchise sport primitive graphics from an isometric perspective. However, the retro look does not make the gallons of blood and piles of bodies any less grotesque.
The hypnotic soundtrack and extreme difficulty paired with quick restarts make for an addictive gameplay loop. The enigmatic narrative also lends to the uncomfortable atmosphere, causing the player to question why they are massacring tons of goons.
9 Grand Theft Auto 5
Grand Theft Auto 5 is largely a good time and the violence rarely packs a punch due to the darkly comedic tone. However, a few scenes with Trevor Philips manage to make gamers' skin crawl.
One particular mission has the player torture an innocent man in a minigame. The moment is a commentary on the futility and cruelty of torture, but it does not make the segment any easier to play.
Initially released in 2013 for PS3 and Xbox 360, the game's immense popularity has carried on through the PS4 and Xbox One generation to the point where it is now receiving a new release for the PS5 and Xbox Series X. It is coming out in 2022, though details on the exact improvements are still scarce.
8 Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare
The 2019 Modern Warfare reboot marketed itself as being a more grounded entry in the series meant to tell a more emotionally impactful story.
The flashback mission showing a young girl and her brother survive a Russian attack on her city is certainly hard to stomach, but the gamification of it drew some ire. Similar complaints were addressed towards a waterboarding scene during a different segment of the campaign.
The franchise is still marching on with its annual release schedule, though Modern Warfare still stands as one of the most celebrated entries in the series. The battle royale mode is also going stronger than ever, receiving updates based on that year's game.
7 I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream
This adventure game, based on a Harlan Ellison short story, follows a group of unlucky humans who are subjected to endless torture and torment for an eternity at the hands of a sentient supercomputer.
I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream has several endings, a couple of which are actually positive, but the whole idea is pure nightmare fuel, and most of the endings result in continued eternal agony for at least one character.
6 Silent Hill 2
Silent Hill 2 is more effective than most other survival horror games. It eschews the jump scares typical to the genre in favor of psychological scares and shock at the revelations surrounding the main character and his deceased wife.
The cast of supporting characters James Sutherland meets on the way and their stories also contribute to the overall feeling of dread. It also didn't help that back in 2001, Silent Hill 2 was one of the best-looking games at the time.
The series has sadly been out of the spotlight for many years. However, recent mumblings and publisher Konami's promise to get back into triple-A game development has fans hoping that a series revival will come soon.
5 Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus
The two new Wolfenstein titles, The New Order and The New Colossus, surprised gamers with their emotionally impactful story. BJ Blazkowicz's journey through this dark alternate history manages to combine a somber tone with haphazard shootouts.
The New Order features a level where the player infiltrates a concentration camp, filled with all the horrors one would expect to find in such a place, while the second game takes place in a conquered United States and deals with the country's history of bigotry and antisemitism.
4 Spec Ops: The Line
Spec Ops: The Line looks like a dime-a-dozen military shooter on the surface, but players soon discover the journey through a ruined Dubai is more than they bargained for.
One particular scene has the player use white phosphorous to clear combatants. When they walk through the area, they discover that the white dots they were targeting were mostly refugees. This and several other moments are a comment on how indiscriminately violent some games encourage players to be.
3 Telltale's The Walking Dead
In typical Telltale fashion, The Walking Dead is all about making decisions. In a zombie apocalypse, most of these choices are extremely difficult and result in death and heartache.
In the first season, the main character is bitten and must choose whether or not to chop off his arm in hopes of preventing the infection's spread. Then, the perspective moves to a little girl who must choose whether to kill their caretaker or leave them to become a zombie.
2 Max Payne 3
Like a fish out of water, Max Payne 3's titular character deals with the worst of the worst in Brazil as he is thrown into a criminal conspiracy of which he has little understanding.
What starts out as saving a kidnapped woman turns into a narrative about human trafficking and a corrupt police force. On top of this, kills are depicted in gruesome detail as one of the generation's best-looking titles.
1 Metal Gear Solid 5: Phantom Pain
Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain includes several shocking moments testing players' stomachs. One particular chapter forces Venom Snake to rid Mother Base of a deadly parasite by entering a quarantined section of the base and killing all the infected soldiers.
Some beg for their life, others simply salute their commander while awaiting death. Others tell Snake to make it quick and will do the deed themselves if the player waits too long, calling Snake a coward.
While the Metal Gear franchise has been quiet for years, series creator Hideo Kojima has been hard at work. His 2019 science-fiction epic Death Stranding polarized gamers, but it is an undeniably original work.
The Last of Us Part 2 came out on June 19th, 2020 for PS4. A PS5 patch is available for PS5 owners.