While Soldier Of Fortune was far from the being the first game to feature graphic violence, or even to court notable controversy, it was the first to depict violence with such detailed realism.

After a cache of nukes is stolen from the U.S government, your mission is to travel around the around to find the weapons and prevent WWIII - killing as many henchmen as possible in the process. The gritty first person shooter focused on the gruff adventures of the impressively mustached John Mullins - a mercenary working for a shady organization known as The Shop. The controversial game didn't simply pave the way for more graphically violent games, but also kicked off a trend of topical military shooters which delve into real world conflicts. Unparallelled at the time for its depiction of violence, the game utilized a new engine named GHOUL - capable of depicting enemy dismemberment and specific weapon damage to different parts of the body. But, while such gore is frequent in games nowadays, this kind of black knight style evisceration can be traced back to Activisions 2000 shooter Soldier of Fortune. Its not particularly shocking - with the gore being exaggerated, as well as the fact that it's now common to see such graphic violence in a video game. One of the most enjoyable aspects of the game is its ridiculously over-the-top violence, with decapitated heads and bloodied limbs regularly flying through the air in satisfying slow-mo. Platform: PC/Dreamcast/PS2 Developer: Raven/Activision Release Date: March 27th 2000 Like many of you, Im currently playing my way through the addictive zombie survival RPG Dead Island.

Soldier of fortune magazine