Soldier of Fortune: Payback Gets Un-banned in Australia

Australia’s federal classification board, the Office of Film and Literature Classification (OFLC), has awarded a MA15+ rating to a revised version of Activision’s Soldier of Fortune: Payback. This is a reversal of OFLC’s earlier decision to ban the game outright for its excessive violence and gore, particularly the different ways players could maim and injure other characters.

An Activision spokesperson confirmed that the toned-down version of the game will feature less “rag doll” physics, less blood and no dismemberment.

The OFLC has previously banned a number of games, including Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and Marc Ecko’s Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure. Unlike North America, Australia does not have a R18+ classification for games. As a result, titles which exceed the limits of the MA15+ are effectively banned from sale.

Game Politics coverage here.

[Summary by Michael Mjanes]