As Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered gears up for its October release, the controversy surrounding Japan's CERO age rating board intensifies. The game's creators are openly expressing their frustration over the censorship imposed on the remastered version for the Japanese market.
Suda51 and Shinji Mikami Criticize Shadows of the Damned's Censorship
CERO Faces Renewed Backlash
Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered's producer and writer, Suda51 and Shinji Mikami, have voiced their strong disapproval of Japan's CERO rating board. Their criticism stems from the censorship applied to the game's Japanese console release. In an interview with GameSpark, they openly challenged CERO's decision-making process and the resulting restrictions.
Suda51, renowned for his work on titles like Killer7 and the No More Heroes series, confirmed the necessity of creating two versions of the game for release: a censored version for Japan and an uncensored version for other regions. He highlighted the significant impact on development, stating, "We had to prepare two versions of the game, which is a real challenge…developing two versions simultaneously tremendously impacted our workload and extended development."
Shinji Mikami, celebrated for his contributions to mature-rated titles such as Resident Evil, Dino Crisis, and God Hand, expressed his disappointment with CERO's approach, suggesting a disconnect between the board and modern gamers. He argued, "I think it's strange for people who don't play games to censor these works and prevent players from experiencing the game in its entirety, especially when there's an audience eager to play these 'edgy' titles."
CERO's rating system includes categories like CERO D (17+) and CERO Z (18+). Mikami's original Resident Evil, a groundbreaking horror title, featured graphic content and its 2015 remake retained this signature style, earning a CERO Z rating.
Suda51 questioned the rationale behind the censorship, stating, "If regional restrictions are imposed, we have no choice but to comply, but I always wonder what the players think. What is the purpose of these restrictions? Who are they aimed at? I feel they're not aimed at the players themselves."
This isn't the first time CERO's rating practices have faced criticism. In April, EA Japan General Manager Shaun Noguchi voiced concerns regarding inconsistencies, highlighting the approval of Stellar Blade with a CERO D rating while Dead Space was rejected.
