After banning Disco Elysium: The Final Cut, the Australian Classification Review board has reversed their decision. The board banned the game back in March due to drug use and the seeming benefits drugs have on your character. After ZA/UM formally challenged the decision, a different review board has decided that the drug use is depicted in a negative light and will now rate the game R 18+.
The original report is available on the Australian Government’s Classification Board site where it reads “Refused Classification”. The reason is listed as “Games 1(a): The computer game is classified RC in accordance with the National Classification Code, Computer Games Table, 1. (a) as computer games that ‘depict, express or otherwise deal with matters of sex, drug misuse or addiction, crime, cruelty, violence or revolting or abhorrent phenomena in such a way that they offend against the standards of morality, decency and propriety generally accepted by reasonable adults to the extent that they should not be classified.'”
However, the new board’s decision has decided otherwise.”In the Review Board’s opinion,” reads the Review Board’s report, “while drug use linked to incentives and rewards cannot be accommodated at R 18+, this game does provide disincentives related to drug-taking behaviour, to the point where regular drug use leads to negative consequences for the player’s progression in the game. It was, specifically, the disincentives for drug use that influenced the Review Board in making their decision. Drug use is not explicitly depicted within the game.”
Though the game was banned in Australia, gamers could technically still purchase Disco Elysium via Steam. The new R 18+ rating means that the game will make its way to stores without trouble, but only adults will be able to purchase it.
Disco Elysium: The Final Cut centres around crime, war and murder mystery, so the content is regularly dark. The role-playing game recently became available on most major systems and is rated M17 for mature audience here in North America. Come back and check out CGM’s review of The Final Cut soon and see what we thought of Ihere!
