The topic lends itself to a wide range of interpretation. If you're thinking tasteless in terms of mature-rated content, then titles like Manhunt, Grand Theft Auto, Saint's Row and Blitz: The League could be considered tasteless. Games that sexualise women could also be classified as tasteless, of course - The BloodRayne series and Tomb Raider franchise immediately come to mind when we think of these sorts of titles.
Tasteless games could also be titles that were extremely poor or unnecessary; games like Crazy Frog Racer, Smarties: Meltdown, 50 Cent: Bulletproof and Elf Bowling could all be considered extremely tasteless and definitely unnecessary. Then there are the titles that are just simply inappropriate. Games like Postal, Ethnic Cleansing, KZ Manager and Beat 'Em and Eat 'Em all come to mind. These titles have never even been seen on store shelves in Australia, so if Mark Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure is refused classification, then these titles never had a chance.
Keeping in mind just how differently some people define tasteless we decided that, rather than try and restrict the voting, we'd leave it open to our staff to vote on any titles they've personally found tasteless. We're aware there are plenty more games that could be regarded as tasteless, but these are the top five that our staff voted for. Agree with our choices? Disagree? Let us know in the forums.
5: Dead of Alive: Xtreme Beach Volleyball Series
Making the game seem that little more sleazy and voyeuristic, you're even able to zoom in on the girls for a better look. Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball's successor contains very similar content, but this time you can spy on the girls in high definition. David thought Dead or Alive: Xtreme Beach Volleyball was one of the most tasteless games ever released because, "The game has no reason to exist apart from being some slightly playable extension of soft porn. The games are technically not the worst games of their kind, but they're made by a major developer, have had a lot of resources and promotion devoted to them, and have been positioned in the market by one of the major hardware manufacturers"
4: Postal Series
The game has spurred a lot of controversy, mainly due to its extreme violence and stereotypes. There's an arcade game called "fag hunter", and if you walk into the local convenience store, you'll notice the owner of the store speaks in a stereotypically Indian accent. The game is also extremely violent - you can decapitate people and use a stun gun to force them to urinate on themselves. The OFLC may not always do the right thing by Australian and New Zealand gamers, but they certainly made the right choice banning this "game".
3: Grand Theft Auto Series
Further additions to the series became embroiled in issues such as racism, the objectification of women and - most recently - the glorification of the criminal lifestyle (as seen in GTA:SA). While the “Hot Coffee” scandal provoked fury from the likes of Jack Thompson and Californian grannies, and some cheap laughs for stoners and twelve-year-olds, the majority of gamers simply deemed it unnecessary. Whether you love it for its open-ended gameplay, or hate it for its dodgy controls, you have to admit: it does push the tasteless envelope. - Jeremy
2: The Guy Game
A few months after the game's release, a lawsuit was brought against the developers (Top Heavy Studios) as one of the female contestants featured in the game was only 17 at the time of filming. The game was eventually pulled from shelves and its sale prohibited. The developers eventually released a DVD of their original footage, but have since gone broke. Nev thought The Guy Game was tasteless because, "The game is a no-brainer. Literally. Hire some college girls to flash their assets for the camera and string it together under the guise of being some kind of trivia game. It was like a precursor to Buzz: the Musical Quiz... Except with breasts. And not fun. Unlike many of the other games considered for the list, which have at least a modicum of redeeming gameplay, The Guy Game is, by definition, without taste. I don't know who should be most offended - the girls being objectified, or the fact that the developers believe us "guys" would consider this tripe entertainment."
1: BMX XXX
BMX XXX is a bike game, but instead of rewarding you with a tonne of unlockable levels or gear when you complete a challenge, you're awarded a video featuring a stripper from the famous strip club franchise, Scores. With this game, hundreds of pre-pubescent boys had access to strip scenes straight through their home console. Unsurprisingly, the game itself was just embarassingly terrible as well, with in-game jokes that were juvenile at best, while the game itself was a chore from beginning to end. Only a few years after publishing BMX XXX, Acclaim Entertainment filed for bankruptcy.
PREVIOUS:
Top 5 Gaming Characters | Top 5 Tasteless Games | Top 5 Games unreleased in PAL regions
at the Guy Game. What the hell were they thinking? Same goes for BMX XXX.
Guess that kid spent the next few months spanking it over his PS2
)
Loading...
