Unfortunately, any fans of the Saints Row franchise that live in Australia won’t be able to indulge in all the insanity likely waiting in the fourth game. Like so many other violent or sexually explicit products, Deep Silver and Volition’s Saints Row 4 has been banned in Australia. It’s really a shame, but instead of just taking the hit and depriving Aussie fans of their beloved Steelport, the developers have decided to produce a “Low Violence Version” of the game for this specific region.
What does that mean, exactly? Well, at this time, we’re not too sure. Kotaku recently discovered the modified version that will only be available to Australian customers via Steam, but there’s no description on the product listing of what will be different with this less-violent version. Australia's Classification Board did have plenty to say on what’s wrong with the core game, though.
"In the Board's opinion, Saints Row IV includes interactive, visual depictions of implied sexual violence which are not justified by context,” reads the statement. "In addition, the game includes elements of illicit or proscribed drug use related to incentives or rewards. Such depictions are prohibited by the computer games guidelines."
State of Decay, the downloadable zombie game, has faced similar troubles in Australia. We’ve seen plenty of products get the big stamp of disapproval in the region, but it’s difficult to imagine a less violent, bizarre Saints Row even releasing. The franchise is built on goofy, immature humor, so it’ll be interesting to see what Volition can do to bring the heart of the game over.
