Silent Hill f Banned in Australia

Konami's eagerly anticipated Silent Hill f has been met with an unexpected hurdle in Australia, as it has been refused classification, preventing its sale within the country for the time being. However, the game's RC (Refused Classification) rating was assigned by an automated tool rather than the Australian Classification Board itself, suggesting that the story may not be over yet.

Konami, which does not handle its own distribution in Australia, has seen IGN reach out to its third-party distribution partner for further insight. The specific reasons behind Silent Hill f's RC rating remain undisclosed, but under Australia's classification system, games are typically refused classification for content involving sexual activity with minors, depictions of sexual violence, or incentivizing drug use. It's worth noting that before the introduction of the R18+ rating category for games in January 2013, 2008's Silent Hill: Homecoming faced a similar fate due to a high-impact torture scene. It was eventually released with modified camera angles, receiving an MA15+ rating.

Interestingly, Silent Hill f's RC rating was generated by the International Age Rating Coalition's (IARC) online tool, which is primarily used for mobile and digitally delivered games. This system involves developers answering a series of content-related questions, after which the IARC tool automatically assigns ratings based on the standards of participating countries, including Australia. The decision then gets published on Australia’s National Classification Database. Since its adoption in 2014, the IARC tool has been utilized for digitally-distributed games in Australia, amidst a backdrop where the Classification Board was reviewing far fewer games than were being released on platforms like the iOS app store.

It's important to note that there have been instances where the IARC tool's automated ratings have been more stringent than those assigned by human classifiers from the Australian Classification Board. This discrepancy has led to confusion and incorrect assumptions about bans, as seen with games like Kingdom Come: Deliverance and We Happy Few in 2019. While the IARC tool offers a free and efficient way for small publishers to classify their games, all physical releases still require a direct submission to the Classification Board, which has the authority to override any IARC-assigned rating.

In Australia, game publishers have the option to employ accredited classifiers or authorized assessors. Accredited classifiers are in-house staff trained by the Classification Board and can classify games independently, with their decisions holding official weight. Authorized assessors, on the other hand, provide recommendations that the Classification Board can choose to adopt or reject.

As it stands, it's premature to conclude whether Silent Hill f's RC rating will be upheld following further review. It's noteworthy, however, that Silent Hill f marks the first entry in the series to receive an 18+ rating in Japan, adding another layer of intrigue to its classification journey.