Reservoir Dogs game banned in Australia

Eidos game Reservoir Dogs contains 'high impact' violence

Australia's Office of Film and Literature Classification (OFLC) has banned the forthcoming Eidos computer game Reservoir Dogs.

The OFLC classed the game, which is based on the violent and bloody Quentin Tarentino film of the same name, as 'Refused Classification'. This means that the game cannot be made available for sale, hire or demonstration in Australia.

The decision was made on the basis that the Reservoir Dogs game contains frequent depictions of violence that have a "high impact".

Specifically, the instances of violence that the board considered to have high impact include the ability of players participating in a bank heist to blow the heads off hostages and police as well as execute hostages at point-blank range.

The OFLC also objected to the inclusion of a series of so-called 'signature torture moves', which allow players to mutilate hostages and prompt the police to lay down their weapons.

These moves include repeated pistol-whipping of the side of the head "with blood spray evident" and burning the eyes of hostages with a cigar until they scream and die.

Another 'signature torture move' involves cutting the fingers off a hostage so that blood spurts out as the victim screams in pain.

Limitations in Australian law mean that the highest rating a game can receive is the equivalent of a '15' rating in the UK. This means there are no 'adult' rated games available in the country.

Due to these restrictions the country has previously banned titles including Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Manhunt and NARC.