Alien probes deny Saints Row 4 classification in Australia

Saints Row 4 has been refused classification in Australia thanks to its inclusion of a weapon called the Alien Anal Probe and an alien drug that grants superpowers upon smoking it.

The Australian Classification Board announced its decision adding that the game 'includes interactive, visual depictions of implied sexual violence which are not justified by context'. The Board justifies its findings with a description of how the alien probe weapon is used in the game against enemies and civilians and which leaves little ambiguity to what it is actually doing.

The Board's quibbles with the alien narcotic is also justified as showing no significant difference between real-world drugs such as cocaine and heroine and the invented alien substance as it is obtained via street dealers and inhaled through a pipe.

Developer Volition is working on altering the game for resubmission in the country according to the franchise's new owner Deep Silver. Speaking to Polygon, a Deep Silver spokesperson said that there is an intention to launch a version of the game in Australia that is still as 'outlandish' as previous entries in the series.

Saints Row 4 will be the first title to have been refused an 18+ classification since its introduction in January. Australia's video game rating system has always been on the strict side, but this has previously been due to a lack of an 18+ rating.

Formerly published by the now defunct THQ, the Saints Row intellectual property was picked up by Deep Silver at auction earlier this year and the fourth instalment of the series is expected to be released in August this year.