Far Cry New Dawn is due to release in the middle of February, and ahead of that upcoming launch, the game has now received its ESRB rating. Somewhat unsurprisingly, the game has received a rating of ‘M’ for ‘Mature’; by no means a deviation from the series’ norm. However, the accompanying ESRB rating summary includes some rather… colourful references to what occurs in the game; references which give fans a rough idea of the sort of mature content they can expect to see.
Far Cry New Dawn’s ESRB Rating Summary
Overall, a rating of Mature is normal for a Far Cry game; the rating summary makes mention of strong language, alcohol use, some mild sexual themes, and “intense” violence, along with other elements like in-app purchase options (micro-transactions). Given what fans saw in Far Cry 5, this all seems par for the course. Where things get interesting is in the ESRB rating summary; the accompanying document which provides the reasoning for the rating decision. The summary actually includes a vague overview of the game’s premise which hints at the story.
“This is an action/adventure first-person shooter in which players assume the role of a captain of a security detail sent to rescue settlers. Set in a post-nuclear Montana, the game allows players to explore open-world environments, engage in combat missions, rescue hostages, and liberate outposts from enemy bandits/marauders.”
The story content sounds very similar to what Far Cry fans would expect, with an open-world containing enemy outposts and the like. Interestingly, this is the first we’ve heard about the game’s protagonist, who has been a mystery since the announcement of the game, other than that they would be a new character coming to Hope County for the first time.
The Mature Content of Far Cry New Dawn
The summary goes on to detail the game’s mature content in much more explicit detail: “Players use machine guns, rifles, flamethrowers, and explosives to kill enemies in frenetic combat; combat is highlighted by realistic gunfire, large explosions, and blood-splatter effects. Stealth attacks (e.g. knife-stabbing from behind) are also used to take out unsuspecting enemies discreetly. Cutscenes depict additional acts of intense violence: a man executed with a shotgun blast; a man shot point-blank in the chest.
“The game contains brief sexual references in the dialogue (e.g. “Party liquor, pornographic VHS tapes… cool guns”; “I wanna get a speed b*ner”; and “… [M]y heart is poundin’ and my d*ck is hard.”) During the course of the game, players’ characters can consume alcohol, resulting in a screen-blurring effect and the character passing out. The words “f**k” and “sh*t” are heard in dialogue.”
Once again, the description certainly fits the history of Far Cry, although some of the dialogue references are rather… unfiltered. Certainly, one would assume that they come from the game’s lawless raider antagonists. Of course, fans won’t know for sure until the game releases in mid-February.