First Ninja Gaiden to Be Rated 18

The upcoming release of Ninja Gaiden 2 for the Xbox 360 consoles, set for the 6th of June this year will be available to less people than expected, since the BBFC has decided to rate the game 18. This means that, unlike the previous titles, this is the title that can only be sold to adults. However, the BBFC has declared that no cuts have been made to the game which, at least, is a good thing.

Of course this rating doesn't come as a huge surprise, having in mind that all the screenshots released by Team Ninja until today present a very violent and bloody game. Actually, that seems to be the reason BBFC rated Ninja Gaiden 2 18 - it contains strong, bloody violence", they said. The previous two Ninja Gaiden titles released in Europe were rated 15, while the original Xbox title was given a 16 rating by PEGI in 2004.

However, this shouldn't be the biggest problem for Ninja Gaiden 2. Having in mind that the BBFC has decided to increase the minimum age requirements, it remains to see what will happen to the game in Australia, where the maximum rating allowed is MA15+. With Ninja Gaiden Black being banned in Australia, it wouldn't be the first time when a title developed by Team Ninja gets blocked, but it would clearly be sad. Unlike Europe and Australia, the US have always rated the games in the series M and the same will probably happen with Ninja Gaiden 2.

The hero Ryu Hayabusa returns in the game with the mission to save his clan and prevent the destruction of the human race. The story will follow Ryu Hayabusa from Tokyo to Japan and to the netherworld while universal themes of honor and vengeance are played out to create the dramatic, original story.