AVP banned due to excessive gore.
In a move that is sure to anger the gaming community once again, the Office of Film and Literature Classification, otherwise known as the OFLC, has banned SEGA's latest game - Aliens vs. Predator.
While other games have fallen under the restrictive umbrella of the OFLC in the past due to drug use (Fallout 3) or adult themes, Aliens vs. Predator has been banned due to excessive violence in a similar manner to the recently-released Left 4 dead 2.
There's always the possibility that this game will have the offending content edited out to pass the OFLC's strict guidelines, but another refusal reinforces the incorrect idea that gamers are all children.
As explained to Gamespot, the OFLC sent through the reasons behind their decision:
The game contains first-person perspective, close-up depictions of human characters being subjected to various types of violence, including explicit decapitation and dismemberment as well as locational damage such as stabbing through the chest, mouth, throat, or eyes," the board report stated. "Characters can be stabbed with a Predator's wrist blade or an Alien's tail in depictions reminiscent of impalement. The Predator collects 'trophies' by explicitly ripping off human heads, their spinal columns dangling from severed necks. Heads can be twisted completely around in order to break a character's neck. Eyes can be stabbed through or gouged, leaving empty, bloodied eye sockets. "It is noted that a player is able to combine manoeuvres together in quick succession, which further increases impact; for example, a Predator can stab a character through both eyes with its wrist blade and rip off their head, with spinal column still attached. Extensive post-mortem damage, including decapitation and dismemberment, is also possible."
The game contains first-person perspective, close-up depictions of human characters being subjected to various types of violence, including explicit decapitation and dismemberment as well as locational damage such as stabbing through the chest, mouth, throat, or eyes," the board report stated.
"Characters can be stabbed with a Predator's wrist blade or an Alien's tail in depictions reminiscent of impalement. The Predator collects 'trophies' by explicitly ripping off human heads, their spinal columns dangling from severed necks. Heads can be twisted completely around in order to break a character's neck. Eyes can be stabbed through or gouged, leaving empty, bloodied eye sockets.
"It is noted that a player is able to combine manoeuvres together in quick succession, which further increases impact; for example, a Predator can stab a character through both eyes with its wrist blade and rip off their head, with spinal column still attached. Extensive post-mortem damage, including decapitation and dismemberment, is also possible."
There's not much that can be done now until SEGA decides what to do with their game, so keep tuned in for any news during the leadup to the game's release in February 2010.
Issue: 133 | February, 2012