It was touch and go for a while, but Capcom's Dead Rising for Xbox 360 has passed the censor test and will appear in the UK totally uncensored.
The British Board of Film Classification has awarded Dead Rising an 18 rating. A spokesperson said, "There is no clear evidence that playing games leads to copycat behaviour. We would only intervene if a game was going further than any other game in terms of interactivity and the 'thrills' it offers a gamer."
The censors were initially worried that the the game may be too bloodthirsty but eventually decided that "The game is gory, but it's not detailed and the violence is not sadistic, and it's focused against zombies. There's a fantasy element attached, and there's a sense of humour, albeit a macabre one."
We totally agree with them. We've played the demo and love it!
Dead Rising follows the harrowing tale of Frank West, an overly zealous freelance photojournalist on a hunt for the scoopof a lifetime. In pursuit of a juicy lead, he makes his way to a small suburban town only to find that it has become overrun by zombies. He escapes to the local shopping mall, thinking it will be a bastion of safety but it turns out to be anything but. It will be a true struggle to survive the endless stream of enemies, but players will have full reign of a realistic shopping center, utilizing anything they find to fight off the flesh-hungry mob and search for the truth behind the horrendous epidemic. Dead Rising is scheduled for release in the UK on September 8th.