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Outlast 2 has been refused classification in Australia, with the judgement from Australian censors effectively banning the game down under.
The game’s publishers had previously pushed a demo through the classification process as a test run, with the demo receiving an R18+ rating.
According to Kotaku Australia, the ban came predominately for depictions of implied sexual violence. One scene, in particular, shows a female creature thrusting against the main character while his wife is tangled up in chains.
A description of this cut-scene can be found on the Kotaku Australia news story, so check it out there if you’re curious, but be warned: it’s pretty grim.
The Board have said that they’d consider the game for an R18+ rating if they removed the scenes which depicted implied sexual violence, but we don’t know if the developers will submit a modified version for the Australian market at this time.
It’s something an upset as many Australians believed that the R18+ rating would fix, with many big-name titles being refused classification before the R18+ rating was conceived in 2011, including several Grand Theft Auto games, Fallout 3 and er, 50 Cent: Bulletproof.
However, since the R18+ classification was introduced in 2013, it’s not been smooth sailing. Saints Row 4 became the first game to be refused classification under the new R18+ rules, with State of Decay also receiving a ban less than 24 hours later.
