Grasshopper Interactive’s cult classic hack-and-slash game, No More Heroes, was notorious for its over-the-top violence and crude humor. Its protagonist, Travis Touchdown, was a foul-mouthed, katana-wielding assassin who would hack and slash his way through countless enemies. The game’s gratuitous blood and gore were so excessive that it would sometimes cause performance issues on the Nintendo Wii. However, this was only true for the North American version of the game.
The Japanese and European versions of No More Heroes had toned-down violence, with blacked-out stumps and pixelated death animations. This version of the game was more in line with the creator, Suda51’s, personal preference. While the censorship may have been a better reflection of the game’s intended style, it’s hard to deny that the gore was part of what made No More Heroes so appealing to its fans.
Number 5. The Last of Us
Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us has undoubtedly cemented itself as a modern classic, with multiple accolades, spin-offs, and even an HBO adaptation. However, it’s worth noting that the original game had some content changes for the European market. Specifically, the multiplayer mode had its violence toned down, making it impossible to decapitate or dismember opponents. Interestingly, these changes were only applied to the online mode and not the main story. Many speculate that the alterations were made to satisfy Germany’s strict regulations on violence in media. The only version of the game that hasn’t been subject to these changes is the PS5 remaster, as it doesn’t include a multiplayer mode at all
