Left 4 Dead: Banned N’ Australia 2

AUSSIES BANNED L4D2!



The Aussies have done it again. It’s not unusual for them to ban games like Left 4 Dead and other games which are deemed “too violent”, (we’re looking at you, Manhunt) but this latest round of denials has left Left 4 Dead 2 without a classification in Australia, which means it can’t be made available for sale. While it’s not exactly the same as receiving the big ban hammer, with no classification, it can’t be legally sold, which is pretty much the same thing.

The reasons for banning were pretty unclear until just a few days ago, when Valve released information they received from the classification board. According to this board, the game is considered to have a very high violence impact and is unsuitable for those under 18 to play. Big deal, there are tons of violent games on the market, right? The stink rises because the NPCs in Left 4 Dead 2 are said to be infected with a rabies-like virus which causes them to act in an extremely violent manner. Because these “humans” are still considered living and aren’t technically zombies, this is where Australia finds offense with the game. The report goes on to mention the use of melee weapons and the copious amounts of blood and dismemberment they can cause, but again, this is all because the “zombies” in Left 4 Dead 2 are considered living humans who have been infected, instead of those who have died and risen from the dead.

The whole idea is almost laughable, as anyone who has seen screen shots of the zombies which are in Left 4 Dead 2 would realize there is no plausible way these beings can be alive, with guts and arms missing. However, since the state of being alive is what seems to bother the classification board of Australia, it’s likely Valve will change the “story” for the Aussies and possibly grey out some of the violence, just as Rockstar did for Manhunt 2. A pity, really.