Yes they could. If we’ve seen an Elite impale a human in a T game (Halo 4), as well as in particular the Brute coming out of High Charity covered in Flood intrusions with very disturbing degree (and yes, even DLC would be subject to ESRB ratings), then the Flood can absolutely be present in a T-rated game.
The expectations of rating guidelines have changed significantly since the early 2000’s. It’s a different culture, and we’re more or less desensitized to some things of that nature. Even then, though, the only reason the Flood earned an M rating was due to the gore; ribs and organs being exposed on the corpses. This was toned down significantly in Halo 2 and Halo 3, and realistically they should have been T-rated games.
Additionally, with how the Flood operates, it’d be more unlikely that we’d see corpses and the Walking Dead. They’re hijacked and repurposed bodies, yes, but they’re not exactly zombies.
Now, if we got a game with the same tone as The Mona Lisa, that’s another story entirely.
Halo 4 is actually rated M, though I personally think it could have got away with a T rating. The bloodless impalement is perfectly fine for a T-rated game.
The ESRB’s FAQ on their website says this:
Downloadable content (DLC) often refers to additional content that supplements or extends a previously-rated product. In most cases, the rating assigned to a game also applies to its DLC. However, if the DLC content exceeds the rating assigned to the “core” product, it must be submitted, and a different rating may be assigned to the DLC.
Should the ESRB find DLC or other update that is incompatible with the original rating, the developer and appropriate digital storefronts will be notified of a change to the rating for the DLC or, in the case where the update is required, a rating change for the core product.
This implies that it’s up to the developer to submit the DLC to the ESRB if the developer feels that it needs a different rating than the base game. So it’s likely that the makers of Halo Wars 2 didn’t personally believe it went beyond a T-rating and didn’t submit it, and thus the ESRB didn’t see it.
I disagree that it was toned down in 2 and 3. I’ve been playing through Halo 3 recently, and when I fight the Flood there’s always chunks and body parts flying everywhere, with disgusting squishing sounds. And Halo 2: Anniversary is probably the goriest of all. Try going up to an infected human combat form after you kill it and looking up close at it. Then try shooting its head and see what happens. That stuff could never be in a T-rated game.
Without the Flood, all of the Halo games could probably have been a hard T. But the Flood would have to be significantly toned down to be workable in a T-rated first person shooter.
Huh, I’ll be. I had always taken Halo 4 as “T”. Ah well. However, while there was no blood (realistic, even, as the wound would be cauterized) there is this from the ESRB’s site: “Graphic and realistic-looking depictions of physical conflict. May involve extreme and/or realistic blood, gore, weapons, and depictions of human injury and death” That could have been enough to get the M, as well most definitely the scene where most everyone on Ivanoff Station was composed.
I concede to this point, especially reading over how the ESRB rates things. Particularly the mention of bodily mutilation (which the Flood does), for a First Person perspective (RTS’s are less detailed) would be hard to justify as T. I still do maintain, though, that the Flood in Awakening the Nightmare is the most terrifying that they’ve been in the games, bar none. Only The Mona Lisa outdoes it.
You can actually read the ESRB’s in-depth explanation of why Halo 4 was rated M on their website. They describe any violence, language, inappropriate content, and substance use they find in the game. I don’t think I can post links, so I’ll just quote it here (emphasis mine):
This is a first-person shooter in which players control futuristic super-soldiers who engage in military campaigns against alien forces. Players use pistols, scoped rifles, machine guns, grenade launchers, and futuristic weaponry to kill enemies in ranged combat; battles are highlighted by cries of pain, realistic gunfire, and large explosions. Stealth moves (i.e., “assassinations”) can also be used to attack enemies from behind (e.g., snapping their necks or stabbing/impaling them with bladed weapons). During one cutscene, a human character cries out as her body disintegrates, exposing layers of muscle tissue. Large blood-splatter effects occur when humans are shot; some sequences depict bloodstained environments.
I’d wager that the biggest two factors in Halo 4’s M rating are the composer scene and the amount of blood. I personally don’t find the composer scene to be gruesome, especially compared to the Flood. It reminds me more of medical diagrams of the muscular and skeletal systems of the human body. But I can see how it could be argued that it’s a bit too disturbing to be T-rated. Remove that scene and tone down the blood a bit, and Halo 4 is an easy T rating.
Here’s Halo 5’s description, for reference:
This is a first-person shooter in which players assume the role of a super soldier (Locke) searching for a missing character. Players use pistols, machine guns, grenade launchers, and futuristic weapons to kill alien and human enemies in frenetic combat. Battles are highlighted by realistic gunfire, explosions, and occasional blood-splatter effects. Characters can also use “assassinations” to kill characters by snapping their necks, or by stabbing them with bladed weapons. The word “__” appears in the dialogue, as well as occasional taunts/insults (e.g., “I have copulated…with your genetic progenitors!”; “Your father was a filthy colo and your mother was a hole in the wall!”).
And here’s Halo Wars 2:
This is a real-time strategy game in which players build and command military units in order to defeat opponents and complete combat objectives. From a ¾-overhead perspective, players collect and manage resources to mobilize/upgrade military units (e.g., infantry, armored vehicles). Combat is highlighted by realistic gunfire, explosions, and cries of pain. One cutscene briefly depicts blood spilling out of a stab wound; another scene shows bloodied injuries on a soldier’s face. A handful of cutscenes depict soldiers shooting or stabbing enemy aliens. The words “_____” and “____” appear in the dialogue.
It doesn’t mention anything about the Flood as the rating was given and the description written before the DLC was released.
Teen games, can, of course, depict such things too, but not in conjunction with that other stuff listed, like “extreme and/or realistic blood, gore”.
I haven’t played through Halo Wars 2 yet (though I have seen the Blur-made cutscene of the Flood first showing up and Brutes fighting them), so I can’t comment on how scary they are compared to the mainline games.
That’s really odd that Halo 5 was enough for a “T”, as it’s almost the same as Halo 4 minus the Composing.
It’s a different kind of fear, but you really feel the pressure as your armies are turned on you and you’re relentlessly pushed back into a constant retreat, far beyond anything experienced even in The Library. Every defense you set up is just shredded down, your bases are strained to the point of breaking, and your forces only ever seem to dwindle.
Yeah, that’s why I think Halo 4 could have been Teen if there was less blood and no Composer scene. Part of the reason 4 was rated M also might simply have been the precedent set by previous games in the series.
Yikes, that sounds stressful. I guess I have that to look forward too, haha. Still working on the first Halo Wars.
Infinite is about to have a whole lot of surprises for us I have a feeling when it comes to The Flood. The Flood weren’t even supposed to be the main enemy in H1…