The OFLC refused classification for the game which meant it couldn’t be sold to Aussie gamers, but Warner Bros. weren’t about to rest with that decision.
They appealed to the Review Board who agreed with them that the game did meet criteria for MA15+ certification, and what’s more nothing has been cut or modified.
The OFLC wasn’t too pleased with the decapitations and rivers of blood in the game, as they originally noted in their report: ”The violence is considered highly impactful in such scenes as where Michael uses his sub machine gun to explicitly bisect an enemy, the two parts of the body lying separately on the ground, with copious blood spray.”
”There are also a number of explicit close range decapitations involving both human and mutant creatures. The decapitations are the result of close-up throat slashing from behind and close-up gunshots to the throat.” This lead to a refusal of classification.
”We’ve always believed in the merit of the game as an MA15+ title, and we’re pleased that the Review Board saw it our way,” said Warner Bros. The appeals process allowed them to better explain the ”detail, context, and storyline behind the game.”
Dark Sector and Fallout 3 were also subject to a refusal of classification and only after they were modified did the OFLC grant them a rating. F.E.A.R. 2 however has been let through without any tweaks being made.
It’s likely many publishers will opt to appeal rather than just work to please the OFLC board directly.
Source: GameSpot