Doesn't this game have an msrb rating of 'M'?

worrallj

I thought this game had a mature rating... Is that not the case? Ive been questing in summerset and felt that there were scenes that seemed like they should have been a bit darker and seemed very "PG-ified."

Spoiler

When the ritemaster is getting tugged back and forth and then Nocturnal evaporates him in purple mist to get at the heart, I had the distinct impression that in the original draft he was literally ripped apart. Instead he disappeared in a sparkle show. I personally think that scene called for something much grittier, especially after so many hours of high elves and their sugar plum kingdom.

Edit: know what's hilarious? The proglogue for the very next zone dlc, murkmire, has darias margus get blown up by a ritual in exactly the way i said it seemed like the ritemaster was going to, even though the stakes were way lower (I've been playing the content in chronological order). So I don't know. Maybe some animator was getting payback? Weird choices ZOS, weird choices. But hey I'm not the game designer and this is a fun game in any case.

I know originally it had an M rating, did that get changed? Can I expect anything grittier in murkmire or elsywer? Maybe a future release?

Sandman929

Lyris has a bit of a potty mouth based on what I've seen in Harrowstorm, so it should.

snoozy

well if you join the dark brotherhood, the blade of woe kill cams are moderately violent. but then again there have been [snip] complaining about those, so maybe that's why they decided to make the game PG-rated.
there are even people asking to play this game without killing anyone, ever. can you believe it
[edited to remove bait]

Katahdin

Yes it's M rated.
Not sure about the specific senario you are referring to though.

There are some situations that do call for that rating according to ESRB standard. Doesn't mean everything in the game has to be made for that rating.

gabijoe21

Not sure about the quests itself, but if you use the Blade of Woe on a NPC there is lots of blood splashing out when they are stabbed. Which I would guess still makes it Mature? Not sure though.

ZarkingFrued

Nope, PC only around here

drkfrontiers

[... self censure ...]

xWarbrain

There isn't much in the game that feels like it warrants an M rating. Just weapons and killing. Someone recently asked if there was a way to turn off blood - I honestly don't remember seeing blood in this game in the 5 years I've been playing it, other than Dark Brotherhood slow-motion kills. There is some crude humor, a few very vague sexual references.

But no, it doesn't suddenly turn into Resident Evil during later DLC. Dark Brotherhood is probably the closest since you play as a murderer.

There are far more sparkly outfits, non-combat pets and mounts than aspects of blood and gore in this game.

worrallj

snoozy wrote: »

well if you join the dark brotherhood, the blade of woe kill cams are moderately violent. but then again there have been snowflakes complaining about those, so maybe that's why they decided to make the game PG-rated.
there are even people asking to play this game without killing anyone, ever. can you believe it

Oh I did forget about DB. My main toon isn't a murderer though so he's not getting that.

I saw that thread about playing without killing anyone- I was under the impression that was for RP purposes not censorship.

But in general yeah I'd like to see some more unfiltered questlines.

Katahdin

The vamp quest line could be considered mature. My character has also been propositioned by a guard, while mild, might push the line.

DMuehlhausen

In Crypt of Hearts 1 the first boss talks about finding a place to hang your innards.

worrallj

DMuehlhausen wrote: »

In Crypt of Hearts 1 the first boss talks about finding a place to hang your innards.

True but that is very different from actually hanging your innards from said place. Sticks and stones, haha.

driosketch

This game is not M by design. It was rated M by the ESRB because of a few things and themes that pushed it over. While ZOS wasn't willing to or couldn't eliminate those things for a lower rating, it doesn't mean they'd take the M as a duty to go as dark and gritty as possible.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.gamespot.com/amp-articles/elder-scrolls-online-rated-m-for-sexual-innuendo-severed-heads-and-drinking-games/1100-6417994/

ArchMikem

I believe originally ESO was Pegi 16, i think, but it changed to M to give ZOS more breathing room in content. That said, im still waiting for my nudity and suggestive themes.

RefLiberty

worrallj wrote: »

I thought this game had a mature rating... Is that not the case? Ive been questing in summerset and felt that there were scenes that seemed like they should have been a bit darker and seemed very "PG-ified."

Spoiler

When the ritemaster is getting tugged back and forth and then Nocturnal evaporates him in purple mist to get at the heart, I had the distinct impression that in the original draft he was literally ripped apart. Instead he disappeared in a sparkle show. I personally think that scene called for something much grittier, especially after so many hours of high elves and their sugar plum kingdom.

I know originally it had an M rating, did that get changed? Can I expect anything grittier in murkmire or elsywer? Maybe a future release?

It still has M rating. Per ESRB it is registered as:

Blood and Gore
Sexual Themes
Use of Alcohol
Violence

I and would like, due to the rating, that we have more revealing motifs or outfits.
[snip], but to be more revealing, not like overall theme, but some.



[edited to remove inappropriate comment]

whitecrow

I feel like the M is mainly to cover things that might be said in chat. The game itself is fairly tame IMO.

craybest

It does seem a bit too pg13 at times. I wish we had a bit of a darker tone. It isn't only about gore and that but thematic in general. ***, prostitution, sex. Even if not shown, being talked about in quests makes it feel more real and less cartoony.

Royaji

whitecrow wrote: »

I feel like the M is mainly to cover things that might be said in chat. The game itself is fairly tame IMO.

ESRB does not judge online interactions in their ratings.

idk

worrallj wrote: »

I thought this game had a mature rating... Is that not the case? Ive been questing in summerset and felt that there were scenes that seemed like they should have been a bit darker and seemed very "PG-ified."

Spoiler

When the ritemaster is getting tugged back and forth and then Nocturnal evaporates him in purple mist to get at the heart, I had the distinct impression that in the original draft he was literally ripped apart. Instead he disappeared in a sparkle show. I personally think that scene called for something much grittier, especially after so many hours of high elves and their sugar plum kingdom.

I know originally it had an M rating, did that get changed? Can I expect anything grittier in murkmire or elsywer? Maybe a future release?

No. The rating did not change. It has an Adult rating in the EU. The use of alcohol in the game was sufficient for a Mature rating in the USA.

Just because the game has such a rating does not mean the devs need to design every element of the game to that rating. That would not make sense.

worrallj

craybest wrote: »

It does seem a bit too pg13 at times. I wish we had a bit of a darker tone. It isn't only about gore and that but thematic in general. ***, prostitution, sex. Even if not shown, being talked about in quests makes it feel more real and less cartoony.

I agree. TES has always had a subtle dark undercurrent (not full on unrelenting horror, but just some genuine creepiness and sense of threat that bad things sometimes happen in this universe).

To be fair though, prostitution & sex get talked about in the game. Never with much seriousness though, just in a cutsie haha look at our sex jokes way. Same with the alcoholism others have mentioned: all those nords drinking themselves silly and it's just kind of a funny character trait- there's very few NPCs that hit you with the weight of a broken soul.

StormeReigns

Just because you can doesn't mean you should, and just because you shouldn't, doesn't mean you can.

If you strictly follow the main path / quest lines. Yes it's going to be mild. Outside in many of the areas there are some serious comments and discussions made by NPCs in the middle of nowhere.

Betnikh has a NPC wander about muttering how he is going to kill the Tavern owner. Forge the will so he can take claim, and Poison a few other npcs. Ghratwood, ghettowood whateverwood near a cliff has a elf (cant remember if altmer or bosmer) wondering should he suicide or make a deadric pact to ensure his kids and wife who left him are forced to love him or be shredded into meal time bits.

Its all in the context and content. Many tongue and cheek grim, others pushing that envelope based on who the person is experiencing the situation.

DocFrost72

Royaji wrote: »

show previous quotes

whitecrow wrote: »

I feel like the M is mainly to cover things that might be said in chat. The game itself is fairly tame IMO.

ESRB does not judge online interactions in their ratings.

And thank goodness, or there'd be only one rating.

sharquez

I mean there are dungeons with walls made from corpses like VOM and horrible torture stuff, and other stuff mentioned by others. The rating seems justified but it doesn't mean much in the end. I'm not losing sleep over virtual gore, and I think a 12 year old could more or less handle all the stuff in the game without freaking out.

ProfessorKittyhawk

While things are not as graphic as could be, some quests do contain some rather dark content that can be quite disturbing even if it leaves a good deal to the imagination. A quest in the Rift where peoples eyes are ripped out and fed to a Hagraven, with an npc who survived the ordeal? I also remember some mentions and suggestions to sexual assault. While not explicitly stated or seen, it's there if you're paying attention. Theres also the quest where another alliance tries committing genocide/infanticide against a race. Whether any of this warrants an M rating is up to perspective. As others have mentioned, probably just to cover their asses.

SpaceElf

I've seen NPCs straight-up impaled on spikes, so yeah, M is justified. I wasn't expecting that.

worrallj

StormeReigns wrote: »

Just because you can doesn't mean you should, and just because you shouldn't, doesn't mean you can.

If you strictly follow the main path / quest lines. Yes it's going to be mild. Outside in many of the areas there are some serious comments and discussions made by NPCs in the middle of nowhere.

Betnikh has a NPC wander about muttering how he is going to kill the Tavern owner. Forge the will so he can take claim, and Poison a few other npcs. Ghratwood, ghettowood whateverwood near a cliff has a elf (cant remember if altmer or bosmer) wondering should he suicide or make a deadric pact to ensure his kids and wife who left him are forced to love him or be shredded into meal time bits.

Its all in the context and content. Many tongue and cheek grim, others pushing that envelope based on who the person is experiencing the situation.

Yeah, that's true, but I think some have mistook my comments as advocating that every step you take should be soaked in blood.

The spoiler section in my OP hopefully illustrates that I'm taking about a place in the game where I'd bet money that the original writer's vision involved a fairly graphic scene of violence, based on the context of what was going on. It really seemed to me that a censor of some sort had stepped in and said "we can't show something that graphic in our main questline. Replace the blood with purple light and just have the character model disappear." I could be wrong- maybe they actually did it exactly the way the writers/artists intended.

It's a matter of taste in the end, but it seems to me that if you've got the mature rating, and you've got a story moment that genuinely calls for dark imagery, you miss an opportunity when you tone it down.

Consider- the opening scene of Skyrim was one of the most iconic in video game history. It started with a bunch of prisoners being lead to the chopping block and one getting decapitated. This was the first of many graphic violence scenes in the most successful TES ever. Does ESO even have a single case of decapitation? There are NPCs executing each other left and right but they always just do the exact same stabby move and the other guy falls over usually without any blood on him. I get that not everyone wants to see the more graphic stuff, but TES players, on average, probably want some of it *when it's called for.*

ProfessorKittyhawk

SpaceElf wrote: »

I've seen NPCs straight-up impaled on spikes, so yeah, M is justified. I wasn't expecting that.

Not to mention the number of quests that have you cut off an enemies head to put on a pike.

worrallj

ProfessorKittyhawk wrote: »

show previous quotes

SpaceElf wrote: »

I've seen NPCs straight-up impaled on spikes, so yeah, M is justified. I wasn't expecting that.

Not to mention the number of quests that have you cut off an enemies head to put on a pike.

Haha true, and this is ironic since I just posted about ESO doesn't have decapitations. But just to clarify, the decapitation is always implied. The NPC's head never actually gets cut off, it's just an item you loot.

Kiralyn2000

driosketch wrote: »

This game is not M by design. It was rated M by the ESRB because of a few things and themes that pushed it over. While ZOS wasn't willing to or couldn't eliminate those things for a lower rating, it doesn't mean they'd take the M as a duty to go as dark and gritty as possible.

This.


Just because something is "M" rated, doesn't mean that it has to, or the devs want to, be like Game of Thrones crossed with Saw.

worrallj

Kiralyn2000 wrote: »

show previous quotes

driosketch wrote: »

This game is not M by design. It was rated M by the ESRB because of a few things and themes that pushed it over. While ZOS wasn't willing to or couldn't eliminate those things for a lower rating, it doesn't mean they'd take the M as a duty to go as dark and gritty as possible.

This.


Just because something is "M" rated, doesn't mean that it has to, or the devs want to, be like Game of Thrones crossed with Saw.

Yeah, that's true, but I think some have mistook my comments as advocating that every step you take should be soaked in blood.

The spoiler section in my OP hopefully illustrates that I'm taking about a place in the game where I'd bet money that the original writer's vision involved a fairly graphic scene of violence, based on the context of what was going on. It really seemed to me that a censor of some sort had stepped in and said "we can't show something that graphic in our main questline. Replace the blood with purple light and just have the character model disappear." I could be wrong- maybe they actually did it exactly the way the writers/artists intended.

SpaceElf

worrallj wrote: »

show previous quotes

StormeReigns wrote: »

Just because you can doesn't mean you should, and just because you shouldn't, doesn't mean you can.

If you strictly follow the main path / quest lines. Yes it's going to be mild. Outside in many of the areas there are some serious comments and discussions made by NPCs in the middle of nowhere.

Betnikh has a NPC wander about muttering how he is going to kill the Tavern owner. Forge the will so he can take claim, and Poison a few other npcs. Ghratwood, ghettowood whateverwood near a cliff has a elf (cant remember if altmer or bosmer) wondering should he suicide or make a deadric pact to ensure his kids and wife who left him are forced to love him or be shredded into meal time bits.

Its all in the context and content. Many tongue and cheek grim, others pushing that envelope based on who the person is experiencing the situation.

Yeah, that's true, but I think some have mistook my comments as advocating that every step you take should be soaked in blood.

The spoiler section in my OP hopefully illustrates that I'm taking about a place in the game where I'd bet money that the original writer's vision involved a fairly graphic scene of violence, based on the context of what was going on. It really seemed to me that a censor of some sort had stepped in and said "we can't show something that graphic in our main questline. Replace the blood with purple light and just have the character model disappear." I could be wrong- maybe they actually did it exactly the way the writers/artists intended.

It's a matter of taste in the end, but it seems to me that if you've got the mature rating, and you've got a story moment that genuinely calls for dark imagery, you miss an opportunity when you tone it down.

Consider- the opening scene of Skyrim was one of the most iconic in video game history. It started with a bunch of prisoners being lead to the chopping block and one getting decapitated. This was the first of many graphic violence scenes in the most successful TES ever. Does ESO even have a single case of decapitation? There are NPCs executing each other left and right but they always just do the exact same stabby move and the other guy falls over usually without any blood on him. I get that not everyone wants to see the more graphic stuff, but TES players, on average, probably want some of it *when it's called for.*

I'll be honest, the NPC you reference in the spoiler is my favorite NPC so I was glad it wasn't too graphic. Decapitation is not great to see, but it's far more 'normalized' irl than what essentially would be drawing and quartering.

Mannimarco was straight up stabbing people in the heart. It made me wince. I don't know if MMOs are different in that regard to stand-alone games, but the story hook Skyrim needed might not apply to a base that is probably already familiar with TES.