“Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain” just moved one step closer to its launch on the Australian market, as the game just passed through the country’s official classification board, obtaining a rating for its content. The final verdict came as no surprise to anyone, as the game was given an “R18+” rating, which means that it will be an adult-only title.
This is easy to guess just from one quick look at the way previous games in the series have been structured, as well as the various previews for this title that we’ve seen in the media so far. According to the official classification, the game includes “high impact themes, violence and online interactivity”, all of which have added to its 18+ rating.
The game is full of mature content, from its violence to the language used by characters occasionally, and sex is also not a taboo theme for this franchise. It doesn’t have that much nudity, admittedly, but that’s barely a factor in the context of everything else – it’s clear that this game is no suitable title for teenagers and even younger children, so the Australian rating board have done their job in this case.
And while not many fans were surprised to see the rating, it’s actually the first time this has happened in the franchise. Many were expecting that this would be the final verdict, as they were looking at the various pre-release materials that have been posted so far. However, there was still some hope that the game would follow the trend set by its predecessors and receive a lower rating, giving it a wider market reach.
Some have been questioning if this is indicative of how the game is going to progress in the future. Is it going to become an adult franchise exclusively, or is this current installment an exception instead of the new norm? It’s not very easy to say right now, but Hideo Kojima seems intent on making this game significantly more violent than it was before. Whether that’s a good or bad thing, it remains to be seen – we can only assume that the violence has been implemented in a tasteful way though.
Kojima is a man who knows how to approach his games with style and a good touch, so he likely wouldn’t ruin this game by adding violence for no reason, and the gory scenes should all have their purpose in the new title. And yet, it’s hard to say if he’s just testing the waters or if this is how things are going to be in the franchise from now on.