Gearbox’s new shooter will be filled with “bloody chunks of awesomeness” no matter where you are.
Certain countries, most notably Germany and Australia, have a history of censoring violence in videogames. Regulations such as the German Jugendschutzgesetz (Protection of Young Persons Act) have so far required games released in these countries to either tone down the level of gore or remove it entirely before allowing them classification. Now, Gearbox’s upcoming cel-shaded shooter Borderlands 2 looks set to subvert this.
Speaking on the company’s official blog, Gearbox community manager Chris Taylor announced that Borderlands 2 has managed to avoid censorship in all territories around the world. No matter where in the world players buy the game, he says, “bandits will be just as likely to explode into bloody chunks of awesomeness as they will be in Canada or England (which is to say: very likely.)”
Of course, the increased violence won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. Gearbox has allowed for this by including a new “Gore Toggle” setting for players uncomfortable with the amount of blood on display. “With a single button press,” Taylor says, “you can turn Borderlands [into] a less violent experience!”
While Australia didn’t receive a censored version of the original Borderlands (at least, not intentionally), the announcement of a completely uncensored game containing such a large amount of violence in Germany is rather surprising. It remains to be seen whether this move signals a relaxation of Germany’s strict controls on violent media, or if it simply means that Borderlands 2 will in fact be a less gory game than the original.
Borderlands 2 will be available on September 18 in North America, and September 21 everywhere else.
Source: Gearbox blog via MCV
