Silent Hill f Australia Ban Will Make It Even More Popular

Silent Hill f has been refused classification in Australia, which means that if some changes aren’t made to the game, it isn’t likely to be legally available there. If you’re aware of how the gaming industry works in Australia, this probably won’t be a surprise. Australia has some of the strictest content rules when it comes to video games, as many titles have been banned or censored a few scenes just to get a rating.

However, this is not the first time the Silent Hill series has run into this problem. In 2008, Silent Hill: Homecoming also faced a ban before developers made adjustments and resubmitted it for approval.

If we check Wikipedia, we can see how many games have been banned in Australia over the years. South Park: The Stick of Truth handled it with humor. That game originally had a scene where a character was probed by aliens, but instead of removing the whole scene, the Australian version replaced it with an image of a crying koala and an explanation of what had been cut.

However, not all the games can be excused, as Hunter x Hunter has also been refused classification and Blade Runner: Enhanced Edition has been outright banned. The rules have been tough for decades, ever since the 1990s, so this isn’t anything new.

Silent Hill f already had some intense warnings before even starting the game. The psychological horror elements seem to be pushing boundaries, which is likely why the game got into trouble with Australian regulators. As we don’t have a full breakdown yet, it’s safe to assume that the graphic violence and disturbing themes were not able to meet the country’s strict standards.

However, the game may find a silver lining, as getting banned in certain countries might actually make Silent Hill f even more popular. There’s always been this strange effect where people become more interested in something when they can’t do it. The controversy could work as free marketing, making more gamers want to check it out just to see what the fuss is about.

The developers are likely to make some small changes and resubmit the game to get an official rating. Whether that means censoring a few scenes, they’ll likely try to keep as much of their original vision while trying to get approval. One thing’s for sure: this whole situation just makes Silent Hill f seem more exciting. If it’s pushing the limits, it may lead to being one of the most interesting horror games.