As the release of Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered approaches in October, the spotlight once again falls on Japan's CERO age rating board, with the game's creators voicing their discontent over the censorship required for the remastered version in Japan.

Suda51 and Shinji Mikami Criticize Shadows Of The Damned's Censorship

The producer and writer duo behind Shadows Of The Damned, Suda51 and Shinji Mikami, have openly expressed their frustration with Japan's CERO age rating board. In a recent interview with the Japanese gaming news site GameSpark, they criticized the censorship imposed on the console release of Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered.

Suda51, renowned for his work on titles like Killer7 and the No More Heroes series, confirmed to GameSpark that the remaster required censorship for its release on Japanese consoles. "We had to prepare two versions of the game, which posed a significant challenge," he explained. "During the remastering process, we had to develop two versions simultaneously, which greatly increased our workload and extended the development timeline."

Shinji Mikami, celebrated for his contributions to mature-rated games such as Resident Evil, Dino Crisis, and God Hand, expressed his disappointment with CERO's approach. He believes the board is disconnected from the modern gaming community. "It's a peculiar situation when individuals who don't play games attempt to censor these works, preventing players from experiencing the game in its entirety, even though there are players eager to enjoy these 'edgy' games," he stated.

CERO's rating system includes classifications such as CERO D, suitable for audiences 17 and older, and CERO Z, restricted to those 18 and older. The original Resident Evil, directed by Mikami, set the standard for the horror genre with its graphic and gruesome content. Its 2015 remake, which retained the series' signature gore and horror elements, received a CERO Z rating due to its mature nature.

Suda51 questioned the rationale behind these restrictions. "While we must comply with regional restrictions as part of our job, I often wonder what the players and fans think about these limitations," he remarked. "What is the purpose of these restrictions? Who are they aimed at? At the very least, I feel that they are not intended for the customers who play the game."

This is not the first instance of criticism directed at CERO. In April, during the release of Stellar Blade, EA Japan General Manager Shaun Noguchi highlighted the board's inconsistencies. He noted the disparity between CERO's approval of Stellar Blade with a CERO D (17+) rating and its rejection of EA's survival horror game Dead Space.