Why is Dead Rising actually banned and Resident Evil not?

Dead Rising and resident Evil are two popular zombie games from Capcom, but while resident Evil always receives an age rating in Germany without any problems, Dead Rising indexed by the USK – despite all attempts by the publisher to have it removed from the list. We will try to explain why this is the case in this article.

The differences in the rating by the USK (Entertainment Software Self-Regulation Body) and the BPjM (Federal Department for Media Harmful to Young People) for both games are based on various factors. Two explicit considerations by the respective examination committees stand out in particular.

Depiction of violence in Dead Rising is on a whole different level

Similar, but very different. Both games show violence, but Dead Rising Through a particularly explicit and often humorous depiction of mass zombie acts, which can be seen as derogatory in view of human dignity. And zombies represent people. The BPjM justified the staging of violence at Dead Rising as extremely critical, while in resident Evil Most of the time it is just about killing enemy opponents. If this is seen as an end in itself or as inhumane, an indexing can take place. In Dead Rising The killing methods are not only varied, but also often grotesque and exaggerated, which puts the game particularly in the spotlight of criticism.

resident Evil Instead, it takes a cinematic approach that emphasizes horror and survival. The storyline is often dark and realistic, giving the game a more serious tone. Dead Rising presents itself quite bluntly as a “zombie sandbox spectacle” in which the creative killing of zombies is the focus. The gaming context and the type of violence depicted therefore have a significant influence on the ratings of the games. There are scenes in Dead Risingwhere players can persuade other characters to commit suicide. Elsewhere, a psychopath lustfully falls into a chainsaw, which puts the violence in a completely different light than in resident Evil.

The individual assessment does not reserve Dead Rising before the index

Each game is also rated individually, which means that even similar topics can lead to different results. The USK and BPjM take into account in particular the content, the type of violence and the general representation. Was resident Evil appears acceptable, can be Dead Rising The more intense and humorous depiction of violence can be problematic. Over time, however, the number of games that end up on the index in Germany has decreased significantly. This is due to a growing change in the acceptance of video games, with society better understanding media culture and its content, which in turn leads to a more differentiated view of violence and its context. Dead Rising is therefore now a big exception.

It is unlikely that the USK will change its decision to Dead Rising in the future. After the last attempt, Capcom has not taken any further steps in this regard. However, the level of violence and the context of the game illustrate how complex the criteria for age ratings are in the gaming industry. At the same time, the USK and similar institutions are powerless against the reality of the Internet, where you can create almost anything you want. How German players can still enjoy Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster We reveal here how you can come.