Konami Digital Entertainment and NeoBards Entertainment’s upcoming survival horror game, Silent Hill f, has been refused classification and will not be released in Australia.
In its listing for Silent Hill f, the classification rating board (via) in Australia has indicated that the game has been refused classification, meaning that it has been denied the right to go on sale in the country.
As stated by the Australian Classification board, a Refused Classification (RC) refers to films, computer games and publications that cannot be sold, hired, advertised or legally imported in Australia. Material classified as RC contains content that is outside generally-accepted community standards and exceeds what can be included in the R 18+ and X 18+ ratings.
Those interested in knowing the reason for this decision may contact the Australian Classification board for further information.
Meanwhile, the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) recently rated Silent Hill f for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S, giving it a Mature 17+ rating. The rating cites Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, and Partial Nudity, highlighting the game’s disturbing horror elements and brutal gameplay. According to the rating board, Silent Hill f places players in the role of a student navigating a supernatural crisis in a 1960s Japanese mountain town. The game is played from a third-person perspective, allowing players to explore eerie environments, solve puzzles, interact with NPCs, and engage in melee combat against monstrous enemies. Weapons such as axes, crowbars, knives, and spears can be used to fend off humanoid monsters, mutants, and mythical creatures.
Combat is described as particularly gruesome, with frequent blood-splatter effects and scenes depicting large bloodstains throughout the environment. Enemy attacks can result in graphic injuries, including impalement to the neck and facial mutilation. Additionally, cutscenes depict gruesome acts such as a character being burned alive, a woman branded with a hot iron, and characters sawing off their own limbs or slicing off facial portions during rituals. Other unsettling imagery includes entrails and sinew displayed on serving platters as part of a grotesque ceremony.
