Injustice 2 ESRB Description Details Abundant Violence and “Suggestive Themes” for a T-Rated Game
Developer NetherRealm Studios has always been a source of violent delight thanks to their long-running Mortal Kombat fighting games. The series’ outing was so boldly murderous, it called for the creation of the video game rating system we know today as the Entertainment Software Rating Board, or ESRB. This year, NetherRealm is taking a break from spine-ripping fatalities and giving DC fans a reason to pit their favorite comic book characters against each other in the developer’s next game Injustice 2. While the upcoming sequel won’t necessarily have the same amount of gore or revealing costumes the Mortal Kombat brand is (in)famous for, a recent Injustice 2 ESRB description reveals that the T-rated game won’t be too much tamer. The official summary reads:
This is a fighting game in which players engage in one-on-one battles with popular heroes and villains from the DC Comics universe. Players punch, kick, and use a variety of weapons (e.g., knives, swords, machine guns, laser blasters) to drain opponents’ health meters in melee-style combat.
Matches are highlighted by impact sounds, splashes of blood, and colorful light effects as fighters are hurled across the screen or to the ground. As players engage in fantasy combat, they can trigger super attacks and transitional attacks that propel opponents from different levels of fighting arenas. Some super attacks depict blood-splatter effects as characters are injured by creatures and/or impaled with swords. Cutscenes depict additional instances of violence and blood: a character impaled with a sword; a prisoner lying in a small pool of blood; a character stabbed with a trident; a villain’s throat slashed off-screen.”
“The game’s dialogue contains brief sexual references (‘They’re thieves. Rapists. Murderers.’), and some female characters wear revealing outfits (deep cleavage, tight-fitting clothing) and/or perform suggestive poses. One fight setting takes place in a bar with several alcohol references: signs that read ‘Beer’; drunk patrons in the background; kegs of beer that can be thrown at opponents. The word ‘s**t’ is heard in dialogue.”
As anyone who played the first Injustice already knows, over-the-top costumes and violence are a main part of the DC title’s popularity, and even factor into the overarching story mode. Injustice 2 looks to bring back more of the things people love, and the above statement confirms this to an almost M-rated degree. We can all experience the Injustice 2 ESRB prophecy for ourselves when the game drops on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 on May 16th. Tune back in to Don’t Feed the Gamers for more news as it comes out.
Are you excited by what the Injustice 2 ESRB summary describes as violence highlighted by “splashes of blood”, or are you more interested in the game’s “deep cleavage, tight-fitting clothing”? Let us know in the comments below and be sure to follow DFTG on Twitter for 24/7 coverage on video game and entertainment news. For more Injustice goodness, check out the following:
Eric Hall2712 Posts
Phone-browsing Wikipedia in one hand and clutching his trusty controller in the other, the legendary Eric Hall spreads his wealth of knowledge as a writer for Don't Feed the Gamers. Be sure to catch his biweekly "Throwback Thursday" segment for a nostalgic look at trivia from the past.
