Could 'The Last of Us' be rated M for Mature?

 

Have you seen the official VGA trailer for Naughty Dog's Upcoming 'The Last of Us'? If so, then you might of noticed that some of the content in this game "may not be suitable for all audiences."

Lets take a brief moment to talk about the possibility of this upcoming release to be rated Mature and what that could mean for Naughty Dog fans.

Disclaimer: All ideas expressed in this post are solely of opinion based off of the content provided in the video trailer for 'The Last of Us'. The conclusions reached in this post are not, in any way, guaranteed.

Trailer Element 1:
When the trailer starts off one of the first elements to catch my eye was the blood splattered on the wall in the bedroom. The video then pans to the left more to reveal an apparent dead man, whose arm has been painted red with blood. Below the man you see a large puddle of blood.

Trailer Element 1 Analysis:
Most games that feature elements as gruesome as shown in the trailer are usually given the ESRB rating of Mature. The reason would be, of course, "Blood and Gore."

Naughty Dog's most recent release Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception.

Trailer Element 2:
The young girl known as Ellie finds her "traveling buddy" Joel brawling with a random man in a room. After we see the first glimpse of Joel he proceeds to strike the man directly in the head with a very blunt wooden post. The man falls to the ground.

Trailer Element 2 Analysis:
Most games have the element of violence present and are given the rating of T for Teen. The violence demonstrated in this clip can be easily described as outrageous. For this it can be depicted as straying away from the norm for a "under 17" appropriate game.

Trailer Element 3:
Joel and Ellie quickly move to the bathroom after hearing, what can be concluded as, the sounds of the flesh hungry creatures. The monsters proceed to feast on the man Joel just finished combating. Joel pulls the hammer on his pistol to get ready to face the monsters and they come bolting in the bathroom. The young girl Ellie takes her switchblade and sinks it deep into the back of one of the creatures.

Trailer Element 3: Analysis:
This scene consists of two elements that can lead to what ultimately decides the rating for this game. The presence of horrific paranormal creatures that feast on the flesh of humans is usually what defines a game as one not for children.

VGAuthority's Uncharted 3: Multiplayer Playlist

Conclusion:
Based on the elements provided in the trailer, in my opinion, this game is one that will probably not be able to be bought by any retailer by any one under the age of 17.