Summary

  • Video game age ratings, like the ESRB, help inform buyers about game content from E for everyone to M for mature.
  • Some games, like Naughty Bear and Super Smash Bros Melee, push boundaries within their rating categories.
  • Changing cultural norms and game content can result in shifts in game ratings, like Halo 5 moving from M to T.

Age rating systems have been a staple of the video game purchasing process since their inception. Through systems like the ESRB, buyers can be informed of the kind of content that the game has. This system ranges from E for everyone all the way up to the rarely seen A for Adult, with M for Mature being the far more commonly used label.

Related

It's Okay To Cry: The 13 Most Tragic Deaths In Video Games

These characters didn't deserve to go out like this.

Posts 1

Useful as they are, these ratings can be unnecessary for those familiar with gaming. However, there are instances where these warning labels might not be what you’d expect to see.

The ESRB (Entertaiment Software Ratings Board) is a rating system that labels games based on the degree of mature content present. They operate in North America and serve a similar role to PEGI in Europe and CERO in Japan.

9 Batman: Arkham Knight

Batman: Arkham Knight

ESRB M for Mature: Blood, Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence Developer(s) Rocksteady Studios Platform(s) PS4, Xbox One, PC Powered by Expand Collapse

The Arkham series includes some of the best superhero games the industry has to offer. Ever since the first entry, Arkham Asylum, these games have proven quite capable of capturing the gritty, comic book tone that makes modern Batman endearing to so many. Despite this darker take on the Caped Crusader, most of the Arkham series kept things on par with what might be seen in theaters with the likes of The Dark Knight and The Batman.

However, that changed with the third and final installment in the main trilogy, Arkhman Knight. Upgraded from a T rating to an M, the exact reasoning for this change is up for debate. Although most signs point to the increased severity in the violence that happens throughout the story, including depictions of torture.

8 Super Smash Bros Melee

Super Smash Bros. Melee

ESRB T For Teen due to Comic Mischief, Mild Violence Developer(s) HAL Laboratory Platform(s) GameCube Powered by Expand Collapse

The Smash Bros series is Nintendo’s take on the fighting game genre, which pits iconic characters from its other titles against one another. Mario, Link, Samus, and Kirby all make an appearance with some guest characters participating as well. Super Smash Bros for WiiU included Bayonetta, while Smash Bros Ultimate had Joker from Persona 5 on the roster.

Despite the fact that both Bayonetta and Persona are M-rated franchises, the games they appeared in wouldn’t be slapped with a higher rating. That honor would be reserved for Super Smash Bros Melee, the second game in the series. Despite having the same gameplay elements as the rest of the mainline entries, the inclusion of firearms in the item pool was likely what pushed the rating up from E for Everyone to T for Teen.

7 Naughty Bear

Before making one of the most popular asymmetrical multiplayer games of all time with Dead By Daylight, Behaviour Interactive crafted a satirical title called Naughty Bear. Placing you in the shoes of the titular murderous teddy bear, your goal is to kill as many other bears as possible in some very gruesome ways. As the plot continues to unravel and the teddy bears are defluffed, new threats like robots and zombies are introduced to keep things fresh.

What doesn’t change throughout the game is the killing, which is pretty brutal. Stabbings, beatdowns, neck snaps, drowning, and shootings are all on the table. But because this violence is being administered to teddy bears rather than humans, Naughty Bear manages to skid by without an M rating and instead gets a T for Teen.

6 EA Sports UFC 5

EA Sports UFC 5

ESRB M For Mature 17+ // Blood, Strong Language, Violence Developer(s) Electronic Arts Platform(s) PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S Powered by Expand Collapse

Sports titles are known for their mass-market appeal. Those who wouldn’t consider themselves gamers might still be fans of classics like Madden, FIFA, or NBA 2K. A significant part of this success is how these titles manage to appeal to sports fans of all ages since the content is typically striving to be as close to what is shown on TV.

Related

The Best UFC Games Ever

These UFC games are king of the ring.

Posts

UFC is a unique case as, unlike many other sports, violence is a core part of mixed martial arts. Previous titles in the series got by with a T rating, but UFC 5 decided to go full on in several ways. The level of detail with the injuries fighters sustained, along with the swearing that appears both in the game’s soundtrack and career mode made it so that UFC 5 is one of the rare sports titles focused on attracting a mature audience and M Rating.

5 Call Of Duty

Call of Duty has managed to become one of the most long-lasting and successful FPS series that gaming has to offer. Each annual title focuses on a different era, ranging from World War 2 to the distant future. Characterized by its fast-paced multiplayer and engaging alternative modes, like Zombies and Warzone, Call of Duty has managed to attract millions of players across its many installments.

Due to the intense nature of these games, most of them have an M rating. But when the series began, things were much more tame. Focused on capturing the heroism of the Allied troops during the Second World War, the initial three installments were only rated T for Teen. For a series that has consistently cultivated controversy year after year thanks to younger players, it's strange to see just how things began.

4 Halo 5

Halo 5: Guardians

ESRB T for Teen: Blood, Mild Language, Violence Developer(s) 343 Industries Platform(s) Xbox One Powered by Expand Collapse

The Halo games are some of the finest FPS games out there, as well as the most influential. Helping to secure the Xbox as a legitimate gaming platform, Bungie’s magnum opus started as a science fiction FPS with a memorable campaign and engaging multiplayer to complement it. These themes stayed consistent for each entry, including 2015’s Halo 5: Guardians.

Aside from being the first game in the series to have a subtitle after its name, Halo 5 Guardians also was the first time a Halo game was rated T instead of M. Interestingly, this likely has more to do with gaming culture changing rather than anything the series did. As far as violence goes, Halo has always leaned toward the more tame side of maturity, so with how brutal other shooters can be, Halo 5 is significantly more reserved with its violence.

3 Roblox

Roblox - Game

ESRB T For Teen Due To Diverse Content: Discretion Advised Developer(s) Roblox Corporation Platform(s) PC, iOS, Android, Xbox One, PS4 Powered by Expand Collapse

Roblox is an online game that allows users to construct their own games for others to play and enjoy. Over the years, it has been the home of tens of thousands of games, ranging from original titles to passionate recreations of other popular games. Ever since its inception, Roblox has been praised for its easy-to-use creation tools, allowing children and adults alike a chance to design the game of their dreams.

Related

Roblox: 7 Best Kaiju Games

Take on the role of the iconic Kaijus in these games in Roblox!

Posts

This makes it all the more shocking that the ESRB has seen fit to put a T for Teen label on the game. However, their reasoning serves to shed light on this choice, as Roblox is home to a wide array of content. And while none of it is allowed to be too mature, the range on offer means that not all of it can reasonably be deemed suitable for younger audiences.

2 Mortal Kombat Vs DC Universe

Mortal Kombat and Injustice are two of Netherealm Studio’s most successful fighting game franchises. The former has existed since the days of the arcade, shocking audiences with a level of intense violence. A theme that has persisted to this day. Injustice, on the other hand, focuses on the DC universe receiving a major shakeup as heroes and villains alike take sides, fighting either for or against the reign of tyrannical Superman.

What fans of recent installments may not be aware of is that the characters from both of these series have crossed paths before. Mortal Komabt Vs DC Universe is an odd case in many ways, but one of the most strange is seeing the Mortal Kombat cast in a T-rated game. Being a fighting game, Mortal Komabt Vs DC Universe is still violent but lacks the brutality that made the series so infamous.

1 Grand Theft Auto:San Andreas

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

ESRB M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs Developer(s) Rockstar Games Platform(s) PS2, PS3, Xbox (Original), Xbox 360, PC, macOS, iOS, Android Powered by Expand Collapse

Rockstar, and by extension, the Grand Theft Auto series, is no stranger to controversy. GTA has always challenged what is appropriate to feature in games, all the while offering groundbreaking open-world experiences. Every entry has managed to draw negative press, some before they are even released, but none have managed to cause the impact seen with Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was initially released with an M for Mature rating. However, when it was found that the game had a mini-game with lewd content, a change was hastily made. San Andreas received the rarely used A for Adult rating, forcing it to be pulled from store shelves and initiating a class action lawsuit. Future releases of the game had the content removed entirely. Which has now allowed it to return to the standard M for Mature rating.

Next

Grand Theft Auto 5: 23 Things To Do After You Beat The Game

GTA 5 is a massive game. But the fun doesn't end once you complete the main story. Here's some fun stuff you can do once you beat the game.

Posts 2