Here's a bit of bad news, for those of us who wish to experience Konami Digital's upcoming Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots on their own and without anyone spoiling any important plot points for them: it seems that the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) has just finished rating Snake's last adventure on the Sony PlayStation 3, and before you ask, yes, they've cleared it for release with a 15 rating. But that's not all - they went on to describe other details of the game, why it got the rating. And those details are pretty spoiler-riffic.

So, if you don't want yourself getting spoiled, turn away NOW. As for those of you curious about just what got revealed, here is the BBFC's official statement:

Metal Gear Solid 4 is a third person tactical/stealth game. The player takes on the role of an aging soldier, Snake who can be armed with knives, guns and grenades. The game has been classified '15' for strong violence.

During battles enemy soldiers die with small puffs of blood. The weaponry includes petrol bombs, however there is no detailed portrayal of injuries. During cut scenes slightly more detailed violence is portrayed, such as enemy creatures spearing friendly soldiers and one protracted fist fight.

The violence is generally undetailed. At 15 BBFC Guidelines state that 'Violence may be strong but may not dwell on the infliction of pain or injury'. It is possible for the player to progress stealthily through the game, avoiding violent confrontations where possible. The game also features one use of strong language and references to suicide and an implied child rape.

Well, that's definitely a lot. Now, before people start to send angry emails to the BBFC, do note that the information revealed is hidden under a spoiler link. We also found out that the game was rated based on its running time of 545 minutes and 47 seconds, roughly nine hours. Here's hoping that it was only the cutscenes that got measured, and not only the gameplay - nine hours would definitely be too short! In any case, updates as we get them.