Horizon Forbidden West has a "very mild impact" worth of sex, according to the Australian Classification Board, which - though mild - is still more than Horizon Zero Dawn had.
The media rating apparatus of the Australian government released its official ruling on Horizon Forbidden West on November 30, ahead of the game's planned February 18, 2022 release date. Its general classification is Mature, or specifically "M: Science fiction themes and violence", which is the exact same overall classification Horizon Zero Dawn received.
The Australian Classification Board also breaks down media on six axes, based on how strong of an impact each one has on the piece in question. The Themes, Violence, Language, Drug Use, and Nudity axes are all the same for both games, but for Forbidden West the "Sex" axis has been ticked up one notch from "None" to "Very Mild Impact." So nobody gets naked in this post-post-apocalyptic sequel, but there is at least a little bit of sex. Or a dialog reference to sex. Or maybe a racy cave painting?
- The Sims 4's hyper-realistic competitor inZOI will only "sort of" have sex – but I'm sure a Wicked Whims-style mod will take care of the rest
- Assassin's Creed Shadows censored to comply with Japanese ratings, almost 1 year after an EA exec complained Stellar Blade got away with what the Dead Space remake didn't
Whatever the specific reason for the slightly elevated rating, we've recently learned a few key new details about Aloy's next adventure, including how Horizon Forbidden West's improved NPCs will help bring the world to life, and how machines can help Aloy when they aren't trying to stomp her back into the paleolithic.
Horizon Forbidden West is easily one of our most-anticipated upcoming PS5 games - and while you can also play it on PS4, our PS5 restock updates may be just what you need to be ready for the new generation by February.
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