Silent Hill F doesn't even have a formal release window yet, but that hasn't stopped a fearful Australian government from preemptively banning it. Konami's next entry in the truly terrifying Silent Hill series was refused classification, which usually means major changes would need to be made for the game to be released in the region.
GamesRadar+ spotted this one, and no real reason was given for the government's decision; in the place of one, we get the following: "For further information regarding the reason for this decision, please contact us". You'd better believe we'll be jogging over to the next paddock to ask our local member of parliament why.
Much hay has been made of Silent Hill F's unusually graphic content warning, and if we had to hazard a guess, the ban is probably down to the depictions of "child abuse" or the "drug-induced hallucinations". The former is for obvious reasons, the latter being something the Australian government has long been wary of.
This scribe still keenly recalls the psychic damage done to our young mind when Fallout 3 was banned for depictions of in-game drug use involving pipes and syringes. This was later overturned, which may still be the case with Silent Hill F, although almost certainly in some censored form. Hotline Miami 2 suffered a similar fate for simulated sexual violence (although it did slip through the cracks for a while). However, that never got a formal re-release, so we suppose we shall have to wait and see with Silent Hill F (or import it).
Are you surprised to see the famously censorious Australian classifications board preemptively ban Silent Hill F so far out? Let us know in the comments section below.
[source classification.gov.au, via gamesradar.com]
Comments 26
Living here is such a joke..Will have to get an import copy
This is pointless. Anyone who has met an Australian will know the damage has already been done.
Unfortunate that countries still think adults are children that need to be looked after like they can't make decisions of their own.
Removed - unconstructive
That subheading is pure gold, and I can’t read it without hearing Kiryu’s voice in my head, which somehow makes it even better.
Free marketing for Konami. Not much better for a game like this.
“Can I have some chems, man? I’ll trade you a few caps but that’s all I got.”
“Ban this game! Its offensive and has horrific drug use!”
“That’s not a knife! Now, that’s a knife!”
Australia bans Dundee’s knife
Seriously?! You ban a video game because it’s too scary?! Scary isn’t gonna hurt anyone. Good lord!
From memory, our censors also banned the original version of Silent Hill: Homecoming due at least to 2 specific cutscenes (iirc one involving a power drill and the other a certain “Great Knife”). Great to see nothing here has really changed much in the (checks notes) almost 17 years since… 🙄
I really feel for Australian gamers. You already have to pay more for everything because of imports, taxes, etc. and your government is probably the most heavy-handed in the English-speaking world when it comes to media censorship.
And just like that, the "RC" Rating has been removed. It's either now under manual review (as someone on another forum posted) or it was a mistake to begin with... Don't you need a, pretty much, completed game to submit for Review with Classification Boards? I don't believe this particular game has a release date (or year for that matter, unless I missed something?) so I struggle to see what exactly was submitted and subsequently banned here, seems like it shouldn't have even been submitted in the first place imo
I’ll never understand how a nation where literally everything is, or at least can, kill you is so heavy handed in its censorship. But as someone else said, great advertising for a horror game!
@MrRhysReviews No you don't technically need a nearly finished game.
The censorship board do not play the game nor even see the game really.
I believe the developer sends a detailed description of what's within the game and the board basically has a check list and then they give the rating.
That's a very basic description but that's how they rate games. Boards just expect the respect to give a true description of what's in the game and they'll go with it.
I believe it can result in fines if the description isn't true and they pass the game and the description wasn't accurate.
Fun Police strike again
@Bez87 I know all that but wasn't going to get into all the little specifics. I thought they'd usually send footage of the game (usually in a near finished state) showing said things, and since this game is still, potentially, waaaaaay off and doesn't even have a release year I find it highly strange that they'd submit it for classification... To the Australian Classification Board no less considering they can be the harshest in terms of guidelines (also has me wondering if they intentionally sent it in with the express purpose of seeing why/how they Ban the game so they can make adjustments for the final product, that'd be my most educated guess of the situation here 🤷♂️)
This is amazing free advertising lol
Khayl - You may want to adjust this story - as the game was incorrectly entered as RC in the database (or something like that). The game has NOT been assessed as yet in Australia - and certainly not refused classification (yet)
Lol the game isn't even complete and send to rating board to review. I guess Australis has a time traveler 🤣
Australian government saves the day again! Thank goodness modern consoles don't support multiple regions and other insidious stuff like that.
It's a good sign for the game tbh.
So no movies with violence or drugs in Australia otherwise they are massive hypocrites.
If age limits were enforced, we might not have this issue. Strange though how fantasy horror can cause such a stir, but games that have you shooting real people in real wars, those are fine.
well, it's not because the game is too "scary" like the headline suggests then haha... it's likely due to overly graphic and grotesque imagery and as stated in the article, depictions of drug use and possibly child abuse and torture to some degree. rule of rose for the ps2 faced similar controversies at the time and was banned in multiple countries. an overraction to be sure, but the themes of child bullying and torture were the main reasons behind it.
"It's free real-estate"
Bring it on. I don't want the devs to hold back for the grotesque, violence and disturbing nature of this game. Silent Hill games are meant to disturb you. I'm so excited for Silent Hill F more than ever.
Good thing we have multi regions. Sucks to have an xbox.
That's a bloody outrage it is! I'm going to take this all the way to the prime minister.
runs to watering hole
Hey! Mr prime minister!...... Andy!!
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