Lawmaker Gabriela Ramirez said "Mercenaries 2" gives a false vision of Chavez as a tyrant and Venezuela as being on the verge of chaos. She said the game could be banned under a proposed law aimed at protecting Venezuelan children from violent video games.

In the U.S., "it sends a message to Americans: You have a danger next door, here in Latin America, and action must be taken," she said. "It's a justification for an imperialist aggression."

Pandemic public relations rep Chris Norris said that the game is not intended as an explicit political statement, though the topical plot may indeed drum up discussion. "Although a conflict doesn't necessarily have to be happening," he said, "it's realistic enough to believe that it could eventually happen."

Mercenaries 2: World in Flames has so far only been announced for PlayStation 3. Its initial announcement pegged it for "next generation consoles," however, implying that it will not be an exclusive title.