Burnitopia central

Sometimes, when a popular game comes out, I can take one look and know that it can't be pretty. I am usually reluctant to play any game rated "Mature," and the theme of certain games can sometimes be, well... you get the idea. Any game that I refuse to play no matter what, I cannot review. So instead, I will write a short article on certain games that I don't want to touch with a ten foot pole. That is what this page is all about.

So, why do I refuse to review this game? Here are my reasons:

1. Content

• ESRB gave this game a rating of "M" for Mature. I checked IGN (see links page for site) to see why. What I found was shocking.
  • ESRB Content Descriptors:
  • Intense Violence, Blood, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Partial Nudity, Use of Drugs and Alcohol

           This is reason enough for me to never play or watch this game. But just in case you don't care about this, here is some more.

2. Actions taken

• All you do in this game (basically) is crime. Steal cars, run from the police, gun down pedestrians, and so on. I know that you won't get arrested for it, but you're still doing crime in the virtual world. I don't think this is right. I have heard that this game has superior graphics and is overall fun to play. In fact, IGN gave it a ten out of ten, for the first time since 1999. If there was a crime-free, "E" for everyone rated game using this kind of gameplay and graphics, it could have great potential and be really worth looking into. But I seriously doubt that Rockstar Games (the developers of the series) will ever think about doing that.

3. Distaste with predecessors

• I have never actually played a Grand Theft Auto game. I have, however, watched a friend play the first one probably seven to ten years ago. I knew that I shouldn't play, as fun as it looked, because of the content and crime. I have never liked that series, and that feeling has only increased since the first game. This is what really got me steamed at the series: Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. It was given a rating of "M" for mature by ESRB. However, due to a secret pornographic minigame, ESRB revised it's rating to "AO" for Adults Only, making it the first and only AO game to reach consoles. GTA San Andreas was pulled from store shelves everywhere, and Rockstar Games sent out revised versions of the game rated "M" for Mature.

If this isn't enough reason, then I don't know what is. I have a hard time seeing how this game could get any worse. Nintendo doesn't even carry this game for the Wii, which I think is a good thing. Just another reason why Nintendo remains my favorite gaming company: family-friendliness.