Australia Ratings Board Blocks F.E.A.R. 2

Monolith Productions’ upcoming horror themed first-person shooter F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin has been refused classification in Australia, effectively banning the game from sale. Due to be released in February by Warner Bros., the original game was praised for its mix of standard shooter elements and horror sequences inspired by Asian movies like The Ring. The original was given an ‘M’ for mature rating in the U.S., with similar equivalent ratings granted in other countries. The Australian Classification Board and Classification Review Board currently offers no information on specifically why the sequel has been refused classification; Australia again proves one of the strictest countries around the world in terms of age ratings. The inflexibility stems from the lack of an R18+ rating for video games, despite the age rating being available for non-interactive media. As a result, the highest possible rating for a video game in Australia is MA15+. Several attempts have been made to introduce a R18+ rating for games, so far without any success. Recent games initially refused classification in the country include Fallout 3, Dark Sector, Silent Hill: Homecoming and Shellshock 2: Blood Trails. All of these titles were later censored to meet the MA15+ restrictions, but it is so far unclear whether Warner Bros. will pursue a similar policy with F.E.A.R. 2.