Even today, video games are no strangers to controversy, but some have still managed to turn more heads than others for their sensitive themes or sketchy business practices, but these seven modern games in particular were surrounded by a ton of controversy.
Fallout 76
While Fallout 76 can be applauded for its ambitious premise and design, many will always remember it far more for the controversies surrounding it.
The first multiplayer game entry in the long-running Fallout series, 76 was sold to players as a game populated entirely by players. Sans NPCs, they’d rebuild civilization in a post-apocalyptic West Virginia, battling mutated monstrosities side by side.
It was an exciting premise, and though early impressions of the game showed it had its fair share of issues to work out, players were hopeful the title would still be a worthwhile experience upon launch.
Unfortunately, things didn’t quite pan out that way. The servers for the game were limited, and several game-breaking bugs soured the experience for early adopters who bought the game immediately.
As a result, many looked to developer and publisher Bethesda for fixes and, in some cases, full refunds of the game. They were then met with a delayed response from the company, which only frustrated fans even more.
That’s to say nothing of the controversy around the game’s collector’s edition, which drew ire from those who purchased it for not including an advertised canvas bag with the version of the game.
To be fair, Bethesda has continues to work to make up for all of the issues caused by the game’s launch, but it’s a sore spot many Fallout fans and gamers aren’t likely to let go of anytime soon.
Anthem
Few controversies are as frustrating or depressing as those surrounding Anthem, if only because they show how mismanagement can ruin a game.
The latest title from BioWare, Anthem was anticipated as one of the biggest releases of 2019. A multiplayer looter shooter, it held great potential thanks to its traversal mechanics, art style and immense backing by publisher EA.
And yet, upon release, it was a complete mess. The game’s design was padded and lacking in content, while bugs made continuous play difficult for many and impossible for some.
Worse yet, the game had a staggered release, with some experiencing these issues before others did and readily sharing the grim news online before it saw its wider launch.
Those that picked up or pre-ordered the game were understandably upset, and wanted to know what went wrong during the game’s development.
Sadly, they got their answer in an investigation by Kotaku. From mismanagement to technical issues caused by the game’s engine, everything that could go wrong did, leaving BioWare with little option other than to put out a broken game.
This only increased tensions between customers and the game’s creators, and while EA and BioWare continue to make fixes to the game, it remains one of the biggest disappointments and controversies in recent memory.
Grand Theft Auto V
The Grand Theft Auto series is no stranger to ruffling people’s feathers, but Grand Theft Auto V saw itself embroiled in some of the strangest and most shocking controversies tied to the series to date.
Shortly after release, the game made national headlines for its “By the Book” mission, which sees players torture a suspected terrorist in a myriad of ways. This includes waterboarding, extracting teeth and electrocution.
Many were shocked and offended by the mission’s inclusion, pointing to its graphic portrayal of the torture and the fact that the game empowered players to carry out the act as several steps too far.
And yet, there were also those on the other side of the spectrum who defended the mission, saying its graphic portrayal was necessary to convey the atrocity of torture and the satire inherent to the mission and game as a whole.
The game likewise sparked a fierce debate on the misogynistic portrayal of women in the series, with its female characters acting largely as sex symbols, mission objectives or side characters who remain on the sidelines.
Several critics and video game writers brought this point up in their reviews, sparking a heavy backlash from fans of the game and igniting a widespread discussion of the hostility inherent to critique in the gaming community.
These controversies have admittedly died down as the years have passed, but the game still more than earned its place at the table among Rockstar’s most infamous releases.
Star Wars Battlefront II
If you’re like the majority of gamers, you probably know Star Wars Battlefront II as the poster child of microtransactions, and its almost certainly because of the controversy surrounding its launch.
Touted as an improvement in every way over the lackluster first Battlefront, Battlefront II saw heavy anticipation from fans of Star Wars and online shooters alike.
The graphics would be better, the online modes would be more expansive, and it had the support of the newest crop of Star Wars actors for good measure.
Unfortunately, upon release, critics and players found the experience irredeemably hobbled by the inclusion of microtransactions.
Going much further than simple cosmetic bonuses, players could pay to progress through the game’s ranking system almost immediately, giving them an advantage against other players in competitive modes.
Primary features of the game like characters and classes were likewise blocked by paywalls, only unlock able with dozens of hours of playtime unless they coughed up more money in addition to the game’s initial price tag.
Needless to say, people were furious, passing up on the game and actively speaking out against its practices online.
The controversy became so bad it made national headlines, forcing EA to do damage control and remove microtransactions from the game for an extended period until they could re-implement them in a way that players were satisfied with.
Marvel’s Spider-Man
Few games have run the gamut from silly controversies all the way up to slightly serious ones regarding its themes, but that’s exactly what happened with Marvel’s Spider-Man.
In the final weeks leading up to the title’s release, many fans began to point out how the game’s finished product looked to be graphically downgraded from its initial reveal footage.
For proof, they pointed to the lack of puddles in areas shown in the first reveal trailer versus the final gameplay trailer shown for the game, which both covered the same segment.
The “Puddlegate” controversy took the internet by storm, with discussions of concessions made during development and other titles that saw graphical downgrades from their initial reveals.
However, Spider-Man eventually found itself cleared of the criticism upon release, with many seeing the change as minor in the grand scheme of the game’s graphical presentation.
And yet, its release also saw a new controversy emerge; that being that its portrayal of police officers was out of touch.
Whereas debates were ongoing in the U.S. about police brutality and oppressive practices against minorities, the game saw Spider-Man actively aiding a friendly police force in monitoring New York’s citizens and joking about wanting to be a cop himself.
This controversy proved to be a more lingering issue, with many carrying on the debate over its portrayal long after the game’s launch.
Red Dead Redemption 2
It takes a lot to overshadow a nearly-perfect game’s release, but the controversy surrounding Red Dead Redemption 2’s development almost did just that.
Shortly before the game’s release, developer Rockstar’s co-founder Dan Houser let slip in an interview that members of the development team had put in 100 hour work weeks to get the game to where it was.
Though he later clarified the statement, this sparked the curiosity and alarm of many in the gaming community. Especially given the prevalence of “Crunch” overtime, there were calls to look into just how intense the work conditions were at Rockstar.
A possible answer came via an investigative piece by Kotaku, which detailed accounts from members from several areas of Rockstar’s development team speak out about harsh work conditions that included excessive and continuous overtime.
Following the report, Rockstar disputed many of these claims, but according to Kotaku, the overtime policy was later altered by Rockstar.
Though the controversy did little to mar the commercial and critical success of the game, it was a spark that furthered the debate about proper labor practices in the gaming industry, and how crunch time can be better avoided or eliminated.
The Last of Us
At what point does violence cross the line from selling a game’s themes and become too gratuitous?
This was the question at the heart of the controversy surrounding The Last of Us, Naughty Dog’s narrative driven action game released near the end of the 7th console generation.
While many agreed that its writing, graphics and performances were all on the level of a masterpiece, a consistent sticking point was the way it reveled in violence and saw players engage in extremely violent acts.
This included burning human enemies alive, bashing people’s heads in with bricks and otherwise killing non-hostile characters in visceral, uncensored ways.
It didn’t sit well with quite a few people, and sparked a renewed debate on violence’s role in video games and when it can cross a line.
Though the discussion regarding the series died down in recent years, it’s never entirely gone away.
Upon the reveal of a trailer for The Last of Us Part II’s in 2017, and some particularly violent segments intended to be included in the game, the controversy of how integral violence really is to the series was renewed.
Updated: Jul 24, 2019 12:33 pm