Heavy Rain won't fall this week in the United Arab Emirates, as the nation's government has found it unsuitable for sale due to its mature themes and content.

A statement release by Computer Entertainment lays out the specifics behind the game's injunction, to which the company expresses dismay.

"Heavy Rain has an 18+ PEGI rating and has been conceived from the earliest stages as a genuinely adult experience...The game is not intentionally controversial or sensationalist, and all the themes and content are consistent with what consumers would expect to see in a mainstream Hollywood thriller."

While it isn't unusual for mature games to be banned by conservative governments, the singling out of as particularly objectionable seems odd. The game's hyper-realism and unique interactive sequences undoubtedly shaped the decision.

By Tracy Erickson