Summary
Censorship is a hot-button issue within gaming circles. Games are often the products of the societies that they are developed in, and this can often make it very difficult to translate games to other cultures. Whenever Japanese games are localized, it doesn’t take long for avid fans to point out the various ways in which they have been changed, often for the worse!
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However, what often goes under the radar are the many changes that occur toWestern-developed gameswhen they are then released in Japan. What are some of the most infamous cases of Western games being censored in Japan? Let’s take a look to find out now!
10Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreasis arguably one of the most important games to come out of thesixth generation of consoles. This open-world sandbox allowed players to do just about anything they could imagine within the imagined streets of San Andreas. Of course, being aGrand Theft Autotitle, some of the most popular activities in the game include wanton destruction and reckless driving.
Many fans of the franchise are surprised when they find out that much of the violence that makes up the game was censored upon its Japanese release! Some of the most infamous changes included toning down the sexual references, removing sound effects from hitting pedestrians with a car, and even minimizing violence against civilians!
9The Last Of Us
Regarded as one of the best story-focused games of all time and the basis of theexplosively-popular HBO seriesof the same name,The Last Of Usis internationally celebrated as an achievement in modern game design.
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Much ofThe Last Of Usis focused on the central characters Joel and Ellie, as they attempt to survive while venturing through the apocalyptic United States. As such, the brunt of the gameplay is focused on gunning down the infected, which, true to Naughty Dog’s commitment to detail, often involves plenty of dismemberment and gory explosions.
However, in the Japanese version of the game, dismemberment is removed entirely, along with all references to the act in the game’s many cutscenes.
8Fallout 3
The third entry in the storiedFalloutfranchise,Fallout3,opted for a controllable camera and action-oriented control scheme that helped to make player choices all the more powerful and prominent.
However, in the Japanese release of this seventh-generation role-playing game, a number of key player choices were removed in their entirety. These are those choices that related to the detonation of atomic bombs in populated areas. These were obviously removed in order to avoid references to the real-world detonation of nuclear bombs in Nagasaki, Japan.
7Crash Bandicoot
When we think of game censorship, we don’t often find ourselves thinking of the loveable orange marsupialCrash Bandicoot.
Released as one of the PlayStation’s first tentpole titles,Crash Bandicootis easily one of the mosticonic platformers of all time, and this is largely thanks to its unique and lively art style, reminiscent of Saturday-morning cartoons.
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However, the iconic slapstick violence of the first game was actually toned down in preparation for the game’s Japanese release.
6The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
The Witcher 3: Wild Huntis now considered to be one of the best role-playing games of all time, thanks to its deep gameplay, a strong sense of player choice, and a truly engrossing story.
Similar to many modern high-fantasy series, likeGame Of Thrones,The Witcheris a franchise that features plenty of violence, gore, and nudity.
However, much of the violence was reduced in the Japanese release of the game, while all instances of nudity were removed outright!
5Call Of Duty: Black Ops
First-person shootershave long been a titan among video-game genres, across the world. Allowing players to step right into the shoes of video-game characters, and wield all kinds of weapons, both real and imagined, it’s no real surprise that the genre has taken off so massively.
However, what does come as a surprise to many is that one of the most important games in the genre,Call Of Duty: Black Ops, had much of its infamous violence and gore removed entirely from the Japanese release of the title. This led many to wonder what the point of releasingBlack Opsin Japan even was!
4Mortal Kombat
Midway’s iconicMortal Kombatset itself firmly apart from thefighting-game competitionwhen it was released in October 1992. The series exploded in popularity right out of the gate thanks to its violent and gory graphics that allowed layers to engage in a much more visceral fighting experience than series likeStreet Fightercould offer!
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However, many of the original game’s infamous fatalities were significantly toned down, or outright removed, in the Japanese release, in order to minimize the violence. This, of course, resulted in aMortal Kombatthat is almost unrecognizable when compared to other versions!
3Until Dawn
Until Dawnis amodern horror gamethat prizes itself on being able to shock and terrify players. Part of this shock was derived from the player agency that the game promoted. If a character died, it was down to choices that players in the game have made!
However, one of the most iconic deaths in the game, in which one of the characters is cut in half using a circular saw, is cut out entirely within the Japanese release.
Many fans ofUntil Dawnhave derided the choice to cut this scene, especially in such a slapshot manner as presented in the game. Instead of simply editing the scene, the game simply cuts to a black screen, with just the sound of the scene playing out.
2Doom 64
Doom 64is a simple game that plays upon some very satisfying mechanisms. Spot horrifying monsters from hell, shoot them, and be rewarded with visceral splatters of blood. The simplicity is what helps to makeDoomsuch a winning formula, but in the Japanese release of theNintendo 64 entry, the visceral splatters of blood were removed altogether.
In the Japanese release, instead of the monsters exploding into crimson-red viscera, the monsters instead release green blood upon being shot, which helps to make the game seem a lot less violent.
1Mafia 3
Being thatMafia 3is a game that is entirely centered around the exploits of warring crime families, it should be expected that excessive violence, sexual material, and foul language would be rife throughout the game.
However, the Japanese release ofMafia3features some unique censorship. Instead of much of the game’s nudity and sexual content being removed, much of it was simply toned down.
In scenes of nudity, black stars were implemented, to cover up any suggestive elements, and to significantly tone down the adult nature of the scenes.
