Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes rated M, gets content warning for sexual violence

Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes has scored a Mature 17+ rating from the ESRB, which is not surprising in itself, but some of the content mentioned in the assessment is.

The ESRB gave the game four content warnings, for blood and gore, intense violence, strong language, and in a first for the franchise, sexual violence.

Normally sexual violence would propel a game straight into the 18+ Adults Only category, but Kojima Productions chose to suggest rather than demonstrate.

"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 ESRB said.

As for general violence, the game contains "realistic gunfire, slow-motion effects, and large blood-splatter effects", and use a variety of firearms as well as stealth attacks like choking or stabbing, and the ability to kill non-adversary characters.

"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 ESRB added.

Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes is a prequel to and tutorial for Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain, which is hundreds of times larger than the taster and going to take its sweet time getting to us due to the demands of next-gen development. Ground Zeroes arrives to curb your impatience in March, on PlayStation 3, PS4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One.

Thanks, Destructoid.