Opinion: The Darkness - too gory?

EmOneGarand: If you’re a part of the Xbox scene as we are you no doubtly seen or heard about The Darkness, a game about a cop with demonic powers. I’ve seen some of the stuff you can do to the NPC’s in the game and I have to say it’s going WAY over the top. In one picture it shows one of the demon characters sawing a mans head off while he screams, some may say “cool” but those who are trying to find a way to shut down the video game industry will find this game to be some nice fuel for their fire.

Some great shots of this game (including the forementioned shot) can be found at IGN

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scott topic: Developers need to have the freedom to push the envelope in terms of violence, horror, shock, etc. If a part of their artistic vision in creating a game is to give realistic gore to terrify the player, they should be allowed to work without any confines to their creativity. It is the market that decides what is acceptable. Moralists decry Grand Theft Auto as being too violent, but the markets disagree, making it a top seller. If players find the experience unacceptable, they will not buy the game. It is soley up to the individual consumer to decide whether the offering of a developer is too violent.
Is The Darkness “over the top?” My grandparents wouldn’t play it, but the same guys who would sit around and watch a tree attack a woman or a guy walk through a crowd holding a lawnmower would certainly find some “over the top” violence to be entertaining.