Battlefield 3 police shooting likely to spark outrage

Modern Warfare 3 has its London Underground level, and now it looks like Battlefield 3 has found its point of controversy.

The game’s listing on the website of American rating’s body the ESRB says that: "In one sequence, a restrained character’s throat is slit (off-screen); in another, players shoot police officers to complete a mission objective. The words ‘f***’ and ‘s***’ can be heard frequently in the dialogue.”

It adds: "The frequent combat is highlighted by realistic gunfire and large explosions; characters sometimes scream and emit large splashes of blood when shot. Players can also engage in hand-to-hand combat: repeatedly punching enemies in the face; stabbing soldiers to death with knives.”

The inclusion of such an event, no matter how justified it may be by the narrative, is almost an invite to the tabloid press.

The Call of Duty series has a particularly impressive track record of courting controversy. 2009’s Modern Warfare 2 included the infamous ‘No Russian’ level in which gamers were able – though not required – to gun down innocent civilians in an airport.

Then earlier this year The Daily Mail got its knickers in a know over the revelation that a level from next month’s Modern Warfare 3 will be set in London and feature a chase scene on the London Underground.