Resident Evil Director Thinks Game Censorship Sucks

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

Suda51 and Shinji Mikami Condemn Censorship in Shadows of the Damned

CERO Faces Renewed Backlash

Suda51 and Shinji Mikami, the creative minds behind Shadows of the Damned, have publicly criticized Japan's CERO rating board for the censorship imposed on the remastered version of their game. In an interview with GameSpark, they voiced their frustration with the restrictions, questioning the rationale behind the decisions.

Suda51, known for titles like Killer7 and No More Heroes, confirmed the necessity of creating two versions of the game—a censored version for Japanese consoles and an uncensored version. He highlighted the significant increase in workload and development time this created.

Shinji Mikami, renowned for his work on mature titles such as Resident Evil, Dino Crisis, and God Hand, argued that CERO is out of sync with modern gaming audiences. He believes that non-gamers imposing censorship prevents players from fully experiencing games, especially those with mature themes.

CERO's rating system includes CERO D (17+) and CERO Z (18+). Mikami's original Resident Evil, a groundbreaking horror title, featured graphic content and its 2015 remake, similarly gory, received a CERO Z rating.

Suda51 questioned the effectiveness and target audience of these restrictions, emphasizing his concern for the players' experience and perspective. He wonders about the purpose of the restrictions and who they are intended to protect.

This isn't the first time CERO's practices have been challenged. In April, EA Japan's Shaun Noguchi raised concerns about inconsistencies, citing the approval of Stellar Blade with a CERO D rating while Dead Space was rejected.