Resident Evil Director decries game censorship

The upcoming October release of Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered has reignited criticism of Japan's CERO age rating system, with the game's creators voicing their disappointment over censorship in the Japanese release.

Suda51 and Shinji Mikami Condemn Shadows of the Damned's Censorship

CERO Faces Renewed Backlash

Suda51 and Shinji Mikami, the writer and producer duo behind Shadows of the Damned, have openly criticized Japan's CERO rating board for the censorship applied to the remastered version of their game. In an interview with GameSpark, they questioned the rationale behind the restrictions.

Suda51, known for Killer7 and the No More Heroes series, confirmed the need to create two versions of the game – a censored one for Japan and an uncensored version for other regions. He highlighted the significant increase in workload and development time this entailed.

Shinji Mikami, renowned for his work on mature titles like Resident Evil, Dino Crisis, and God Hand, expressed concern that CERO is out of sync with modern gamers. He argued that preventing players from experiencing the complete game, especially those who actively seek out mature content, is counterproductive.

CERO's rating system, including the CERO D (17+) and CERO Z (18+) classifications, has been a subject of debate. Mikami's original Resident Evil, a pioneer in the horror genre, featured graphic violence, a characteristic maintained in the 2015 remake, which received a CERO Z rating.

Suda51 questioned the effectiveness and target audience of the restrictions, emphasizing his belief that they don't reflect the preferences of the players themselves.

This isn't the first time CERO's practices have been challenged. In April, EA Japan's Shaun Noguchi highlighted inconsistencies, citing the approval of Stellar Blade with a CERO D rating while Dead Space was rejected. This ongoing controversy underscores the ongoing tension between content creators and the regulatory body.