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Dark Souls II Gets A 'T' Rating From The ESRB
Dark Souls II's 'T' rating has shown up on assorted marketing materials for the game, but its appearance on ESRB's website makes it official.
The 'T' rating is a surprise considering both Demon's Souls and Dark Souls were both 'M' rated games. Despite the 'T' rating, the descriptors for the game still reveal that Dark Souls II will contain blood and gore, mild language, partial nudity, and violence. Here's the full description for the game below, which you can also see on ESRB's website.
This is a role-playing game in which players assume the role of an undead fighter in the realm of Drangleic. Players traverse dungeon-like settings and battle a variety of fantastical enemies (e.g., ghouls, zombies, skeletons, giant rats) to gain souls. Players use knives, swords, and arrows to defeat enemies. Combat is highlighted by cries of pain and small splashes of blood. Some locations depict instances of blood and gore: a giant snake boss holding its severed head; a giant boss creature composed of hundreds of corpses; dead ogres near a pool of blood; a torture device with streaks of blood. During the course of the game, a boss creature appears partially topless (e.g. hair barely covering breasts). The words '***' and “pr*ck” can be heard in the dialogue.
Our Take
Dark Souls II's rating description makes it sound fairly 'M' rated, despite the 'T' that will adorn its box. Previews of the game don't seem to showcase any kind of censorship when compared to the first game. Maybe the ESRB is relaxing what qualifies as an 'M' rating, or maybe Dark Souls II is less gruesome. Do you think the new rating will affect the game in any real way?
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