Top 10 Best Mature Rated Video Games Ever
#10: “The Walking Dead” (2012)
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Video games based on existing media don’t always live up their title. But, the first season of this Telltale adventure proved worthy of sharing the “Walking Dead” name. Instead of offering yet another shoot-em-up in the crowded zombie genre, this episodic series focused on deep character relationships and engaging moral quandaries. It’s a testament to its outstanding writing that, at a certain point, the compelling dialogue choices end up more exciting than the zombie action. This title’s strong critical reviews and amazing sales almost single-handedly proved that the adventure was far from undead.
#9:“Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem” (2002)
If you want something that wastes no time throwing you into the action, this is for you. We aren’t kidding. As soon as the opening credits fade, you’re already shooting up monsters and piecing together mysteries. The relentless pace doesn’t sag a bit as the story travels through various characters, locales, and even time periods. It was the very first M-rated game published by Nintendo, and they totally delivered where it counts. The complex and ambitious narrative is downright terrifying at points. The resting paranoia means it's up to the player to figure out what’s going on, what’s fact or fiction, and most importantly, what real sanity even is.
#8:“The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth” (2014)
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Dark basement? Check. Biblical sacrifices? Check? Grotesque monster designs? Also, check. Believe it or not, that’s just in the first few minutes of the game. Players control the titular Isaac who narrowly escapes being sacrificed by his own Mother. Except, he does so by slipping into the basement, which is full of even more sinister horrors. This feels like the absolute pinnacle of roguelike gameplay, complemented by a well-realized artstyle and plenty of spine-tingling imagery. The procedurally generated dungeons and girth of post-launch support means it’s basically impossible to get tired of this game. Well, that is, if you can stomach its boss fights.
#7:“Conker's Bad Fur Day” (2001)
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Don’t let the fuzzy mascot fool you, this is no kid’s game. It’s got plenty of violence, vulgarity, and lewd jokes to more than earn its M rating. Though, even if you don’t read the box, that fact becomes increasingly clear since the whole story is about Conker drunkenly taking the very, very long way home. From there, the plot takes some absolutely nutty turns. And yet, it’s executed in a way that makes the absurdity fit right in with everything else. It’s a game that’s made to be laughed at, but the best part is that it’s totally in on the joke.
#6: “Resident Evil” Series (1996-)
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Across dozens of reboots, remakes, and adaptations, the one thing consistent about this zombie franchise is how entertaining it is. The continued refinement of its formula has kept it reigning at the very top of the action-horror genre for over twenty five years. Blasting zombies just never gets old, apparently. Recent installments have seen it lean more towards its horror roots, and the results have been terrifyingly awesome. Thanks to modern graphics and stronger stories, the series continues to expand its scope with more characters, more monsters, and more ways to scare players. You could say this saga is a literal bloody good time.
#5: “Red Dead Redemption 2” (2018)
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We can all agree that the first “Red Dead Redemption” is a near-flawless game, right? We only say “near” because its sequel gave us the same thing, but more of it, and it’s impossible to complain about that. The upgrade between installments was so much more than a graphical overhaul. It built upon the already phenomenal gameplay with a bigger world, a western aesthetic, and more player-choice than ever before. The engrossing story never gets in the way of exploring its expansive sandbox of a world. The staggering amount of freedom in each playthrough means there’s always a good reason to put on Arthur Morgan’s cowboy boots.
#4: “God of War III” (2010)
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Hell hath no fury like a Spartan scorned. Or, at least, that’s what this game argues. Suffice it to say, it succeeds in making players feel stupidly powerful as the vengeful Kratos. The combo-based gameplay that rewards mastery over mashing is still satisfying to this day. Incredibly, everything from the sound design to the smoothness of the controls has aged just as well. Out of all the Ghost of Sparta’s bloody crusades, nothing quite matches the carnage of the third mainline outing - in which Kratos brings death and destruction to Olympus on a ridiculous scale!
#3: “The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt” (2015)
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Three entries deep, and developers CD Projekt Red somehow managed to top themselves yet again. “The Witcher 3” isn’t just the culmination of the franchise; it feels like an exclamation point on the entire open-world genre. This game is worth full-price based on its graphical fidelity alone, but it also comes with engaging combat and an amazing storyline to boot. The barbaric lifestyle of the Continent also lends a uniquely violent flavor to the open-world. Few games out there may ever rival “Witcher 3” in sheer scale or ambition. But even in a world this big, the likes of Geralt, Yennefer, and Ciri all still stand out.
#2: “The Last of Us” (2013)
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When Joel agreed to escort Ellie across the post-apocalyptic United States, he probably didn’t expect to draw this much attention. There was simply no hiding the fact that this is one of the greatest games ever made. Its industry-defining visuals pushed the limits of what a game could look like, all the while delivering one of the medium's most impactful stories, ever. The success of Joel and Ellie’s inaugural trek spawned a sequel, a remake, a live-action series, and more accolades than there are infected. It just does that good of a job at painting a picture of what the disintegration of human civilisation would look like!
#1: "Grand Theft Auto" Series (1997-)
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Not many brands, period, can stay relevant for over twenty five years. Add in the intense controversy this series always finds itself in, and that’s even more difficult. But, despite its speed-bumps, it’s hard to think of a gaming franchise more influential than this. It’s the epitome of sex, drugs, and rock-and-roll, all revved into one undeniably awesome package. Most anything you see, you can do. Better yet, you can punch whoever you want along the way. We could go on, but its record-breaking sales and continued acclaim speak for itself. At this rate, the series won’t be slowing down any time soon.
