Today, Aussie’s will be pissed to hear that the Classification Review Board has rejected Saints Row 4 for reclassification because drug use in the game is still problematic.
Initially, Saints Row 4 was refused for implied sexual violence, specifically with the “Alien Anal Probe weapon”, and in-game drugs referred as “Alien Narcotics”, which players need to obtain and smoke during a mission. Furthermore, the drug allows the player to finish the mission more easily, according to a report by The Review Board. Specifically, the report states that:
“Smoking the ‘alien narcotics’ equips the player with ‘superpowers,’ which increase their in-game abilities, allowing them to progress through the mission more easily. During the mission, onscreen prompts guide the player to ‘Go to deal location’ and ‘Get drugs.’”
Publisher Koch Media approached The Board to reconsider the original descision, but based on a statement it was rejected again mainly because “drug use related to incentives and rewards is not permitted.” Therefore, Saints Row 4 cannot be accommodated within the Australian R18+ classification. However, the “Alien Anal Probe weapon” is allowable.
Aussie’s looking forward to the next installment in the Saints Row series shouldn’t give up just yet since an edited version is still in works and will be reviewed in the near future.
Keep them hopes up!
