Dark Souls II — the dark, gritty, violent and (surely) difficult sequel to one of last generation’s most popular games — has been given a T rating by the ESRB, for some reason or another. Yes, you read that right; the gory RPG has been approved for a teen audience, as opposed to the mature audience that it was made for. Surely someone made a mistake. Right?
In the content description, blood and gore, mild language, partial nudity and general violence are all listed, signalling what is usually an automatic M rating. However, that’s not the case here, even though the rating summary talks about a beheaded snake boss, torture devices and barely hidden breasts.
Check it out for yourself:
This is a role-playing game in which players assume the role of an undead fighter in the realm of Drangleic. Players traverse dungeon-like settings and battle a variety of fantastical enemies (e.g., ghouls, zombies, skeletons, giant rats) to gain souls. Players use knives, swords, and arrows to defeat enemies. Combat is highlighted by cries of pain and small splashes of blood. Some locations depict instances of blood and gore: a giant snake boss holding its severed head; a giant boss creature composed of hundreds of corpses; dead ogres near a pool of blood; a torture device with streaks of blood. During the course of the game, a boss creature appears partially topless (e.g. hair barely covering breasts). The words ‘bastard’ and “pr*ck” can be heard in the dialogue.
It’s possible that the rating will be changed but it also may very well end up sticking. Only time will tell.
Dark Souls II will be released on March 11, and will be available for Windows PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Tell us, are you upset with the T rating?