MGS 5: Ground Zeroes Rated By ESRB, Mentions of Sexual Assault

The ESRB, the board managing the age ratings of video games, rated Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes with a Mature rating. The rating, alongside some next-gen Twitter photos from Hideo Kojima, signals the approaching release of Ground Zeroes and also brings some new details.

The ERSB rating summary discusses already knows details of firefights featuring a variety of weapons, blood-splatter effects and other violent depictions.

The summary then details an audio file of a sexual assault. Players should hear sounds of a male trying to rip off a woman's clothes in a struggle. The sounds of potential rape won't accompany any visual depictions.

This is an action game in which players assume the role of an elite soldier through military missions in Cuba. Players infiltrate various bases and use pistols, machine guns, and rocket launchers to kill enemy soldiers. Firefights are highlighted by realistic gunfire, slow-motion effects, and large blood-splatter effects. Players can also employ stealth attacks (e.g., choking, knife stabbing from behind) and have the ability kill non-adversary characters/prisoners. One cutscene includes a depiction of blood and gore (e.g., a character's intestines exposed during a dramatic procedure to remove an object). The game includes an audio file in which a female character is sexually assaulted by male characters; while there is no visual depiction, sounds of ripped clothing and struggle can be heard. The words “f**k” and “sh*t” are heard in the dialogue.

MetalGearInformer.com noticed Hideo Kojima tweeted photos on what looks like the next generation versions of Ground Zeroes. Each photo included the Xbox One's Kinect and the PlayStation 4 controller.

You can view both photos here and here.