AATG writes:
"There have been numerous videogames over the years that have courted controversy for the extreme violence they portray. Yet ironically, the types of games in question are typically labelled 'mature' in very deliberate inverted commas because they're usually anything but. And in actual fact, the word mature when applied to a videogame these days, generally means it will be loud, raucous, obscene and aimed at giggling teenagers who like nothing more than abusing all and sundry over Xbox Live with their racist and homophobic insults. But then occasionally, a game comes along that pushes the boundaries and uses violence as a very deliberate vehicle for delivering its narrative or subtext. Only very occasionally mind.
The point is that violence can be humourous and comical, it can be hard hitting and affecting and it can also be visceral and downright gratuitious. And videogames allow us to experience, interact and often initiate extreme violence safely and responsibly - though that might well be an oxymoron."
