The
characters Flame Princess and Princess Bubblegum engage in a heated discussion and Princess Bubblegum uses the word tart . It seems that the developers found this to be too rude for the EU version and muted or skipped it.
v Agony
- 2018 US survival horror by Madmind Studio
Agony is a 2018 US survival horror by Madmind Studio
Cut for worldwide
release so that developers could obtain a US M rating from the ESRB. An uncut version is set for release as Agony Unrated.
Promotional Material
Players begin their journey as a tormented soul within
the depths of Hell without any memories about their past. The special ability to control people on their path, and possess minded demons, gives the player the necessary measures to survive in the extreme conditions they are in
It is with a great
pleasure that we want to inform you we have found a way to publish the unrated version of Agony! Agony Unrated will be a separate title produced and published by Madmind Studio and without the involvement of any publishers. It features additional
content and changes suggested by you -- our community
We regret to inform you that our company is currently struggling with financial problems. Due to technical and legal reasons, Madmind must cancel the development of Agony Unrated.
The publishers of the Kickstarter funded video game Agony have been explaining that release
delays are down to censorship problems at the ESRB. The game features nudity which does not sit well with the M (17yo+) rating needed to avoid the commercial ban on adults only games in the US. PlayWay explains:
In
order to be able to publish the game, we had to make some compromises. Otherwise, we would have had to to delete the whole project and never release it. With that in mind, we have spent a lot of time to make sure that censorship will not affect the
perception of the game. That is why for many months we have been conducting interviews with age-rating companies in order not to cut out entire scenes from the game but at the same time modify it enough (e.g. just slightly changing the camera's frame) to
get an M (Mature) rating instead of AO (Adult-Only) rating. AO rating means that the game could not be released on PS4 and Xbox One, and we would not keep the promise made on the Kickstarter.
We also want to confirm that we are
preparing a special, optional patch for PC that will remove the aforementioned censorship. We would love to do something similar for consoles but from a technical and legal point of view it is simply not possible.
Many of you ask
us what exactly we had to censor, fearing that the game you have been supporting for years will not be the same experience you hoped for. We do not want to list exactly what's been censored due to possible spoilers, but it is important for you to
understand that none of the elements you have seen in Agony's promotional materials (gameplay, trailers, screenshots, GIFs) have been censored. Do not be afraid, the full version of Agony is much heavier than what you've seen so far anyway.
Madmind have now
cancelled the patch citing legal issues. The company have said not quite so much material has had to be cut as first thought. The company said:
The censorship now affects only several seconds from two endings (out of
seven) and some scenes that may be unlocked only after the end of the game.
Madmind have said that they will at least explain the cuts in a documentary video that will show the material that had to be cut for an M rating in the US.
Update: Agony's censored scenes published in a video
Madmind Studio kept their word and released a video showcasing the original Adults Only content they had to cut in order to secure a
Mature rating for the game Agony.
The NSFW video clocks in at 4:48 minutes. It features the content that Madmind had to trim in order to secure the Mature rating, this includes scenes of genital penetration, a couple of seconds of butt physics,
various forms of infanticide, as well as a sequence involving demon sex and a succubus giving birth to a demon baby through a mutilated vagina.
Assassin's Creed Valhalla
is a 2020 release in Ubisoft's longest-running franchise
News November 2020:
Patched
Ubisoft is issuing a fix to Assassin's Creed Valhalla following the revelation that Japanese versions of the game had
depictions of blood censored.
A Japanese Ubiblog post has now acknowledges the problematic censorship, stating that blood cannot be depicted in-game and that the development team is preparing a patch to solve the issue releasing sometime in December.
Ubisoft goes on to apologize for the inconvenience to its customers.
News November 2020: Ubisoft censors the Japanese release
It seems that not all versions of the game are equal to others. Japanese players say the game
isn't what was promised, and further that it was censored egregiously compared to western versions of the game.
The Japanese release of Assassin's Creed Valhalla is censored in several significant ways. It removes or alters violent gameplay and
animations related to severed limbs, torture involving inner organs, decapitated heads and female nudity, including nipples.
The game features a worldwide option to turn blood spurts during combat on and off. However, presumably because the game
is already censored in Japan, the option then does very little.
Japanese buyers have also complained that the availability of the option implies that more violence is available than actually is, and so feel misled.
With the usual corporate
bullshit, Ubisoft claimed that the removal of blood spurts was necessary for ratings purposes. But CERO, Japan's Computer Entertainment Rating Organization, said that that blood spurts comparable to previous Assassin's Creed releases in Japan were
included when it did its rating.
Atelier Rorona: The Alchemist of Arland is a 2010 Japan RPG from Gust
Cut for international release. Uncut in Japan
Versions
uncut
Japan: Uncut
cut
International : Cut
The age of the characters is specified in a a profile. The characters have been nominally aged in the profile
text by 3 years, but there is no change in terms of graphics.
A photograph of assassinated Russian diplomat Andrei Karlov has been removed from the video game Batman: The Enemy Within , made by Telltale.
Telltale said it regretted the inclusion of the image of Karlov, who was shot dead at an art
exhibition in Ankara in December 2016.
Telltale apologised in a statement and said the game had been updated to remove the picture across all platforms. The company said:
We regret this incident occurred, and we
are taking appropriate action internally to ensure that we continue to maintain our high standards in production and quality assurance.
Following a newspaper campaign and due to the supposed discrediting of China's national image in the futuristic plot line of the game, Battlefield 4 has been banned from sale as of this week. The Chinese Ministry of Culture said the game is to
be removed from physical shelves as well as all China-based online sales channels.
Those that've already downloaded the game in China will be unable to access any online content and are encouraged to delete the game from their consoles and PCs.
The Chinese Ministry of Culture suggests that Battlefield 4:
Is an illegal game, with content that endangers national security, and is all about a cultural invasion.
Battlefield 4 relevant
available downloads, patches, news, and other requirements [shall be] deleted within 24 hours.
Apparently the bit in the game where American soldiers must march into China to help in a state of social instability is not entirely
welcome as a possible futuristic outcome in the country at the moment.
Blood II: The Chosen is a 1998 first person shooter by
Monolith Productions
Cut for strong language in the UK.
Versions
cut
UK: Cut for strong language
Not cut by the BBFC but the UK release
has been irritatingly censored. Every time a character swears it is irritatingly bleeped out totally spoiling the atmosphere of the game.
Apparently the distributors, GT Interactive asked the designers, Monolith USA, to remove or bleep out the
harsh language. They chose to bleep it out.
Blood and Guts Bundle is a 2020 trilogy of arena fight games from
Digerati
Banned in Australia
Banned in Australia in July 2020
The Blood and Guts Bundle for Nintendo Switch has been banned in Australia under the automated International
Age Rating Coalition (IARC) system. Decision was in March 2020, but has only recently been added to the National Classification Database.
The automated system is pretty much a random rating generator, so perhaps the delay is down to going back to
the old manual way of rating games.
In the US the game is M (17) rated by the ESRB for blood and gore, use of drugs, violence.
The Promotional Material gives a flavour of the game:
Satisfy your lust for
carnage with three gloriously gratuitous games! This bundle contains:
Slain: Back from Hell . A heavy metal inspired arcade combat game with stunning pixel art visuals, challenging old school gameplay and gore galore. Plus
the most metal soundtrack you've ever heard!
Slayaway Camp: Butcher's Cut : A killer puzzle game and darkly comic homage to 80s horror movies where you control Skullface, a homicidal slasher hell-bent on revenge.
Super Blood Hockey : Arcade sports gaming gets a shot of adrenaline in this violent homage to classic 8- and 16-bit ice hockey games. Use fast-paced skills and bone-crunching brutality to dominate.
Versions
uncut
US : ESRB M rated for blood and gore, use of drugs, violence.
banned
Australia
Australia: Banned in July 2020
v BMX XXX
- 2002 sports video game developed by Z-Axis and published by Acclaim Entertainment
BMX XXX is a 2002 sports video game developed by Z-Axis and published by Acclaim Entertainment
Notorious at the time for its nudity, foul language and adult humor. The game allows the player to create female characters that are fully topless and view live-action video clips of real life strippers, also with bare breasts. After
a bit of a hoo-hah it was available in a clothed version, but as the game was a bit naff then this offered little.
Versions
uncut
US :
Uncut on XBox and GameCube
Europe: Uncut and unnoticed
cut
US
US : Cut on Playstation 2
All the naked breasts were covered up.
banned
Australia
Australia: Banned
BMX XXX was initially BANNED in Australia but was later
available in a sanitised version
Bug Butcher is a 2016 shoot 'em up computer game from Awfully Nice Studios.
Banned in Australia
Versions
banned
Australia
Australia: Banned in July 2016
It has just been banned by the Australian Censor
Board for reasons which are not yet apparent. The censors have provided just an uninformative stock statement on the website noting the game as 'Refused Classification'.
The description of the game does not really make the game sound very
bannable:
You play Harry, an exterminator who gets tasked with slaughtering bugs in a futuristic research facility, in order to buy the surviving scientists time until the total decontamination process is complete.
It's a simple game where you face wave after wave of enemies, picking up new weapons and power-ups in order to enhance your slaying skills.
We have been in the age rating process for our upcoming console release in Australia. Seem like this triggered the ban from Steam as well. The reasoning behind is, is sad but at the same point also funny. We have a powerup called
Speed powerup where Harry injects himself a syringe. Looks like the combination of the injection with the word Speed someone could assume that it's a drug. We are shocked but are trying to get in touch with Australia to see if we can fix this.
Call of Duty:
Modern Warfare 2 is a US 2009 combat simulation game by Activision
Cut for islamic inamgery.
Versions
cut
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is combat simulation game
Modern Warfare 2's Favela map was temporarily removed after users discovered Islamic text on a bathroom painting.
The presence of such text within a bathroom environment is apparently offensive to Muslims, prompting Activision to take
action.
Apologising for the error, a spokesperson for the Modern Warfare 2 publisher told Kotaku that the map would be taken offline while the team issues an update to remove the texture:
We apologise to anyone
who found this image offensive. Please be assured we were unaware of this issue and that there was no intent to offend.
Activision and our development studios are respectful of diverse cultures and religious beliefs, and sensitive
to concerns raised by its loyal game players.
The scene later re-appeared with the picture frames blacked out
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Remastered is a US 2020 reboot of the 2009 US combat simulation game by Activision
Not published in Russia.
News April 2020: Sony refuses a release in Russia
The video game designer Activision has announced that Sony's Russia branch is refusing to release Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Remastered on the PS Store.
While the publisher did not give an explicit reason for this decision, it is more than likely because of the No Russian mission, which centered around a mass shooting perpetrated by Russian terrorists and the player. The content subsequently caused a
massive debate, garnered widespread criticism, and originally led to a disclaimer and an option to skip the mission being added.
Call of Duty: Black Ops
II is a 2012 US combat simulation game from Activision.
Banned in China
Versions
uncut
Rest of
the world: Uncut
UK: PEGI 18 rated. US : ESRB Mature M rated
banned
China
China: Banned in April 2018
An American video game that allows players to bomb Tiananmen Square has become
the focal point of the latest Chinese censorship crack down.
Although Call of Duty Black Ops II was first released in 2012, officials in the eastern province of Jiangxi singled it out in a recent crackdown that ordered internet cafes to stop
their customers playing banned games. A short sequence in the game's alternative reality, in which a character recalls a fictional Second World War bombing raid in the heart of the Chinese capital, appears to have particularly angered the censors.
Call of Duty: WWII is a 2017 US combat simulation game
from Activision.
Cut in Australia
Versions
uncut
Rest of
the world: Uncut
UK: PEGI 18 rated. US : ESRB Mature M rated
cut
Australia
Australia: Cut in October 2017
On the first submission to the Australian Censorship Board the game was passed R18 uncut for
high impact violence and threat of sexual violence.
The distributors didn't want the reference to sexual violence so made cuts to the game and resubmitted it. The game was then duly passed R18+ this time for high impact violence.
[ Spoilers! hover or click text below]
According to the Classification Board, the original version contained a reference to sexual violence:
In one section of the game, the player controls Rosseau, a female spy, as she infiltrates a German
building. While inside, she witnesses a woman as she is dragged by a Nazi soldier into a closet, against her will, screaming, You're all pigs!
Rosseau opes the closet door, as the soldier says, Leave. This is none of your
business. The player is then given the option to kill the soldier or leave.
If the player chooses to leave, the player closes the door, as the soldier is heard unziping his fly and viewed advancing towards the woman. She screams,
Ah! Get away from me! as Rosseau leaves.
It is implied that the soldier is going to sexually assault the woman, but at no time is the assault depicted.
The board then described how the cuts made a difference:
In the Board's opinion, the modifications to this game - which include the change of dress for the female prisoner (was in a skirt and top, now in a pants and top) and the removal of audio that implies a soldier is
unzipping his pants - do not contain any classifiable elements that alter this classification or exceed a R18+ impact level.
In the Board's opinion, the removal of the audio track means that consumer advice of threat of sexual
violence is not required. Therefore, this modified computer game warrants an R18+ classification with consumer advice of high impact violence [and] online interactivity.
The game has now been banned in Japan after it was refused a
CERO rating. The developers have decided not to pursue local edits to tryan achieve a rating. String Distance Studios said via its Japanese Twitter account that the localized version for Japan will be discontinued and that anyone who pre-ordered will get
a refund, adding:
We have determined that the game cannot pass the CERO rating in its current state and that changing the content will not provide the experience that players expect.
The reason for
refusing the rating have not been reported but it is assume that the refusal was down to the game's violence and gore
Carmageddon is a 1997 driving combat game by Stainless Games
Cut
for strong language in the UK.
Versions
uncut
UK: The
BBFC cuts were restored by the application of a software patch called a Splat Pack'.
cut
UK: Passed 18 after BBFC cuts
The BBFC took the view that a competition in which the player is rewarded for the hit-and-run killing of
passive, indeed docile, human-like figures was morally reprehensible and likely to encourage callousness towards the suffering of others, The action replay facility in which the game stops while the camera moves slowly round the bloody victimes only
underlines the cynicism. The game was therefore refused a certificate but the decision was overturned on appeal and the BBFC had to award it an 18 certificate.
The 18 certificate version of the game was toned down by substituting green
blooded aliens for the humans but a software patch or 'Splat Pack' is now available via the internet to restore the the red blooded humans.
Many months ago,
windowscentral.com reported that the American ESRB might give Conan Exiles an AO for Adults Only rating which could prevent it
from coming to consoles. To avoid this, Funcom had to censor some adult content like exposed penises and testicles for release in countries using ESRB ratings.
A Funcom spokesperson clarified the situation. On consoles, full nudity is only
available in PEGI (Albania, Bulgaria, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and more) and USK (Germany) territories. You can activate it by downloading the Nudity add-on which come with the game purchase.
Unfortunately, only partial nudity is available in
ESRB (Bahamas, Mexico, United Arab Emirates, United States, and more) countries.
Criminal
Girls 2: The Party's Over is a 2016 Japan RPG adventure game.
Cut for western release. Uncut in Japan
Versions
uncut
Japan: Uncut
cut
International
: Cut
NIS America explained the changes made prior to submission to the US Entertainment Software Ratings Board,.
Some artwork, especially during the motivation scenes, were altered over their explicit nature. It seems NIS America worried the ESRB would take issue with women tied up against the their will.
Swapping the term punishment
for motivation. In the Japanese version of the game, the motivation scenes are actually punishment.
There won't be any English voice overs. All of the text will be displayed in English, but the voice tracks are staying
Japanese.
All dialogue has been removed from the motivation scenes.
The stated ages of some the girls have been changed
banned
Germany
Australia
Germany: Banned in August 2016
Computer games censors from USK (Unterhaltungssoftware Selbstkontrolle) have banned the game. The USK is self regulating trade group rather than an official state censor.
Australia: Unavailable
It is reported that the game wont be distributed in Australia but there is no indication that this is due to the official state censors, Australian Classification Board.
Firstly, the Classification Office called the game in due to concerns that the sexual content found within the game focuses on young persons and involves elements of sexual violence. However the Motivation sequences themselves do not
encourage the player to focus on the girls as young persons, and instead concentrates on presenting their embarrassment, powerlessness and humiliation in a sexualised manner. The dialogue clearly establishes that the girls are either unwilling to
participate, or naive about the player character's intentions. Then, once the Motivation is finished, the girls' reaction is positive. The lack of consent presented here - and the idea that Even if you have to force her 203 she'll end up enjoying it - is
a narrative that justifies rape and is presented solely for titillation.
This game requires players to engage with the female characters in sexualised situations where consent is not only absent, but where the protestations of the
female characters are part of the attraction. There is a strong likelihood of injury to the public good, including to adults from the trivialisation and normalisation of such behaviour, so the game is banned.
v Crysis 3
- 2013 first-person shooter video game developed by Crytek and published in 2013 by Electronic Arts
Custer's Revenge is a 1982 Atari single player arcade game by Mystique
An early adults only controversial game that ended up being replaced by a heavily censored games, Custer's Retreat.
Summary Notes
The player controls the character of Custer, depicted as a man wearing nothing but a cavalry hat, boots and a bandana, sporting a visible erection. Custer has to overcome arrow attacks to reach the other side of the
screen. His goal is to rape a naked Native American woman tied to a pole.
Versions
uncut Custer's Revenge
Worldwide : Released with an adults only
warning
The game was sold with an adults only warning on the cover and also the logo of the famous Swedish Erotica company, the US producers of hardcore porn shorts.
An example of the controversial imagery is found on Wikipedia.
cut Custer's Retreat
Worldwide: Cut
After
the controversy the game was heavily cut and reappeared as Custer's Retreat
v DayZ
- 2018 Czech first person shooter by Bohemia Interactive
DayZ is a 2018 Czech first person shooter by Bohemia Interactive
The video
game DayZ has been banned from retail sale by the Australian Censorship Board, despite having been previously granted an MA15+ rating under an alternative rating system. It is uncut and PEGI 18 rated in Europe. However the developer says that a cut
version to placate the Australian censors will then be distributed worldwide. This cut version was passed MA15+ in Australia.
Versions
uncut
PEGI
Australia
Europe: Uncut and PEGI 18 rated
Australia: Uncut and MA15+ rated for online release
cut
Australia
Worldwide: Cut
Developers Bohemia Interactive have responded to the Australian cenors ban of the game saying that the game will be cut for Australia and then the same cut version will then be distributed worldwide.
Presumably
the cuts are to remove the references to cannabis by renaming as something less problematic for censors.
Australia: Passed MA15+ after cuts for retail release with the consumer advice that noticeably doesn't mention drugs: Strong themes and violence, online interactivity
banned
Australia
Australia: Banned for retail PS4 release in June 2019
The 'Classification Board' first granted an RC rating to DayZ on June 4, following an
application from local distributors Five Star Games to have the game sold in brick-and-mortar stores across the country. According to the censorship report, the game was banned over illicit or proscribed drug use related to incentives or rewards.
Through general gameplay, the player is able to collect and use a variety of equipment, supplies and weaponry, the report says. One of the options to restore the player's health is a marijuana joint, labelled 'cannabis', which is denoted by a cannabis bud in the player's inventory.
Kotaku Australia also reveals that the Classification Board is also working to have the game pulled from sale digitally in Australia.
Dead or Alive Xtreme 3 is a 2019 console game from Koei Tecmo
Censored on Sony PlayStation 4 but uncensored on the Nintendo Switch
Versions
uncut
Nintendo
Asia: Uncut for Nintendo Switch
cut
Asia: Cut for
Sony PlayStation 4
Both the Gold Fan and Softening Gel have been cut out of the PS4 release. The golf fan allows players to blow the skirts of characters, with the objective being to turn them inside out so you can get a glimpse of their
underwear. Meanwhile, the gel softens the recipient's breasts, making them more springy .
v Destiny 2
- 2017 shared world shooter video game developed by Bungie.
Destiny 2 is a 2017 shared world shooter video game developed by Bungie.
A visual reference to a far right flag is set to be deleted
Versions
cut
Worldwide: Cut in September 2017
The game has caused a little outrage for a rather complex allusion to an alt-right fictional flag itself alluding to Nazi symbology whilst not actually containing well known Nazi symbols.
The reference comes on a pattern on an optional gantlet available for characters. The pattern on the sleeve resembles part of a fictional Kekistan flag.
Kekistan is a fictional nation invented in 4chan's political board. It rose to prominence
after being promoted by a handful of anti-feminism YouTubers.
The Kekistan flag is based on a Nazi battle flag, and was created to allow far rights groups to identify and acknowledge one another using a symbol of Nazism that isn't identified as
such by ordinary people. The flag was reported sighted at recent troubles in Charlottesville.
Bungie CEO Pete Parsons apologised:
Our deepest apologies. This does NOT represent our values, and we are working
quickly to correct this. We renounce hate in all forms.
Devil May
Cry: Definitive Edition is a 2015 re-release of the 2002 original from Team Ninja
Censored for dialogue.
Versions
cut
The developer of the Devil May Cry video game, Ninja Theory has censored a snippet of sexually suggestive dialogue from the action adventure's Definitive Edition re-release.
The original scene sees demon antagonist Mundus discussing
his evil plans with fellow demon and mistress Lilith.
Mundus : I will control the world through debt. I have absolute power.
Lilith: The world is at last your bitch , as am
I. Nothing left but to grab it by the hair, bend it over and -
Mundus grunts
Lilith: What's the matter? Wait - what's the matter?
The latter part of the dialogue
in bold is cut from the definitive version.
Chief creative director Tameem Antoniades unconvincingly claimed that this wasn't a PC clean up. He said:
We did make an edit to the opening cut-scene. It
wasn't a case of censorship as there are far more suggestive scenes in the game. We felt that scene in particular drags on a little bit for the opening sequence and frankly, we didn't like the line.
Devotion is a 2019 Taiwan psychological horror game by Red Candle Games
Banned from Steam in February 2019. The game's publisher was subsequently banned from operating in China.
The game was unbanned for sale in Taiwan in June 2020.
The game continued to be unavailable on Steam but games distributor COG planned to list the game. However it later buckled citing pressure from China/Chinese users.
Summary Notes
Set in Taiwan in the 1980s, with a majority of the game happening in an apartment complex in Taipei. The game also incorporates elements based on Taiwanese culture and folk religion.
Censorship
uncut
Taiwan
Taiwan: Unbanned in June 2020.
banned
China
China: The game's publisher Indievent was totally banned from operating in China for including the Winnie the Pooh
meme into the game, Devotion.
banned
world
World: Banned from steam seemingly under pressure from China. The game continued to be unavailable on Steam but games distributor COG planned
to list the game. However it later buckled citing pressure from China/Chinese users.
Disco Elysium: The
Final Cut is a 2021 role playing game by ZA/UM
Banned by the Australian Censorship Board in 2020. The games distributors appealed the ban and won their case. The appeal board rated the game R18+ uncut May 2021.
Versions
uncut
worldwide
Worldwide: Uncut
uncut
banned Australia
Australia: Passed R18+ uncut by the
Classification Review Board in May 2022
The distributors appealed against the ban and won their case. The Classification Review Board explained:
In the Review Board's opinion, while drug use linked to incentives and
rewards cannot be accommodated at R 18+, this game does provide disincentives related to drug-taking behaviour, to the point where regular drug use leads to negative consequences for the player's progression in the game. It was, specifically, the
disincentives for drug use that influenced the Review Board in making their decision.
Australia: Banned in 2020
The Australian Censorship Board banned the game presumably because the core gameplay mechanics
prominently include drugs and alcohol and which is a bit of a no-no for the country's censors.
Dungeon Travelers 2 is a 2013 Japan Dungeon crawler, role-playing
games
Cut in western regions.
Summary Notes:
The kingdom of Romulea is in peril. Monsters are leaking out of every nook and cranny in the land, and to make matters worse, they have
started an uprising against humanity. Players take on the role of Fried, an adventurer from the Royal Library sent to stop the uprising. But early in his journey, he discovers a broken shrine along the way. This sets in motion the story of Dungeon
Travelers 2, where Fried travels around the kingdom of Romulea, and through rescuing, defeating, or bumping into any of the 16 unique girls that can join his party, Fried is on a mission to save the world! Set in a first-person perspective with
turn-based combat, players will encounter normal monsters as well as more powerful mutant girls, who must be sealed away to prevent the spread of the evil monster scourge.
Versions
uncut
Japan: Uncut
cut
Western regions
Western regons: Cut
Western localization censored four images; three of which were slightly altered because they
depicted female characters of indeterminate age.
The Evil Within is a 2014 horror action game from Bethesda
Cut
for a 17 rating in Japan but uncut elsewhere
Summary Notes:
Shinji Mikami, the father of survival horror, is back to direct The Evil Within -- a game embodying the meaning of pure survival horror.
Highly-crafted environments, horrifying anxiety, and an intricate story weave together to create an immersive world that will bring players to the height of tension.
Bethesida Softworks have delayed Shinji Mikami's upcoming survival-horror game, The Evil Within . ZeniMax Asia general manger Tetsu Takahashi explained how the game will now be cut for a CERO D (17) rating in japan:
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 there will be a downloadable upgrade to an uncut CERO Z (18) version. Takahashi said:
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 versioni. Those who preorder the game can also get the CERO Z version's representation through the Gore Mode DLC.
Fight of Gods is a Online 2017 fighting game by PQube
Banned
in Malaysia.
Summary Notes
A Japanese rail shooter where the player assumes the role of Houdai Kudoki, a high-schooler who has no luck with girls. A cupid-type angel accidentally shoots Houdai with a
laser that condenses all of Houdai's romantic opportunities (for the rest of his life) into the next day. Houdai must use a pheromone shot to give the girls euphoria which subdues them and allows him to confess to his true love.
Versions
uncut
Worldwide: Uncut
banned
Malaysia
Malaysia: Banned in September 2017
Censors at the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) took offence at a game called, Fight of Gods, and took immediate action by denying citizens access to the Steam
store.
Apparently Valve, the company behind the Steam website were given the chance to block the offending game from Malaysia gamers but did not respond quickly enough for the authorities. Malaysians who try to access the store get the message in
English and Malay:
This website is not available in Malaysia as it violate(s) the National law(s).
Fight of Gods pits mythological deities, Jesus included, against one another. Promotional material
for Fight of Gods reads:
Your prayers have been answered! For the first time ever, gods, holy spirits and mythological characters from around the globe and throughout history will clash in an explosive 2D fighter where
the entire world is at stake!
Who will prevail in the ultimate battle of gods? Will Jesus, fresh from ripping himself off the sacrificial cross, smite all his foes with the power of his Punishment Fist?
Can
Buddha slap his opponents into submission?
Harness the power of fire, lightning, water, plagues and more as you pit gods and prophets such as Odin, Zeus, Amaterasu, Anubis, Moses and Athena against one another in one of the most
unique and outlandish fighters ever created.
v Fortnite
- 2017 us survival battle royale by Epic Games
Fortnite is a 2017 us survival battle royale by Epic Games
Fortnite Battle
Royale, a free-to-play battle royale game where up to 100 players fight to be the last person standing. Banned in China and Iraq.
Versions
uncut
Worldwide: Uncut
banned
China
Iraq
China: Banned
20 games have been assessed by China's Online Gaming Ethics Review Committee. Nine of these
20 games have been banned including the most popular battle royale games -- Fortnite and PUBG. The cause given for banning Fortnite is its Blood and gore, vulgar content.
Iraq: Banned in April 2019
Iraq's
parliament has voted to ban the popular battle royale games Fortnite and Playerunknown's Battlegrounds because of their supposed detrimental influence on the population.
A Reuters report says the ban was put into place due to the negative effects
caused by some electronic games on the health, culture, and security of Iraqi society, including societal and moral threats to children and youth.
Gal*Gun Double Peace is a Japanese shooter action game from PQube
Banned in New zealand and briefly in Germany.
Summary Notes
A Japanese rail shooter where the player assumes the role of Houdai Kudoki, a high-schooler who has no luck with girls. A
cupid-type angel accidentally shoots Houdai with a laser that condenses all of Houdai's romantic opportunities (for the rest of his life) into the next day. Houdai must use a pheromone shot to give the girls euphoria which subdues them and
allows him to confess to his true love.
Versions
uncut
M
PEGI
Worldwide: Uncut
US: ESRB M (Mature)
Europe : PEGI 16
banned
Germany
New Zealand
Germany: Unbanned in May 2019
The Nintendo Switch version was passed with a 'no youth'
rating.
Germany: Banned in February 2018
Gal Gun 2 was submitted to the USK with the result that the release was banned. An appeal against this decision was also dismissed. Thus, the game joins the
slow-filling list of anime games that are not available in Germany.
However the game was not indexed by BPjM who did not concur with the sexualisation claims of the USK. This at least allows for a future resubmission to the USK.
The game tends to promote and support
the sexual exploitation of children and young persons, and the use of coercion in relation to sexual conduct. It depicts young female high-school students in a way that emphasises their sexual availability. For example, doki-doki mode involves the player
touching and rubbing the girls to bring them to a state of euphoria , essentially a sort of orgasm. The game also continuously frames high school students as sexually compliant objects to be fetishized and touched regardless of their consent.
The game's lack of difficulty further supports the idea that the intention of this game is for the titillation and arousal of the player, rather than gameplay mastery. It is therefore likely not only to attract people with a prurient
interest in young persons, but also to reinforce the belief that a sexual interest in young persons is acceptable, which contributes to their sexual exploitation in wider society.
God of War: Ascension is a 2013 hack 'n' slash action game from Sony
Censored for political correctness
Versions
cut
US:
In the course of God of War: Ascension, Kratos has to fight a female boss. When she is struck down, the gamer gets to see a cutscene where he receives the trophy labelled Bros Before Hos.
Sony
reacted promptly to a bit of a to do about it and released a Day 1 patch that renames the trophy as Bros Before Foes.
cut
Europe:
Beyond the politically correct renaming of a trophy, the European release was cut for
violence. From article from movie-censorship.com :
After a fight against Castor and Pollux, the player needs to go the mutilated Pollux and kill him by crushing his skull. All the gory details are reframed off screen in the European version, but the sounds are still heard.
A blood splatter
has been removed European version when it is amputated by an elevator.
GoldenEye 007 is a 1997 UK first person shooter by Rare
Banned in Germany from 1997 until 2021
Versions
uncut
world
Worldwide:
Uncut
banned
Germany
Europe:
The game was indexed in Germany at the time of the originally release which makes the title
unviable to commercially distribute. The title was removed from the index in 2021.
The index of Media Harmful to Young Persons is maintained by the Federal Center for Child and Youth Media Protection.
Grand Theft Auto 4 is a US 2008 action adventure game by Rockstar
The game was controversial but generally released uncensored around the world. But in Australia it was initially cut for an MA 15+ rating. The uncut version was released a few months later with the same rating.
Versions
uncut
PEGI
Australia
Europe: Uncut and PEGI 18 rated
Australia: Uncut and MA15+ rated for 2009 release.
cut
Australia
Australia: Passed MA15+ after cuts for initial 2008 retail release.
The 2008 Australian version included reduced gore effects: When NPCs were killed, no blood would pool under their bodies, and blood effects on the bodies themselves (i.e. bleeding
through their clothes if wounded) were removed. Bloody tire tracks remained in both versions, however. The other major change could be seen when players hired sex workers. In other versions of GTA 4 , players could choose the particular sex act they
wanted to purchase, then adjust the camera to watch the animation from outside protagonist Nico's car. In the Australian version, there were no sex act options, and the camera remained locked to the rear of the car, which would simply bounce up and down.
v Harvester
- 1996 PC role playing Game by DigiFX Interactive
Harvester is a 1996 PC role playing Game by DigiFX Interactive
Cut by the
BBFC for an 18 rating in 1996
Versions
uncut
Worldwide:
Uncut
cut
Cut by the BBFC with the following justification:
The player has to confront a trio of demonic children, digitally modelled on a motion-capture sequence of real
children pretending to bite and tear chunks of flesh from the inner thigh of their supposed mother.The positioning of the shot with the heads of children placed between the upraised legs of their mother had a sexualised quality which seemed obscene in
the meaning of the Obscene Publications Act, and this shot was removed.
v Hatred
- 2015 shooter action game from Destructive Creation
Hatred is a 2015 shooter action game from Destructive Creation
Hyped via
controversy over it being the latest 'sickest game ever'. Notably AO rated in the US but didn't trouble many censors elsewhere outside of Germany. However many outlets refused to sell it anyway.
Versions
uncut
Worldwide: Uncut
US: AO (Adults Only)
banned
International: Banned
Banned by outlets GOG.com and Twitch
Germany: Banned in Germany and implemented by
geo-blocking on Steam
The censors were offended at an implied rape featured in the game. The
censors wrote in a report:
In the sequence of game play footage titled Midnight Animal, the protagonist character bursts into what appears to be a movie set and explicitly kills 4 people, who collapse to the floor in a
pool of copious blood, often accompanied by blood splatter. After stomping on the head of a fifth male character, he strikes a female character wearing red underwear. She is knocked to the floor and is viewed lying face down in a pool of copious blood.
The male character is viewed with his pants halfway down, partially exposing his buttocks. He is viewed pinning the female down by the arms and lying on top of her thrusting, implicitly raping her (either rear entry or anally) while her legs are viewed
kicking as she struggles beneath him. This visual depiction of implied sexual violence is emphasised by it being mid-screen, with a red backdrop pulsating and the remainder of the screen being surrounded by black.
Kingdom Hearts 2 is a 2002 adventure game from Square Enix
Cut outside of Japan
Summary Notes:
KINGDOM HEARTS HD 2.5 ReMIX is an HD remastered compilation of KINGDOM HEARTS II FINAL MIX and KINGDOM HEARTS Birth by Sleep FINAL MIX. Previously
exclusive to Japan, both games will be available for the first time across Europe and PAL regions for the PlayStation3 system. HD remastered cinematics from KINGDOM HEARTS Re:coded will also be included in the compilation. The game is a sequel to last
year's KINGDOM HEARTS HD 1.5 ReMIX and will lead into the highly anticipated KINGDOM HEARTS III.The KINGDOM HEARTS saga continues with three magical journeys in one package!
Versions
uncut
Japan: Uncut
cut
Worldwide: The 2014 2.5 Remix is reported to have the
same cuts as Original Version
cut
Worldwide: The Original Version was cut for an ESRB
10+ rating
Kingdom Hearts 3 is a 2019 adventure game from Square Enix
Likely to be cut or banned in China
Versions
uncut
Worldwide:
Uncut
cut
China
China:
Kingdom Hearts 3 is an upcoming video game that features Winnie the Pooh.
Now China's president Xi Jinping has taken offence at his gait and pot belly being likened to Pooh bear so Chinese censors have to spend hours ensuring that images of the
bear are airbrushed out of Chinese life.
A Chinese website sharing images of the upcoming game revealed the game's interesting form of censorship. The iconic Winnie the Pooh is censored out with a gigantic white light.
The Last of Us Part II is a US 2020
action-adventure, survival horror by Naughty Dog
Banned in UAE and Saudi Arabia.
Summery Notes
Set five years after the events of The Last of Us (2013), players enter the role of
19-year-old Ellie, who comes into conflict with a mysterious Christian cult in a post-apocalyptic United States. The game contains survival horror elements and is played from the third-person perspective. Players can use firearms, improvised weapons, and
stealth to defend against hostile humans and cannibalistic creatures infected by a mutated strain of the Cordyceps fungus.
League of Legends is a 2009 online multiplayer battle game by
Riot Games
Hyped via controversy over it being the latest 'sickest game ever'. Notably AO rated in the US but didn't trouble censors elsewhere. However many outlets have refused to sell it anyway.
Versions
uncut
Worldwide: Uncut
US: ESRB Teen T rated
cut
South Korea: Cut
Before and censored
The Korean version of the League of Legends has been censored after a software update on the Korean server for the game.
Artwork for the character Evelynn has been changed to cover up her bare midriff and also to reduce her cleavage (in
visibility rather than size).
The game is 12 rated in South Korea, and has a Teen T rating from the ESRB in the US.
The South Korean Game Rating & Administration Committee has a recent history of censorship of games in regards to
artwork, especially in mobile games.
The change to Evelynn's artwork has sparked another round of debate about game ratings in Korea and what should be deemed appropriate or not.
Manhunt 2 is a 2008 Beat 'em up game by Rockstar Games
The BBFC famously
banned both the original version and then the cut ESRB M rated version. The BBFC ban of the M rated version was overturned on appeal. The game was cut in the US to obtain an ESRB M rating rather than the uncommercial AO (adults only) Rating.
Sweden: The GamersGate online store made the uncut version available in 2011. It was widely available across the world but there were some restricted regions.
cut for M rating
US:
The games was rated M (17+) after an earlier submission results in a suffocating AO (adults only) rating.
The cuts were:
to introduce a red blurring effect over gory executions
to delete a scoring system that essentially rewarded players for killing in the most gruesome way possible.
cut for M rating
UK: The cut M rated version was passed 18 without
BBFC cuts in March 2008 but only after a successful appeal to the Video Appeals Committee. The BBFC issued the following press release:
The Video Appeals Committee announced that
the result of their reconsideration of the Manhunt 2 appeal remains that the appeal against the rejection of the work by the BBFC is upheld.
The Board's decision to refuse a certificate to Manhunt 2 was successfully challenged on appeal to the
Video Appeals Committee. The Board challenged the VAC's decision by way of Judicial Review before the High Court, which quashed the decision on grounds of errors of law. The VAC has now reconsidered the appeal in the light of the High Court's directions
on the law but has decided, again by a majority of four to three, to allow the appeal on the basis that Manhunt 2 should be given an '18' certificate.
In the light of legal advice the Board does not believe the VAC's judgement provides a
realistic basis for a further challenge to its decision and has accordingly issued an '18' certificate.
David Cooke, Director of the BBFC said: As I have said previously, we never take rejection decisions lightly, and they always involve a
complex balance of considerations. We twice rejected Manhunt 2, and then pursued a judicial review challenge, because we considered, after exceptionally thorough examination, that it posed a real potential harm risk. However, the Video Appeals Committee
has again exercised its independent scrutiny. It is now clear, in the light of this decision, and our legal advice, that we have no alternative but to issue an '18' certificate to the game.
The BBFC also provided a
statement about the 18 certificate:
MANHUNT 2 is a violent action game based on a psychological-horror theme. The player takes on the role of Daniel Lamb, a seemingly disturbed patient in a mental facility, who
escapes from the institution in an effort to discover who he really is. As he progresses through various environments collecting clues and information about his identity, he is confronted by numerous thugs employed by "The Project"; a secretive
experimental organisation, whom he must either evade or kill in order to ensure his own survival.
MANHUNT 2 has been classified '18' for very strong bloody and sadistic violence, which takes the form of stealth executions. In order to
successfully despatch a target, the player-character must creep up behind the victim quietly and kill before he is discovered. The killings are achieved through a number of common items such as syringes, glass shards, pens, crowbars, spades, power-saws,
clubs, baseball bats, axes, pliers and, later on in the game, firearms. Each killing is graphically portrayed as a brief video scene where weapons are seen to impact on various parts of the victim's body coupled to realistic sound effects and blood
spurts. The cumulative effect of these killings creates a very strong impression of almost continuous violence and horror which is too strong to be contained at any category below '18'. The game is entirely unsuitable for anyone below this age.
banned
cut for M rating
UK:
In October 2007 the censors banned the toned down version which is presumably the M rated version as to be released in the US.
The BBFC issued the following press release:
The BBFC has rejected a revised version of the video game Manhunt 2. This follows the rejection of the original version of the game in June. The distributor had set in motion an appeal to the Video Appeals
Committee against that decision, and this was suspended while the revised version was considered for classification.
David Cooke, Director of the BBFC said: We recognise that the distributor has made changes to the game, but we do not
consider that these go far enough to address our concerns about the original version. The impact of the revisions on the bleakness and callousness of tone, or the essential nature of the gameplay, is clearly insufficient. There has been a reduction in
the visual detail in some of the 'execution kills', but in others they retain their original visceral and casually sadistic nature.
We did make suggestions for further changes to the game, but the distributor has chosen not to make them, and as a
result we have rejected the game on both platforms. The decision on whether or not an appeal goes ahead lies with the distributor.
banned
Ireland
UK: The
original uncut PS 2 and WII versions were rejected in June 2007 with the following BBFC statement:
The BBFC has rejected the video game Manhunt 2 . This means that it cannot be legally supplied
anywhere in the UK. The game was submitted in both a PS2 and a Nintendo Wii version. The decision was taken by the Director and the Presidential Team of Sir Quentin Thomas, Lord Taylor of Warwick and Janet Lewis-Jones.
David Cooke, Director of
the BBFC said: Rejecting a work is a very serious action and one which we do not take lightly. Where possible we try to consider cuts or, in the case of games, modifications which remove the material which contravenes the Board's published Guidelines.
In the case of Manhunt 2 this has not been possible. Manhunt 2 is distinguishable from recent high-end video games by its unremitting bleakness and callousness of tone in an overall game context which constantly encourages visceral killing
with exceptionally little alleviation or distancing. There is sustained and cumulative casual sadism in the way in which these killings are committed, and encouraged, in the game.
Although the difference should not be exaggerated the fact
of the game's unrelenting focus on stalking and brutal slaying and the sheer lack of alternative pleasures on offer to the gamer, together with the different overall narrative context, contribute towards differentiating this submission from the original
Manhunt game. That work was classified '18' in 2003, before the BBFC's recent games research had been undertaken, but was already at the very top end of what the Board judged to be acceptable at that category.
Against this
background, the Board's carefully considered view is that to issue a certificate to Manhunt 2 , on either platform, would involve a range of unjustifiable harm risks, to both adults and minors, within the terms of the Video Recordings Act, and
accordingly that its availability, even if statutorily confined to adults, would be unacceptable to the public.
Ireland: The original AO uncut version was also banned in Ireland
v Martha is Dead
- 2022 first-person psychological thriller by Wired Productions
Martha is Dead is a 2022 first-person psychological thriller by Wired
Productions
Cut for PlayStation.
Sony censors
Wired Productions describes the game as follows:
Martha Is Dead is a dark first-person psychological
thriller, set in 1944 Italy, that blurs the lines between reality, superstition and the tragedy of war.
Martha Is Dead is only recommended for an adult audience and is not recommended for players who may find depictions containing
blood, dismemberment, disfigurement of human bodies, minor nudity, and self-harm disturbing.
It seems that Sony have found the game somewhat distasteful and have demanded cuts before it is allowed to be played on PlayStation. One
example of controversial content is provided by a Forbes article:
While there may be a few instances of "too far" violence, the one that keeps getting brought up is that a player cuts off the face of their
dead sister. And it's not just that they cut it off, it's that the action is actually a minigame where you have to move the blade around and peel the face off.
Wired Productions have down
explained more in a statement:
Martha Is Dead is a narrative adventure recommended for adult audiences only, with play consisting of potentially discomforting scenes and themes that may distress some players. Both
Wired Productions and LKA have always been open and honest about Martha Is Dead content, with the sensitive depictions in play consistently communicated to the media since the game was announced in 2019. This content is also flagged clearly and
repeatedly within the game itself before play begins.
It is with regret that we have had to modify the experience on the PS5 and PS4 versions, with some elements no longer playable. After over four years of passion and hard work,
Developer LKA now requires extra time to make these unplanned changes. Martha Is Dead, as a result, will still launch digitally on both PS5 and PS4 on Thursday, February 24th, 2022, but the physical retail release will be delayed to a yet to be disclosed
date; although we anticipate this to only be a small number of weeks. Our physical edition will still contain the bonus content of a double-sided poster, digital tarot cards and Martha Is Dead Digital EP. We will update players with the date we ship this
edition as soon as we have the information.
The PC and Xbox versions of Martha Is Dead are both unaffected by these developments and will launch with the full unedited gameplay as planned.
We look forward
to players experiencing the work of LKA on Thursday February 24th, 2022.
Mary Skelter 2 is a 2018 Japan console game by Compile Heart
Briefly banned in Australia
Australia: Briefly banned in October 2019
The game was banned in October 2019 by the Australian Censorship Board but it later relented and awarded the game an R18+ rating.
It is reported that all traces of the earlier ban have now been removed from the Australian Censorship Board's online database.
The change of heart is typical of Australia's automated games classification scheme This produces random 15, 18 or banned (refused classification) ratings for games. If the game is of sufficient economic importance then human censors can jump in
and sort out the mess.
Kotaku Australia revealedl that the game was specifically banned over instances of
hypersexualised imagery, including scenes that the Board described as implied sexual violence and exploitative or offensive depictions of minors.
There was a little controversy at the
time about a marginally sexy 'Hot Coffee' scene that eluded the US games raters. In the UK the BBFC noted the game, including the Hot Coffee scene as 12 uncut, so rather indicating that the controversy was more hype than sexy.
Well it seems that
even that 12 rated sexiness is a little too much for 2021 sensibilities and the developers have toned down the 2021 re-release titled as Mass Effect Legacy Edition.
In a recent interview with Metro , members of the MELE development
team discussed their approach to updating the games for modern platforms. According to the developers, efforts are being made to smooth out the gameplay experience across all three games in the series. These tweaks include updating animations and
unifying the control scheme. The team noted that a great deal of care is being taken to respect the artistic integrity of the original trilogy... but there's an exception. According to Legendary Edition project director Mac Walters:
Kevin (character and environment director Kevin Meek) actually called out some camera cuts that were just... why was that focusing on Miranda's butt? So in some cases we said, 'Okay, we can make a change there'. But
ultimately, to change an entire character model or something like that wasn't really... it was a decision that was made as part of many creative decisions and just showing it at the best possible fidelity that we could going forward is really the choice
for all of the art that we had.
The original game was titled Massage Freaks but was banned by Nintendo for console release. The game was then released for PC via Steam in a censored version titled Beat Refle)
An upcoming and controversial Nintendo Switch
game has been officially postponed and delayed indefinitely.
The game Massage Freaks was reported by ComicBook.com as the most NSFW game released on the Switch yet. Now it looks like it is Nintendo itself that has prevented the game from
releasing on Switch this week, at least in its current form.
The game developer Qureate recently announced the game had changed names from Massage Freaks to Beat Refle and is no longer Switch bound. According to developer Qureate, the delay
is the result of discussions with related parties. Nintendo isn't name-dropped, but it's unclear who else this could be referencing. Querate said in a statement:
The Nintendo Switch version of 'Massage Freaks,' which
was scheduled to be released on August 4, 2022, has been postponed after discussions with related parties, We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused to our customers.
The game received criticism for its depiction of women, which was considered
discriminatory and reminiscent of real-world sexual crimes at massage parlors in Japan. It was also noted that female characters in the game shared their first names with members of the idol group Hinatazaka46. Following the criticism, qureate delayed
the Switch release indefinitely, cancelled preorders, and changed the characters' names. beat refle was silently released on Steam on July 31, 2022, albeit censored.
v The Medium - 2020 Polish single
player psychological horror from Bloober Team
The Medium is a 2020 Polish single player psychological horror from Bloober Team
Banned in Australia in July 2020.
Versions
banned
Australia
Australia: Banned in July 2020
The game has been banned by the Australian
Censorship Board for reasons unknown. Neither the censors nor the developers have specified any reasons for the ban.
The censor's database notes that the film was rated as Refused Classification (banned) in July 2020. The database also notes that
the game was submitted under the automated random rating generator process known as IARC. This has a long history of ludicrous ratings that eventually get overturned by human censors.
The game's developers, Bloober Team has made a name for themselves
thanks to the line of horror video game titles but it looks like The Medium will be their largest project launch to date. It is claimed that due to computing requirements, it will only run on the latest consoles, notably Xbox Series X.
It is reported
that Bloober Team are making cuts to secure a presumably R18+ rating.
MeiQ: Labyrinth of Death is a Japanese dungeon based role playing
console game.
Banned in Australia in 2016. Teen (13) rated in the US. at UK Amazon
Versions
banned
RC
Australia : Banned by the game censor in June 2016
The Australian
Classification Board banned the game citing a game feature allowing gamers to caress the breasts of the characters. The Australian censors decided that one of the characters depicts a child and so the game was banned. The censors explained:
The game features a variety of female characters dressed in provocative clothing with their cleavage emphasised by their clothing revealing the sides or underside of their breasts. The five main characters in the game are
Machina Mages , females who pair with robot-like guardians in order to do battle. Four of the five, Estra, Flare, Maki and Setia, although of indeterminate age, are all adult-like, with voluptuous bosoms and large cleavage that are flaunted with a
variety of skimpy outfits.
The fifth main character, Connie, is depicted as child-like in comparison. She is flat-chested, under-developed physically (such as the hips), is significantly shorter than the other characters and wears
her hair in pigtails. She also has a child-like voice, wears colourful child-like clothing and appears naive in her outlook on life. She is also referred to as a girl by the other main characters. In the Board's opinion, the character of Connie
depicts a person who is, or appears to be, a child under 18.
The game features use of the Playstation Vita's touchscreen feature, that allows the player to touch or run their finger across the touchscreen in order to make any
female character's breasts move in response. The chest area of Connie is viewed moving slightly when this occurs, which is significantly different from the greater movement viewed when one of the four adult-like female characters is touched.
Metal Gear
Solid V: Ground Zeroes is a 2014 Japan combat game
The game is as a prologue to Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
The Western version will feature the vocal talents of actor Kiefer Sutherland as Big Boss, while the Japanese
version will keep long-time Japanese fan favorite, Akio Otsuka, in his regular role
Hideo Kojima, in an interview with Weekly Famitsu , mentioned that thanks to the Computer Entertainment Ratings Organization (CERO) ,
the Japanese video game ratings board, part of the Japanese version has been censored.
That part got flagged by CERO so the production was changed that way, but in the North American version [of Ground Zeroes ] you can see
everything, Kojima said when his interviewer expressed amazement of how far the content of Ground Zeroes went.
Reports mention that the missing details are from a waterboarding torture scene. other reports mention a candidate
rape scene.
Monster Monpiece is a digital card battle game from PlayStation
Vita
Versions
pre-cut
January 2014: Monster Censorship
A cut version has been rated as M for Mature by the ESRB for spring 2014 release in the US.
It is a digital card battle game in which the player summons various monster
girls onto the game's battlefields. Those girls then fight the player's opponents. The girls power-up and become stronger by stripping through the use of in-game mechanics called First Crush Rub and Extreme Love .
This extreme
rub system requires the player to stroke both sides of the Vita console on its side in a pumping motion, in order to seal cards. Rubbing, poking and touching the screen results in the character's clothes being removed, from fully clothed to a skimpy
bathing suit. Touching the monster girls also causes their breasts and thighs to jiggle in response.
The artwork will be censored for US and European releases as revealed in a statement emailed from the game publisher:
We kept the same number of cards in the game as the original Japanese version, but replaced some of the higher level Monster Girl images with the less exposed lower level versions of the corresponding Monster Girls due to some intense
sexual imagery.
The number of censored cards is about 40 out of the approximately 350 card images available in the game. This means that over 300 cards are left untouched from the original images. That said, each card that has had
its image removed will still have the same number of levels for the player to increase, but the higher level card images will be the same as the lower level, even though they have leveled up and have become more powerful.
This was
a very difficult decision since we work very hard to satisfy our fans and want to bring the same content being offered in Japan. However, Western society is not as lenient as that of Japan when sexual images are involved-especially images of humanoids
that appear to be younger than a socially acceptable age. The borderline of what is acceptable will always be extremely gray and vary from person to person, but as a responsible company working in the U.S., we had to make the difficult decision that we
did. We sincerely apologize for those who do not agree with any level of censorship, but we greatly appreciate your understanding with the decision we have made.
Endured several alterations for its international version. NIS America stated that they censored the game for these markets because they feared the ESRB's AO rating and that they also wanted to distance themselves from sexual acts
that featuring childlike characters.
The official message board
reveals that a mini game featuring characters bathing. Players can soap and rub female group members and caress them, as well. This results in characters blushing and/or moaning). It should be noted that there's no nudity involved, even though the
players can certainly create the illusion by choosing a skin-toned color of the bathing suits. The issues is that the characters are involved are rather young looking.
Omega Labyrinth Z is a 2017 Japanese console game by Matrix
Software
Banned in Australia and the UK in 2018. Later banned by Sony from all western regions. The Japanese version is still available.
Summary
Omega Labyrinth Z is a dungeon
crawler game for the PS4 and Playstation Vita. It was submitted with a provisional PEGI 16 rating for depictions of erotic or sexual nudity. The game is set at the Anberyl Girls Academy and legend has it that a holy grail exists that can grant any wish.
It is hidden in one of the ancient caves that is located somewhere in the school grounds. A group of female students set out to explore the caves with the aim of finding the grail.
Versions
uncut
Japan: The Japanese version is still available.
banned
Europe:
Rated 16 uncut for release throughout Europe except the UK and Germany. However Sony overruled the rating and banned the game from playing on PS4 or Vita.
US: Banned by Sony from playing on PS4 or Vita.
banned
RC
Germany
New Zealand
Ireland
UK: Banned in March 2018 by the Video Standards Council
The VSC Rating Board has ruled that the video game, Omega Labyrinth Z, will not be issued a UK
Certificate of Classification.
This refusal is relevant to physical product only (disc, cartridge, etc.) Under the terms of the Video Recordings Act (1984), the VSC Rating Board is required to consider the likelihood of any game
causing harm to the user and, subsequently, to wider society by the way in which the game deals with and portrays images of criminal, violent or horrific behaviour, illegal drugs and human sexual activity. The grounds for this decision are as follows: -
The likely harm being caused to a viewer or potential viewer, e.g. children or young people.
The game is explicit in its setting within a school environment and the majority of the characters are young girls - one child is
referred to as being a first year student and is seen holding a teddy bear. The game clearly promotes the sexualisation of children via the sexual interaction between the game player and the female characters. The style of the game is such that it will
attract an audience below the age of 18.
There is a serious danger that impressionable people, i.e. children and young people viewing the game would conclude that the sexual activity represented normal sexual behaviour. There is a
constant theme of sexual innuendo and activity throughout the game that suggests behaviour likely to normalise sexual activity towards children. As a means of reward gained by successfully navigating the game, the player has the means to sexually
stimulate the female characters by using either a hand held remote device or touch screen software.
The VSC Rating Board believes this content in a game, which would have strong appeal to non-adult players, is an issue which would be unacceptable
to the majority of UK consumers and, more importantly, has the potential to be significantly harmful in terms of the social and moral development of younger people in particular.
Germany:
Banned by German game
censors
Australia : Banned in February 2018
The Australia censor banned the game with an explanation concluding:
In the Board's opinion, the ability to interact with the
character Urara Rurikawa in the manner described constituted a simulation of sexual stimulation of a child.
Ireland: NewZealand:
The games distributors stated that the game will not be available
in New Zealand or Ireland.
Omega Labyrinth Life is a Japanese 2019 dungeon RPG by Matrix Software
Japanese RPG with indeterminate age girls with jiggly breasts seems to to be made available for western markets, but as a notable change of direction the
Japanese version will have an English language option.
Versions
uncut
Japan
Japan: Uncut
The uncut version is titled Omega Labyrinth Life for Switch. In a rare departure from the norm, the game has an English language option. The uncut version is also available on Steam.
cut
Japan
Japan: Cut
A cut version is titled Labyrinth Life for PlayStation 4. In a rare departure from
the norm, the game has an English language option.
Onimusha: Warlords is a 2001 Japanese action adventure game by Capcom
A cutscene was edited for the international version.
Summary
The game's plot is set in the Sengoku period and focuses on the samurai Samanosuke Akechi who fights against the
forces of Nobunaga Oda. After Nobunaga's death in battle, Samanosuke goes on a quest to save Princess Yuki from demons working alongside Nobunaga's forces. The player controls Samanosuke and his partner, a female ninja Kaede, in their fight against
Demons.
International Version: A cutscene has been edited where the female character Hecuba transforms into a giant
insect like demon. The missing section is where Hecuba splays her legs in a slightly suggestive manner as the inset abdomen apparently emerges from between her legs.
Mote that the 2019 reworked edition contains both the cut and uncut versions of the
scene. Selecting English results in the cut version but selecting Japanese reveals the full uncut version.
Outlast 2 is a first person survival horror shooter by Red Barrels
Banned
in Australia in 2017. The game was then cut for an Australian R18+ certificate and the cut version was distributed world wide with a PEGI 18 rating in Europe and and M rating in the US.
Versions
cut
Australia : A cut version was passed R18+ in March 2017
EU: The Australian cut version looks set to
be PEGI 18 rated
US: The Australian cut version looks set to be ESRB M rated (17)
Soon after being banned by the Australian games censor, the game was shorn of its implied sexual violence, and was then resubmitted. The game was
passed R18+ and the developers stated that the cut version will now be distributed worldwide.
The game producers have now claimed that the version cut to obtain an Australian R18+ was the version that the intended to release all along and that it
should not be therefore be referred to as a cut version when it is distributed worldwide. Red Barrels said:
The original submission of Outlast 2 sent to the Australian Classification Branch contained the final game
code and a video file for reference taken from an Alpha version of the game. This video file should not have been sent along with the game code, as its content was not representative of the final game.
In the second submission,
the same game code was submitted with a video file reflecting the final game content. The game was then approved for release with an R18+ rating. There will be only one version of Outlast 2 available worldwide.
banned
RC
Australia : Banned by the game censor in March 2017
Outlast 2 has been banned in Australia, predominately for the
depiction of implied sexual violence.
Australia's Censorship Board provided a detailed explanation of the reasons to Kotaku. The censors identified multiple scenes where sexual violence is implied in hallucinatory scenes involving the main
character, Blake.
One particular scene shows a female creature thrusting against the main character while his wife is tied up in chains. The censors explained:
[ Spoilers! hover or click text ]
In one cut-scene in the game ... a female creature prepares Blake for a ritual. She says, I want to see your true face. Your seed will burn this world. Shortly afterwards, he objects to having psycho-active dust
blown into his face, yelling, Nope! Nope! before he stumbles into a forest clearing.
His vision blurring, he witnesses what appears to a ritualistic orgy. His wife, Lynn, calls out for his help, saying, It hurts! Oh
god!, as she hangs from chains on a raised platform at the front of the clearing. Humanoid creatures, their skin grey, spattered with blood and scarred, implicity have sex as others pray, or chant, or gesticulate.
One creature
has another bent over a rock, thrusting as they implicitly have rear-entry sex, another sits astride the pelvic region of a creature prone on the ground, moving their hips rhythmically as they too implicitly have sex. Two other pairs of creatures in the
clearing are also implicitly having sex.
As Blake yells for the creatures to Get away from her! a female creature, her greyish breasts bared, pushes him onto his back, holds his arms to the ground and repeatedly thrusts her
crotch against him. As Blake protests, saying No! Stop that! the creature thrusts again, before placing its face over his midsection and then sitting up and wiping its mouth.
Although much of the contact between the
creature and Blake is obscurred, by it taking place below screen, the sexualised surroundings and aggressive behaviour of the creature suggest that it is an assault which is sexual in nature. The Board is of the opinion that this, combined with Blake's
objections and distress, constitutes a depiction of implied sexual violence.
In the Board's opinion, the above example constitutes a depiction of implied sexual violence and therefore cannot be accommodated within the R18+
classification category and the game is therefore Refused Classification.
The Board's report also notes that the game could be passed R18+ should the offending scene be cut.
The games was never cut
but the promotional artwork had to be edited for a US E (all ages) rating from the ESRB.
Versions
uncut
US : The game itself was not cut but promotional cartoon artwork featuring a chef's naked bottom had to be deleted for the game to receive an ESRB E (Everyone) rating. The original artwork was as follows with the
offending chef hanging from the 'o'.
v
Paranautical Activity - 2014 first person shooter by Code Avarice developed further by Digerati in 2015 as the Deluxe Atonement Edition
The game was originally release in 2014 but reappeared in February 2015 as a Deluxe Atonement Edition . But this
has now been banned by Australian censors.
The Classification Board listing is dated 5th January 2016 and lists the film as banned or 'Refused Classification' The Australian censor does not give reasons for the ban beyond vague words about it not
fitting within the censorship rules.
Current distributors Digerati told kotaku they would
look at removing the 'offending item' to comply with the Classification Board's requirements:
The reason they gave was 'illicit or proscribed drug use related to incentives and rewards' -- the prescribed drug in
game is Adderall and picking up the item gives you a 15% speed increase.
I have asked if we can resub [Paranautical Activity] without the item, waiting for a reply.
Though
Phantasmagoria was controversial for its use of graphic violence and a rape scene, in A Puzzle of Flesh sex was considerably more explicit: as sexuality plays a major part in the game's plot, which includes four sex scenes featuring bare breasts,
bondage, sadomasochism, public sex and offscreen oral sex. Various death scenes include graphic images of gore, including disembowelment and exsanguination, and A Puzzle of Flesh was also rated harshly for strong language, including two uses of the word
fuck , which in 1996 was a rare occurrence in video games.
Due to its amount of sex and violence, A Puzzle of Flesh was heavily censored in UK and banned in Singapore and Australia, although a re-cut version was eventually
made available in the latter. In the United States, the game was given an RSAC Rating Level 4 (of 4) for its sexual content and a Level 3 for its violence and language.
Versions
cut
UK: Cut by the BBFC for an 18 rated release in 1997
Ending Murder. Reduce violence in scene featuring scantily-clad blonde woman (Therese) in rest-room, as follows: After close-up of woman's chain-bound hands, remove all shots of suspended feet bathed in blood and shaking,
electrocution detail, and woman's head convulsing from electric shock, resuming on ball-gag dropping into pool of blood.
Bob's Murder. In crime scene interior featuring man in spectacles (Curtis) remove close-ups of
hand being impales, of victim's mouth spewing blood as he is struck, of victim's mouth being stapled with staple-gun and of victim's mouth dripping blood as chest is slashed, resuming on victim inside body bag.
PlayerUnknown's
Battleground is a 2017 South Korea Battle Royale by PUBG Corporation
Banned in China, Iraq and Jordan
Versions
uncut
International: Uncut
banned
China
India
Iraq
China: Demonitised
Not quite banned but the authorities did not allow the games monitisation. Instead
Tencent replaced it by a bloodless but similar game, Heping Jingying or Elite Force for Peace, which features heroic Chinese forces kicking ass, which the authorities seem to have approved of.
20 games have been assessed by China's Online Gaming
Ethics Review Committee. Nine of these 20 games have been banned including the most popular battle royale games -- Fortnite and PUBG. The cause given for banning PUBG is blood and gore.
Pakistan: High Court asks for a decision
The Lahore High Court has directed the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) on May 18 to decide over banning popular online game -- Player Unknown Battlegrounds (PUBG) -- in Pakistan within six weeks.
India: Banned
Multiple cities banned PUBG ever since the national child rights commission recommended barring the game for its violent nature.
In 2020, at a time of border tensions with China, the government banned PUBG Mobile over concerns that
the app was spying on users and transmitting sensitive user data back to China.
In January 2021 it was announced that the Indian ban on PUBG would be permanent.
Iraq: Banned in April 2019
Iraq's parliament has
voted to ban the popular battle royale games Fortnite and Playerunknown's Battlegrounds because of their supposed detrimental influence on the population.
A Reuters report says the ban was put into place due to the negative effects caused by some
electronic games on the health, culture, and security of Iraqi society, including societal and moral threats to children and youth.
Iraqi media reported incidents of suicide and divorce related to the games during the last year. Local media
reporting on the craze has claimed it has led to nearly 40,000 divorces worldwide and more than 20 cases in Iraq.
Jordan: Banned in July 2019
Jordan's game censors at the Telecommunications Regulatory
Commission (TRC) have banned PUBG. A statement claimed that the action came after a wave of complaints from citizens and authorities alike. However, the TRC said one of its main reasons for implementing the ban was a World Health Organization study that
classified PUBG as a violent game leading to addiction and social isolation, further stating that children who play violent games are more violent than their peers.
Nepal: Unbanned in May 2019
The Supreme Court
of Nepal has issued an interim order to the government to not ban the popular online game. The court observed that PUBG was basically a game used by the general public for entertainment. Since press freedom and freedom of expression are guaranteed by the
constitution, it is necessary to prove that such bans are just, fair and reasonable, and the actions of the authorities concerned are wise and logical, the bench stated in its order. The SC observed that the ban imposed by Kathmandu District Court on
April 10 was not reasonable.
Nepal: Banned in April 2019
Nepal Telecommunication Authority directed all ISPs to ban PlayerUnknown's Battleground, commonly known PUBG, following a court order to ban the game. The
court claimed that the game was having a negative effect on the behaviour and study of children and youths.
v Postal
- 1997 shoot 'em up by Running with Scissors
Postal is a 1997 shoot 'em up by Running with Scissors
Pre-cut in the UK for
18 rated release in 1997
Versions
uncut
International: Uncut
pre-cut
UK: Pre-cut for 18 rated release in 1997
Urban commando shoot-em-up with an endless stream of hostile threats. In America, the games had episodes of what
the BBFC called crazed irresponsibility on the part of the gunman but these were cut for the UK. The theme coupled with sounds of people screaming and groaning earned it an 18.
v Postal 2
- 2003 shoot 'em up by Running with Scissors
Postal 2 is a 2003 shoot 'em up by Running with Scissors
Banned in
Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Malaysia and temporarily in Sweden. Initially released uncut but was later slightly cut to remove a fake homophobic arcade game.
Versions
cut
International: Cut for later patch releases
The original release featured an in-game arcade machine that displayed a homophobic, albeit non-playable, game. This arcade game was changed to a fishing game
called Bastard Fish in patched releases. The developers said that they felt it had been a step too far.
uncut
International: Uncut
The game was released uncut with the developers
commendably refusing to make cuts to appease several censorial nations.
banned
NZ
Australia
Germany
Malaysia
New Zealand: Banned in 2004
New Zealand censors of the OFLC banned the film citing abhorrent content (Urination, High Impact Violence, Animal Cruelty, Homophobia, Racial, Ethnic Stereotypes).
Australia: Banned in 2005
The Australian censors also noted excessive abhorrent content.
Malaysia: Banned in 2007
Malaysia banned the game outright due to very high impact violence & offensive depictions of
cruelty.
Germany: Banned
Sweden: Temporarily banned
In Sweden, the attorney general took the Swedish distributor of the game to court. He was prosecuted with illegal depiction of violence, a
crime falling under the Swedish freedom-of-speech act. The court dismissed the case on December 12, 2006 and the game was unbanned.
v Postal 4
- 2022 shoot 'em up by Running with Scissors
Postal 4 is a 2022 shoot 'em up by Running with Scissors
Banned in
Australia.
Versions
uncut
International: Uncut
The game was released uncut.
banned
Australia
Australia: Banned in 2023
The game was
initially banned by Australia's random rating generator called the International Age Rating Coalition's Global Rating Tool (IARC Tool). The rating was then confirmed by human censors citing interactive drug use related to incentives and rewards.
Rainbow Six Siege is a 2015 tactical shooter by UbiSoft
Cut worldwide for the lowest common denominator of censorship, China
Versions
cut
International: Cut
In a blog post, Ubisoft explained: A Single, Global Version
We want to explain why these changes are coming to the global version of the game, as
opposed to branching and maintaining two parallel builds. We want to streamline our production time to increase efficiency By maintaining a single build, we are able to reduce the duplication of work on the development side. This will allow us to be more
agile as a development team, and address issues more quickly. Ubisoft provided examples of their censorship: Icons featuring knives become fists Icons featuring skulls are replaced Skulls in artwork are fleshed out into faces Images of slot machines are
removed Blood spatters are removed from a Chinese landscape painting Strip club neon nudity is removed
Ubisoft later changed its mind after significant customer backlash and announced that the cuts would be reversed for the next
update:
The next update, referred to as Year Three Season Four, will see the majority of these changes returned to their original look. The Moroccan-themed expansion will also feature three new characters and a new
map. It's expected to launch in early December on PlayStation 4, Windows PC, and Xbox One .
But it wasn't long before Ubisoft tried another tack to justify a censored version (without mentioning the Chinese connection).
Ubisoft are now reporting that parents and consumer groups are complaining that the game has too many references to sex, many violent scenes, and allusions to gambling . It adds that parents say these issues are troubling
in a game intended for teenagers.
'After listening to criticism', the company decided to make some changes to the game. It will remove some of the sexual references and violent content, and make the loot boxes easier to come by.
Ubisoft is hoping the changes will be enough to satisfy the critics and make the customers happy as well. (Especially those in China).
v Rapelay
- 2006 Japanes 3D eroge video game by Illusion
Compared to Illusion's previous games, the main
story is shorter, it features an improved 3D engine and is mainly played through mouse control. The game centers on a male character who stalks and rapes a mother and her two daughters. Three years after its initial release, the game garnered
international attention and controversy for its content, resulting in it being banned in several countries.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is a 2018 action adventure game from Rockstar
Cut for violence in Japan
Promotional Material
After a robbery goes badly wrong in the western town of Blackwater, Arthur Morgan and the Van der Linde gang are forced to flee. With
federal agents and the best bounty hunters in the nation massing on their heels, the gang must rob, steal and fight their way across the rugged heartland of America in order to survive. As deepening internal divisions threaten to tear the gang apart,
Arthur must make a choice between his own ideals and loyalty to the gang who raised him.
Versions
uncut
Worldwide:
Uncut
cut
Japan: Cut
The Japanese version tones down gore. Limbs can still be blown off but, rather than leaving behind
highly detailed meshes with exposed flesh, they disappear.
Resident Evil is a 1996 Japan survival horror by Capcom
Pre-cut in the UK for a 15 rated release in 1996
Versions
uncut
International: Uncut
pre-cut
UK: Pre-cut for 15 rated release in 1996
No cuts listed by the BBFC but it is reported that the epic re-telling of the classic haunted house story
contained a particularly unpleasant intro showing its Japanese origins. The blend of severed limbs and graphic bloodletting proved too much for the film censors, various cuts were made for its 15 rating
David W pointed out there was originally a
scene where a zombie was feasting on a human body and the head rolled into view, half eaten.. For whatever reason this did not seem to make the final release.
v RimWorld
- 2018 Canadian building simulation game by Ludeon Studios.
RimWorld is a 2018 Canadian building simulation game by Ludeon Studios.
The game was banned by the Australian 'Classification' Board on 28th February 2022. It has now been unbanned and passed R18+ after a successful appeal to the Classification Review Board on 20th April 2022.
The appeal board explains:
A four-member panel of the Classification Renew Board has unanimously determined that the computer game, RimWorld is classified R (Reseicted) with Ihe consumer advice: High impact themes and drug use.
In the Classification Renew Board's opinion RimWorld warrants an R18+ classification because the themes and drug use have a high impact The overall impact of the classifiable elements in the game was high. The Review Board
also considered the appeal of the game to be skewed to an adult audience
The game includes fantasy drug use, but in the Renew Board's opinion, the game mechanic ultimately provides disincentives related to drug taking behaviour,
to the point where regular drug use leads to negative consequences such as overdose, addiction, and withdrawal. Players may choose for colonist pawns to consume drugs in certain scenarios, but this greatly hinders player progress, as characters succumb
to addiction and must deal with long-term negative impacts of their drug use The drug use is depicted at a distance through a top-down perspective, in a highly stylised simplified, form The game also contains high impact themes that are Justified by
context of surviving in an inhospitable fantasy world.
Saints Row IV is a 2013 US action adventure game by Volition
The game made a little censorship history in Australia when it was the first computer game to be banned after the introduction of a new law to allow adults only game releases. The game was subsequently cut for a MA15+ rating.
Versions
uncut
International: Uncut
The game was released uncut
pre-cut
Australia
Australia: Cut for an MA15+ rating in 2013
banned
Australia
Australia: Banned in 2013
The Australian censors reported:
The game includes a weapon referred to by the Applicant as an Alien Anal Probe. The Applicant states that this weapon can be shoved into enemy's backsides. The lower half of the weapon resembles a sword hilt and the upper part
contains prong-like appendages which circle around what appears to be a large dildo which runs down the centre of the weapon. When using this weapon the player approaches a (clothed) victim from behind and thrusts the weapon between the victim's legs and
then lifts them off the ground before pulling a trigger which launches the victim into the air. After the probe has been implicitly inserted into the victim's anus the area around their buttocks becomes pixelated highlighting that the aim of the weapon
is to penetrate the victim's anus. The weapon can be used during gameplay on enemy characters or civilians. In the Board's opinion, a weapon designed to penetrate the anus of enemy characters and civilians constitutes a visual depiction of implied sexual
violence that is interactive and not justified by context and as such the game should be Refused Classification.
The game contains an optional mission which involves the player obtaining and smoking drugs referred to as alien
narcotics. Smoking the alien narcotics equips the player with superpowers which increase their in-game abilities allowing them to progress through the mission more easily.
The ban was challenged by the distributor but the ban was
upheld by the appeal board.
SENRAN KAGURA Burst
Re:Newal is a 2018 Japanese action game by XSEED
Censorship demands were made by Sony prior to release on its platforms.
Versions
cut
International:
Cut by Sony in 2018
Senran Kagura Burst Re:Newal was recently delayed on the PlayStation 4 as Sony demanded that publisher XSEED removes 'intimacy mode' which effectively allows you to fondle its cast of indeterminate aged
virtual characters against their will.
Shadow the
Hedgehog was originally going to be rated T until the ESRB created a new rating less than a year before its release. The game is far grittier and more real than any other Sonic game to have come before or since. What's more, Sega originally planned on
Shadow being even more detached from every other Sonic game.
A year before Shadow was released in 2005, the game was rated T for Teen. It had received this rating for its use of cartoon violence and language. However, with just eight months go
until release day, the ESRB created a new rating a step down from T, E10+. Since achieving that lower rating would open Shadow up to a whole new audience, Sega got to work.
A number of scenes previously included in the then yet-to-be-released version
of the game were edited. Most notably, the death of Maria Robotnik. Maria is gunned down by soldiers, and the moment was originally going to be shown on screen. It was removed from the final game to help bring the rating down to that coveted E10+.
The
intro video to the game was also changed. Shadow was originally shown shooting police officers. The original game also showed soldiers and officers bleeding, as well as Sonic using the word piss, which is very out of character for the blue blur. All of
those elements were changed so that Shadow was still far edgier than any Sonic game to have come before it, but toned down enough to be suitable for far more people.
A representative for games developer EA has announced on an online
forum that The Sims mobile game The Sims: Freeplay would no longer be available in seven countries: China, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar and Egypt.
A spokesperson said that in light of regional standards the game
would no longer be updated.? EA did not confirm the exact nature of these regional standards, prompting many fans to speculate that the ban was caused by the game's explicit LGBT content.
Users who had already downloaded the game would still be
able to use it, however, the game will not be updated and may eventually be rendered obsolete. Players will also not be able to make in-game purchases.
The popular EA life simulation video game includes diverse elements such as same-sex weddings
and gay adoptions, and male pregnancies. The game let players pick whether the sim had a feminine or masculine frame and allowed players to decide whether their sim stood to use the toilet.
Song of Memories is a 2018 Japan console game by PQube
Banned in Australia
Versions
uncut
Japan
Japan: Uncut
banned
Australia: The Australian Censorship Board has banned another console, Song of Memories published by PQube. It is another Japanese games no doubt featuring too sexy behaviour by characters of indeterminate, but young looking age.
The censors have yet to explain their reasons with just a worthless catch-all statement posted so far on their website.
Soul Blade is a 1995 Japan fighting game by Project Soul
Pre-cut in the UK for a 15 rated release in 1995
Versions
uncut
International: Uncut
pre-cut
UK: Pre-cut for 15 rated release in 1995
No cuts listed by the BBFC but chainsticks have been removed anyway.
There is also a scene at the
start where Sophitia puts her hands on her breasts to cover her self up from the water god. In the UK version she is wearing a swim suit.
Ubisoft has censored the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions of 18-rated comedy role-playing game South Park: The Stick of Truth in Europe,
the Middle East and Africa. The PC version remains unaffected.
BT.com reported on a note sent to press alongside copies of the game that revealed the changes, which amount to seven scenes of about 20 seconds each:
A mini-game in which the doctor is performing an abortion on the player.
A mini-game in which the player is performing an abortion on the character Randy.
Five anal probing scenes involving someone actively being probed. The scenes
play out as normal before and after the active probing sequences.
Each censored scene is replaced by an image background and a description text selected by South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker, Ubisoft said.
Speculation suggests that the censorship was applied to the entire region to appease the
lowest common denominator of game censors, ie those in Germany.
South Park wouldn't be South Park without a healthy dose of controversy, so it should come as no surprise that the just-released Stick of Truth South Park video game has its fair share. Originally, when it was revealed that the game would be censored
in Australia, absolutely no-one was surprised, as Australia censors pretty much everything these days. What was a little more surprising was the news that the same offending scenes would be cut from the European versions of the game.
First up is the anal probe scene , in which the player character is dragged past three other characters who are being actively probed, is
then probed himself, and then has to help rescue Randy Marsh without accidentally probing him.
The second sequence, the abortion scene ,
starts with the doctor performing an abortion on the player character, and ends up with the player performing an abortion on, once again, Randy Marsh (poor Randy).
South Park fans living in Australia, Europe, Africa and The Middle East were somewhat dismayed to learn that their version of South Park: The Stick of Truth . would be
censored . I was able to
upload the scenes so affected users could see what they were missing out on, but now, those
clever PC modders have done one better, creating a patch for the Steam version of the game that allows everyone to enjoy it fully uncensored. Hooray for anal probes!
You can find the patch on the Steam community forums
here , and to install it, you simply need to download
this file and extract it into the game's directory. Fans are reporting that the patch works perfectly,
allowing them to see the removed anal probe and abortion scenes, as well as the Nazi zombies for those users in Germany.
cut
Germany: Presumably these are further cuts beyond that of the European Version
A modified version has now been approved for release,
under the guidance of R18+. No full sequences have been removed from the game, only small sections amounting to less than five minutes of game play. These modifications in no way detract from the narrative of the game, meaning the player will still enjoy
an authentic South Park experience.
South Park: The Stick of Truth has been cut by the Australian Censorship Board.
The version to be released in Australia
is missing an entire interactive sequence in which the player character, among others, is subjected to anal probing by alien technology.
The scene is a homage to the very first episode of the TV series and includes that an alien probe is inserted
anally into various characters within an interactive animated sequence and - mainly - with no indication of explicit or implicit consent .
The game was resubmitted in a slightly modified version. The censor's report doesn't exactly
how it was changed cut it seemed that the victims of the anal probe are now sleeping or sedated and thus don't respond painfully to the probe. However this version did not allay the censor's concern about the lack of consent, and so was refused again.
In the third and successful submission, the alien probe scene was totally removed and replaced by a simple text that describes the events. It is framed by a picture that shows crying koala bears and the word CENSORED in big red letters
placed right next to it.
The censors also criticised an abortion scene with an amateurishly executed abortion using a coat hanger and a vacuum cleaner. However the censors did not push this point and the scene remained unaltered.
During pre-release beta trials, the game's publisher
EA was criticized by gamers and the gaming press for introducing a loot box monetization scheme that gives players substantial gameplay advantages through items purchased in-game with real money.
Although such items could also be
purchased with in-game currency, players would on average have to grind for approximately 40 hours to unlock a single player character such as Darth Vader.
Responding to the controversy, developers had adjusted the number of
in-game items a player receives through playing the game. However, after the game went into pre-release a number of players and journalists who received the pre-release copy of the game reported various controversial gameplay features, such as rewards
being unrelated to the player's performance in the game.
On November 12, 2017, a Reddit user complained that although they spent US$80 to purchase the Deluxe Edition of the game, Darth Vader remained inaccessible for play, and the
use of this character required a large amount of in-game credits. Players estimated that it would take 40 hours of gameplay to accumulate enough credits to unlock a single hero. In response to the community's backlash, EA's Community Team defended the
controversial changes by saying their intent to make users earn credits to unlock heroes was to give users a sense of pride and accomplishment after unlocking a hero. This led to many Reddit users becoming frustrated at the response, which generated more
than 668,000 downvotes, making it the most downvoted comment in the site's history.
In response to the community's outrage, EA lowered the cost of credits to unlock heroes by 75%.
On the day before release,
EA disabled micro-transactions entirely, citing players' concerns that they gave buyers unfair advantages. They stated their intent to reintroduce them at a later date after unspecified changes had been made.
State of Decay is a 2013 US third-person survival shooter by Undead
Labs
Originally banned in Australia by the Censorship Board but the distributors resubmitted the game with censor cuts and it was then passed R18+. Thei was the second game to banned in Australia after the law was changed to allow
adults only games.
Summary according to the Australian Censorship Board
State of Decay is a modified third-person survival/horror shooter game set in a small American town during the aftermath of a zombie
apocalypse. Players navigate open-world environments, battling zombie attacks, as they scavenge for supplies and collaborate with other survivors to ensure the survival of the human race.
The game contains violence that exceeds
strong in impact. Throughout this third-person horror shooter, players battle hordes of zombies using melee weapons, guns and explosives. The violence is sometimes frenetic and is the primary aspect of gameplay. Zombies (which mostly appear human-like)
can be injured with ranged or melee weapons, causing large, stylised wounds to appear on their bodies. It is possible to dismember, decapitate and stomp on the heads of zombies; these depictions are accompanied by significant wound detail as well as
sprays of flesh and blood
The distributor organised cuts to replace the stimulants alluding to narcotics with vitamin
supplements. This seemed to appease the censors and the game was then passed R18+
Australia: Banned by the Censorship Board in June 2013
The game contains the option of self-administering a variety of "medications" throughout gameplay which act to restore a player's health or boost their stamina. These
"medications" include both legal and illicit substances such as methadone, morphine, amphetamines, stimulants, acetaminophen, ibuprofen, codeine, aspirin, "trucker pills", painkillers and tussin. Of these, methadone, morphine, and
amphetamines are proscribed drugs and the term "stimulant" is commonly used to refer to a class of drugs of which several are proscribed.
Players obtain drugs by scavenging for them in
the environment or by manufacturing them in a "Medical Lab". When players find drugs in the environment the name of the drug appears onscreen and the drug is also represented by a visual icon such as a pill bottle or syringe. Within the
"Medical Lab" players are prompted to make substances such as "Potent Stims", "Mild Stims" and "Painkillers". The laboratory includes a "research library" and "chemical dictionary".
When administering drugs, the player is briefly depicted moving a pill bottle toward their mouth. The sound of pills rattling in the bottle accompanies the depiction. The name of the drug appears
onscreen along with its representative icon. Consumption of the drug instantly increases a player's in-game abilities allowing them to progress through gameplay more easily. The Applicant has stated that a "player can choose not to make any drugs or
scavenge for them, but it would be very difficult to complete the game without some form of medication".
In the Board's opinion, the game enables the player's character to self-administer
proscribed drugs which aid in gameplay progression. This game therefore contains drug use related to incentives or rewards and should be Refused Classification.
In the previous build for Street Fighter 5, R. Mika would hold her opponents legs in a split during a move, this is not longer the case. Now her opponents legs are much closer together. Maybe coincidently but comparison shots also show some cleavage
being lost in reframing.
R. Mika's invaluable butt slap has been replaced with a very different camera angle -- one that shows her upper body, instead of her very robust lower body.
Capcom's Yoshinori Ono in a recent interview to Jogos confirmed cuts to the
game. He explained:
Our objective with 'Street Fighter V' is to start over from zero explains Ono. We want the professional players and the casual fans of the series to return, but we also want to reach those who have
never even touched a fighting game. So we can't have something in the game that makes people think, 'This is not acceptable'
We didn't make any change because of external influences. Those changes came up internally. We decided to
remove that because we want the biggest possible number of people to play, and we don't want to have something in the game that might make someone uncomfortable
Probably we won't be able to remove everything that could offend
someone. But our goal is, at least, to reduce that number as much as possible so that they think 'Ok, there is this issue here, but it is within the limits'. We want that everyone can play and enjoy without worrying about anything else Ono said.
Super Real Mahjong PV is a 2019 Japanese adventure game by
MightyCraft
Temporarily withdrawn for further censorship
Versions
cut
Japan
Japan: Temporarily banned
The console game Super Real Mahjong PV, originally released on the Sega Saturn and recently released for Switch, has been removed from Nintendo's eShop due to some scenes with insufficient
censorship.
According to a notice from the publisher, Mighty Craft, Nintendo temporarily removed Super Real Mahjong PV from the eShop due to scenes with insufficient censorship as the reason. This is something that was pointed out by Japanese entertainment rating
organization CERO (Computer Entertainment Rating Organization).
The publisher says it is currently working on checking and revising the entire game, and are getting ready to have it reviewed by Nintendo.
It turns out there are some
instances of the censorship rays being too thin and left some images of female breasts exposed.
Tales of Berseria is a 2017 Japan role playing game from
Banda Namco
The western releases are cut for violence to obtain a lower age category.
Versions
uncut
Japan: Uncut
pre-cut
International: Cut
A cutscene was editted to achieve a lower age category for a PEGI 16 rating in Europe.
A murder sequence was changed by substituting a killing by magic instead of the original death by stabbing with a sword. See cut comparison video from YouTube
Terminator Resistance is a 2019 Poland first person shooter by Teyon
Games
All releases have been cut for nudity to meet the demands of Sony and Microsoft.
Censored sex scenes
According to Teyon , the reason Terminator: Resistance released with censored sex scenes
was due to the platform holders, specifically Microsoft and Sony. This was revealed in a tweet reply that Teyon made to a gamer who was eager to find out exactly why the game had some of its more risque content censored in an M rated title that was
already regulated for sexual content.
Teyon were asked about the reason for the censorship they replied in a tweet:
We were forced by Sony and Microsoft E -- Teyon (@TeyonGames) December 3, 2019
Summary Notes
Terminator: Resistance is set in a post-apocalyptic 2028 Los Angeles. Players take on the role of Jacob Rivers, a soldier in the John Connor-led human resistance
against Skynet's robotic killing machines.
cut
International:
Cut
Sex scenes were obviously censored later in the day by using reframing and a restricted field of view to block the sight of Baron's and Jennifer's breasts. The mod restores the full screen view so that you get to see the boobs as
intended.
The scenes were also cut from the PC version but can be restored after some serious modding efforts See
article from oneangrygamer.net
Tom Clancy: Elite Squad is a 2020 Canada mobile action game by
Ubisoft
Censored for a raised fist gesture.
News September 2020: Clenched fist
Ubisoft has apologised for giving fictional terrorists the symbol of the raised fist, associated with the Black Lives
Matter movement, in its new mobile game, Tom Clancy: Elite Squad.
The company was visited by the PC lynch mob after the video game's trailer was released. Players have to kill members of the fictional group, Umbra, which fuels civil unrest with
acts of terrorism.
Ubisoft said showing the fist symbol at an Umbra meeting in an opening sequence had been insensitive and harmful. 'Extremely disrespectful' We have listened to and appreciate the players and the broader community who have
pointed it out and we apologise. The image was rapidly removed from the Android version of the game and from the iPhone version.
You, as El Presidente, will first take control of the infamous island of Tropico during early colonial times and then guide it through the centuries as the world changes and moves
ever forward. You must tackle the changing needs of your people, as well as opposing governments and factions, and thus lay the foundations for your own dynasty. As you move through your years in office you can promote members of your extended family on
the island to positions of power: such as ambassador, commanding general or even Supreme Ruler, to ensure your legacy thrives through the eras. As your influence and wealth grows, so do the threats to your burgeoning island superpower. Can you survive
both World Wars, prosper through the Great Depression, rule as an iron-fisted dictator through the Cold War and advance your country to modern times and beyond? From the 19th to the 21st century, each era carries its own challenges and opportunities
Following a newspaper campaign and due to the supposed discrediting of China's national image in the futuristic plot line of the game, Battlefield 4 has been
banned from sale as of this week. The Chinese Ministry of Culture said the game is to be removed from physical shelves as well as all China-based online sales channels.
Those that've already downloaded the game in China will be unable to access
any online content and are encouraged to delete the game from their consoles and PCs. The Chinese Ministry of Culture suggests that Battlefield 4:
Is an illegal game, with content that endangers national security, and
is all about a cultural invasion.
Battlefield 4 relevant available downloads, patches, news, and other requirements [shall be] deleted within 24 hours.
Apparently the bit in the game where American soldiers
must march into China to help in a state of social instability is not entirely welcome as a possible futuristic outcome in the country at the moment.
v Ultreia
- 2021 adventure puzzle game by Olivier De Rop
Ultreia is a 2021 adventure puzzle game by Olivier De Rop
A little robot
becomes a pilgrim and crosses a wild post-apocalyptic world to find the meaning of life.
Australia: Banned in April 2022
Australia's game censors have banned another video game. The game was 'refused
classification' by the censors random rating generator known as the IARC, so could well be overturned oncr the human censors take over.
The censors have offered no explanation for the ban.
The game seems to have fallen foul of the censors
over a release on Nintendo Switch.
v Until Dawn
- 2015 gory adventure game by Supermassivegames
Until Dawn is a 2015 gory adventure game by Supermassivegames
Cut in
Japan
Versions
uncut
International: Uncut outside of Japan
cut
Japan: Cut for death
by circular saw.
The YouTube channel Censored Gaming has published its latest video, this one highlighting how the PlayStation 4 horror game, Until Dawn , was amended for its Japanese release.
Josh's death by saw cutscene was crudely censored for Japan by totally blanking out the video.
Valkyrie Drive: Bhikkuhni
is a 2016 Japan fight game
Banned in Australia by the Censorship Board
Promotional Material
From the creators of Senran Kagura - Valkyrie Drive is an intense brawler set in a universe
where girls turn into giant super-weapons when sexually aroused. Wielded by partner girls called Liberators, players must use this power to take on levels swarming with enemies and giant bosses.
The Australian Censorship Board claims that the game promotes elements
that offend standards of morality, and also uses sexuality as an incentive and reward. A major factor in the refusal of classification is due to implied sexual violence in the game, especially if they pertain to incentives or rewards..
In
the game, the girls are able to turn into weapons by kissing and touching one another. This may be part of the reason for the ban.
Vampire: The Masquerade -Bloodlines is a 2004 US role playing game by Troika
Cut in the UK and rated 18 by the BBFC
Promotional Material
Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines is a visually stunning first-person role-playing adventure that combines intense
first-person action with an open, non-linear world, rich character development and an immersive storyline.
The game plunges players into the dark and gritty vampire underworld of modern day L.A. as a creature of the night,
interacting with and battling mortals and other creatures of darkness with an incredible array of vampire powers, skills and traits.
Versions
uncut
Europe: Uncut and PEGI 18+ rated (maybe 16+ later)
US: Uncut and ESRB M rated
pre-cut
UK: A pre-cut version was passed 18 without further BBFC cuts
Wasteland 3 is a 2020 US multi-player role playing game by inXile
The game was banned by the Australian Censorship Board in February 2020 for unspecified reasons. The game makers made cuts and the game was then passed R18+.
Australia: A cut version was passed R18+ for Sexual activity related to incentives and rewards, online interactivity.
banned
Australia: Banned
The game was banned by the Australian Censorship Board in February 2020. The censors did not provide any meaningful reason for the ban, but the censor's usual bugbear is that something considered naughty is used as
an incentive in the game mechanism.
We Happy Few is a 2018 Canada survival horror from Compulsion Games
Originally banned in Australia by the Censorship Board but the ban was overturned by The Classification Review Board.
Promotional Material
We Happy Few is the tale of a plucky bunch of
moderately terrible people trying to escape from a lifetime of cheerful denial in the city of Wellington Wells. In this alternative 1960s England, conformity is key. You'll have to fight or blend in with the drug-addled inhabitants, most of whom don't
take kindly to people who won't abide by their not-so-normal rules.
Discover the retro futuristic city's dark history as you play through the intertwined narratives of three quietly rebellious citizens of Wellington Wells, each
with their own strengths and weaknesses, as they face their pasts, prepare for the future, and engage in activities that aren't exactly status quo in the artificially enthused society.
Explore the Dystopian Isles of Wellington
Wells Set in retro futuristic 1960s England, you will find a city ravaged by war and rebuilt by delusion ally happy people. Everything appears to be joyful in Wellington Wells, including the roads, the people, and its omnipresent television personality,
Uncle Jack! However, it's a big, idyllic world on the brink of collapse. You will discover the history of this world, and how it came to be just so beguilingly happy.
The Australian game censor heard an appeal against the ban on 3rd July 2018 and decided to
overturn the ban, rating the game R18+ for fantasy violence and interactive drug use.
Australia: Banned by the Censorship Board in May 2018
In May 2018, the Australian Censorship Board announced that We Happy Few has been banned in
Australia.
The censors noted that the game's depictions of drug use related to incentives and rewards, in this case the beneficial effects of using Joy pills, could not be accommodated within the R 18+ category.
The Soma-like drug Joy is
used in the game to detract the citizens of Wellington Wells from the Orwellian reality they live in.
There's no word yet on if Compulsion Games will make cuts to the game to satisfy the Board, but it s often the case.
The game is set for
release on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC this summer.
Wolfenstein 3D is a 1992 US first person shooter by id Software
Banned for many years in Germany until 2019.
Versions
uncut
International:
Uncut outside of Germany
banned
Germany: Banned for Nazi Symbology from 1992 unti November 2019
the game was banned in Germany in 1992 for its
Nazi symbology. Until now. Wolfenstein 3D has now officially been removed from the German Ban list, more than 25 years after the game was released.
The change of heart is based on a court ruling made in 2018, involving a web-based parody game Bundesfighter 2 Turbo
. The game, which is a parody of politicians, featured right-wing leader Alexander Gauland who transformed into a Swastika as one of his special moves. The developers appealed the symbology censorship applied to the game with Germany's attorney
general, who ruled that the exemption of art applies to video games. This then overrules games censorship rules previously applying to Nazi symbology in German games releases.
Walking the Edge 1985 US action drama by Norbert Meisel, previously cut by the BBFC, set for uncut UK Blu-ray release on 6th March 2023 updated with BBFC cuts list
Cuts and Bans
Reservoir Dogs 1992 USA crime thriller by Quentin Tarantino, once held back by the BBFC, just released on US 4K Blu-ray
A photograph of assassinated Russian diplomat Andrei Karlov has been removed from the video game Batman: The Enemy Within , made by Telltale. 
Modern Warfare 2's Favela map was temporarily removed after users discovered Islamic text on a bathroom painting. 
Kingdom Hearts 3 is an upcoming video game that features Winnie the Pooh. 
International: Cut 
In the previous build for Street Fighter 5, R. Mika would hold her opponents legs in a split during a move, this is not longer the case. Now her opponents legs are much closer together. Maybe coincidently but comparison shots also show some cleavage
being lost in reframing. 
According to a notice from the publisher, Mighty Craft, Nintendo temporarily removed Super Real Mahjong PV from the eShop due to scenes with insufficient censorship as the reason. This is something that was pointed out by Japanese entertainment rating
organization CERO (Computer Entertainment Rating Organization). 
Cuts and Bans 
BBFC Daily 
MPAA Weekly 
BBFC Daily 
Cuts and Bans 
BBFC Daily 
Cuts and Bans 
MPAA Weekly 
Cuts and Bans 
Cuts and Bans 