Controversy has all the time blighted the gaming business. Doom, with its roster of ghastly demons, has been criticized for its violence because the franchise started. Then there’s Mortal Kombat and its grisly Fatalities, which did not go down notably properly with some events both.
For sure, these kinds of titles and their violent content material are usually locked behind age scores, decided by the Leisure Software program Scores Board (ESRB), equally to films. Curiously, there’s a rating above Mature (17+), dubbed Adults Solely (18+). This highest rating is given out solely in uncommon, excessive circumstances; Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo don’t enable AO video games on their platforms, and their gross sales are closely restricted. From Hatred to GTA, let’s check out among the few video games that earned this most doubtful of scores.
Up to date October 23, 2025 by Mark Sammut: There’ll possible by no means be one other AO-rated recreation, because the tasks that might qualify will possible follow PC and by no means be submitted to ESRB. As such, this listing is pretty definitive and serves as a glance by means of among the extra controversial releases in gaming historical past.
Click on on a recreation’s title to go to its ESRB web page. Additionally, video games like Seduce Me and Lula 3D are usually not included since we need to concentrate on (comparatively) mainstream tasks and never ones which might be clearly attempting to get an AO score.
The Notorious Scorching Espresso
Now, this one was all however inevitable. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas earns a point out for a sure piece of content material by the identify of Scorching Espresso. This was a eliminated minigame that, whereas not formally playable, could possibly be triggered by means of mods. This dialed up the already grownup content material of the sport to the restrict, and so San Andreas was slapped with the AO score since Scorching Espresso was a part of the sport’s recordsdata relatively than simply an adult-oriented mod created by followers.
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Curiously, although, stated score was rescinded later. Rockstar responded by deleting all traces of Scorching Espresso from the title, and, in flip, the sport’s score was revised to Mature. Of all of the terrible issues somebody can see and do in a GTA title, it’s attention-grabbing to suppose that it was Scorching Espresso specifically that pushed a sequence entry over the sting.
Singles (Or Singles: Flirt Up Your Life)
Sims However No Youngsters Allowed
Singles: Flirt Up Your Life
- Launched
-
October 5, 2003
- ESRB
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M For Mature 17+ Due To Partial Nudity, Robust Sexual Content material
- Developer(s)
-
Rotobee
Coming in a number of variations, Singles: Flirt Up Your Life is an M-rated social sim that places gamers accountable for two characters who’re dwelling collectively. The principle purpose is to construct up their relationship so that they ultimately go all the best way. A easy premise that sells itself, the sport executes this idea properly sufficient, though it’s hardly price in search of out nowadays.
Now, the usual North American model is pretty tame, however there was once a downloadable AO various that added nudity again to the sport. This model introduced the content material consistent with the European iteration. In 2005, a sequel was even launched, though it didn’t obtain an ESRB score. So far as may be confirmed at this level, it looks as if Singles 2: Triple Hassle may need remained a Europe unique.
Blood-Soaked Homicide Spree
Manhunt 2
- Launched
-
October 29, 2007
- ESRB
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M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Robust Language, Robust Sexual Content material, Use of Medicine
- Developer(s)
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Rockstar London
As many individuals know, Manhunt 2 is without doubt one of the most controversial video video games in historical past. Created by Rockstar (no strangers to this type of notoriety), the stealth recreation is crammed to the brim with astonishingly gory and brutal content material. Gamers management Daniel Lamb, a man who escapes from an Asylum and goes on a rampage that includes graphically executing a plethora of individuals. The sport even contains a three-tier homicide system, with the violence escalating with every degree.
Manhunt 2 is an uncommon case, because it was rejigged by the staff to satisfy the requirements of a Mature score (executions have been modified to be much less graphic and the system that glorified extra theatrical assassinations was eliminated). It was the uncut PC launch that pulled no punches and was condemned. Whereas the console iteration earned an M score, the PC iteration went the additional mile and acquired an AO rating, though the content material descriptors of all variations are the identical.
Larry’s Wildest PC Journey
Leisure Swimsuit Larry has all the time reveled in debauchery and adolescent humor. Debuting in 1987, the sequence is understood for its sexually-charged humor and penchant for irreverence, and it collected a reasonably respectable following throughout the ’90s. Positive, the video games weren’t excessive artwork, however they did their jobs properly. In 2004, Larry wanted a makeover, which got here within the type of a 3D journey known as Magna Cum Laude.
Presenting fairly a little bit of freedom in comparison with its predecessors, this launch drops gamers on campus and permits them to mingle and participate in minigames. There may be not all that a lot depth right here, and the jokes are the definition of immature, however some enjoyable may be had if a participant is in the proper mindset. As with most multi-platform releases, Leisure Swimsuit Larry: Magna Cum Laude‘s AO model is simply obtainable on PC, with the PS2 and Xbox receiving an edited model. If somebody needs to check out the unfiltered Leisure Swimsuit Larry expertise, the Uncut and Uncensored! version is the one gamers will need to choose up.
Mass Homicide Sim
Hatred
3/10
- Launched
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June 1, 2015
- ESRB
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AO For Grownup Solely 18+ Due To Intense Violence, Blood and Gore, Robust Language
Commonest video games attempt to keep away from getting the AO score, however Hatred appears prefer it was particularly designed with that purpose in thoughts. This launch is mainly Postal with out something resembling a narrative or a lot in the best way of nuance; it’s a homicide simulator, a recreation that unleashes gamers onto society and tells them to kill everybody.
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Unsurprisingly, Hatred garnered a reasonably horrible reception upon launch, however finally that hardly appeared to be the purpose of the sport. It is a title that appeared to need folks to be outraged and to react as loudly as attainable. As a rule, the AO score is given out to video games which might be clearly focusing on adults, particularly within the type of sexual content material; amidst tasks like Seduce Me and Moist: The Attractive Empire, Hatred stands out because it shares much more similarities with conventional video games that one would possibly discover on most retailer cabinets.
A Uncommon Visible Novel Asks For An ESRB Score
MangaGamer is a prolific grownup visible novel writer that has been round since 2008, normally releasing a number of tasks per 12 months. Though the overwhelming majority of those video games would garner AO scores in the event that they have been submitted for an ESRB score, that step is pointless and largely extraordinary, and that goes for many visible novels that incorporate mature content material. Nevertheless, Ef: A Fairy Story of the Two was a novel case. Together with debuting on PC, the sport made its approach to the PS2, with a United States launch additionally being on the playing cards. That took a number of years to materialize, however the visible novel formally debuted in 2014 within the USA; consequently, MangaGamer did submit Ef for an ESRB rating, which noticed it naturally obtain an Adults Solely score.
A Fairy Story of the Two is a compilation containing The First Story and The Latter Story, two visible novels that may be bought individually on Steam. Now, whereas one of many promoting factors of some of these tasks, grownup content material isn’t their solely motive for present, and there are cases when that type of materials is added to an in any other case full visible novel to extend its business attraction. For instance, Fate/Stay Night began as an eroge visible novel, however it’s hardly outlined by its grownup content material. Ef: A Fairy Story of the Two is analogous and tells a reasonably nice story.
Vicious Fighter
One of many earliest video games to be given an AO score for violent content material, Thrill Kill, finally by no means noticed launch in any respect because of its notoriety.
Paradox Improvement’s fighter revolved across the thought of a gaggle of damned people, who had been vicious killers, battling for an opportunity to be reincarnated by the Goddess Marukka. Thrill Kill promised 4 gamers might hop in concurrently, however dangerous press finally led to the title being canceled. For an thought of how the expertise could have been, think about Wu-Tang: Shaolin Fashion with demonic characters and among the most hideously brutal execution strikes possible, and that is mainly Thrill Kill.
An AO Model That Would possibly Or Would possibly Not Exist
Now, it is a particular case since this rendition of Quantic Dream’s recreation appears unimaginable to seek out within the wild, a minimum of not with this particular subtitle. Fahrenheit: Indigo Prophecy Director’s Cut does, however, have a dedicated ESRB page, so it was clearly submitted at one level or one other. It looks as if the Director’s Lower is mainly the unique recreation’s European iteration, which included scenes that have been reduce from the North American model to permit for a Mature score. It needs to be famous that ESRB solely lists PC as a platform, so if this reduce was made public, it was not on consoles.
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Subsequently, is it unimaginable to play the uncensored model of Indigo Prophecy? Fortunately, the reply is “no.” In 2015, the sport was remastered by Aspyr, and this version of Fahrenheit is based on the international release. Consequently, it’s uncut. Funnily sufficient, the remaster solely acquired an M17+ score from the ESRB board, regardless of having almost the identical content material descriptors because the Director’s Lower.
M17+ Video games That Tweaked Their Content material To Keep away from An AO-Score
Typically, builders and publishers don’t need an AO score. Positive, typically it serves as a badge of honor, however that solely holds worth if a recreation solely plans to be launched on PC and has no want to hit conventional retailer cabinets. If it needs to focus on console gamers, a challenge merely can’t be labeled as Adults Solely.
Consequently, if a developer learns that an Adults Solely rating is coming, they are going to possible alter and censor elements of their recreation to get the rating all the way down to M17+. As such, these titles by no means acquired an official AO score since they made adjustments earlier than their debuts.
Crimson Barrels’ Horror Sport Had To Lower Content material To Earn An M Score For Consoles
Crimson Barrels’ Outlast 2 is an intense and uncomfortable horror recreation that threads into some relatively deranged locations. So far as ESRB’s website is anxious, the title didn’t register an AO score; nevertheless, the developer did preemptively remove some content to ensure Outlast 2 landed a Mature score.
Some scenes have been ultimately added again to the PC model, as Valve’s platform is usually extra lenient in what tasks it accepts. Nevertheless, it appears unlikely that all the things was returned, however it’s troublesome to know what stuff was eliminated to decrease the score or reduce usually. Even when technically censored, Outlast 2‘s console variations are nonetheless horrifying and designed with an older viewers in thoughts. Nonetheless, if somebody needs to expertise this launch with out restrictions or omissions, they might want to boot up Steam.
