Thursday, August 11, 2011

Batman Arkham City Gets T for Teen Rating from ESRB

The Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB) has gotten around to rating Rocksteady's Batman: Arkham City, giving the upcoming bat-'em-up a T for Teen rating, according to reports from IGN 360.

Here's a summary of the ESRB's ratings reports for Arkham City. On the whole, nothing significantly more risqué than the original... Content Descriptors:
Alcohol Reference, Blood, Mild Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Tobacco, Violence

Rating Summary:
This is an action-adventure game featuring characters from the Batman franchise. Players assume the role of Batman as he investigates Arkham City, a neighborhood overrun by psychopathic criminals and former prison inmates. As players explore the city and infiltrate hideouts, they punch and kick criminals in melee-style combat, using various gadgets (e.g., explosive gel, smoke pellets, a grappling gun) to defend themselves against gun-wielding thugs and villains. The frenetic combat is highlighted by cries of pain, punching sounds, realistic gunfire, and slow-motion effects. In some sequences, players must solve puzzles or use stealth to incapacitate enemies and free hostages; when players fail a challenge, the hostage will lose his life. Some environments contain bloodstains on the floor or furniture; other cutscenes depict spots of blood on injured characters. During the course of the game, some female characters are dressed in form-fitting outfits that expose large amounts of cleavage; one background sign depicts the silhouette of a woman and the words "Live Nude." The dialogue also contains some suggestive references (e.g., "The anger, the frustration, the hints of repressed sexual tension" and "Sure could go for some porn right now."). One sequence depicts a character smoking a cigar, and there are various references to alcohol (e.g., "She got a little drunk and killed her classmates," "I'd give anything for a nice cold beer right now."). The words "b*tch," "a*s," and "bastard" can be heard in dialogue.