If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy.

Skyrim gets Mature rating in the US

References rape, includes drinking game.

Upcoming fantasy role-playing game Skyrim contains a reference to rape and includes a drinking contest, the US ratings board has revealed.

Skyrim features blood and gore, intense violence, sexual themes and the use of alcohol, according to the ESRB, which awarded the game a Mature rating.

The ESRB's summary goes into further detail:

"This is a fantasy role-playing game in which players assume the role of Dovakin, a prophesied figure with the power to combat dragons in the fictional world of Skyrim," it reads.

"As players traverse through mountainous open-world environments, they complete missions and quests that impact the eventual fate of their character. Players use swords, bows and arrows, axes, and magic attacks (e.g., fireballs, ice shards) to kill various enemies (e.g., wolves, dragons, human bandits and soldiers).

"As players engage in melee-style combat, some sequences are highlighted by slow-motion effects, particularly for decapitations. Large blood-splatter effects also occur during combat, and some environments are stained with blood or body parts (e.g., heads impaled on spikes). Some sequences allow players to injure/kill nonadversary characters, including prisoners chained to a wall; they scream in pain amid splashes of blood or fire.

"As the game progresses, the dialogue and on-screen text contains references to sexual material (e.g., ". . . all the whores your heart, or any other organ, desires," "She . . . raped the men as cruelly as Bal had ravished her," and "Remember when you thought [he] was . . . intent on making you . . . into his personal sex slave?").

"Alcohol such as wine, mead, and ale can be purchased and consumed by players' character throughout the game; and in one sequence, players can engage in a drinking contest with another character, which eventually results in slurred speech (e.g., "One more. No problemsh . . . Thash grape!")."

Topics in this article

Follow topics and we'll email you when we publish something new about them.  Manage your notification settings.

About the Author
Wesley Yin-Poole avatar

Wesley Yin-Poole

Contributor

Wesley likes news, interviews, and more news. He also likes Street Fighter more than anyone can get him to shut up about it.

Comments
Eurogamer.net logo

Buy things with globes on them

And other lovely Eurogamer merch in our official store!

Explore our store
Eurogamer.net Merch