As it happened with GTA V back in 2014, Outlast 2 is the latest game to have caused an outrage in Australia. And developer Red Barrel’s game has been refused classification by the Australian Classification Board (the Aussie equivalent to the ESRB) due to its rather violent content.
And this is certainly not a game for the squeamish as it not only features graphic violence and blood, but it is several scenes in the game in which sexual violence is implied that led to the game being refused classification according to Kotaku. A ritualistic sex scene in the game pushed the censors overboard, meaning the game is now stuck without a rating.
The fact that the game has been refused classification means it’s de facto banned in the country, something that some may find surprising taking into account that the game’s demo was OK with the censors an earned an R18+ rating in the Land of the Kangaroo.
This is a pity taking into account that the first Outlast was actually a fine first-person horror game which got some pretty good reviews back in 2013. Australian gamers won’t get to play the sequel for the time being though, but it is expected that game creators Red Barrels make changes to the game so that it can receive a rating and go on sale soon enough.
This is not the first time a video game has ended up being banned in a country, and the likes of Mortal Kombat and Heavy Rain got the ban hammer in countries like South Korea and the United Arab Emirates due to violence and sex back in the day. Also, the Australian censors took a jab at Dennaton Games’ Hotline Miami 2 game due to one infamous scene which depicted sexual assault. The game is yet to receive a rating in the country.
But hopefully Outlast 2’s creators will make the necessary changes to the game so that it can receive a rating and be enjoyed by Australian gamers too, as this first-person horror game could end up being a good follow-up to the original game from 2013 when it launches later this year.