ESRB Details The Violent Cutscenes, Nude Corpses And Drugs of L.A. Noire

04/13/2011 Written by Sebastian Moss

It was previously revealed that L.A. Noire would receive a Mature 17+ rating from the ESRB, but now the rating board has explained why the decision was made, describing in detail just how mature this game is. In the lengthy rating summary, the ESRB explains how female corpses, blood spurts and sexual scenes make the game only suitable for adults.

The Electronic Software Rating Board have listed L.A. Noire, and rated the game as Mature:

This is an ‘open-world’ action-adventure game in which players assume the role of Cole Phelps, a rookie detective on a mission to stop a deranged serial killer. Set in late 1940s Los Angeles, the game allows players to advance through various ‘desks’ at a police department (i.e., Patrol, Traffic Squad, Homicide, Vice, Arson) by interviewing witnesses and suspects, searching crime scenes for clues, and apprehending criminals. Players use pistols, rifles, machine guns, and flamethrowers to engage in firefights with various enemies—these shootouts are highlighted by realistic gunfire, cries of pain, and blood spurts that stain injured characters and the surrounding environment. Cutscenes also depict instances of violence, including a character being beaten with a crowbar (off screen)—large spurts of blood are depicted in the foreground. During the course of the game, players may come across crime scenes in which badly beaten or mutilated corpses are subject to investigation; players are able to examine victims’ bodies close-up, surveying various bruises and bloody cuts for evidence—a few female corpses are depicted fully nude with fleeting images of pubic hair. Investigations sometimes pertain to sexual assault crimes, and details are often conveyed in clinical terms through dialogue or on-screen text (e.g., ‘He’s some kind of sex fiend,’ ‘Woman’s briefs torn at seams, forcibly removed,’ and ‘Head trauma . . . external bruising to genitals.’). In one cutscene, there is an implication that a character is engaged in a sexual relationship with a teenager (e.g., ‘You take love where you can find it as you get older, Jack’/That has nothing to do with love . . .’). Some sequences allow players to collect/manipulate drug-related evidence such as marijuana packets, morphine syringes, or amphetamine pills; in one cutscene, a doctor can be seen injecting a character with morphine. Language such as ‘f**k,’ ‘sh*t,’ ‘c*nt,’ ‘n**ger,’ and ‘sp*c’ can be heard in the dialogue.

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5 Responses to “ESRB Details The Violent Cutscenes, Nude Corpses And Drugs of L.A. Noire”

  1. themule says:

    Wow, that sounds very mature…But I’m sure if you escape the “wanted zone”, paint your car or post a telegram everybody will just act as if you didn’t blow the chief of police’s brains out…

  2. mrgamer79 says:

    Now this is what I call a truly mature game! I love game developers that don’t display any fear of media outcry.

    Although I don’t think this is gonna be one of those game since it aims to be a serious police game where you are a good man fighting bad men.

  3. dhughes60 says:

    Wow L.A. Noire sounds very mature if I had kids they definitely wouldn’t ever touch or see L.A Noire unless of course they were the appropriate age to play games like this.

  4. I could care less about the rating. It just adds to the immersion.

  5. Scott says:

    WTF – i come here to read the news, reviews ect. and read what my fellow PS3 owners think about what going on on in the PS3 world

    i DO NOT come here to read “idiots” replying in posts about some B.S. ripoff scam – moderator – PLEASE delete the post from dfsdfmwnek

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