Dar Sector, which was scheduled for a March 13th release in Australia, has been brought to a screeching halt by OFLC refusing to grant a classification to the game.
Dark Sector has been described by the OFLC as a "violent and sometimes gruesome game with a sinister storyline and ominous outcome. The violence and aggression inflicted upon the protagonist is of a high level, naturalistic and not stylized at all."
For those that don't know much about the game, one of the main weapons is a three bladed glaive, which the character can cause massive amounts of damage. Apparently the glaive, as well as the in-game violence, are causing quite a stir.
"When Hayden cuts off his opponent's limb with the glaive, large amounts of blood spray forth from the stump and the injured person screams in agony which increases the impact."
Also highlighted in the report are number ways in which enemies can be dispatched: "decapitation, dismemberment of limbs accompanied by large blood spurts, neck breaking twists and exploding bodies with post-action twitching body parts" are "relatively easy to accomplish".
It sounds fairly violent, but unless you've been on a video game fast for the last few years, this doesn't sound exactly groundbreaking.Gears of War, Turok, and even Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare have some very imaginative ways of dispatching your enemies.
Whether this ban is due to public or political reaction remains to be seen
D3Publishers, the developers behind Dark Sekctor, has stated that AFA Interactive, the Australian distributor, is considering an appeal on the decision and will not rule out the eventual launch of the title with the OFLC's approval, although it will most likely miss the March release date.