ESRB Explains Arkham Knight’s “Mature” Rating

Batman: Arkham Knight is the first game in the Arkham series, and in the history of Batman games as a whole, to receive and ‘M for Mature’ rating from the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB), and a new summary post on the ESRB’s website reveals why.

[WARNING: THE SUMMARY CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE GAME]

In terms of obscene language, the ESRB cites the game containing the words “bitch”, “ass”, and “gobshite”. All rather tame, but then we get into the guts of the rating, so to speak. Blood. Lots of blood. And torture. “One room depicts a person torturing a character on a bloody operating table,” the summary reads, followed by, “A vehicle’s wheels are used to torture an enemy in one sequence.”

“Cutscenes depict characters getting shot (on and off camera) while restrained or unarmed. Large bloodstains/pools of blood appear in crime scenes and in the aftermath of violent acts,” the ESRB says, adding that, “During the course of the game, players can shoot unarmed characters and a hostage.”

It seems that Arkham Knight features a significant contingent of sex workers, since “Neon signs in a red-light district read “live nude girls” and “XXX”.”

The Arkham signature slow-mo takedowns are also noted in the summary, as well as use of the Batarang.

Batman: Arkham Knight is due for release on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC on 2^nd June.

Source: ESRB