66 HUSTLER NOVEMBER

Video gaming was a relatively tame form of electronic entertainment untilthe mid-1980s. That’s when the groundbreaking games Doom and Quakeintroduced a controversial new element: violence.

As the technology evolved, it wasn’t just the games’ graphics thatbecame more realistic, so did the level of violence. This allowed gamers to

channel their aggressions in a way they never could in real life. A kill-or-be-killed storyline became the norm for all first-person shooters. Gore andblood are the big stars of today’s hottest gaming titles, and they fuel a fan-tasy world that has become a billion-dollar industry. Here are a handful ofgames that are perfect Halloween treats.

B Y K E I T H V A L C O U R T VIOLENT VIDEO GAMES

NOVEMBER HUSTLER 67

SSnniippeerr EElliittee VV22 ((550055 GGaammeess))Smack dab in the middle of World War II,you’re a highly trained killing machinesent to assassinate a group of evilGerman scientists. Along the way, you getto kill as many Nazis as possible. Thisultrarealistic first-person sniper game is ablood-and-bullets bonanza. The best fea-ture is the detailed “Kill Cam,” which letsyou see your bullet (and the damage itinflicts) just as it strikes a target’s body.

SSaaiinnttss RRooww:: TThhee TThhiirrdd ((TTHHQQ))The Saints Row series took the concept ofopen-world gaming to new levels of ultravio-lence. Nothing (or no one) is safe from yourwrath. Destroy cars. Punch old ladies in theface. Go ahead! It’s part of the game. In SaintsRow: The Third, you are a rock star criminalsurrounded by a seedy mix of hookers,junkies and thugs, all ready to fall victim toyour destructive tendencies. Start the killingusing the arsenal of weapons at your dispos-al. Our favorite is a giant purple dildo bat.

RReessiiddeenntt EEvviill:: OOppeerraattiioonnRRaaccccoooonn CCiittyy ((CCaappccoomm))

A deadly virus has turned the residentsof Raccoon City into a rotting army ofthe undead. Hack and slash your waythrough their decaying flesh to survive. Butalso beware: A sinister government militia(which may have unleashed the virus) ishunting you down as well. This is one placewhere knowing how to quickly decapitatesomeone will come in real handy.

AAlliiccee:: MMaaddnneessss RReettuurrnnss ((EEAA))This bloody-good game takes the classicfairy tale and flips it on its mentallyderanged ass. Play as Alice, a psychoticgirl trying to escape Wonderland, killingas she goes. Remember that CheshireCat blood doesn’t wash off so easily.

DDeeaadd IIssllaanndd ((DDeeeepp SSiillvveerr))What could be better than a nice vaca-tion on a tropical island off the coastof Papua New Guinea? It has palmtrees, warm breezes, bikini-clad babesand a big surprise: infected zombies.Zombies?! Man, they’re really gonnafuck up your getaway. Use whatever youcan to kill the undead horde as you andsome hot chicks fight for your lives.

Remember, violent video games are just that: games. They do not inspire the kind of heinous acts in the real world that would land theplayer on death row. If anything, they keep aficionados from murdering their bitchy wives and asshole bosses.

BBaattmmaann:: AArrkkhhaamm CCiittyy ((WWaarrnneerr BBrrooss..))

In Arkham Asylum, the previous Batmangame, the lunatics had taken over theasylum. In this sequel, they run the wholedamn city of Arkham, which has beentransformed into a giant prison camp.There, as Bruce Wayne, you’ll find all yourfavorite Batman villains commandingmobs of bat-wielding maniacs. You canhear the heads crack open and watch theskin melt away (in an acid tank) as you tryto escape from a man-made hellhole. Didwe mention there’s serious Catwomancleavage too?