ESRB gets literary with Left 4 Dead 2, Kamen Rider rating descriptions

Posted Oct 4, 2009 at 12:35AM by Mabie A. Listed in: Xbox 360, PC Gaming Tags: ESRB
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The ratings from ESRB for games Left 4 Dead 2 (Xbox 360, PC) and Kamen Rider are out, and needless to say, they've gone the unconventional route of providing rating descriptions with a whole lot of italics for emphasis, and ellipses for dramatic pauses.

The Left 4 Dead 2 description in the second paragraph says thus:

Bladed melee weapons and direct hits from rifles, shotguns, etc., cause decapitation or dismemberment; intense depictions include: piles of the Infected in a pool of blood along the roadside; intestines spilling out of abdominal wounds; zombie jibs shooting in all directions; charred innards; and skeletal bits and unclaimed torsos. While the litany of somewhat "gruesome" depictions attests to the Mature rating, the over-the-top onslaught is, in some ways, mitigated by the exaggerated menacing evil (camp?) of the drone-like zombie horde; the genre homage (horror, zombies, . . . cricket paddle) is palpable. Consumers might also wish to know that the game includes profanity, such as "sh*t," "as*hole," and "b*tch"; however, it is the intense violence, the blood and gore that are the primary factors for the Mature rating.



Left 4 Dead 2 - Image 1 


Here's another one, for Kamen Rider, this time:

"It'll end fast," declares a "Kamen Rider" moments before holding his defeated opponent in the air and showering him with explosions. Players control these robotic humanoid fighters in one-on-one or one-on-multiple combat with alien robotic creatures from another planet, or in this case, the Kamen Rider Dragon Knight TV series. Players constantly punch, kick, and use weapons (swords, axes, spears, spiked gloves) to deplete their opponents' health meter. Explosions, slashes, and hit effects can be seen and heard throughout battle. "Final Vents" (i.e., finishing attacks) can be used to defeat opponents, and range from melee attacks (e.g., jump kicks and pile drivers) to elaborate projectile attacks; for example, a motorcycle can be summoned to shoot fireballs and run over the opponent amid . . . more explosions.


Hey, it's the weekend, and we could use some "light-read" from the usually uptight ESRB, yes?



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Via Kotaku

 
 
 

Comments [refresh]

by HungrymaN - 2009-10-04 07:24
» The rating description for L4D2

Makes me want to buy it more

by Navani - 2009-10-04 08:22
» Hm

Do they do this for the parents of minors that buy games for their kids? If they're still buying games, even after the stores warn them (I know the stores here tell the parents content.. have for years), and they see the giant M in front of the game.. Well, games have been out long enough for parents to know, just calm down a little. Pretty soon all the M games will have their own little section, like pornos.



ALTHOUGH .. the description is pretty amusing! But honestly, a lot of people are going to overlook a wall of text.. maybe

by ShinseiTom - 2009-10-04 09:55
» Than that's their choice.

Parents have a choice to ignore the ESRB ratings and buy whatever they want for their children.



Whether that is a good choice or not is up to different people to come to a conclusion on. But by choosing to ignore the rating AND a nice thorough summary, they lose any right to complain about the violence, gore, and/or sexual content of a game later.



It's kinda like not reading the details of a contract and then complaining later that something isn't right, when on the front page in bold it said exactly what you're complaining about.



That's my take on the matter.

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