ESRB Releases ‘Ground Zeroes’ Rating Description

By Jordan Schilling/PFSolitude on 01/06/2014 • ( 1 Comment )

If the infamous “Red Band” trailer wasn’t convincing enough, the ESRB has officially released the rating-description for the upcoming Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes.

Hideo Kojima has already stated that Metal Gear Solid V will push the boundaries of “mature” video games; the idea is in full bloom within the “Red Band” trailer for MGSV: The Phantom Pain, showing unsettling scenes of torture and gore. With the release of Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes coming up in March, the Entertainment Software Ratings Board has released the official description behind Ground Zeroes‘s “M/Mature” rating; apart from the standard language and violence, according to the ESRB, Ground Zeroes also contains a depiction of sexual assault, presented to the player through some form of audio log:

Content Descriptors: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Violence, Strong Language
Rating Summary: This is an action game in which players assume the role of an elite soldier through military missions in Cuba. Players infiltrate various bases and use pistols, machine guns, and rocket launchers to kill enemy soldiers. Firefights are highlighted by realistic gunfire, slow-motion effects, and large blood-splatter effects. Players can also employ stealth attacks (e.g., choking, knife stabbing from behind) and have the ability kill non-adversary characters/prisoners. One cutscene includes a depiction of blood and gore (e.g., a character’s intestines exposed during a dramatic procedure to remove an object). The game includes an audio file in which a female character is sexually assaulted by male characters; while there is no visual depiction, sounds of ripped clothing and struggle can be heard. The words “f*k” and “sht” are heard in the dialogue.

According to Kotaku, Ground Zeroes is also one of only two games to feature depictions of “sexual violence”, with the other being a PC-exclusive Japanese visual-novel. Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes releases on 3/18 in both physical and digital formats for 360, Xbox One, PS3 and PS4.