The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) has rated Lionhead’s Fable II as a 15 certificate. This may not be such a bad thing for gore lovers as you’ll find from the report produced by the BBFC.
Apparently, Fable II was supposed to be granted a 12 certificate however the inclusion of prostitutes has forced the BBFC to give it a more mature rating.
Also mentioned in the report is the fact that battles in Fable II can be quite bloody, however the BBFC have let this go due to the higher certificate forced upon it by the prostitutes.“The BBFC Guidelines at ‘12’ state that ‘sexual activity may be implied’ and that ‘sex references may reflect what is likely to be familiar to most adolescents but should not go beyond what is suitable for them’. In FABLE II however players are given the ability to visit prostitutes….[snip]….A ‘15’ certificate, where both ‘sexual activity without strong detail’ and ‘strong verbal references to sexual behaviour’ are permitted, was therefore considered more appropriate.”
In relation to the amount of gore present during battle scenes, the BBFC also had this to add..
“FABLE II also contains moderate violence, with players entering into combat against all manner of brigands and ghouls, using a sword, axe or an old flintlock pistol to defeat them. These encounters are occasionally bloody but with strong violence permitted at ‘15’, they were not considered a problem at that category”
