Shinji Mikami’s survival-horror game, The Evil Within, will be censored in Japan. This was revealed by ZeniMax Asia General Manager Tetsu Takahashi in a recent chat with Famitsu.
The Evil Within will be rated CERO D in Japan (ages 17 and up), with Takahashi admitting the game has been edited to make sure it can reach as big an audience as possible.
If we were to make it the same way as the foreign version, it’d be rated CERO Z [18 and up] and we felt that it’d be best to release it the way the creators make it. However, that would limit the sales and advertising, so we’d lose the opportunity to reach out to as many customers possible.
However, Japanese players can play the Western version of the game, but they’ll have to download what Takahashi dubs as the “Gore Mode DLC.”
The Evil Within will have two types of CERO D and CERO Z, with both of them having passed the CERO inspections, but the retail version will only be done using the CERO D version. Those who preorder the game can also get the CERO Z version’s representation through the Gore Mode DLC.
This bloodier mode and CERO Z content won’t be something that’s already on-disc, but will need to be downloaded through the mode Takahashi states. However, those in Japan who are wary that the game will be gimped, don’t be, as Mikami himself assured that the censorship won’t have an effect on the game itself.
Speaking with Mikami [Shinji] about how having The Evil Within be rated CERO D won’t have an effect on the game itself, it has become possible to make it that way. Again, this new game is also getting a vast amount of pre-orders, so that also strengthened our resolve.
The Evil Within will be released this October for for the PlayStation 3, PS4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One.
[Source: Famitsu via Silicon Era]
