Joystiq

Sometimes, all the relentless, in-your-face your-face-is-off violence really gets to us. There are moments when the barrage of bullets ripping through unprotected flesh, or the shuddering chainsaws carving through the bones of an enemy make us wonder if we haven't just become desensitized and bored with our favorite hobby. It's even more depressing when we have to go home and see it all again in our video games.

We'll be able to, as the old folks say, turn it down a notch in Gears of War 2, as MCV reports that Epic's M-rated must-see saw sequel will feature an optional gore filter. It's mainly meant to placate parents who are tolerant of frenetic gun battles and ruthless monster murder, just so long as sparks (and not blood) come flying out of the stumps. The filter is also said to replace the naughty words uttered by the game's motley bunch of macho men ("See you in heck, locust motherfluffers!").

As young lads who were constantly teased and foiled by Phantasmagoria's shocking M rating, we certainly approve of Microsoft's implementation of parental control. Mind you, if you're a kid with a copy of Gears of War 2, you've likely utilized powerful parental control already -- otherwise known as the tantrum.