Anyone remotely familiar with Gears of War knows how intense the game can be. The visuals are only a hint of the game's mature content, which consist of excessive swearing and blood splatter (though if I were cut open by a chainsaw, I'd probably bleed everywhere too). The sequel will more than likely outshine its predecessor in terms of brutality, now that players can use corpses at meat shields and utilize various deathblows to crush their barely-breathing foes.
Not surprisingly, the ESRB has already given the game an M rating, but Epic's new language and violence filters may hold some clout if they want to negotatiate a lighter rating. With these filters, bad language is weeded out and blood is replaced by sparks, according to what Microsoft has told What They Play, a gaming resource for parents.
The carnage is still there, just dumbed down for younger gamers. Many daytime cartoons have also employed this censorship technique, depicting extreme violence like decapitation or dismemberment on victims that are blacked out or simply do not bleed robots seem to be the usual alternative.
