Whilst we are still waiting for that ONE attorney-general to give all all clear for the 18+ Classification here in Australia, to make us less of a laughing stock when it comes to our variety and censorship levels of games, there is one series I would really like to see released over here after all these years. Rule of Rose, released by ATLUS USA in North America, is your run of the mill horror game… except for a couple of issues that seems to have become “controversial” over here when it was initially planned for release…. for over-exaggerated reasons such as supposed “sadomasochism, torture and under-age eroticism” [Source: Herald Sun].
The games storyline is as follows:
March, 1930. A young girl named Jennifer, whose parents were killed in a tragic airship accident, is taken to the Rose Garden Orphanage, located in a remote portion of the English countryside. What Jennifer discovers is a dilapidated building and a ragtag mob of children who call themselves the “Aristocracy of the Red Crayon.” The demented residents of Rose Garden kidnap Jennifer and take her into the dark heart of an impossibly large zeppelin, on a meandering course for a distant land. Now, with the help of a canine companion named Brown, Jennifer has to find valuable gifts for the Aristocracy, or suffer a fatal punishment for her insolence…
Whilst I am aware that it was the pressure from Family Groups and the like that ultimately caused a cancellation of the game as it was not submitted to the Australian Classifications Board at all, I think this is one of the series that would be more then appropriate for the 18+ Category as from what I have read prior from other review sites, these claims are somewhat valid, however over emphasized as this game is essentially your normal horror game and doesn’t deviate too much from the psychological aspects of other horror games….
For those interested in reviews of the game, I would highly recommend the one shown on X-Play several years back for some laughs and a review on Gamespot.
and yes, I am aware that this is wishful thinking considering that this is an older PS2 game (With PS2 games very rarely if at all being released now), however it is still a game I would be interested in playing and reviewing….. the horror genre of games is not one that I am usually interested in, but the odd unique title always proves rewarding.
Either way, it shall be good to see that we no longer have to worry about interesting games not coming out over here, or censored to the point where it is no fun at all…… or having our fun ruined whilst waiting for a company… say Bethesda to change all references in the game from Morphine to Stimpack… Will we see re-releases of old classics such as Left 4 Dead 2 (Uncut), Mortal Kombat or other games that have been banned from sale? I suppose only time shall tell.
REMEMBER, Those who view R18+ games are the same people that are permitted to watch R18+ movie titles. I believe that we should be afforded the same right in both mediums. At the very least, it may help keep some of the more violent games out of the hands of children by moving some of the more violent MA15+ games to R18+.
From what I’ve read, games that have already been refused classification, even under the old system, won’t be eligible to apply again. It’d have to be a new version of the game, such as an updated Mortal Kombat “ultimate” edition or whatever, that could then apply and be granted classification under the new R18+ rating.
In the case of Rule of Rose, if it wasn’t submitted way back when, it’d be fair game, right? I’d love to see it get released, too~
I have heard that as well…. I cant see them stopping a re-review…. I suppose if it is true… Mortal Combat – Australian Edition – could be possible. Yep, Rule of Rose was never submitted as they were already pressured by certain groups to cancel it, so it should be fine for an application….. of course, being a PS2 game I do not like the chances.