Cringe-Worthy Gaming Scenes We Wish Never Happened

There was a time when video games could be played in public spaces and no one would bat an eye. Sure, games like Mortal Kombat and Leisure Suit Larry were under scrutiny for their depictions of violence and adult themes, but for the most part, games could be digested by the general public without too much trouble. But as digital diversions became more sophisticated and included epic narratives complete with cut-scenes, we started to see that not every moment in a game is all that palatable. We've grabbed some of the biggest offenders when it comes to making us cringe because of sheer awkwardness, corniness, or an unholy combination of the two. Be warned that spoilers are ahead. But really, just be warned that they're all pretty terribad.

This one isn't skeezy or grotesque in any way, but if you appreciate Mass Effect, the game's Krogan alien race, or good acting in general, this scene will make you cringe and then weep.

After two Krogans confront your character Ryder over a missing drive core, you spill the beans that Krogan 2 has been playing both you and Krogan 1 against each other. So the two Krogans come to blows! And "blows" refers to the sissiest sissy slap-fight this side of two middle-schoolers who don't want to get hurt. They start "punching" each other in the wimpiest manner imaginable, barely making contact. Even Ryder is bored. Luckily, most terrible fights don't last long, so Krogan 1 soon kicks Krogan 2 down, yelling at him to get out. And just like that, he does. A poor punch or two and an almost-as-poor kick was all it took to bring down a member of an alien race known throughout Mass Effect as being rough, tough fighting machines.

What's more, the voice acting was atrocious. In addition to all-around bad line-reading, Krogan 1 couldn't have been voiced any worse. He's supposed to be big, burly, and bad, but he sounds more like Bob Ross having a bad day. All in all, this scene would've worked better in the old days of gaming, when nobody had voices and graphics were too primitive for anyone to realistically fight.

Role-playing games can take us away to far-off places full of magic, excitement, colorful characters, and memorable moments. The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings is no different, and can actually offer more in terms of mature content. Sometimes, however, it misses its mark, like with the "Lesbomancy" scene, in which the mage Philippa tries to heal Saskia with a kiss on the lips. A dwarf named Skalen Burdon then quips, "My favorite type of magic: lesbomancy!" Our least favorite type of humor: dirty dad jokes.

We're going to go ahead and venture to say that this dwarf won't win any awards for wordplay, or being particularly punny. In a game that's full of good mature content, this lame remark on sexual orientation and magic just conjures up a facepalm from us.

Virtually everything in the Silent Hill series is creepy and cringy, but this brief scene might be the worst one. In Silent Hill 2, your character, James, is walking around a dark, terrifying mansion (like one does when visiting Silent Hill) when he comes across the Big Bad — Pyramid Head — for the first time. Pyramid is one of the scariest villains ever: a faceless, unfeeling monster who serves as a psychological symbol for James' guilt over his wife's illness, in particular his resentment and fear of her for it. As James put it, "I was weak. That's why I needed you ... needed someone to punish me for my sins."

But does Pyramid Head really need to showcase this by violently humping mannequins? Because that's exactly what he's doing the first time you see him. He's got two headless mannequins and he's mercilessly going to town on them. Pyramid's screams and roars only add to the cringe factor, as does the part where he senses James' presence and stalks him, dragging one of the violated mannequins along with him. We get it: you're a grotesque monstrosity who exists only to punish. But you still could've put yourself out there and found someone on OKCupid.

There's all kinds of cringe-inducing content in video games, but there's just something deeply embarrassing about this scene from Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain. In this portion of the game, we see the silent (and well-endowed) Quiet slink around and enjoy the rain, twisting her barely-clothed form around on a platform. We're given a look at her writhing from many different angles, while a woman vocalizes in the background and the sounds of splashing can be heard. Quiet decides to splash around some more, and even has a cutesy water fight with Big Boss for good measure. Trust us when we say, this is probably the most awkward video game sequence for you to be playing when your mom or roommate walks into the room.

This scene from the tactical espionage masterpiece known as Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater is like something out of a bad porno or a good Austin Powers movie. There are innuendos, double entendres, and jokes about snakes. What more could you want? There's also a sexy track that plays once the action starts up. Needless to say, you're not going to want others around when you play out this horrifyingly corny scene and its visuals.

It's impossible to make a fun, whimsical torture scene, but then, Outlast wasn't trying to. Your character, Miles, is captured by Rick Trager, a man affected with a disease that turned him into a cannibalistic lunatic. Trager beats Miles senseless then straps him to a wheelchair and prepares for the worst torture of all: cheesy lines like "Here we go, arms and legs inside the car at all times!"

Of course, there's also the physical torture. Trager, annoyed that you've been working with a preacher character, starts lecturing about God and money: "[People are] as likely to turn to God as anything else. God died with the gold standard, we're onto a more concrete faith now. You have to rob Paul to pay Peter. ... Murder is the simplest form, but what happens when all the money is gone? Well, money becomes a matter of faith, and that's what I'm here for — to make you believe!" With that, he takes a giant pair of scissors and slices through your fingers. Your screams (and the increasingly out-of-focus camera) sell your horrendous pain, which you must endure because Trager slaps you before you can pass out. He goes for the other hand, then finally leaves. When he goes, we get the disgusting coup de grace: Miles moaning in agony after seeing two fingers amputated with the bones sticking straight out. If you can't look at bloody human bones without gagging, skip this game and play Kirby instead.

The God of War series is famous for its incredible action, huge set pieces that rival those of Hollywood, and its wholly inaccurate portrayal of Greek Mythology. Everything about the games scream "spectacle" in the best possible ways. You're rewarded for your skills in combat and for having great reflexes, both of which are needed to bring down some of Kratos's more gargantuan foes. You're even treated to epic visuals during boss fights that feature choreography that would put many cinematographers to shame. It's a shame, then, that the titles also feature various sex-themed mini-games that task you with controlling Kratos as he engages in various attempts at quick-time-event coitus. While nothing is shown explicitly, there's always some kind of visual innuendo nearby like a fountain spewing water or a candle dripping wax that just makes us groan, and not in the good way. It would have been better if they left this kind of sophomoric humor out of our action games and just let us bash skulls in like civilized folk.