Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse ESRB Rating Details Partial Nudity and Sexual Themes

The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) officially rated Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse, assigning it a Mature “M” for players 17 and older. The rating was determined based on five key content descriptors: Blood, Language, Partial Nudity, Sexual Themes, and Violence. The summary released by the ESRB provides a detailed look into the specific elements within the game that warranted this classification, from its combat visuals to its character designs and dialogue.

Combat and Violence in Post-Apocalyptic Tokyo

Set in a war-torn Tokyo caught between gods and demons, Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse puts players in the role of a demon slayer. The game features turn-based combat where players engage both human and demonic enemies. According to the ESRB, these battles are accompanied by “colorful light effects, and large explosions.”

The violence descriptor was primarily earned through the game’s depiction of blood. The ratings board noted that “Blood effects are frequently depicted,” citing examples such as “blood stains on characters’ bodies/clothing” and “large blood stains underneath corpses or in pools on the floor.” These elements contribute to the game’s gritty, post-apocalyptic atmosphere and were a significant factor in its Mature rating.

Nudity, Language, and Sexual Themes

The ESRB summary also detailed the game’s partial nudity and sexual themes, which are most evident in the design of its various demons. The board stated that “some female demons are depicted with bare breasts (no nipples) and exposed buttocks.” It also mentioned the presence of “other demons” that “have phallic-shaped heads and/or torsos.”

Beyond the visual designs, the game’s textual content contains mature material. The ESRB highlighted that descriptions of certain demons include sexual references, providing a direct quote as an example: “They visit sleeping men and have sexual intercourse with them.” The inclusion of strong language, specifically the words “sht” and “ashole” appearing in dialogue, also contributed to the final rating.

Complete ESRB Rating Description

For a comprehensive overview, the full summary from the ESRB provides the complete context for its decision:

This is a role-playing game in which players assume the role of a demon slayer caught in a war between gods and demons in a post-apocalyptic Tokyo. As players explore urban landscapes, they interact with characters and engage in turn-based combat against human enemies and demon-like creatures. Players use a variety of weapon attacks and magic spells from a menu screen to kill enemies. Damage is indicated by impact sounds, colorful light effects, and large explosions. Blood effects are frequently depicted: blood stains on characters’ bodies/clothing; large blood stains underneath corpses or in pools on the floor. During the course of the game, some female demons are depicted with bare breasts (no nipples) and exposed buttocks; other demons have phallic-shaped heads and/or torsos. Descriptions of demons sometimes include sexual references: “They visit sleeping men and have sexual intercourse with them.” The words “sht” and “ashole” appear in the dialogue.

Atlus was the publisher for Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse, which was scheduled to launch for the Nintendo 3DS system in 2016.