Fans of the horror genre in Japan are getting some unpleasant news today, as the release of The Callisto Protocol in the country has been canceled. Unfortunately for horror enthusiasts, it seems that The Callisto Protocol is too good at being horrifying and its release has been blocked as a result.
Fans are eagerly awaiting the release of the horror game, which is currently slated to launch on December 2. The Callisto Protocol may help to fill the void that Dead Space's absence has left behind, and whet the appetite of those who are on the fence about checking out the Dead Space remake that's slated for early 2023.
Unfortunately, it's the body horror and gore that's keeping The Callisto Protocol from being released in Japan. Although Japan is the home of some of the most iconic horror games, like Resident Evil, Japan has very strict rules regarding what can be released in the country. Its CERO rating system is the equivalent of the ESRB in the United States, but the game has failed to receive a rating from CERO due to an overabundance of violence and graphic content.
In many cases, game developers will choose to release a modified version of the game, either specifically for Japan or for all regions, in order to satisfy ratings boards like CERO. However, in this case, the developers of The Callisto Protocol are refusing to modify the game in order to secure its release there. It's unfortunate for Japanese fans, but also understandable on the developers' part. While the game has yet to come out, reducing or censoring the violence and gore in the game would likely have a major impact on the overall feel and gameplay of the title. The developers have surely spent a long time crafting the game to be as terrifying as possible, and making any changes now would probably undermine that.
Censorship of particularly violent games isn't uncommon in Japan, even if the game originated there. Resident Evil 4, for example, contained more violence in the west than in Japan, as certain things had to be removed in Capcom's home country, like decapitations. It seemingly had a lasting impact on the franchise, as Resident Evil 5 would go on to also include decapitations, but the camera would cut away to obfuscate the violence in all versions, whereas western players of its predecessor were shown the entirety of the violent action. Japan also isn't the only country to require changes or censorship to titles, as Germany has also had tight restrictions on games in the past.
Sadly, Japanese fans will have to miss out on The Callisto Protocol, but thankfully, there's plenty of additional terrifying games scheduled for the near future.
The Callisto Protocol releases on December 2, 2022, for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
Source: Famitsu (via ScreenRant)