Well this came out of nowhere for a game that a think few people knew about until now.
Risen, the upcoming RPG from Gothic developer Piranha Bytes, has been refused classification in Australia and thus will not be available for sale in the country. The website Refused Classification is reporting that the main reason behind the games banning in Australia is because the game contains rampant drug use and implied sex. While the Australian ratings board never discloses why they refuse classification here's the ESRB's summary for the game to give you an idea:
Risen
Platform: Windows PC, Xbox 360
Rating: Mature
Content descriptors: Blood, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Drugs, Violence
Rating summary: This is a role-playing game (RPG) in which players control a castaway on a Medieval island. Players can explore the island, interact with its inhabitants, solve quests for the people, and kill various monsters along the way. Players can use swords to attack characters, including bystanders, resulting in brief splashes of dark red blood. During the course of the game, players can interact with prostitutes (referred to as "whores" in the game) at a local brothel. Players can trigger a lengthy dialogue to engage in their services; sexual activity is strongly implied, but never depicted on screen. Many of the characters in the game smoke a fictional drug called "brugleweed." The "wood reefer" plant is described as having a mild relaxing effect on users, and can be bought, sold, and used by players. Some profanity (e.g., "f*ck" and "sh*t") can be heard in the dialogue.
This make Risen the third (if unlikely) game to be refused classification in Australia, previously banned games for this year include Necrovision and Sexy Poker .
Risen
Game » consists of 4 releases. Released Oct 02, 2009
Risen is an action-RPG from Piranha Bytes. It takes place on a tropical island.
Risen Has Been Banned in Australia
"What game doesn't have any of those pieces of content now? They may as well bad gaming there all together.
Risen
Platform: Windows PC, Xbox 360
Rating: Mature
Content descriptors: Blood, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Drugs, Violence
" @Seedofpower: That's my main problem with the ESRB, their content descriptors are vague on how severe the content is. When I went to the ESRB's website I found that both Leisure Suit Larry: Box Office Bust and Prototype have the Blood and Gore content descriptor but both games have a varying degree of intesntiy with that content. But someone who is reading the rating label only would have no idea that the games present that content in different ways. This just seems ineffective and incorrect in informing the populace about what is in a game. "
i agree. i personally never look at the ratings on the games, probably because i usually have a really good idea of what the game is before i buy it. for people who do though, i think they should rate each category from 1 to 10 on the box. like: Blood and Gore - 10; Sexual themes - 7; etc.
As a native antipodean i have to agree with this ruling, as all the children in our country will copy the questionable contents of this piece of filth game. Set your minds back to 1997 when Turok the Dinosaur Hunter was released, a year later our native Dinosaur population was hunted to extinction.
Sometimes I'm proud to be Australian.
Other times, such as this wonderful piece of blinkered, Dark Ages thinking, I can smell the smoke as it curls out of my ears. Hell, I don't even know anything about this title and in likelihood won't buy it. But I at least want the chance to ignore it!
What is wrong with this country sometimes? We're supposed to be a nation of hard living and resilient people, and yet these days everyone apparently has to be wrapped in cotton fucking wool. Gah.
" @RHCPfan24 said:I 100% agree with you. i made a post a few months ago (can't find it now) of a bunch of examples between the awesomeness of PAL and the horridness of North American box art. ICO was an example." Poor Australia, they seem to get the shit's end of the stick when it comes to game releases. "Poor America, they seem to get the shit's end of the stick when it comes to box art.
But seriously, importing God of War III is looking more and more likely. "
" After reading that description I really want to play this game now. I haven't played an RPG with rampant drug use like this since Morrowind. Ah.... Sweet sweet skooma... "You'll love the first Gothic (the series to which this is a spiritual successor). One of the factions you can join are a bunch of pot-smoking religious fanatics.
The Sleeper will... awaken.
" @Cerza said:Sweet I will check this out. I never played Gothic 1. I tried Gothic 2 for a bit, but couldn't get into it for some reason. Anywho, thanks for the tip! I'm gonna hunt down a copy of this game." After reading that description I really want to play this game now. I haven't played an RPG with rampant drug use like this since Morrowind. Ah.... Sweet sweet skooma... "You'll love the first Gothic (the series to which this is a spiritual successor). One of the factions you can join are a bunch of pot-smoking religious fanatics.
The Sleeper will... awaken. "
If you want it for cheap downloadable they have it on GOG.com, for like ten bucks if I remember correctly. For frame of reference, it's very similar to Gothic 2 in gameplay (though the sequel is a little more streamlined), but Gothic 1 has a superior setup and story. Of course, if you really didn't like the second one you probably won't like the original either. The interface is an acquired taste, but once you get used to it it's a lot more fun than most RPGs.
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