Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered faces censorship in Japan, sparking outrage from creators Suda51 and Shinji Mikami. The pair criticized Japan's CERO rating board in a GameSpark interview, highlighting the difficulties of creating two versions of the game – one censored, one uncensored – for the Japanese market.
Suda51, known for Killer7 and No More Heroes, described the dual development as a significant challenge, increasing workload and development time. Mikami, renowned for Resident Evil, Dino Crisis, and God Hand, argued that CERO's decisions are out of sync with modern gamers' preferences, hindering players' ability to fully experience games.
CERO's ratings (CERO D for 17+ and CERO Z for 18+) are questioned by the developers. Suda51 directly challenged the purpose and target audience of these restrictions, suggesting they don't reflect the desires of players. The original Resident Evil, a Mikami creation, set a precedent for graphic horror, a characteristic maintained in its 2015 remake and rated CERO Z.
This isn't CERO's first brush with controversy. EA Japan's Shaun Noguchi previously voiced similar concerns, pointing to inconsistencies in CERO's ratings, citing the approval of Stellar Blade with a CERO D rating while rejecting Dead Space. The ongoing debate underscores the tension between content creators and regional rating boards regarding mature game content.
