Last night, the Australian Classification Board handed out their report for the upcoming Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number from Devolver Digital and Dennaton Games, ultimately refusing it classification. Here’s what they said on their website:
The computer game is classified RC in accordance with the National Classification Code, Computer Games Table, 1. (a) as computer games that “depict, express or otherwise deal with matters of sex, drug misuse or addiction, crime, cruelty, violence or revolting or abhorrent phenomena in such a way that they offend against the standards of morality, decency and propriety generally accepted by reasonable adults to the extent that they should not be classified.
Following this, Kotaku Australia obtained a full copy of the ACB’s official report, which highlighted a scene of implied sexual violence as one of the reasons behind the refusal. “This visual depiction of implied sexual violence is emphasized by it being mid-screen,” they state, “with a red backdrop pulsating and the remainder of the screen being surrounded by black.”
The ACB added that there’s further reasons why Hotline Miami 2 was refused classification, but didn’t list them.
To help clarify a few things, Devolver Digital and Dennaton Games issued this statement:
First, to clear up any possible misconceptions, the opening cinematic that was first shown in June of 2013 has not changed in any way. We also want to make clear that players are given an choice at the start of the game as to whether they wish to avoid content that alludes to sexual violence. The sequence in question is presented [right here], both after choosing the uncut version of the game and after choosing to avoid content that alludes to sexual violence.
Second, in response to the report itself, we are concerned and disappointed that a board of professionals tasked with evaluating and judging games fairly and honestly would stretch the facts to such a degree and issue a report that describes specific thrusting actions that are not simply present in the sequence in question and incorrectly portrays what was presented to them for review.
There are currently no plans to challenge the ruling, with Devolver Digital standing by the developers and their creative vision.
Hotline Miami 2 launches in Q1 2015 for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, and PC.
[Source: Australia Classification Board, Kotaku Australia, Devolver Digital via Eurogamer]
