This is a list of video games considered controversial. The list includes games that have earned controversies for violence, sexual content, LGBT themes, racism, and review bombing from fans. Some of the video games on this list have been banned or regionally censored.
Falsely accused by evangelical blogger Kevin McCullough of containing "rape and sodomy", which later led to the removal of McCullough's blog entry on Townhall.com. The game was featured on the Fox News Channel following the controversy,[16] with host Martha MacCallum, which included the headline "full graphic sex".[17] The game was briefly banned in Singapore due to the controversy.[18] In actuality, the game's most explicit content is an indirect "sideboob" shot of a humanoid alien breast.[19]
While critically acclaimed overall, the ending of Mass Effect 3 was highly criticized as, among other issues, rendered all the decisions players had made in the trilogy, carried over through save files, moot, in contrast to marketing material BioWare had put forth for the game.[20] Due to a large reaction from the player base, BioWare released free downloadable content that provided a more cinematic ending sequence that addressed some of these concerns.[21]
Other controversies included the release of Mass Effect 3: From Ashes as day-one paid DLC;[22] public outrage over the alleged link between the series' in-game combat violence to the perpetrator of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, which was eventually debunked;[23][24] and the portrayal and representation of women as well as sexual minorities.[25][26][27][28][29][30]
In a preview, Eurogamer commented: "It's difficult to understand why there's so much controversy surrounding MadWorld when the violence is so very Tom and Jerry... It really is hard to be offended... because it's just so ridiculous."[145]
On March 10, the National Institute on Media and the Family issued a press release expressing its disappointment in Nintendo for allowing MadWorld to be released on the Wii.[146]