More or less, my being bothered by the injuries/deaths sustained by the played character is inverse to how capable they are, and how violent they are.
Lara Croft isn't really much different than Franklin from GTA. Lara is very capable from the get-go, and her ability is hand in hand with my ability to use those abilities. If she dies, it's my fault.
Of course I'm kinda squeamish in general, so some of the over the top stuff did bother me.
Now, in no more heroes 2, or what ever it's called, it's been a while, there's 2 women in bikinis that exist solely to be thrown at you, cut up, then ground up in a clash between the boss, and the protagonist. I'm all "Wtf?" The women are never seen before. They have no lines, their models don't even move, as far as I know.
A female pilot in a game helps transport you around. Can't play as her, she never fires a bullet as far as I know, but she gets blown up, and killed in the end, likely to help justify the ass beating on the final boss you were already going to beat up anyhow. I'm like "wtf?"
I guess it's so she can't air lift you out in the end, adding tension in the big escape, but it's kinda lame, still.
I don't like it when characters are arbitrarily thrown away in general, though. I don't need it as justification, my goal's to beat the boss no matter what.