Developer Bloober Team’s The Medium has been refused classification in Australia, banning it from sale in the country.
Launching December 10th for both Windows PC (via the Microsoft Store, and Steam), and Xbox Series X; Kotaku Australia reports The Australian Classification Board has now published the result of The Medium’s classification. Filed on July 6th, the game has been Refused Classification- banning it from sale in Australia.
As previously reported The Medium is a horror puzzle game where players explore and solve puzzles in two different realities. As a medium, the player can pierce the veil of the spirit world and find clues both in the spirit world and the real world. They can also astral project into the spirit world to explore places their real body cannot go.
The reason for the ban was not specified, and Kotaku Australia received no reply from Bloober Team or Microsoft. Neither Bloober Team or Microsoft have issued a public statement at this time.
The game’s mature content description on Steam notes “Frequent violence and gore and general mature content is present.” Australian video game bans are typically focused on drugs and sexual content, though extreme gore has also gotten games banned in the past.
Back in July 2018, Australian Senator and leader of the Australian Liberal Democrats David Leyonhjelm proposed a bill to the Australian government to prevent video games from being banned in the region. However the bill lapsed at the end of parliament in June 2019 and is no longer proceeding.
Wasteland 3 by inXile Entertainment was temporarily refused classification by the Australian ratings board, before being resubmitted and approved in March of this year. Reportedly, the government of Australia also recently banned the import of adult materials and products from Japan. This includes hentai, JAV (Japanese Adult Video), adult toys, and more.
You can find the rundown of the game (via Steam) below.
YOU’VE ONLY SEEN HALF SO FAR
Discover a dark mystery only a medium can solve. Explore the real world and the spirit world at the same time. Use your psychic abilities to solve puzzles spanning both worlds, uncover deeply disturbing secrets, and survive encounters with The Maw – a monster born from an unspeakable tragedy..
The Medium is a third-person psychological horror game that features patented dual-reality gameplay and an original soundtrack co-composed by Arkadiusz Reikowski and Akira Yamaoka.
BECOME A MEDIUM
Wield unique psychic abilities reserved for those with the gift. Travel between the realities or explore them both at the very same time. Use the Out of Body experience to investigate places where your real-world self can’t go. Create energy shields and deliver powerful spirit blasts to survive the spirit world and its otherworldly dangers.
SEE WHAT’S HIDDEN
Delve deep into a mature and morally ambiguous story, where nothing is what it seems and everything has another side. As a medium you see, hear and experience more than others, and with every new perspective you will change your perception on what happened at the Niwa resort.
PLAY IN TWO WORLDS AT THE SAME TIME
Never-seen-before and officially patented gameplay that plays out across two worlds displayed at the same time. Explore the physical world and the spirit world simultaneously, and use the interactions between them to solve dual-reality puzzles, unlock new paths, and awaken memories of past events.
ENTER A DARK REALITY INSPIRED BY BEKSIŃSKI
The Medium’s spirit world is a dark mirror reflection of our reality, a grim and unsettling place where our unpunished deeds, evil urges, and vile secrets manifest themselves and can take on a form. This world has been invented and designed under the inspiration of Zdzisław Beksiński’s paintings, Polish dystopian surrealist internationally recognized for his distinctive and strikingly ominous style.
MUSIC BY YAMAOKA & REIKOWSKI
Immerse yourself in the disturbing and oppressive atmosphere of the game thanks to the original ‘dual’ soundtrack co-created by Akira Yamaoka and Arkadiusz Reikowski. Yamaoka-san is a legendary Japanese composer best known for his work on the Silent Hill series; Reikowski is a Hollywood Music in Media Awards nominee who worked on such acclaimed horror games as Blair Witch, Layers of Fear, and Observer. Now they join their creative forces for the music and songs of The Medium.
Image: Steam
