Assassin's Creed rating - questions and theories | Forums

[N1ghtmareC1nema]

Hello all!
The title says it all. I find myself wondering what kind of ESRB rating this game can expect. It seems to fall into a kind of puzzling gray-area for reasons which I will discuss shortly.

On the United Kingdom version of the Assassin's Creed website, they say that they expect a rating of "16+" from the PEGI (the insititution responsible for rating games in Europe). In my experience, the "16+" rating is comparable to a "Teen" rating here in the United States.

I'd like your opinions on this subject. But first, some thoughts of my own.

Below are the themes most often responsible for a "Mature" rating:

Sexual Content:
I don't see much opportunity for sexual content in this game. It takes place in ancient times, an era in which sex was not glorified like it is today. Sex happened, of course, but it wasn't the currency and obsession of the age. Besides, I don't think Altair has the time in his busy comings-and-goings to take off his cloak and wrist blade to "lay with" some Middle-Eastern maiden. Sex has no place in this game.

Profanity:
The language in Assassin's Creed will be of the dialect of the time. Besides not being English, I'm sure their language won't include the same crass profanities that ours has. I don't think we can expect warriors in the year 1191 will be spewing F- and S-words when charging into battle. Not gonna happen.

Violence:
I can certainly see how "The Powers That Be" might become uptight about a game based upon killing. Altair is a trained assassin, after all. But it's not the kind of bloody, frivolous and senseless carnage that has come to define the "Mature" rating. Yeah, it's killing. But if the trailer footage is any indication, it's clean, realistic in blood "output," and realistic. Altair treats each of his victims with respect, instead of contempt. I don't think Altair's gonna be cleaving off any heads (or other extremities) with his wrist blade.

So there you have it, some of my thoughts on this topic. And don't mistake me for the pacifist-type, either. I can accept and understand blood and violence in a Mature-rated game IF IT's REALISTIC.

Instead, my point is: If Ubisoft stives for realism, and keeps in mind the historical period in which the game takes place, and doesn't purposefully disrupt the game with needless sexual content, there's no real reason that this game won't be rated "Teen." I saw more heinous violence in "The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion," and that game was rated "Teen" when it came out.

So the floor's open to you good folks. I don't want to hear the tired bickering between "Teen" and "Mature" enthusiasts. I don't want to hear which rating you think is better. Rather, let's have an intelligent discussion about Rating and how it relates to Assassin's Creed.

Assassin's Creed is a truly new and unique style of game. There really hasn't ever been anything quite like it, and I'm curious about how the ESRB will handle it.

Ubisoft has the power to make this game truly classy in its approach to portraying a fascinating era of history and handling the violence with both maturity and discretion.

I know that on other game forums, game developers sometimes stop in to add their two-cents. It'd be great to hear some similar input from the Developers on this site. (Hint... hint...)

[xasspenx]

no matter what, i think it will be rated M for mature since the game will put u in the hands of an assassin that kills people.Gore involved? probly since they probly had to chop people's hands off and stuff. unless there is a graphic menu that lets u turn on blood or not then i would say this game will b T for teen but its hard to say since like every game that involves killing people is rated M. Halo2 for instance. that game was so corny yet it was rated M? give me a break that game should have been rated T for teen. Esrb are really strict now. M for sure.

[N1ghtmareC1nema]

Well, you raise an interesting point. It seems that games nowadays are rated not for their content, but because of the blind bias of the "all-knowing" ESRB raters.

People claim that the ESRB is doing a great job. But I think they're growing arrogant, complacent, and completely ignorant.

I suspect that if Assassin's Creed is rated Mature, it will be because of the typical ESRB knee-jerk reaction. "Killing? Sh*t! Give it an M!"

I'm still hopeful that ESRB the will become more intelligent in their rating process. As it stands now, none of them even have a damn clue what they're rating. There's something deeper in this game than the violence. But they're content to turn a blind eye in order to cover their asses.

I'll buy it no matter what, but I'm hoping that it makes the ESRB at least think twice before they hit it with the big 'M.'

[FragKing1]

Judging from the trailer a "T" rating would only make sense. I don't think that a game revolving around "crowd dynamics" and speed could ever achieve the "M" rating. Sure you assassinate people...but I'm sure they deserve it in some way shape or form.

[HorTyS]

i think / HOPE it's M for mature. ubi has stated in the past they want to develope more mature stories, and there is obviously a certain level of violence in the game, but there may be some language, sexual themes ( i'm sure the some crowds people will have some funny lines for a little comic relief) and there could be drug/ alcohol use or referance. if they're going for realism with the game, the game should recieve an M rating from violence, blood and gore alone, because realistically, stabbing someone in the neck with a blade is going to produce a decent amount of blood...

[Phreaky_McGeek]

I certainly see no place for sex here. I don't care if I have to assassinate Sven Goran Eriksson, I don't want any sex. It has no place in the game.

Profanity. Bastard or bloody may be used a few times, but not any other bad language and not too often.

Violence. From what we've seen from the trailers, while violence is necessary it isn't going to be reckless and gory.

I reckon 16+ for violence and animated blood.

[OH_DragonBoy]

I'm going with an M, myself. I mean, how many T games have prostitutes and drug abuse?

[N1ghtmareC1nema]

Originally posted by OH_DragonBoy:
I'm going with an M, myself. I mean, how many T games have prostitutes and drug abuse?

Quite a lot of Teen games, actually. There's huge difference between seeing prostitutes walking the streets and actually seeing them giving their 'services.'

We're not going to take a break from gameplay to follow a prostitute into someone's home and watch them have sex. It's just not gonna happen. At most , the game will get a "sexual references" on the rating because prostitutes are mentioned. Nothing Mature-worthy here.

Originally posted by hortys_99:
i think / HOPE it's M for mature. ubi has stated in the past they want to develope more mature stories, and there is obviously a certain level of violence in the game, but there may be some language, sexual themes ( i'm sure the some crowds people will have some funny lines for a little comic relief) and there could be drug/ alcohol use or referance. if they're going for realism with the game, the game should recieve an M rating from violence, blood and gore alone, because realistically, stabbing someone in the neck with a blade is going to produce a decent amount of blood...

I don't think that the crowds of people will be gathered at a public hanging to talk about their sex lives. Dialogue of this kind has no place in the game. And even if it did, it certainly wouldn't be anything that warrants a Mature rating.

And it seems to me that Altair's wrist-blade has got to be one of the most humane ways of killing someone. He doesn't slit their throat, or try to saw their heads off. He kills with one smooth, quick puncture. This is not a mindless hack-and-splatter game. Blood will be minimal because of how realistic the game is. If you hit a soldier once in just the right place, he's dead immediately. You don't hack him again and again to kill him. He dies when you time your movements just right and strike with precision.

I still hold by what I said before. I really don't think there's anything in this game to warrant a Mature rating. A clean knife-wound in the neck of some soldier is a far cry from riddling people with holes and blowing up their remains (think Gears Of War and TimeShift).

If the ESRB has any brains at all, they'll realize the differences in this game.

[HorTyS]

Originally posted by N1ghtmareC1nema:

I don't think that the crowds of people will be gathered at a public hanging to talk about their sex lives. Dialogue of this kind has no place in the game. And even if it did, it certainly wouldn't be anything that warrants a Mature rating.

everytime theres a crowd they won't be gathered around a public hanging, thats ONE instance in the game. it doesn't take a graphic description of sex to get a game a 'sexual themes' content descriptor on the box, and i didn't mean thats what i wanted. small innuendo is really all it takes, and i was only suggesting that the game might have that...

Originally posted by N1ghtmareC1nema:
And it seems to me that Altair's wrist-blade has got to be one of the most humane ways of killing someone. He doesn't slit their throat, or try to saw their heads off. He kills with one smooth, quick puncture. This is not a mindless hack-and-splatter game. Blood will be minimal because of how realistic the game is. If you hit a soldier once in just the right place, he's dead immediately. You don't hack him again and again to kill him. He dies when you time your movements just right and strike with precision.

I still hold by what I said before. I really don't think there's anything in this game to warrant a Mature rating. A clean knife-wound in the neck of some soldier is a far cry from riddling people with holes and blowing up their remains (think Gears Of War and TimeShift).

If the ESRB has any brains at all, they'll realize the differences in this game.

you do know there are more weapons in the game besides the hidden blade right? there are throwing knives, crossbows (if the trailer is any indication) and swords. hopefully, in keeping with the realism, they add blood to situations like this:



M for mature.


the only reason someone wouldn't want this to be an M rated game is because they're to young to get it and their parents won't get it for them. if thats the case, you shouldn't get the game anyways.

[N1ghtmareC1nema]

Originally posted by hortys_99:
you do know there are more weapons in the game besides the hidden blade right? there are throwing knives, crossbows (if the trailer is any indication) and swords. hopefully, in keeping with the realism, they add blood to situations like this:

Of course. But I don't think they'll typically be the weapon of choice for assassinating high-profile individuals.

The purpose of those other weapons is to aid in your escape. From what we could see in the trailer, Altair only killed others in self-defense (not counting the assassination proper), and only then by necessity.

The focus of this game is not 'killing as many people with as you can with as many different kinds of weapons as possible.'

Originally posted by hortys_99:
the only reason someone wouldn't want this to be an M rated game is because they're to young to get it and their parents won't get it for them. if thats the case, you shouldn't get the game anyways.

Overlooked (or failed to comprehend) my statement on this. I clearly stated that I'd buy this game no matter what. my only hope in all of this is that Ubisoft doesn't go overboard 'just because they can.'

Not only am I old enough to purchase this game, but I will do so no matter what the rating. My only goal in all of this was to discuss what rating you people expect this game to earn. That, and to contemplate how the ESRB is gonna give the shaft to another groundbreaking video game.