Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward’s ESRB Rating Reveals a Bloody Story on PS4, PS3 and PC

Giuseppe Nelva May 11, 2015 5:38 PM EST

Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn Director and Producer Naoki Yoshida mentioned a while ago that the game’s expansion Heavensward would steer towards darker and more mature themes than the original game, and the ESRB rating released today definitely seems to be going in that direction.

The expansion still gets a “T for Teen,” but the blurb describes quite a lot of rather violent scenes and blood, and the related blood got bumped up from the original “mild blood” of A Realm Reborn to “blood.”

Be aware that the blurb below may include descriptions of story scenes that could be considered mild spoilers.

Content Descriptors: Blood, Language, Sexual Themes, Use of Alcohol, Violence.

This is a role-playing game in which players assume the role of an adventurer exploring a fantastical world. Players travel through various lands, interact with characters, and engage in battle against humans and fantasy creatures (e.g., demons, skeletons). Players use swords, spears, and magic spells to kill several opponents. Combat can be frenetic at times, accompanied by clashing sounds and brief yells. Cutscenes also depict instances of violence: an extended off-screen sequence in which a character is stabbed; a character losing an arm off-screen in a swordfight; a character impaled by a magical bolt. Blood is depicted in a handful of cutscenes in which characters are injured; bloodstains also appear on the ground in a handful of levels. The game includes some suggestive/sexual material: female characters dressed in revealing outfits; camera angles that pan suggestively on bodies; dialogue that states “[s]tay clear from them two. Gave me the crotch rot, they did!” Players occasionally encounter characters who consume alcohol (e.g., “Jussone more cup, littlemann! Hic!”). The word “sh*te” appears in dialogue.

Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward will be released on June 23rd for PS4, PC, PS3 and Mac. The Mac version hasn’t been rated yet.