Japanese anime game Omega Labyrinth Z has been banned from sale in the UK, with watchdogs warning that it “clearly promotes the sexualisation of children”.
The Video Standards Council (VSC) says the PlayStation 4 title allows players to “sexually arouse the female characters by touching their intimate areas” and “to fondle the girls’ breasts”.
The animation-style game is set in an all-girls school, where players are tasked with completing a number of challenges to find a hidden artefact, says the BBC.
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But many of the challenges and mini-games featured sexual themes, featuring girls who appear to be underaged, the broadcaster reports.
The VSC argues that the game would be likely to have a “strong appeal to non-adult players” and could “significantly harm” the social development of young gamers.
These findings have led to Omega Labyrinth Z being denied classification in the UK, which means the game’s distributer, PQube, cannot sell physical copies of the title, says TheSixthAxis.
The game has also been refused classification in Australia and Germany, but it is expected to launch in the US for players aged 17 or older.
According to Kotaku, it is the first gaming title to be banned in the UK since 2008, when the Rockstar’s Manhunt 2, where players take control of a serial killer, was prohibited from sale.
PQube revealed on Twitter that various avenues of appeal have failed.