Summary
March 20 is nearly upon us, which means it won’t be too long before gamers can jump into the first full-lengthAssassin’s Creedgamesince 2020s Valhalla, whenAssassin’s Creed Shadowsreleases. Ahead of the launch,a wealth of information has been revealed about the game, includingthe free expansion, Claws of Awaji, plusmore insight into how Yasuke will play compared to past protagonists.
While all of that is certainly worth celebrating, it appears that the game hit a snag when it comes to obtaining a rating classification. Specifically, obtaining a classification in the country that the game is set in — Japan.
No Dismemberment, No Problem
As first reported on by Eurogamerandlater expanded on by GamesIndustry.biz, the Japanese version of Shadows has been subjected to some level of censorship compared to the versions that will be available in non-Japanese countries.
In a revised edition, specifically for Japan, the ability to toggle amputations on or off has been removed entirely, meaning there will be no dismemberment.Per CERO, the Japanese equivalent of the ESRB or Pegi, “amputating the neck and limbs of enemies during gameplay is now always impossible.”
Eurogamer also reported, that beyond the changes to how in-game violence will be presented, “The representation of some Japanese voices played in the overseas version (North America and Europe) has been changed.” As of this writing, there is no further explanation as to what those changes are. What is clear is that the changes have allowed the game to proceed further with a Z rating, or the equivalent of an M for Mature or 18+.
For what it’s worth, this wouldn’t be the first time a game has hit a snag in obtaining a rating classification from an international board. Recently,the upcoming Hunter x Hunter fighting game was outright rejected by the Australian Classification Board, though no details were shared. Elsewhere,Guilty Gear Strive updated its photo mode to prevent inappropriate photos from being taken, with some theorizing it was done in response to the game having its CERO rating changed from B to C. In other words, these things can happen.
