Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered's October release has reignited the debate surrounding Japan's CERO age rating system. The game's creators have voiced strong disapproval of the censorship applied to the Japanese console version.
Suda51 and Shinji Mikami Criticize Censorship in Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered
CERO Faces Renewed Backlash
Suda51 and Shinji Mikami, the creative minds behind Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered, have publicly criticized Japan's CERO rating board for the censorship imposed on the game's Japanese console release. In an interview with GameSpark, they questioned the rationale behind the restrictions.
Suda51, known for titles like Killer7 and No More Heroes, confirmed the need to create two versions of the game – a censored version for Japan and an uncensored version for other regions. He highlighted the significant increase in workload and development time this necessitated.
Shinji Mikami, renowned for his work on Resident Evil, Dino Crisis, and God Hand, expressed his disappointment, arguing that CERO's approach is disconnected from the modern gaming audience. He believes that preventing players from experiencing the game in its entirety is counterintuitive, especially given the existence of players who actively seek out mature content.
CERO's rating system, including categories like CERO D (17+) and CERO Z (18+), has been a subject of controversy. Mikami's original Resident Evil, a groundbreaking horror title, featured graphic content and its 2015 remake received a CERO Z rating.
Suda51 questioned the effectiveness and target audience of the censorship. He emphasized his uncertainty about the reasoning behind these restrictions and whether they truly serve the interests of the players.
This isn't the first instance of CERO facing criticism. Earlier this year, EA Japan's Shaun Noguchi highlighted inconsistencies in CERO's ratings, citing the approval of Stellar Blade (CERO D) while rejecting Dead Space.
