MadWorld has been given a 15+ rating by the Australian content classification board, surprising many that the game has not joined the growing list of titles which have initially been refused entry into the country.

Yesterday the UK’s BBFC had passed MadWorld with an 18 certificate, a decision that many felt wouldn’t happen as the title has no release set for Germany and has already created uproar in certain corners of the UK press.

“From our testing of the product, there was clearly no reason for us to intervene at the adult level,” a spokesperson for the BBFC told Edge. “We clearly had no problems with MadWorld. If we had, we wouldn’t have classified it; it’s as simple as that.”

Initial consumer advice from the BBFC explains MadWorld contains “very strong, stylised, bloody violence”. The Australian board’s assessment is much the same, though adds that the game includes “strong coarse language”.

There is no suggestion that the game has been edited for its Australian release. MadWorld is referred to by the board as ‘original’, meaning that it was Sega’s first submission of the game. Sega has been working closely with all classification boards to ensure the classification process sails smoothly.

Last year, five games were refused entry into Australia by the classification board. FEAR 2, Dark Sector, Fallout 3, Silent Hill: Homecoming and Shellshock 2: Blood Trails were all initially refused entry. Fallout 3 and Dark Sector, however, edited content to the point where the Australian board allowed the game the MA15+, the same process Rockstar took for GTA IV to be given a legal rating.

Earlier this year Atari resubmitted Silent Hill: Homecoming to the board, and later explained to Edge that the title underwent amendments chiefly related to the game’s cutscenes.

MadWorld will be released in March across America, the UK and Australia.

Australia is currenly holding public discussions on the possibility of introducing an 18+ rating is for game content.