A HORROR game due for release on the new Xbox Series X console next month is on the verge of a ban in Australia.
The Medium, which follows the terrifying story of a woman who can travel into the spirit realm, has been refused classification in the country.
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That means The Medium will be blocked from release in Australia until whatever led to the refusal is rectified, Kotaku reports.
The Xbox exclusive was developed by Polish outfit Bloober Team and is still on track to hit shelves in the UK and US on 10 December.
It could mark a huge blow for Microsoft, for which The Medium is a major selling point of its new Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S consoles.
The game is out exclusively on the two machine, and will not launch on the current-gen Xbox One.
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A listing for The Medium on the Australian Classification Board’s website was uncovered by Kotaku on Tuesday.
Filed in July, the listing does not give the name of the title, but states its developer as Bloober Team, all-but confirming it refers to The Medium.
The Krakow-based group do not have any other games in the pipeline for imminent release.
The listing does not state why the game was denied a rating.
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It’s possible that parts of the game are simply too disturbing or gory for approval in Land Down Under.
However, Kotaku suggested that a technical made during the online application process may be behind the gaff.
A member of Bloober Team told the publication that developers were working on reapplying to the board before the end of the week.
The Medium is one of Microsoft’s big exclusives as part of its efforts to ship as many new consoles as possible when they launch next week.
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The game follows the story of Marianne, a medium who can live in both the real and spirit worlds.
Players are tasked with solving puzzles and battering an array of terrifying ghostly enemies.
As well as the Series X/S, the game will be out on Windows PC. It will not release on PlayStation 5.
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Microsoft’s new Xbox Series X and its smaller, cheaper sibling, the Series S, will also launch on November 10.
The release date covers the UK, US, Australia and a bunch of other countries worldwide.
The disc-free Series S will cost £249/$299, while the Xbox Series X comes in at £449/$499.
So how does that compare to the new Xbox’s biggest rival, the PlayStation 5?
Xbox Series X games
Here’s a confirmed list…
- Assassins Creed Valhalla
- Halo: Infinite
- Bright Memory Infinite
- DIRT5
- Scorn
- Chorus
- Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2
- Call of the Sea
- The Ascent
- The Medium
- Scarlet Nexus
- Second extinction: Reclaim Earth
- Yakuza: Like A Dragon
- Madden 21
Sony has revealed the PS5 release date falls on November 12, but not everywhere.
That date only stands for the US, Japan, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand and South Korea.
In the UK, you won’t be able to get it until November 19.
The PS5 proper will cost £449.99/$499.99, while the digital edition comes in at £359/$399.
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In other news, Sony recently confirmed that more PS5 pre-orders are on the way.
The next-gen machine sold out within minutes when pre-orders launched on September 17.
And, a PlayStation fan has created an “all black” PS5 that disappointed gamers think looks much better than the real thing.
Are you excited for The Medium? Let us know in the comments!
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This post first appeared on Thesun.co.uk
