505 Games responds to furor

Survival horror game Rule of Rose, which tells the story of a girl kidnapped by a secret society, attracted more controversy today. Due for release in Europe on November 24, the mayor of Rome recently called for the game to be banned, stating that "this game must not enter Italian homes."

But there's more incoming--in today's UK Times newspaper, European justice commissioner Franco Frattini was quoted as saying about the game, "[It shows] a young girl who is submitted to psychological and physical violence. This has shocked me profoundly for its obscene cruelty and brutality... These types of games are dreadful examples for our children."

The game's publisher, 505 Games, said the game is a horror game and, as such, is similar to other horror game titles available on the market in terms of content. However, it was adamant to make clear that the burial of the child protagonist or any other child is not shown in the game. The statement read, "[The game] does not in anyway incite minors to commit violent acts and does not promote acts of violence towards minors as erroneously stated on the cover of the weekly magazine Panaroma: 'the winner is the player who is able to bury the girl alive.'"

It added that the game is primarily an exploration game with puzzles which involve solving mysteries, and the only "sporadic" fighting scenes were against monsters.

The game's publisher has invited politicians and the media to a preview presentation in Milan, Italy, on November 23 to assess the game's content.

For more on Rule of Rose, check out GameSpot's full review.