Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge becomes first R18+ game in Australia

The upcoming Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge for Nintendo's Wii U console has become the first video game in Australia to receive the newly-introduced R18+ adult rating for games.

According to the Classification Board of Australia, the Team Ninja-developed action adventure title received an R18+ for "high impact bloody violence". In the game, players assume the role of Ryu Hayabusa, a cursed ninja battling a terrorist organisation.

"Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge contains violence that is high in impact because of its frequency, high definition graphics, and emphasis on blood effects," Classification Board director Lesley O'Brien said in a statement.

The new guidelines for the Classification of Computer Games--including the R18+ rating--came into effect on January 1, 2013.

According to the Classification Board, Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge was submitted for rating by Nintendo on January 3, 2013. The rating decision was made by the Board today. The Board revealed the game was classified M (17+) by the Entertainment Rating Software Board (ESRB) in the United States and 18+ by the Pan European Game Information (PEGI) Scheme in Europe and the United Kingdom.

For more on the new R18+ adult classification for games, check out this GameSpot feature.