Elden Ring rated in Australia, proving that it still exists
From Software's next RPG is only 100 days away.
Elden Ring has been rated MA15+ in Australia, which is no surprise because that's the rating given to Dark Souls, Dark Souls 3, Bloodborne, and Sekiro (curiously, Dark Souls 2 was only hit with a comparatively chilled-out M). The RPG is described as having "strong fantasy themes and violence" as well as "online interactivity," and yeah: none of this is new, it's just nice to be reminded that Elden Ring still exists, and is coming soon.
What else can we glean based on the rating? Elden Ring will have strong impact "themes" and "violence" but it doesn't offend at all when it comes to language, drug use, nudity and sex. Violence is definitely the name of the day: a Korean rating back in late September noted the game's "excessive violence," "swords" and "bright red blood" (via Google Translate).
Elden Ring hit Steam back in August which was something of a milestone for fans of the game, who are a famously info-hungry bunch. If you think this Australian classification news is a bit slight, well, the Elden Ring subreddit doesn't agree, with one poster wondering "what the fuck is the point of a game called elden ring without sex." One to ponder.
August saw a big info drop on Elden Ring in the form of behind-closed-door preview impressions. No extended game footage emerged, but Wes collected some of the bigger revelations. The Elden Ring release date is January 21.
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Shaun Prescott is the Australian editor of PC Gamer. With over ten years experience covering the games industry, his work has appeared on GamesRadar+, TechRadar, The Guardian, PLAY Magazine, the Sydney Morning Herald, and more. Specific interests include indie games, obscure Metroidvanias, speedrunning, experimental games and FPSs. He thinks Lulu by Metallica and Lou Reed is an all-time classic that will receive its due critical reappraisal one day.
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