The rather beautiful looking noir style of Heavy Rain has earned a fair amount of praise in the last few weeks as it builds towards worldwide release. However, the National Media Council in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) aren’t apparently such big fans and indeed they have reportedly blackballed the game over a ‘sultry seduction scene’.

They don't like patchy beards in the UAE either.

The Quantic Dream title has, according to MEGamers, joined the exiled ranks of other unwelcome video games, including THQ’s Darksiders and EA’s Dante’s Inferno in being told they’re not wanted in the UAE.

Hitesh Hchill of MEGamers pointed out that “Heavy Rain is the second game to be banned this year in the UAE. Earlier this year, THQ’s Darksiders was banned in the UAE. Recently, EA had decided not to release Dante’s Inferno in the UAE which had a similar theme to Darksiders, keeping in mind the sensitivities of the region and the possibility of a ban by the NMC.

“Sadly,” he added, “the ban on these games has given rise to a flourishing gray market where games like Dante’s Inferno and Heavy Rain are not only sold but often released before the games reach official distribution channels.”

TG Daily notes that, Destructoid’s Jim Sterling expressed similar sentiments, saying that such a moral crusade will turn ordinary gamers into criminals as they find another means to get hold of the games.

And just so you know, Sterling also says that, “The sex scene isn’t all that good, anyway”.