Major upcoming horror game banned in Australia before it's even released
When it comes to iconic horror video game franchises, you tend to think of the greats like Resident Evil, Castlevania, and Silent Hill. Konami owns the latter two, but unfortunately, both are accused of being left to rot in the great video game graveyard.
There hasn't been a new Castlevania since 2014, while Silent Hill hasn't had a mainline entry since 2012. We've seen something of a resurgence in Silent Hil video games, with the interactive Silent Hill: Ascension, Silent Hill: The Short Message, and a remake of 2001's beloved Silent Hill 2.
Up next is Silent Hill f, and although it doesn't have a release date, it looks like a return to form as a 'proper' Silent Hill outing. We're expecting an even more violent adventure, with the game being the first of the series to be rated 18+ in Japan.
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Its ESRB rating mentions people 'getting their faces ripped apart', as well as "a character burned alive inside a cage; a woman branded by a hot iron; entrails and sinew displayed on serving platters in fantastical celebration/ceremony; a character sawing off her own arm; a character slicing off portions of a character's face during a ritual."
Konami even included a disclaimer on Silent Hill f's page, noting: "If you feel uncomfortable at any point while playing, please take a break from playing or speak to someone you trust."
While Konami looks set to up the violence this time around, there are fears that Silent Hill f has been banned in Australia.
It comes after reports that the Australian Classification Board had refused to rate the game in the country. It should be noted that Konami doesn't distribute its own games locally in Australia, and while the Australian Classification Board originally gave Silent Hill f an RC rating (refused classification), a look at the site shows that the listing has been removed altogether.
Although many think it's simply a case of just not being rated yet, it should be pointed out that one previous entry has been banned in Australia, with 2008's Silent Hill: Homecoming not going on sale until it was released in a censored state a year later.
When discussing Silent Hill f's potential ban in Australia over on Reddit, many said it's likely to do with the game's depiction of drugs. The country is famously against the promotion of drugs in video games, which is likely why the ACB is holding off on rating Silent Hill f.
The likes of F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin and even Fallout 3 were refused the maximum MA15+ rating in Australia.
There have been more recent changes, with the more recent introduction of the R18+ rating category, and assuming that Silent Hill f will eventually get released in Australia, it will almost certainly be targeting that rating.