In anticipation of the release of Konami’s truly deranged NeverDead, which allows players to tear off their own appendages and then use them to beat enemies, we decided to revisit some of gaming’s most memorable instances of digital dismemberment. And since we didn't want to deprive you of any of gore, we looked across all platforms and decades to bring you the most notoriously nasty moments of decapitation, severance, and general bodily destruction in games. 

Dynamic Strategic Dismemberment (Dead Space series) 
Severing limbs is not merely featured in EA’s flagship horror franchise, it is absolutely essential to your survival. Instead of aiming for enemies’ heads as you typically would in many survival-horror games, the most effective means of stopping Dead Space’s Necromorphs from killing you is by slicing off their disgusting appendages, which is referred to in the game as “dynamic strategic dismemberment.” To make matters even more grisly, you can further disfigure your undead aggressors once they’re on the ground by stomping them to bits with your feet.

Sub-Zero’s Spine Rip Fatality (Mortal Kombat series)
Isolating a single example of memorable dismemberment in Mortal Kombat is difficult as the series has been responsible for some of the most iconic executions in video-game history. But one of the most memorable fatalities is undoubtedly Sub-Zero’s classic finisher introduced in the very first game. During Sub-Zero’s “spine rip” fatality, the nefarious ninja uses his bare hands to effortlessly detach his weary opponent’s head from their torso…with their spinal column still attached to their severed head.

Double Leg Amputation (God of War III)
God of War’s savage antihero, Kratos, is a guy who generally gets what he wants by force. From disemboweling bad guys to gouging out their eyes, he has committed countless acts of brutality against his enemies. And in God of War III, Kratos claims Hermes’ coveted magical boots in one of the most shockingly graphic ways imaginable. After defeating the Greek messenger god in battle, Kratos uses his trusty blades to hack both of Hermes’ legs off at the knee, leaving him to writhe in agony in a pool of his own blood.

Beheading via Chainsaw (Resident Evil 4/Resident Evil 5)
Dr. Salvador is one of the Resident Evil series’ most formidable foes for one reason: Wandering too close to Resident Evil 4’s sack headed madman results in him sinking his gas-powered chain saw into your neck, and then lopping your head off. There isn’t much more traumatizing than the first time you run into the doctor and he decapitates you with lightning fast ferocity. A similar adversary also appears in Resident Evil 5, but unlike Dr. Salvador, the Chainsaw Majini can’t be knocked to the ground.

V.A.T.S. Violence (Fallout series)
Bethesda’s Fallout franchise is frequently applauded for its imaginative settings, storytelling, and so on. But the popular role-playing series’ explicit level of gore is arguably as impressive. Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas utilize a combat system called the V.A.T.S., or the Vault-Tech Assisted Targeting System. This nifty system allows you to slow down time to a crawl, target specific appendages with your weapon, and then watch as you blow them clean off in slow-motion.

Lancer Bifurcation (Gears of War series)
Epic Games’ Gears of War series has evolved in a number of ways over the years. One feature, however, has been present since the original game: the ability to use the lancer’s chainsaw bayonet to viciously slice enemies in half. Whether you’re playing Gears solo or online, there’s something so undeniably satisfying about running up to an enemy and sawing them into two slabs of flesh. It’s the go-to strategy when your lancer runs out of bullets and you don’t have time to reload.

Finger Severing (Heavy Rain, PS3) 
One of the most disturbing instances of dismemberment in games appears in Quantic Dream’s psychological thriller, Heavy Rain. While you don’t actually see it happen -- the camera pans away -- being forced to slice off your own finger in the game with a pair of scissors or a saw is, in some ways, more upsetting than any of the other cases mentioned in this list. At least there’s the option to take a few swigs out of a nearby flask before carrying out the terrible task.

Mutilating the Naked (Chiller, Arcade)
Years before the Saw films existed, and even before most video games presented players with the option to finish off enemies in an especially gruesome fashion, there was 1986's Chiller. The excessively bloody game functions similarly to many arcade shooters -- only instead of shooting at enemies running around on screen, your targets are mostly half-naked prisoners helplessly shackled to a variety of medieval torture devices you attempt to activate by shooting at them. Fun for the whole family.