The highly anticipated Xbox 360 game Gears of War has officially been banned in Germany. The USK (Germany’s ESRB), has decided that the game is too violent for the German market. Epic and Microsoft both stated that changing the game to be any less violent would cause it too lose many of its essential gameplay elements. I have to agree with Microsoft on this one, Gears of War is a portrayal of war in every way possible. The soldiers are scarred, the environments are hostile and the world the game takes place in is a living hell. Changing the color of the blood or replacing humans with monsters just takes away from the entire experience.
Gears of War does take violence to a new level. When Electronic Gaming Monthly editors got their hands on the game, they were googly-eyed at how bloody the game actually got. For example, when you shoot someone, they have a point in between life and death where they can be saved or bleed to death. In these few moments, you can go over to the fallen character and smash his head into the concrete to assure certain death.
Unless Gears of War is officially blacklisted (which will make it illegal), Germans will still be able to import the game. For everyone else, we’re gearing up for November, when the game hits the shelves.
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