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Shellshock 2 banned in Australia

By Randolph Ramsay, GameSpot AUPosted Jun 29, 2008 11:47 pm PT

Vietnam War-era horror FPS refused classification in Australia due to high levels of violence; Atari says no appeal currently planned.

Australia's strict classification system for video games--a system that sees any game deemed unsuitable for play by anyone under the age of 15 banned down under--has struck again. This time, upcoming survival horror first-person shooter Shellshock 2: Blood Trails has been refused classification due to its graphic violent content, according to a decision handed down late last week by Australia's Office of Film and Literature Classification.

Shellshock 2 is an Eidos game slated for the PS3, Xbox 360, and PC platforms, and it was due for release in 2009. The game places players in Vietnam War-era Cambodia, where a mysterious chemical dropped into the jungle has had some strange effects on people. An Atari spokesperson said there were currently no plans to appeal the banning decision.

Unlike for films and DVDs, the highest rating available for a video game in Australia is MA15+. This means that any game with content deemed by the OFLC as unsuitable for a 15-year-old is refused classification and becomes illegal to sell. The last game to be slapped with an RC was Dark Sector in February this year. Other games to have been banned down under include Blitz: The League, Eidos' Reservoir Dogs, Mark Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure, BMX XXX, Manhunt, Grand Theft Auto III, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude, Postal, Postal 2, Narc, and more.

For more information about Australia's game classification system, check out GameSpot AU's extensive feature on the subject, Censory Overload.

71 Comments

  • gotham1175

    Posted Feb 25, 2009 5:23 am PT

    Does Australia ban media coverage of all the horrible crap going on the middle east too?

  • Dagamemonkey

    Posted Feb 23, 2009 5:21 am PT

    Australia's not missing anything. The game is mediocre at best.

  • Mr_Manikin52

    Posted Feb 22, 2009 9:07 am PT

    Can't play as Australian troops in that game so why it for the Aussie gamers.

  • venomking93

    Posted Feb 18, 2009 9:21 am PT

    lucky im nu australian!!

  • UFCFAN1989

    Posted Feb 16, 2009 10:59 pm PT

    That suck for you aussies. All I know is i be dropping the money for this looks pretty good.

  • PSySpin

    Posted Feb 16, 2009 5:28 am PT

    This must be the best law ever, Ausies Rock!!!!!

  • Wings_008

    Posted Feb 13, 2009 10:31 am PT

    the Aussies need to loosen up a bit...............c'mon!

  • Gorenutter

    Posted Feb 12, 2009 10:29 am PT

    Damn and I thought the BBFC was bad.

  • chechak7

    Posted Feb 11, 2009 1:52 pm PT

    Eidos games is woseam can't wait

  • JP-

    Posted Feb 10, 2009 8:52 am PT

    its a damn game i think more violent movies are seen then violent games are played by kids

  • StarlightHunter

    Posted Feb 3, 2009 10:02 am PT

    this is too all the austrialian people here. im stick of seeing this, games getting banned for you guys. fight for them. its absolutley dicsusting that your government are banning games. protest.

  • Shwa86

    Posted Jan 26, 2009 8:25 pm PT

    It's illegal to import RC games, videos, DVDs, magazines and books into Australia.

    Lots of people do it, but if customs do catch it the penalties far outweigh the experience of playing the banned games.

  • maf17

    Posted Jan 22, 2009 2:32 am PT

    Can you buy banned games from overseas? And will they work in our machines? I was assuming they would be regionalised like DVDs

  • madassgorilla

    Posted Jan 10, 2009 6:59 pm PT

    cant the australians think tht the whole world r playing these games..just let thr kids play the video games what the hell its not a crime against nature or anythin so whats the prob???...coming fom a russian who feels ur pain

  • kramgref

    Posted Dec 18, 2008 4:17 pm PT

    Im an aussie I just buy my banned games from overseas sellers , that stuffs them...

  • Hellboard

    Posted Dec 3, 2008 11:09 am PT

    whatever am not in the Australia, ill get it!

  • spazmo_69

    Posted Nov 27, 2008 2:11 am PT

    ahh no jonathon187 its the goverment, us aussies have no say, and yes it sucks so very much >

  • jonathon187

    Posted Oct 28, 2008 2:30 am PT

    Lol, man I'm so glad I'm not an Aussie gamer that would be so pathetic, I would get the feck Out of the country as soon as possible, it seems Australia is the next china, pretty sad how u let this happen, it's not the government it's the people that don't make them change.

  • ParaBellum71

    Posted Oct 17, 2008 9:25 am PT

    Whoever said guns are illegal in aurstralia needs to wiki stuff at least, before he types. Ya it's sad they are banning games but with a story line like this.... are you guys really going to miss it? Or maybe it's a cover-up by the Australian goverment to hide the real reason the U.S pulled out of vietnam... /sarcasm just incase some thinks im serious.

    Notice most of the games have to do with violence in public.... sounds like someone's afraid of the next columbine in thier country.

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