Eidos's upcoming shooter Shellshock 2: Blood Trails was Refused Classification (RC) late last week.
It looks like Shellshock 2 could be a sequel to the title Shellshock Nam '67, a Vietnam based shooter which also received an RC classification back in 2004. There was a tank game made by Eidos back in 1995 which could be this game's predecessor, but it earned a G8+ rating so it's probably the Vietnam one.
No official announcement has been made on the games' release yet, but an overseas site reported the game's classification on the BBFC where it earned the equivalent of an R rating. The BBFC site says this is due to factors like,
The game also contains moments of gore, such as when soldiers are seen near or post-death, with limbs missing (and occasional spurting blood from the remaining stump). During gameplay the player also encounters a few soldiers slumped with their bodies having clearly been eviscerated, the organs and rib cage bloodily visible.
We asked Atari - the applicants for the classification in Australia - if the OFLC had their own reasons for RCing this title. We'll update you with their response when we get it.
Did you ever get to play Shellshock Nam '67? It featured hookers and drug-taking (elements which earned it the RC classification in the first place) as well as clunky gameplay and a terrible story.
Still, what if Shellshock 2 is the pinnacle of human achievement? What if it's a Bio/System Shock clone of the same calibre? Why can't I decide what I can and can't handle as an adult? It's getting to be a bit like a broken record but it's mind-boggling that a game can't have "organs and rib cage bloodily visible" but the latest Rambo movie is a 93 minute parade of exploding body parts and blood.
**Update** Atari got back to us with a Sonic-fast response on the RC - they haven't got many details, but the Refused Classification might be related to "post-mortem damage" - kicking an enemy when they're well and truly down.
