Since the first trailer appeared in December 2020, survival horror fans have been looking forward to ‘The Callisto Protocol’. Now that the release is imminent, the sobering break came – at least for players in Japan. The game with a science fiction setting is not supposed to be published there after all.
‘The Callisto Protocol’: Rating issues
Editor’s recommendation
‘The Callisto Protocol’ scored with horror fans with spooky early material. The escape from a merciless prison on Jupiter’s moon Callisto in 2320 appears to contain some brutal passages. In Germany, it received an age rating of 18 and over, but it was apparently too harsh for the Japanese authorities. In the current version, the game would not receive a rating there. Developers Striking Distance Studios and publisher Krafton also turned down the possibility of modifying the game again. They prefer to suspend the release in Japan entirely.
No cuts in the gaming experience
“We have concluded that the game in its current state cannot meet the requirements for a CERO rating and that changing the content will not provide the experience players expect,” was posted on the official Japanese Twitter account announced for the game. “We ask Japanese players for their understanding.” The developers did not go directly into the reasons for an impossible release by the Japanese Computer Entertainment Rating Organization (CERO), but disturbing game scenes can be inferred. Players in Japan who pre-ordered ‘The Callisto Protocol’ will now receive a refund. Still, following the announcement that the game won’t be released in Japan, the comments are disappointed. Games that are too violent are usually released in Japan with censoring adjustments anyway. In the case of ‘The Callisto Protocol’, some fans are now hoping to be able to get the game via detours. Everywhere else it will be launched as planned.
pic.twitter.com/fXtsIY4Fz3
— The Callisto Protocol (@CallistoGameJP) October 26,
‘The Callisto Protocol’ will be released on December 2nd. The horror game will be playable on PC, Playstation 4 and 5 as well as Xbox One and X/S. In addition, the developers have announced a remake of their previous project ‘Dead Space’ (2008) for January 2023.
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