Reservoir Dogs has already been taken to the pound by Australia and New Zealand for its graphic depiction of violence. The game, in short, has been banned in those countries. Now the UK wants a piece of the video game adaptation of Quentin Tarantino’s cult classic.
In a news story published by YorkshireToday in the UK, the video game is headed for the kennel again due to the protests of the local Bobbies. The game shows scenes in which police officers are taken as hostages and are tortured with burning cigars. The police have their lives threatened and have their ears sliced off as they scream in pain.
The Association of Chief Police Officers of the UK told the Yorkshire Post that, "Anything that encourages violent emotions, including such emotions towards members of the police service, is particularly disturbing and can only be described as offensive. It is disappointing to find violent video games on the market that may cause psychological harm to those who play them."
Tom McGhie of the West Yorkshire Police Federation responded by saying, “Anything that encourages that type of behavior, when police officers are suffering more attacks than ever before, should be banned. It’s impossible to see how such a game can have anything than a highly damaging effect on how people perceive and react to police officers."
Another officer stated vehemently that, "It sends out the message that the police and authority figures are there to be targeted and dispatched, desensitizes people to the idea of killing and undermines normal moral values. Players of Reservoir Dogs are effectively encouraged to act in the same way…”
In spite of the protests, the game is has been approved for sale by the British Board of Film Classification with a release date sometime in August. The game will carry a game rating of “18.”
