Game Censorship Criticized by Resident Evil Director

Resident Evil Director Thinks Game Censorship Sucks

As Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered approaches its October release, criticism aimed at Japan's CERO age rating system persists, as the franchise's developers voice their disappointment regarding the remaster's censorship within the country.

Suda51 and Shinji Mikami Reprimand Shadows Of The Damned's CensorshipJapan's CERO Board Faces Backlash Again

Resident Evil Director Thinks Game Censorship Sucks

Shadows Of The Damned producer and writer duo Suda51 and Shinji Mikami have voiced their dissatisfaction with their home country of Japan's age rating board, CERO, especially regarding the censored console release of Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered. In a recent interview with Japanese gaming news site GameSpark, the two openly criticized the limitations imposed by CERO, questioning the rationale behind these regulations.

Suda51, known for his work on titles like Killer7 and the No More Heroes series, confirmed to GameSpark that the upcoming remaster of Shadows of the Damned needed censorship for its release on Japanese consoles. "We had to prepare two versions of the game, which is a real challenge," he said. "In remastering the game, we had to develop two versions concurrently, which significantly impacted our workload and extended the development period."

Co-creator Shinji Mikami, best known for working on acclaimed mature-rated games such as Resident Evil, Dino Crisis, and God Hand, was disappointed by CERO’s approach, arguing that the board is disconnected from today's gaming community. "I think it's a peculiar situation for people who don't play games to try to censor these works and prevent players from experiencing the game's full potential, even though there are players who want to enjoy these 'edgy' games."

Resident Evil Director Thinks Game Censorship Sucks

CERO’s rating system comprises classifications like CERO D, for games appropriate only for audiences 17 and older, and CERO Z, for games limited to those 18 and older. The initial entry in the Resident Evil series, directed by Mikami, spearheaded the horror genre and featured vivid and gory content. Its 2015 remake retains these characteristic gory and horrific elements and received a Z rating from the CERO board due to its content.

Suda51 questioned the rationale behind these limitations. "If regional limitations are implemented, we must address them professionally, but I always ponder the views of the players [and fans]," he stated. He added: "What is the objective of these restrictions? Whom do these restrictions target? At minimum, I believe they do not target the players themselves."

This isn't the first instance of CERO facing criticism regarding its rating methods. In April, during the release of Stellar Blade, EA Japan General Manager Shaun Noguchi expressed apprehension about the board’s inconsistencies. He highlighted the disparity between CERO’s decision to grant Stellar Blade a CERO D (17+) rating while rejecting EA’s survival horror title Dead Space.