Resident Evil Director Thinks Game Censorship Sucks

With the October release of Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered looming, criticism of Japan's CERO rating board intensifies. The game's creators are openly expressing their frustration over the censorship applied to the Japanese release.

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

CERO Faces Backlash Again

Suda51 and Shinji Mikami, the creative minds behind Shadows of the Damned, have voiced their strong disapproval of Japan's CERO rating board. Their criticism stems from the censorship imposed on the remastered version for Japanese consoles. In an interview with GameSpark, they openly challenged CERO's restrictive policies and questioned the rationale behind them.

Suda51, renowned for Killer7 and the No More Heroes series, confirmed to GameSpark that two versions of the remastered game were created—one for Japan, subject to censorship, and another uncut version. He highlighted the significant increase in development time and workload this necessitated.

Shinji Mikami, celebrated for his work on mature titles like Resident Evil, Dino Crisis, and God Hand, expressed his disappointment with CERO's apparent disconnect from the modern gaming landscape. He argued that non-gamers imposing censorship prevents players from fully experiencing games, particularly those seeking mature content.

CERO's rating system, including CERO D (17+) and CERO Z (18+), has been a source of contention. Mikami's original Resident Evil, a genre-defining horror title, featured graphic content. Its 2015 remake, retaining its signature gore, received a CERO Z rating.

Suda51 questioned the effectiveness and target audience of these restrictions, emphasizing his concern for the players' perspective and the overall purpose of the censorship.

This isn't the first time CERO's practices have drawn criticism. In April, EA Japan's Shaun Noguchi highlighted inconsistencies, citing the approval of Stellar Blade (CERO D) while rejecting Dead Space.